APTCO Printing & Promotions

Case Study: I've Got You Covered

Apr 16

Description: Chenille Blanket Industry: Health Care / Pharmaceutical What it was purchased for: A local hospital needed blankets to hand out to children who were currently patients that they could t...

Two Successful Promotions

Apr 12

We often feature stories about marketing campaigns run by small neighborhood businesses—ones you’ve never met but that might have a lot in common with you. But this time we’ve fo...

7 Camping Promotional Products for the Great Outdoors

Apr 08

Whether you’re looking to relax and recharge or seeking adventure, getting out into nature provides everyone some peace and quiet from our regular lives. Help your customers enjoy the great o...

The Best Promotional Products for Sports Fanatics

Mar 25

With March Madness about to peak, baseball beginning, and football season ahead, people are gearing up to support their favorite teams. Whether they’re grilling hot dogs at a tailgate or cheeri...

6 Products to Take to Your Next Family Picnic

Mar 11

Ah yes, family picnics. The deli sandwiches, games, and abundance of sunshine. Summertime is the best time to fill up the basket, dust off the checkered blanket, and head out to your local park. T...

Lead a Healthier Lifestyle With These 6 Promotional Products

Feb 17

Eating healthy. Weight management. Working out five times a week. There are many health-related resolutions we set at the beginning of a new year. But, do we follow through with them? Many times, the ...

5 Back to College Products for a Safe School Year

Feb 10

The 2020-2021 school year is almost here, which means staff is preparing for an influx of students on college campuses. Due to health concerns this year, colleges are doing everything to heighten safe...

Winning Promotions

Feb 08

Every year, PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) recognizes promotional campaigns that have achieved extraordinary results with a Pyramid Award. These span a wide range of categor...

Case Study: I Was Framed!

Jan 27

Objective: The city was celebrating National Public Works Week with a community event. The event provided education for community members, as well as games for entertainment. Event planners wanted a...

Local Promotion Brings Community Together

Jan 11

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the community. Even though APTCO is a national company, many of our clients are primarily focused on building and maintaining business in their local area. It...

Beyond PPE: 6 Feel-Good Promo Products for Hospitals

Jan 06

Although 2020 has been over-saturated with PPE products, hospitals and medical offices still seek other promo product ideas (beyond PPE) to pass out to patients, nurses, and visitors. Whether being...

'Tis the Season to Bring out Our Favorite Holiday Gift Ideas!

Dec 30, 2020

It’s that time again! The holidays are around the corner and you’re probably thinking about everything you need to do between now and the new year. For most of us, that includes client and...

6 Promotional Signs to Let Customers Know You’re Open For Business

Dec 08, 2020

As restaurants, salons, retail stores, and more begin reopening the doors, many business owners are trying to think of bold ways to visually attract customers to their businesses. From curbside food p...

Case Study: Happy to Hang Around

Dec 01, 2020

Description: Standard Door Hangers Industry: Automotive What it was purchased for: A collision center wanted to increase the number of customer satisfaction survey responses and boost online appoint...

8 Essential Office Supplies for Remote Workers

Nov 23, 2020

Since the CDC declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic on March 11, 2020, various shelter-in-place and social distancing rules have been put into place to help slow the rate of infected peoples in the p...

More Than Just Embroidery

Nov 10, 2020

No doubt you’re familiar with embroidery as a popular means of decorating garments with logos, names, and messages. It’s been around for a long time, and we do a lot of it at APTCO. Bu...

5 Promotional Products for Firemen and Fire Departments

Nov 09, 2020

Firemen deserve a special kind of admiration. They spend their careers rushing into buildings while others are rushing out. Many departments require aid from the community, and that’s where f...

5 Men's Wearable Promotional Products for the Office and Beyond

Oct 25, 2020

It’s fun giving out promotional products like fidget spinners and stress balls, but sometimes you need an option for the guy that likes to keep it a bit more professional. These business casu...

How to Put Together an Onboarding Kit

Oct 03, 2020

Employee engagement starts the second a new employee walks in the door, so it’s important for companies to make a good impression on their first day! The onboarding process shouldn’t just ...

Lanyards: Everything You Need to Know

Sep 19, 2020

When it's time to choose the perfect lanyard for your company or organization, you may not be aware of all the things to consider when purchasing your new supplies. Lanyards come in many different sty...

Comfort Apparel is Here to Stay

Aug 11, 2020

Before the coronavirus, casual apparel had become more and more the norm in the business world. Of course, the nebulous standard of “business casual” kept things from getting too slopp...

6 Products to Include in Every Holiday Gift Basket

Jul 22, 2020

It’s always a good idea to get those gifts planned out and ready to go before the holiday chaos begins, and that includes client appreciation gifts. But, what do you get them? Put in extra thoug...

10 Promotional Products for Healthy Living

Jul 15, 2020

We all strive to be our best selves, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. We can all make excuses to make unhealthy choices. Your niece has a birthday and it would seem rude to turn down th...

6 Most Unique PPE Products

Jul 14, 2020

The world of Covid-19 has brought a wealth of new products to the attention of marketers. It began with traditional Personal Protective Equipment, which was in short supply for medical workers. Ma...

Case Study: Bringing Back the Fanny Pack

Jul 01, 2020

Market: Entertainment Product Use: Gift With Purchase Promotion: A major theme park chose the Safeguard Security Waist Belt as a gift with purchase for customers who bought season passes. The wais...

O Canada! 6 Promotional Products Made in Canada

Jun 09, 2020

From sea to sea, Canada is a large and beautiful country that produces a wide range of products. There are so many Canadian-made products to choose from, but we worked hard to narrow it down to a shor...

Eco Apparel Trends in 2020

Jun 09, 2020

Every January, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) draws thousands of attendees to EXPO, where new products of every description make their debut. Apparel is one of the largest s...

Your Guide to Drinkware

Jun 02, 2020

Mugs, tumblers, and bottles…oh my! There is an abundance of variety available when it comes to promotional drinkware, which can make it difficult to decide what is the best choice for your bran...

6 Purr-fect Promo Products for Cat Lovers

May 19, 2020

Everyone knows that dogs are man’s best friend, but did you know that cats have been living alongside humans as companions since at least 7500 BC? In 2017, cats were one of the most popular pets...

6 Snap-Worthy Products for Every Photographer

Apr 20, 2020

Do you know what bokeh means? Aperture? That’s ok if you don’t, but many of your clients may know these terms if they are avid photographers! Whether they enjoy taking a flat lay shot of t...

Flexibility Check

Apr 14, 2020

If you’re still getting business email in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, then things are still moving along, albeit at a much slower pace. I hope that you are taking care as we are al...

Case Study: Employee Appreciation Gift

Mar 15, 2020

A company with many sales representatives needed an item for their top sales performers. Since their sales staff has both men and women, they needed an item that could be used by either gender. Th...

Top of the Pyramid

Mar 10, 2020

Promotional Products are everywhere. Businesses of every size and non-profits of every stripe have them. Problem is, most of them just chose something to “get their name out there.” We...

Give Your School Clubs a Boost With These Promotional Products

Mar 08, 2020

School clubs are an essential part of student life, and we’ve got the essential pieces you need to make the clubs a big success. These are promotional products that you can use for both to help ...

8 Promo Products That Will Kick Start Your Goals

Feb 15, 2020

We all want to live healthier, sleep deeper, and work better. These motivational promotional products will help kickstart goals and increase your brand visibility! Exercise Band Let's get physical...

Still More Award-winning Promotions

Feb 11, 2020

Every year, Promotional Products Association International recognizes the most creative promotional marketing campaigns with Pyramid Awards. It’s always fun to look at some examples to see t...

Here Are Our Votes For The Best Political Promotional Product Staples

Jan 31, 2020

Whether you are right or left, red or blue, or somewhere in the middle, if you’re in need of political promotional product staples, we've got some great candidates for you! Yard Signs ...

Perk up Your Promotions With These 6 Coffee Products

Jan 17, 2020

Coffee enthusiasts will love these promotional products that look like they’re straight from the coffee shop! Millions of people drink coffee and tea every day, even multiple times a day which m...

Elevate Your Marketing

Jan 14, 2020

It’s mind-boggling how many companies, big and small, throw money away by purchasing and giving away promotional products. Now mind you, if you come to us and want to buy 5,000 cheap pens an...

Your Guide to Promotional Shirts

Jan 10, 2020

If you've ever run a 5k or attended a basketball game, chances are you've got a promotional shirt in your drawers somewhere. According to PPAI's 2019 Consumer Study, wearables are the #1 most popular ...

5 Promo Products for People Who Love to Plan

Jan 02, 2020

Calendars, planners, and clocks are some of the most popular promotional products because they are useful, inexpensive, and receive innumerable impressions on a daily basis. Brand these everyday essen...

Get in Gear With These Automotive Promo Products

Dec 26, 2019

Branding these car-accessory promotional products for a campaign will drive more customers to your business! In the U.S., the average daily work commute is 26 minutes and Americans spend around 38 hou...

How to Tie Social Media to Promo

Dec 10, 2019

These days, any company looking to gain attention through marketing is bound to include social media in its plans. The smart ones don’t stop there. They make sure to combine different channe...

8 Promotional Products to Win Game Day

Dec 04, 2019

From Friday night lights, Saturday morning tailgating, to Sunday watch parties, show support for your team with some promotional products for the win! Touchscreen Gloves Add your logo to these tou...

Case Study: Raise Your Glass!

Nov 27, 2019

Objective A local brewery wanted an eye-catching promotional item to place on tables that would boost their alcohol sales and highlight their weekly specials while encouraging enrollment for their ta...

5 Festive Promotional Products for Holiday Parties

Nov 13, 2019

The holidays can get pretty hectic, so it’s always nice to receive some wise advice to help you through the celebrations. Our first piece of advice is to use mistletoe strategically. Your partne...

Trending Tech Products

Nov 12, 2019

No idea is original, or so they say. And with that expression in mind, tech products are invented, then reinvented or re-made to fit today’s market. That’s what we discovered for 2019....

6 USA-Made Products Especially for Kids

Oct 30, 2019

Who didn’t enjoy getting to dig through the prize basket after a trip to the dentist or the bank? It’s a fact – children love giveaways. Get your brand, school, or organization in fr...

Almost Everyone Wants Promotional Products

Oct 08, 2019

We’ve known it for a long time. Promotional products work. But we want to know why. Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) has done several studies over the years. The most re...

5 Promo Products That Are Bright, Light, and Ready to Excite

Oct 08, 2019

Looking for some promotional products to outshine the competition? Need some LED magic to illuminate your brand? We’ve got you covered with this selection of super fun promotional products th...

10 Promo Products for Auto-Lovers

Sep 16, 2019

Grab your keys and prepare for a Bo Duke slide across the hood of your car. It’s time to take a look at 10 promo products for auto-lovers. For this list, we put together a travel-bag of gear wor...

Still Effective After All These Years

Sep 10, 2019

In the world of advertising, effectiveness has to be one of the most important metrics. You can talk about exposure all day long, but if the receiver of the advertising doesn’t take some kin...

7 Promotional Products Perfect for Weddings

Sep 02, 2019

Adding names, monograms, or wedding dates to wedding favors is a great way to increase the wow-factor of any event. After everyone leaves the reception, these personalized gifts are there to help them...

5 Promotional Products That Will Have Your Clients Dreaming

Aug 25, 2019

There are a lot of branding opportunities that go unnoticed in a world of t-shirts and coffee mugs. In fact, there’s an entire industry that spends every waking hour thinking of ways to help you...

6 Promotional Products for Music Lovers

Aug 18, 2019

These promotional products will be music to your ears! There are all kinds of music lovers out there, from fans of rock to jazz and everything in between, that would love to get any of these music-the...

We’re Not Just Playing Around

Aug 13, 2019

With today’s hectic pace and the increasing amount of stress we shoulder, it’s no wonder that people are looking for more ways to play. Many of them turn to toys and games that teach, ...

8 Paw-some Promotional Products for Dogs and Dog Lovers

Aug 11, 2019

Whether you work with animals or want to show that your business is pet-friendly, there are plenty of products that will win over every dog breed! Here are 8 of our favorite pet products. Collapsi...

6 Retro Products That Are a Blast From the Past

Aug 04, 2019

No matter what decade you think of when you think of “retro products”, you can bet there’s a customizable product perfect for your next event. Using nostalgia to promote your busines...

10 Luxurious Products for Your VIP Customers

Jul 21, 2019

Most people crave the feeling of class, power, and status that comes with enjoying luxury products. Those who claim they don’t, just haven't gotten a chance to experience it for free. So, what b...

7 Promotional Products For Those On the Go

Jul 14, 2019

According to a 2016 AAA Foundation report, American drivers spend an average of more than 17,600 minutes behind the wheel each year. Now, imagine that someone is looking at products with your logo for...

Beyond the Basic Cotton T-shirt

Jul 09, 2019

Summer means T-shirt season is here. 100% cotton has been the traditional go-to fabric for festivals, walks, and company events of all types. But that is changing. Specialty fabrics and decoration...

Safety First

Jun 11, 2019

Structured Programs Help Meet Safety Goals Every responsible company understands that workplace safety should be a top priority. However, sometimes ensuring the health and well-being of employees...

6 Promotional Products to Fit Your Budget

Jun 01, 2019

Branding: it’s something that every company needs but there can be a common misconception that you need a large budget to get started. That’s not the case! Branding and promoting your comp...

Soak Up The Sun With These 7 Summer Promo Products

May 17, 2019

With an array of outdoor events like concerts, company picnics, and festivals on deck this summer, immerse your brand in nights that last forever and days we will be dreaming about long after the sun ...

5 Out of the Box Promotional Products We Love…and You Will Too!

May 10, 2019

We’ve all been stuck in the same rut while trying to come up with some original ideas to appeal to customers. Are you in need of some extra product inspiration? If so, here’s a little e...

Top 8 Promotional Products for Real Estate Professionals

Apr 04, 2019

If you work in real estate, you know that your field generates billions of dollars in revenue per year in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. And you could pocket a good amount of that yie...

Reverse Logos? Selfies Reign

Mar 12, 2019

A trend started to emerge recently. Some pretty big corporate giants—like Hugo Boss—started noticing that its young consumers were choosing their branded apparel based on how the logo ...

6 Promo Products for the Great Outdoors

Mar 06, 2019

A little branding goes a long way with these promo products perfect for the great outdoors! By adding your logo to these six sturdy items, your brand can be seen on hiking trails, huddled around a cam...

Case Study: This Promotional Product is in the Bag

Feb 27, 2019

Description: Laundry Bag Industry: Financial What it was purchased for: A credit union wanted to target college students and offer them an incentive to open a new account. They chose a design, &ldqu...

2019 Apparel Trends - part 2

Feb 12, 2019

Last month we reviewed some of the expected trends in corporate apparel. But we couldn't cover if all. The largest trade show in the promotional products business just concluded, with booth after ...

Your Customers Won't Want to Remove These Promotional Products From Their Desks

Jan 15, 2019

At the end of the day, promotional products are really all about getting brands out in front of people to grow awareness and ultimately, increase sales! If you want to get strategic, there are a coupl...

Apparel Trends and Looks for 2019

Jan 08, 2019

With 2018 wrapped up and a new year here, we start taking stock of what’s in store for 2019. In the decorated apparel world, there’s a trend of new styles emerging as well as classic l...

11 Promo Products for an Active Lifestyle

Jan 01, 2019

Take your corporate match to the next level! From team building sporting events to company-wide marathons, your customized products guarantee you beat the competition. Below is a list of 11 sports-mi...

7 Promo Products That Will Get the Party Started

Dec 25, 2018

Do you remember the birthday parties you went to when you were a kid? And the party favors you received at the end of the festivities? Sometimes, those parting gifts were the highlight of the party. B...

Ways to Cultivate Customer Excitement

Dec 11, 2018

Making Loyalty Programs Work For You Here’s the good news…Loyalty programs are big business getters. But they can be even bigger when you use really cool promotional products that ar...

5 Outside-the-Box Ideas for Your Next School Promotion

Nov 26, 2018

School promotions aren't just a thing for schools. It's very common and quite effective for businesses to support local schools and colleges with co-branded promotions. If you’ve ever been invol...

Drink It In: 6 Drinkware Products to Quench Your Thirst

Nov 19, 2018

What better way to put your money where your mouth is than to add your logo to some stylish drinkware? We have six unique picks to inspire your next drinkware order! Moscow Mule Gift Set Cheers to...

Relax and Unwind With These 10 Promo Products

Oct 22, 2018

Like that classic Beatles song, sometimes it can feel like your working eight days a week. Maybe you’ve had back to back meetings or you’ve had a stressful travel week. Whatever the case, ...

Community Service Promo Programs Score Bigger

Oct 09, 2018

People are inundated with hundreds of marketing messages every day. An old marketing adage says it takes someone at least seven times to hear or see your message before they begin to remember it...

25 Surprising Facts About Promotional Products

Oct 08, 2018

You don’t have to work in the field of promotional products to notice the impact they can have on any organization’s marketing efforts. As the most effective medium of advertising across a...

6 Things You Need on Your Desk

Sep 16, 2018

Most of us spend as much time at our desks as we do in our homes. If that’s the case, we should all put some time and effort into making sure our workspace is as happy and motivating as possible...

Top Ten Promotional Categories

Sep 11, 2018

We could have checked the statistics on our 850,000 item database, but instead, we conducted an informal survey asking consumers to name their favorite promotional products. We think that ju...

Our Top 10 Favorite Eco-Friendly Products

Aug 19, 2018

Sometimes it’s good to take a moment and get in touch with Mother Earth. Not only are these products great for printing your company logo or message, but they also serve dual purposes. The produ...

6 Do’s and Don’ts of Promotional Product Marketing

Aug 14, 2018

The Do’s 1. Do: Always Focus on Your Target Audience. Get to know who your current customers are, and then you can really target them and new customers. It’s imperative to know your ...

6 Budget-Friendly Products to Drive High-End Sales

Jul 22, 2018

Are you looking for a marketing campaign that is not only successful but budget-friendly? Good news! You don’t have to break the bank to find promotional products that get the job done and leave...

How Wellness Programs Make Businesses Healthier

Jun 08, 2018

The infographic says it all. Wellness programs work, by improving employee engagement, morale, and of course, health. When properly executed, the company benefits with increased productivity and r...

Direct Mail Marketing That Gets Attention

Jun 01, 2018

Collin Street Bakery, a highly respected Texas-based bakery, had an image problem. It sold fruitcake in a world that makes fun of fruitcakes. “Collin Street Bakery has been shipping to 200 coun...

Promotional Products Work (23 fun facts)

May 22, 2018

23 fun facts about effective advertising Last week, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) held a national awareness campaign called Promotional Products Work Week. Activities and me...

Making the Most of Your T-shirt Advertising

May 01, 2018

T-shirt season is here. Festivals, races, walks, tournaments, competitions, you name it. Organizations of all types are ordering T-shirts to advertise an event or commemorate an occasion. Too many...

Five Ideas For Spring Promotions

Apr 01, 2018

With spring in the air and the winter blues almost a cold memory, it’s time to start thinking about and implementing spring promotion ideas for your business. Many businesses depend on the year-...

9 Unexpected Apparel Trends of 2018

Mar 01, 2018

Branded apparel means more than just slapping your logo on a T-shirt. Companies can burnish their image by staying on top of the latest fashion trends. And let’s face it, some of them are a bit ...

Turning the Tables on Trade Shows

Jan 01, 2018

For the past 22 years, APTCO has helped companies large and small to prepare to exhibit at trade shows. Most of our business activity is focused on that. Next week, I’ll be attending one of the ...

Plan for Next Year

Dec 26, 2017

How in the world did we get here? December got here faster than ever, and is flying by. If you’re anything like me, you haven’t even had time to evaluate the success of all your promot...

Trade Shows — What Could Possibly Go Wrong

Nov 01, 2017

Exhibiting at a trade show can be an effective way to gain new business, while connecting with current clients. But in many cases they represent a sizable investment, so it takes detailed attentio...

Keys To a Successful Golf Tournament

Sep 17, 2017

For decades, golf has been known as America’s favorite pastime; where men, and now many women, go for friendly competition, cold beverages and good old-fashioned fun. According to the Na...

Insurance Costs Are Out of Control

Aug 12, 2017

Last month we wrote about how promotions can actually reduce insurance costs. We learned about the five ways promotional products can help to drive such programs — promoting, maintaining int...

What’s New in T-shirts

Jun 10, 2017

These walking billboards are everywhere. And they have been for a long time, about 80 years. That is, the promotional variety. Plain T-shirts are older than that, starting as underwear around 1900...

Really Now, Why Does This Work So Well?

May 10, 2017

Advertising comes in many forms — radio, television, newspapers, magazines, brochures, and increasingly, online tools such as websites, blogs, and emails. But study after study shows that on...

Built for Life — Advertising That Lives On

Apr 01, 2017

Consumers like promotional products. Consumers keep promotional products. Consumers have spoken and they praise promotional products as the leading advertising vehicle for brands. Those are some o...

Testing Lab Trade Show Promo Is a Hit

Jan 07, 2017

Medallion Labs planned to set meetings with qualified prospects during a trade show. Previous shows had been lackluster; no more than 10 prospects had signed up in the previous year. New strategies...

Making Trade Shows Work

Jan 01, 2017

Happy new year, everyone. Looking out over a changing business climate, as more and more sales and marketing move to the online world, it’s easy to overlook the traditional channels. But acr...

17 Apparel Trends for ’17

Dec 10, 2016

Everything Old Is New Again. More than a song title, it’s an apt description of the fashion cycle we’re about to see in the coming year, according to a recent feature in Advantages mag...

What Made-in-America Really Means

Oct 12, 2016

We hear a lot about “Made in America” these days. Election season has done nothing to slow down the interest in the subject, but honestly, it’s a topic that never goes away. Acco...

Great Tool for Awareness Campaigns

Sep 07, 2016

Breast cancer awareness gets a lot of attention. And rightfully so. There are a lot of people working very hard to ensure that Breast Cancer is a “Top Of Mind” issue. However, there are a ...

A Safety Program Primer

Aug 09, 2016

How much do injuries or illness cost your company? It’s a question worth asking. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s estimate, employers collectively pay alm...

A Wellness Program Primer

Jul 12, 2016

Sleeping is all in a days’ work at Aetna. The U.S. health insurance giant recently announced it would pay employees to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Workers use their own dev...

7 Steps to a Promotional Plan

Jun 12, 2016

Successful promotion campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of course, the...

Brain Games — How to Spice Up Promotions

May 12, 2016

It's called gamification — turning a business objective into a game. Supposing you have a goal of getting employees more deeply engaged in creative processes that result in product improveme...

More Award-Winning Promotions

Apr 10, 2016

Last month we featured some creative marketing campaigns that received awards from Promotional Products Association International - PPAI. We continue in this issue with some more promotions that d...

Award-Winning Promotions

Mar 12, 2016

Promotional Products Association International - PPAI - recently awarded the most effective promotional campaigns of the past year. Note: not the coolest products, but the promotions that delivere...

New Year, New Promotional Products

Feb 15, 2016

There's always something new, isn't there? So much that it takes two floors of the Las Vegas convention center where the Expo is put on every January by PPAI - Promotional Products Association Int...

Water, Water, Everywhere

Jan 10, 2016

No, we’re not talking about the water falling from the sky, or even the water overflowing from the rivers. We’ve heard enough about that lately from national news outlets. This is abou...

The T-shirt As Billboard

Dec 15, 2015

Marketing through promotional products may date back to campaign buttons for George Washington over 200 years ago, but the branded T-shirt has a shorter history. The T-shirt itself (in its plain w...

Business Improvement Through Incentive Programs

Oct 10, 2015

What does a business do when they want to reduce accidents in the workplace? Or when they want to reduce health insurance costs? They create an incentive program. Of course, incentive programs are...

10 Steps To Design An Effective Incentive Program

Oct 10, 2015

Establish Objectives: Identify three to five goals or objectives that are a) measurable, b) attainable and c) simple to understand and communicate. Analyze the Audience: The entire workforce i...

Who Wants To Be A Minion-aire?

Sep 12, 2015

>Universal Pictures dug deep to promote this past summer's animated Minions movie. The marketing leading up to, and during the release of Minions was an absolute blitz. The creatures were everywhe...

On With the Show - Targeted Tactics

Aug 12, 2015

Targeted tactics for trade show marketing set the stage for long-term success. Many exhibitors fail to think of retention and reuse when selecting products for trade show marketing. Do you hand o...

Summer Means Baseball Which Means Bobbleheads

Jul 13, 2015

Garden gnomes, soap dispensers, fedoras and replica championship rings are just a few of the new promotional items MLB teams will give away at ballparks this season. Still, the promo product that ...

Do You Really Hate Advertising?

Jun 10, 2015

A lot of people say they do. When professions are ranked by public perception of honesty and ethics, the bottom positions are held by stockbrokers and members of Congress, but right next to that n...

Superhero wins the battle

May 19, 2015

It's true — promotional products get results. Maybe you have a problem that needs a knockout punch.

Promotional Products Work

May 18, 2015

This is the week of a nationwide campaign reminding advertisers that promotional products are one of the most effective channels of advertising. What are you waiting for? Make someone's day!

Let's Go To the Movies

May 14, 2015

Everything from plastic fangs promoting the latest vampire flick to whoopee cushions decorated with the title of an upcoming slapstick comedy has been used in product advertising for motion pictur...

Reducing Insurance Costs Through Promotions

Apr 10, 2015

The annual price tag on occupational injuries and illnesses is a staggering $250 billion, according to a study by the University of California Davis. The National Safety Council states that the av...

Professional Sports Loves Promotional Products

Mar 10, 2015

The NBA and NHL seasons are into their second acts, spring training is already here for major league baseball (even if Spring isn’t). Professional sports takes marketing seriously. Those sea...

Screen Printing - Not Just For T-shirts

Feb 21, 2015

Whether in an industrial art class in high school or when ordering custom t-shirts, screen printing is often a person’s first contact with printing other than desktop computer printing. S...

Lessons from Product Placement

Feb 10, 2015

Anybody watch the Super Bowl commercials? Anyone NOT watch them? Some were pretty entertaining, others were duds, and at least one backfired. Meanwhile, there was a football game in between all of...

Dimensional Mailing Gets Big Results

Jan 10, 2015

With the proliferation of email for marketing (yes, including this very newsletter), old fashioned physical mail can have a bigger impact than ever. That is, if it gets attention. Here's an exampl...

Fashion Forecast - Apparel Trends for 2015

Dec 15, 2014

Branded apparel remains one of the most effective and popular categories in the promotional products world. Far from the days when it was limited to the simple imprinted T-shirt, today's offerings...

Creative Thinking 101

Nov 12, 2014

This month we bring you a guest column from our friend Michael Crooks. APTCO's approach to promotional marketing has been influenced by Michael's brand of thinking. Forget about the “outside...

Oh No! Not Another Top 10 list!

Oct 10, 2014

It's that time of year. Once the 4th quarter hits, businesses start thinking about all they have to get done before the year ends. There are client gifts, employee gifts and awards, a couple more ...

Is it a Pen or a Promotion

Sep 10, 2014

Pens are one of the most popular promotional items. Imprinting them with a company name, logo, contact information and marketing message is just the first step. That's not a promotion, it's just s...

How and Why Do You Use Promotional Products?

Aug 10, 2014

Promotional products are everywhere. From screen printed T-shirts to pens to mugs to key tags, company logos are viewed thousands of times per day. But so what? Branded promotional items are a nea...

Motley Zoo - Rock Stars of Animal Rescue

Jul 10, 2014

Nonprofit organizations face many challenges. Their marketing budgets are generally much smaller than those of major corporations. They have to depend on donations rather than sales to generate op...

How To Make Your Trade Show Investment Pay Off

Jun 12, 2014

We work with a lot of companies as they prepare to exhibit at a trade show. In addition to the long-time clients that we know well, there are lots of requests that come because Google led someone ...

Print Provides Results! ... (interesting statistics)

May 16, 2014

Trade association Printing Industries of the Carolinas (PICA) compiled statistics from numerous sources showing how print marketing combines with other methods such as online, to cre...

American-made Promotional Products Make Sense

May 14, 2014

For most of the past decade, the majority of the most popular promotional products have been coming from China. When you are looking at the big categories, including writing instruments, drinkware, ba...

What's the Best Fabric For Your Shirt

May 10, 2014

Apparel is available these days in the widest range of choices ever. So the right one for your needs may be wildly different from someone else's. Before we even get into the style and color arena,...

Incentive Program Helps Customers and Employees

Apr 10, 2014

It's probably a surprise to nobody that surveys rating satisfaction with customer service usually have cable TV providers near the bottom of the list. “Waiting for the cable guy” is a ...

How the Selfie Turned a T-shirt Into a Campaign

Mar 12, 2014

With virtually every cell phone, whether smartphone or simple flip phone, having a camera, the “selfie” has become a cultural phenomenon. People are not just taking photos of themselve...

Let the Music Play

Feb 10, 2014

The recording industry has undergone tremendous changes over the past few years. Gone are the days when artists depended on signing with a major label, who would then handle all the promotion. As ...

The Truth About Promotional Products

Jan 10, 2014

Let's face it - we're in a new world of marketing. The traditional channels of the Mad Men era have been supplemented by multiple new digital channels. We're bombarded with marketing messages ever...

Is Everybody Happy?

Dec 10, 2013

Motivation Done Right and Wrong ’Tis the season to be jolly, but for some, it can be difficult when there are so many things to get done in such a short time. Our schedules get packed with ...

Literacy Program Builds a Brand

Nov 12, 2013

KPMG, an audit, tax and advisory services firm, recently developed a brand-boosting marketing campaign. They developed a tagline – “The Right Team” – and recognized that it...

A Brief History of the Polo Shirt

Oct 10, 2013

1896 The “original polo shirt” wasn’t actually a polo at all. Rather, it was a white button-down shirt, created by John E. Brooks of Brooks Brothers. Taking in a polo match in ...

Bobblehead Day backfires on Yankees

Sep 26, 2013

Earlier this month we were talking about what a powerful promotion a bobblehead day could be for major league baseball teams. They've been proven to drive sales in a big way. The NY Yankees planne...

It's All About the Results

Sep 13, 2013

Regular readers of this newsletter know how we feel about the word giveaway. We believe in promotions but hate giveaways. Though a large portion of our business is in providing branded promotional...

Viral Marketing Done Right

Aug 12, 2013

Viral marketing is the practice of building a campaign intended to be spread from one message recipient to another. Long before the days of social media, promotional products were one of the first...

The T-shirt Turns 100

Jul 27, 2013

by Larry Triplett In 1913, the T-shirt as we now know it made its appearance as standard-issue gear for the US Navy. Lightweight and cool, they were easy to care for and popular with sailors. It didn...

Hail to the Payroll Goddess

Jul 10, 2013

Payroll managers can be the Rodney Dangerfields of a business. No respect. When everyone's check is perfect, who bothers to thank them? But they're surely going to hear about it when there's an er...

The Latest Apparel Decoration Techniques

Jun 10, 2013

Back in the day, if you wanted corporate branding on shirts, jackets, or caps, you had two choices — screen printing or embroidery. In 2013, the landscape is a lot broader. These standby tec...

California fails to pass single-use bag ban

Jun 07, 2013

California could be considered the epicenter of the fight to ban single-use bags from grocery stores and other retailers. More than 75 cities and counties in California, including Malibu, San F...

5 Ways To Promote Fitness

May 27, 2013

by Larry Triplett Did you know that May was Fitness Month? Human Resource Directors probably do. A healthy staff is an important objective for any company. It reduces absenteeism and keeps in...

All About Reusable Tote Bags

May 12, 2013

Year after year, tote bags are in the top 10 list of promotional product categories. There are many reasons. Disposable shopping bags, whether paper or plastic, do not always end up being recycled...

How to Choose the Right Mug

Apr 10, 2013

It used to be that when you thought of mugs, you meant ceramic coffee mugs. Nowadays, there are many other materials use for mugs. Each serves a particular purpose. As always, we recommend that yo...

PPAI celebrates Promotional Products Work! Week

Mar 10, 2013

The week just completed - Feb. 25 - Mar 1, 2013, marks the first observance of Promotional Products Work! Week. The global awareness event, sponsored by Promotional Products Association Internatio...

How Are You Going To Print That

Mar 07, 2013

What are we talking about? There are many different ways to print promotional products. The size, shape, and type of product, as well as the number of colors in the imprint, will suggest the best m...

APTCO introduces the Video Brochure

Feb 24, 2013

Print meets video in this remarkable new technology. Full motion video and stereo sound in a brochure. The future is here now.

APTCO introduces Stoppi - the cable tamer

Feb 11, 2013

With more and more devices becoming portable, the desktop needs a way to keep them at the ready. Stoppi is the answer, and your brand will be there every day.

Hundreds of Promotional Ideas Debut

Feb 10, 2013

Here we are just one month into a new year, and already two major promotional product shows have been held. While new products are introduced constantly throughout the year, January always brings ...

APTCO introduces Twisti - the cord solution

Feb 08, 2013

Designed for the skinniest of cords - earbud cords - the Twisti makes them neat and compact. Use this handy device to carry your branding where it will see daily use.

APTCO Introduces Snappi - the cable detangler

Feb 07, 2013

Eliminate the web of cables tangled in the average computer bag. Snappi solves the problem in a most stylish fashion, and makes a great branding vehicle along the way.

APTCO introduces Clippi - desktop cable organizer

Feb 06, 2013

Always having USB cables slip off the desk after you unplug your mobile device? Clippi comes to the rescue, and delivers your brand along the way.

APTCO introduces Dolli - the universal cell phone holder

Feb 05, 2013

Hold your cell phone anywhere, in any position. This will be a very popular product, one that can proudly carry your brand.

APTCO introduces Styli – the stylus truly designed for a touchscreen

Feb 04, 2013

by Larry Triplett Who was it that thought a stylus should feel like a pen? The Styli delivers the experience you always wanted with the iPad and other tablets. Make it your promotional tool.

What Are Your Plans for 2013?

Jan 08, 2013

A new year, a new start. What would your business like to accomplish in 2013? Maybe you have a detailed marketing plan, or perhaps just the broad strokes of goals. That's fine, because all marketi...

Coke Knows Branded Products Work

Dec 10, 2012

As reported in the NY Times, Coca Cola has expanded their use of branded products. Last week saw the launch of a big new campaign. December has always been a big time for Coke advertising, ever si...

How Green Is The Internet?

Nov 10, 2012

In the twenty-first century we've seen immense diversification of marketing channels. While direct mail and many other traditional channels continue (see part one of this series), we see more and ...

How Green Is Your Marketing?

Oct 10, 2012

The twenty-first century has brought increased awareness across all marketing channels of the importance of environmentally responsible practices. In a two-part series, we'll take a look at areas ...

How to Work With Awareness Campaigns

Sep 11, 2012

Even in a challenging economy, Americans are a generous lot. People organize and rally to help a neighbor, the school systems, or anything needing assistance. Charitable organizations throughout t...

The True Function of Promotional Products

Aug 14, 2012

As part of a well-planned marketing campaign, nothing can be as effective as the right promotional product, with the right message, distributed in the right manner to the right audience. They have...

HR Managers Use Promotional Products For Results

Jul 10, 2012

How do human resource professionals motivate employees, boost productivity, and improve customer service? These were some of the questions asked by Promotional Products Association International (...

Viral marketing wasn't invented by social media

Jun 22, 2012

A lot of people want you to think so, but viral marketing actually has a much longer history, going way back before web 2.0. Before web 1.0, once know simply as "the internet". Let's start with the...

Don’t Mess With Bigfoot

Jun 12, 2012

When it came time to unveil a new promotion, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky turned to Sasquatch. The big furry guy is the brand’s icon. The brand recently unveiled new television commercials, ...

How to boost participation in your wellness program

May 29, 2012

Smart businesses are introducing wellness programs for their employees. The benefits go both directions! Healthier employees result in reduced health insurance premiums, due to fewer claims ...

Look Who's Using Direct Mail

May 08, 2012

The US Postal Service has had to endure hearing the term “snail mail” for over a decade. As internet usage has become mainstream, mail volume has seriously declined to the point that s...

2-minute Video Shows How We Think About Promotions

Apr 10, 2012

Promotional products are extremely popular, and there are good reasons. But many users don't seem to be aware of those reasons. All too often, we get requests for an item “just to keep our n...

It Pays To Promote Safety In The Workplace

Mar 13, 2012

If you have any employees, even just one, then chances are, you have to carry Worker's Compensation insurance. If you carry Worker's Comp., you have to pay insurance premiums. The amount you have ...

Survey Says Everyone Steals Pens

Mar 05, 2012

Well, everyone who works in an office, that is. Paper Mate® (who has quite an interest in pens) commissioned a survey of 1000 people from around the US who are full time office workers. Scott Cris...

Wellness Programs That Really Work

Feb 14, 2012

Rising health-care costs have made wellness programs a good deal for companies that invest in them, and now Uncle Sam has stepped in to make it easier to create and fund them. The new Health Care ...

When Is It Good To Disconnect From The World

Jan 10, 2012

As we're all in the process of rebooting from a busy holiday season, surely we can appreciate this story. Last Thanksgiving, besides enjoying a big turkey, about 11,000 people took a pledge to go ...

Hot Competition Features Branded Cups for Charity

Dec 13, 2011

Sports fans will do anything for their teams, right? Marketers tested this theory during last college basketball season by pitting three Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area colleges against each...

Survey Proves Effectiveness of Promotional Products

Nov 15, 2011

How do recipients feel about receiving a promotional product? What purpose do they think the item serves? What actions do they take? These are crucial questions every advertiser should know and un...

Mentorship Program a Promotional Success

Nov 08, 2011

The State Bar of South Dakota had a problem. The supply of lawyers in rural areas of the state had been dwindling over a period of several years. Law school graduates were more attracted to joinin...

Unique T-Shirts Promote Movie

Oct 18, 2011

Producers of The Mechanic, an action thriller starring Jason Statham as a hit man, needed a unique promo to stand out amid the din of movie madness bombarding the media and consumers today. They w...

Corporate Wellness Incentives Reduce Costs

Oct 11, 2011

Corporate wellness programs that offer employees rewards can help significantly reduce the cost of health care, according to a new report released a few weeks ago. Data shows that wellness incenti...

The Biggest Cause Marketing Month

Sep 20, 2011

Is there a marketing manager anywhere who hasn't heard that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month? There are countless charitable causes that claim a month, a week or a day to try to capture th...

10 Ways to Boost Booth Traffic

Sep 13, 2011

1. Get your own prospects If you want lots of qualified attendees, it’s essential to create your own audience. You can do this by utilizing house files, prospect lists, direct mail and ele...

Seven Ways To Keep Calendar Promotions From Being Boring

Aug 16, 2011

Low tech. Old hat. You've heard it all. With smart phones expected to reach 50% market penetration this year, surely the paper calendar is a dying breed. Not really. Even if appointment reminders a...

Avoid Random Acts of Marketing

Aug 09, 2011

Avoiding Random Acts of Marketing is a key recommendation of the latest “State of Marketing” report from the Chief Marketing Officer Council, a 6,000 member global association. CMO's p...

Consumers Want Their Calendars The Traditional Way: In Print

Jul 19, 2011

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org) the not-for-profit association for more than 8,000 members of the $16 billion promotional products industry, has published studies r...

Do You Treat Direct Mail This Way?

Jul 12, 2011

Let's face it. In this age of internet marketing, postal mail suffers from the Rodney Dangerfield complex - it just can't get any respect. When you bring in the daily mail, if you're like most peo...

Don't Spoil Your Promotional Success

Jun 21, 2011

Back in May, we teased you with a story about a promotion that combined a unique promotional product with a clever viral marketing technique to achieve a huge increase in trade show booth traffic....

New Sunscreen Regulations Capture Marketers Attention

Jun 17, 2011

Custom labeled sunscreen products have long been popular in marketing and promotion. As summer finally becomes official, we find more and more companies including sunscreen in their summer p...

Benefits and Pitfalls of Custom Flash Drives

Jun 14, 2011

USB Flash Drives are continuing to grow as a popular medium that is, in many cases, actually replacing print. Many a conference handout has moved from paper booklets to CD's and now, to thumb driv...

Promotional Products Still Leading Other Media

May 17, 2011

As the economy slowly continues its recovery, marketers are making careful decisions about the best use of marketing budgets. A recent study from the Advertising Specialty Institute compared the e...

The Royal Wedding - A Promo Product Bonanza

May 10, 2011

The wedding of England's Prince William and Catherine Middleton, which practically the whole world knows took place on April 29, has been almost impossible to miss in London for the past few month...

How To Turn A Booth Into A Viral Marketing Machine

Apr 12, 2011

Virus. What a word! Loaded. It used to pertain strictly to disease - the human kind. Then we began to think of our computers as living. So we ascribed all sorts of human characteristics to them. I...

5 Guidelines to Effective Trade Show Promotions

Mar 08, 2011

The latest high-tech gadget is likely to be given away by a number of exhibitors at the typical trade show. This year, the iPad is it. Later in the year or next year, it will be something else. Bu...

The Changing Face of Asian Imports

Feb 15, 2011

The promotional products used in our marketing programs are overwhelmingly imprinted in the USA, but most are manufactured in China and surrounding companies in the far east. This is also true of ...

18 Creative Ways to Recognize Employees

Feb 08, 2011

According to a Maritz Research study, employees who participate in creative recognition programs at work are five times more likely to feel valued, 11 times more likely to feel committed and seven...

Five Secrets of Direct Marketing Nobody Tells You

Jan 11, 2011

1. Data is king The quality of your list will directly correlate to the results of your campaign. First, it is important to make sure the data is “clean”, ensuring that your pieces ...

Flash Drives Growing As Marketing Medium

Jan 11, 2011

Challenging times can lead to innovation. The economic slowdown of the past two years has led many companies to hold back on major print marketing. Large catalogs have been replaced by files distrib...

Strange Love Makes for a Hit Promotion

Dec 21, 2010

An unusual product requires an unusual promotion. Culturelle, a company that makes dietary supplements that aid in digestive health and immune-system functioning, was looking to promote its brand ...

Procrastinating Businesses Find a Way

Dec 14, 2010

Face it, a turn of the calendar page (as if all the Black Friday hubbub wasn't enough) tells us that time is getting short for holiday gifts. We've been busy helping a variety of businesses to mak...

No Need To Panic Over Lead In Grocery Bags

Nov 26, 2010

Recently, several grocery store chains, including Publix, Sweetbay, Winn-Dixie, Walmart and Target, reported the existence of varying levels of lead in some reusable grocery bags. A firestor...

“Green Queen” Builds a Personal Brand

Nov 16, 2010

Real Estate sales is all about personal branding. This is not to say that a corporate brand isn’t important; it can certainly add some credibility. But it's really about the agent. Susan Singe...

Politics and Business Mix with a Bobblehead Twist

Nov 09, 2010

Though politics is on everyone's mind these days, most people try to avoid discussing it in a business situation. And though businesses may be making contributions to campaigns, you won't generall...

It's Hand Sanitizer Season, but did you know…?

Nov 09, 2010

Hand sanitizers have been an effective and popular promotional product for a few years. Our customers have used them to put their names in front of their customers in all kinds of different situat...

Magazine Publishing Enjoys Increase

Oct 19, 2010

Magazines, like newspapers, have faced a challenging market the past few years. Many have been forced to close as both subscriptions and advertising revenue have declined, while printing costs have ...

Human Rights Watch Unlocks Prisons With Pens

Oct 12, 2010

Let's be honest, pens are one of the most over-used promotional products. Who doesn't have a drawer full of neglected pens with somebody's name or logo on them, set aside because they were cheap, or...

FTC To Regulate Greenwashing

Sep 21, 2010

We're glad to hear this news. As “green” has evolved to mean so much more than a color, a majority of consumers and businesses have taken an interest in environmental responsibility. E...

Direct Mail Rebounds

Sep 14, 2010

Direct mail has been the mainstay marketing solution for many businesses for decades, but it has faced more than its share of challenges in the past few years. The expanding use of online marketin...

Publisher's Pre-release Promotion Boosts Orders

Aug 17, 2010

Publishers have a tough task trying to get attention for new novels in a crowded and competitive field. Booksellers have so many options to choose from, that even works from well-known authors som...

7 Answers To Get You Started On Direct Mail

Aug 15, 2010

Q: How do you get a mail list? A: List brokers are generally considered the most effective sources for vetted mail lists. "Vetted" is a key operative word. There are lots of garbage lists out t...

Five Steps to Success with Cause Marketing

Aug 10, 2010

Cause Marketing is becoming increasingly popular as a means for businesses to build a positive reputation while helping out a worthwhile charity. If a company's products and market align well with...

Ferns tell the story for local bank

Jul 20, 2010

Select small businesses in Manhattan and Brooklyn recently received an unexpected gift — a live fern. The fern served as an introduction to The Park Avenue Bank, a local New York City bank t...

Three Ways to Improve Your Recognition Program

Jul 13, 2010

If you're evaluating your company's recognition program, the first place to start is by thinking about the goals of the program. It needs to be closely aligned with the company's overall goals. At...

Now That's A Clever Product Tie-In

Jul 12, 2010

What's the best promotional product to drive home the theme of a marketing campaign or event? It's a never-ending question. The marketing idea is always more important than the product, but when the t...

Did McDonald's Go Too Far With the Recall?

Jun 21, 2010

Companies who use promotional products as part of their marketing campaigns took notice a couple of weeks ago when 12 million Shrek-branded drinking glasses were recalled by McDonald's. The paint us...

Cancer Campaign Lifts Spirits

Jun 15, 2010

After extensive discussions, the planners decided on the theme, “Love Versus Cancer,” and launched an accompanying Web site (www.loveversuscancer.org) at the beginning of February. The...

What's up with cotton?

Jun 06, 2010

Two things are up with cotton - sales and prices! Organic cotton emerged as a leader within the cotton segment when a green image is important. Sales of organic cotton increased 35% last year, in keep...

Go Green

May 31, 2010

With 70 percent of the Earth covered in water, it's a wonder we don't say "go blue." But "go green" is how the environmental movement was branded. So take a cue from earth lovers and tie in ...

Six Steps to Developing a Promotional Plan

May 29, 2010

Successful promotional campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of cou...

PlumChoice Paints the Town Purple

May 18, 2010

When you're one of many technical support services looking to stand out at industry events, it helps to be colorful. PlumChoice has recognized this simple fact and chosen to firmly embrace its col...

LiveWell Colorado Campaign Keeps Colorado Fit

May 11, 2010

Colorado residents rank as the nation's leanest, and they're not resting on their laurels. “The fact that nearly 19% of adults in our state are obese is cause for concern,” says Maren ...

Kids Get Schooled About Community College

Apr 20, 2010

There can be a certain stigma attached to attending a community college. That's why Onondaga Community College (OCC) decided not only to revamp the image of its educational institution, but also t...

Adina for Life Campaign Uses Proven Branding Methods

Apr 13, 2010

There's no replacement for real-world experience. 10 years ago, startup beverage brand SoBe made the right marketing choices, and the result was the acquisition by PepsiCo for about $370 million. ...

Street Marketing Takes Off

Mar 09, 2010

If you were visiting Chicago last summer and you thought you saw a giant owl, you weren't hallucinating. You likely saw Ollie, the TripAdvisor mascot. The owl and a TripAdvisor street team targete...

The Three Stages of Trade Show Marketing

Feb 09, 2010

Trade show season has begun again, so many of our clients are looking at their calendars and making plans for an effective approach to this most important component of their annual marketing. That...

Jones-ing for Promotional Products

Jan 12, 2010

This summer, Jones Soda proudly proclaimed that it was “the official soda of the road trip.” To prove it, the premium soda brand teamed with Griffin Technology to reward people for sha...

The Aftermath of Black Friday

Dec 08, 2009

Did you survive Black Friday? I did. But then, I'm a guy, so it wasn't that difficult. In fact, I'm a lucky guy because my wife is averse to holiday crowds. She's also allergic to mornings, so the...

Green Printing Options Grow Even In A Recession

Oct 20, 2009

A recent survey in Print Solutions magazine and Appleton Papers shows surprising growth in eco-friendly printing over the past year. Among the unexpected materials used is chipboard to make presen...

Seven Best Practices of Recognition Programs

Oct 13, 2009

Developing a comprehensive recognition program is an in-depth process that can have a direct positive effect on employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and company profitability. Far from se...

Concert Venue Grabs Media Attention

Sep 15, 2009

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion needed to increase event media coverage and ticket sales. Traditional print and radio advertising had proven to be very expensive in past seasons. They knew tha...

Mott’s Gets Its Pink On

Sep 08, 2009

With Breast Cancer Awareness month coming up soon, Mott's got a head start this summer with a well-thought-out campaign to raise awareness. They chose a theme to prove they are “Pink to the ...

Dairy Queen Plays it Sweet with Bloggers

Aug 18, 2009

International Dairy Queen may be onto something. The fast food chain, which specializes in frozen treats, recently used a promotional product to “bribe” bloggers to write about its new...

How to Have a Show Stopper at Your Next Trade Show

Aug 11, 2009

Anybody can give away pens, key chains, and T-shirts at a trade show. But it's how you use these products to interact - and even play - with show attendees that makes them linger in your booth rat...

Integrated Chipware Visitors See the Future

Jul 21, 2009

High-tech company Integrated Chipware was looking forward to a trade show to introduce their new icWORKSHOP product. The target audience consisted of programmers and engineers. Since this was in t...

Ten Things You May Not Know About Gift Cards

Jun 09, 2009

When is the last time someone gave you a paper gift certificate? Probably a very long time ago! There are lots of good reasons for this. Gift cards are increasing in popularity because they have l...

Video Game Kicks It Into Gear

May 19, 2009

Earlier this year, select reporters, bloggers and key “influencers” received a mysterious box in the mail. In it was a single metal cog engraved with a series of letters and numerals a...

Marketing Budgets Challenged

Mar 17, 2009

A recent survey by the Association of National Advertisers verifies that the recession is having an effect on advertising decisions across a range of industries. When compared to a similar survey ...

100 Uses for a Coffee Mug

Mar 10, 2009

Last month we invited our readers to contribute to a list of creative uses for a simple coffee mug. We had quite a list already, but some of the submissions were surprising. We thought the first d...

When is a coffee mug not a coffee mug

Feb 17, 2009

Search for “mug” on our web site, and you’ll find over 12,000 different items. Can you say overwhelming? Of course, you can narrow that down in many ways by adding keywords to th...

Non-profit surpasses goals with incentive program

Jan 20, 2009

As we've discussed, a good program begins with setting a clear objective. The non-profit organization Meeting Professionals International knew they wanted to increase their membership. They set a ...

How To Make a Great Year!

Jan 13, 2009

The news is in. No, I'm not referring to the dismal economic news that has everyone holding their breath to find out the next steps to be taken by a governmental rescue plan. I mean the news about...

Office Items Get the Job Done for Staffing Service

Dec 16, 2008

On-the-job training is an essential part of business, but what about on-the-job marketing? It works for creative-staffing firm The Boss Group. The company makes sure to provide the talent it place...

New survey rates advertising effectiveness

Dec 09, 2008

Advertising Specialty Institute®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, revealed this month in a groundbreaking new study that advertising sp...

Cause Breathes Fire into Dragon Boat Festival

Nov 18, 2008

Dragon boat racing originated as an ancient Chinese ritual intended to win the good graces of river dragons. Today, it’s a widely growing sport, reminiscent of crew – and at least one ...

Dippin' Dots Sweepstakes Uses Movie Tie-in

Nov 11, 2008

For the up-and-coming frozen treats company Dippin' Dots, its movie tie-in with New Line Cinema's Journey to the Center of the Earth was a big deal. To get the most out of its first-ever movie par...

7-Eleven Rocks Out with Branded Guitar Picks

Oct 21, 2008

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven was looking to get consumers to “walk this way” right into its stores with its May Guitar Hero: Aerosmith promotion. To promote the debut of its Full T...

Save A Squirrel Campaign Grabs Attention

Oct 14, 2008

Monroe Shocks and Struts has a message for all of the animal lovers of the world: “Replacing worn ride control components could improve vehicle steering, stopping and stability – and j...

Sales Trainer has Calculated Plan for Success

Sep 16, 2008

How does a wildly successful sales consultant and author of a New York Times bestseller (The Ultimate Sales Machine) promote himself to his top prospects? With promotional products, of course. &l...

A Loyalty Program That Works

Sep 09, 2008

It is frightening when cracks suddenly appear in the cement in and around your home. The first thought is “Uh-oh, this is going to cost me a small fortune to fix.” There’s not a ...

Unexpected Product Works for Fitness Center

Aug 19, 2008

When marketing a fitness center, the first promo items that come to mind are probably exercise-related: sports bottles, gym bags, bottled water, etc. But June Hines, of June Hines Pilates, figures...

Kids Eat up Movie Premiums Along with Meals

Aug 12, 2008

How does a smaller restaurant chain compete locally with the huge international franchises? One way is to take an established idea – kids’ premiums – and give it a local twist. T...

Eco Campaign is Natural Choice for Environmental Law Firm

Jul 08, 2008

Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP’s practice in environmental law goes back to “the dawning of the Age of Aquarius” (the late 1960s, that is). After decades of serving client nee...

Humane Society is Barking up Right Tree

Jun 10, 2008

Upfront gifts from non-profits to prospective donors are nothing new, but they’re usually low-cost items like address labels, greeting cards and notepads. Not so with a recent mailing from t...

A Paul Bunyan-esque Promo

May 20, 2008

No, they weren’t cooking up brontosaurus burgers at Chicago’s John Hancock Center on March 7. Rather, it was a giant bratwurst. Johnsonville Sausages set up a 30-foot grill, above whic...

Spending On Nontraditional Advertising Jumps

May 13, 2008

A study released in April 2008 by research firm PQ Media, titled Alternative Media Forecast: 2008-2012, reports that marketing spending on online, digital and other forms of out-of-the-box adverti...

Thinking Green Is Here To Stay

Apr 15, 2008

The U.S. Organic Industry continues to expand, reaching $17.8 billion in consumer sales in 2006 - an increase of 21.8% over 2005. Industry experts expect that once the tally is complete, 2007's gr...

Digital Incentives Help Non-Profits

Apr 08, 2008

With so many important issues to address and so much need in the world, non-profit organizations are faced with a daunting proposition: How do they generate public awareness for their cause; and h...

Colorado Rockies Target Season Tickets

Mar 18, 2008

Season tickets carry no small price tag, so the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club wanted to do something special to show appreciation to these valued fans. Season ticket holders received a complete o...

Pigs On The Wing

Mar 11, 2008

You know the cliché “yeah, the day pigs fly.” You've probably even used it yourself at one point or another. Well, Capital One is taking the term literally. In November, Capita...

Fun campaign attracts college students

Feb 19, 2008

Cotton Inc. exists to promote the cotton industry, through technical services, information, and market trend analysis. It sought to create awareness and increase the use of cotton fabric products ...

Safety Campaign Reduces Accidents

Feb 12, 2008

At Massey Energy's 15 different coal mining sites, safety is a moment-by-moment concern. A recent campaign had the objectives of increasing awareness of safety habits in the workplace, improving w...

T.LINK dog draws them in!

Jan 15, 2008

TeleVox Software sought to generate interest in a product for orthodontists during the introduction of a national tradeshow and drive attendees to the tradeshow booth. Software products have a ten...

Low Cost Sweepstakes Yields Huge Returns

Jan 08, 2008

Borax is an old brand, 115 years old, to be exact. Like many veteran brands, its consumer base tends to be, well, a bit older. To draw in a younger generation of women who were unfamiliar with its...

Online Training Site Achieves 47% Response rate

Dec 18, 2007

NewsU is a nonprofit entity that provides online training for journalists and journalism students. It sought to create awareness of News University and extend the reach of the organization. The c...

AMBER Alerts promote sign-ups

Dec 11, 2007

The first three hours after an abduction are the most critical in recovery efforts. This statistic was the driving force behind the creation of the AMBER alerts program, an early response system t...

Financial Institutions Seek Younger Clients

Nov 20, 2007

Whether it is a bank, a credit union, an investment firm, or a credit card company, financial institutions have one major thing in common: they all want to tap into the middle school, high school ...

Nike Incentive Program Boosts Attendance

Nov 20, 2007

Nike employs factory workers around the world. Without enough workers on the line, production must shut down, which can cost the company tens of thousands of dollars per occurrence. Every manufact...

Promotion Raises Awareness of Second-hand Smoke

Nov 13, 2007

The Arizona Department of Health Services wanted to generate community awareness of the risks of second-hand smoke, particularly as it affects children. The campaign, first introduced with TV spo...

Poker-Themed Promo Puts Politician in the Chips

Oct 09, 2007

“Family values” is one of the most common phrases you'll hear in the typical politician's repertoire. The last thing a candidate or elected official wants is to be associated with any ...

Dairy outreach program is udder success

Sep 18, 2007

When you have a mascot as memorable as Queenie the Cow, you want to milk her for all she's worth. Penn Maid Dairy in Philadelphia does that by taking its message to local schools. Queenie and othe...

Six Steps To Develop a Promotional Plan

Sep 11, 2007

Successful promotional campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of course, t...

Clothing Company Wrists It All for Earth's Climate

Aug 21, 2007

Canadian clothing company Roots wouldn't live up to it's name if it wasn't committed to Earth's wellbeing. “Dating back to the inception of Roots, the company has always been active in vario...

Free Music Downloads Fuel Domino's Promo

Aug 14, 2007

Philly Cheese Steak Pizza versus Brooklyn Style Pizza: Which one's the better pie, and why? That's the buzz behind Domino's latest national product promotion, which brought the two regionally ins...

Organic Tee is Natural Fit for Eco-friendly Hotel

Jul 17, 2007

The ancient Greek goddess Gaia is a personification of the earth, and Napa Valley's Gaia Hotel and Spa is named after her for a good reason. Billed as “the first fully environmentally sustai...

Get Healthy for Summer” Motivates Retail Chain

Jul 10, 2007

Summer is here. Marketers who incorporate a summer theme into their programs started long ago to develop their programs. Abbott Laboratories was about to unveil a new “Get Healthy for Summer...

Speaking of Buzz, Campaign of Few Words Generates Big Buzz

Jun 12, 2007

Can two words sum up what a hospital and its staff are all about? Sure, when they're backed up by a huge marketing program like the Hello Life campaign launched by Brookwood Medical Center in Birm...

AMC butters up sports fans with popcorn offer

May 15, 2007

In an age where an abundance of home entertainment turns many people into couch potatoes, movie theaters are eager to reach out to those willing to leave the house for entertainment. Figuring that...

Are ALL employers out of touch?

May 08, 2007

We hope not! But you have to wonder, after reading a recent study. People are all different, being motivated by different things. Some enjoy non-monetary incentives, such as award merchandise, gif...

National Nurses Week is May 6-12

Apr 17, 2007

A Profession and a Passion Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opport...

Think Different - not just for Apple!

Apr 10, 2007

Promoting a line of pre-cast concrete school buildings may seem like a non-glamorous task, but that only made this lively, creative campaign that much more of a surprise and a success. Fibrebond ...

National Doctors’ Day is March 30

Mar 20, 2007

National Doctors' Day is always March 30. In 2007, it is on Friday. The first Doctors' Day observance was March 30, 1933, in Winder, Ga. The idea came from Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Cha Alm...

Calendars in the Age of Blackberrys

Mar 13, 2007

In these times when so many people rely on PDA’s, Blackberrys, and even cell phones to keep track of appointments, you'd think printed calendars would be disappearing. But that's kind of lik...

Go Green

Feb 20, 2007

With 70 percent of the Earth covered in water, it's a wonder we don't say “go blue.” But “go green” is how the environmental movement was branded. So take a cue from earth lo...

8 Tips for More Successful Trade Shows

Feb 13, 2007

Walk around any trade show and you will be able to collect a bag full of trade show promotional items all designed to promote business. Everyone enjoys receiving a gift. Gift giving creates a favo...

Stress Reliever Makes A Large Impression

Jan 16, 2007

Loctite Sumo Glue is a new, heavy-duty, universal glue with a name that emphasizes its bonding strength. Realizing the the sumo wrestler image is a powerful one, maker Hekel Consumer Adhesives Inc...

New Study Shows Role of Promo Products

Jan 09, 2007

A new study, just released by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), empirically proves that promotional products are an effective ad medium and key to integrated marketing cam...

Budgeting Tips For A Tradeshow

Dec 19, 2006

On average, tradeshows account for 5% to 20% of an annual marketing budget. To help you get a clear picture of where your marketing dollars are going so you can make wise spending decisions, here'...

Hand Sanitizer Use Exploding

Dec 12, 2006

As the winter cold and flu season arrives, more and more businesses are including antibacterial hand sanitizers in their promotional programs. It makes good sense. Sales of these products in the r...

Standing Out During the Holidays Pays Off

Nov 21, 2006

The Jack O'Lanterns are gone and the smell of turkey and freshly baked apple pie will be here in a couple of days. Brightly wrapped gifts under a tree sparkling with twinkling lights and tinsel wi...

Bank Makes Play For Football Fans

Nov 14, 2006

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions. When they do a promotion, they do it big-time. For example, for the home opener for the Carolina Panthers NFL season this year...

Clean Air Advocates Raise Awareness

Oct 17, 2006

The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was formed in 1995 to raise awareness of air-quality issues and to encourage people in the area to help reduce air pollution. Each summer - typically t...

Guerilla Marketing Promotes Free ATM’s

Oct 10, 2006

The signs were everywhere: billboards, newspapers, even posters on the subway. To promote its new “no ATM fees at any bank anywhere” policy, TD Banknorth kicked off a multi-tiered camp...

The Six Rules of Corporate Gift Giving

Sep 19, 2006

Knowing a person's dietary restrictions can make all the difference between an appreciated food gift and one that goes to waste. Andrea Nirenberg, president of The Nierenberg Group, a communicatio...

Promotional Products Help Recovery

Sep 12, 2006

On the weekend of last summer's Formula I U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis, tire supplier Michelin North America found that their tires were dangerously incompatible with the newly resurfaced track...

Framing manufacturer nails down launch

Aug 08, 2006

For the launch of its UltraSteel construction framing product, manufacturer Clark Western was preparing for an industry trade show and wanted something more attention-grabbing than literature to h...

A Starbucks “Gotcha!”

Jul 18, 2006

When Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee wanted to increase awareness of the Starbucks Holiday Red Cup, it took its campaign to the streets. “We designed replicas of the vente coffee cups,” s...

We Are la Familia

Jul 11, 2006

A hugely successful campaign done for an auto insurance company was targeted at the Hispanic population in Southern California. Guerilla marketing techniques were used in a three-month marketing p...

Live the Life Campaign a Winner for Virginia Beach

Jun 20, 2006

In the two years since its launch, Virginia Beach's Live the Life campaign has won 67 national marketing and travel-and-tourism awards. And there are other numbers indicating how effective it is: t...

Curious George Promos Squash the Sniffles

Jun 13, 2006

When The Quigley Corporation — the makers of Cold-Eeze products like KidzEeze sore throat pops and bubble gum — wanted to target the parents of young children for a recent marketing ef...

Traffic-builder Springs to Action for Spa Dealer

May 16, 2006

Hot-tub dealer Paradise Spas was looking for a way to build traffic for their booth at an upcoming home show. They wanted to use an affordable gift, but had several stipulations for it: Ideally, t...

Drugstore Revives Slumping Photo Sales in a Flash

May 09, 2006

The decline in film use and increasing popularity of online digital photo-processing meant plummeting sales for the photo department of Walgreens. The large drugstore chain needed a way to draw di...

Promotional Products Show Big Growth

Apr 18, 2006

April 10, 2006 - Trevose, PA - The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) released results of its annual promotional products industry sales analysis, indicating revenues jumped 5.1 percent fr...

Museum Gets Huge Membership Boost!

Apr 11, 2006

The Cleveland Museum of natural history is a world-class destination for visitors and researchers. For nearly a century it has served as an outstanding resource for public education and environmen...

Top U.S. Cities Play the Branding Game

Mar 21, 2006

No matter what business you're in, it's a good idea to think about branding. Whether you operate a medical practice, a construction company, or a food distributor, you should be thinking about the...

Scratch-off promotion pays off BIG!

Mar 14, 2006

With so many important issues to address and so much need in the world, non-profit organizations are faced with a daunting proposition: How do they generate public awareness for their cause; and h...

Casual Dress Forever? Not so fast…

Feb 21, 2006

The dot.com era brought with it a lot of change, including over-priced stocks, get-rich-quick schemes and the end of the corporate tie culture. Remember those first images out of Silicon Valley co...

Church Lures Attendees With Promo Products

Feb 14, 2006

Life Pointe Christian Church, in Charlotte, NC, was nearing completion of its new church and needed to make its presence known because this wasn't just a new building, it was the opening of a new ...

Little-Known Facts about Promotional Products

Jan 17, 2006

71% of business travelers interviewed at a major airport reported they received a promotional product in the last 12 months. 33.7% had the item on their person. 76.1% recalled the advertiser's...

Tattoos Build Awareness

Dec 20, 2005

What do the phrases “Run Your Own Race” and “Don't Cry Til’ You Get to the Car” have in common? They're both albums by Mulberry Lane, a Nebraska-born pop group made u...

Capture Your Audience with Pre-show Promotions

Dec 13, 2005

Trade show season is right around the corner. We help lots of companies to prepare for exhibiting at trade shows. With ever-increasing travel costs, people don't attend on a whim. Today's tradesho...

Scaring Up DVD Sales With A BBQ Promo

Nov 15, 2005

Every week dozens of movie titles are released for the home-viewing market on DVD. So, a non-blockbuster new release has to get creative in its marketing efforts to stand out from the crowd. When...

NBA Dress Code Update is NOT an Isolated Decision

Nov 08, 2005

The National Basketball Association, which recently adopted a more formal dress code, and got a lot of press coverage in the process, is not the only organization requiring more professional dress...

I Am The Calendar

Oct 18, 2005

I have two missions: one of utility, one of sentiment. I am the symbol of time, combining the past, present and future. As the clock records the seconds, minutes and hours, I record the days,...

Bobbleheads Create Membership Buzz

Oct 11, 2005

Can bobbleheads attract new members to an organization? That's what The Association Forum of Chicagoland (AFC), an association of over 1,500 businesses, charities, civic and professional organizat...

Blood Donors Respond

Sep 20, 2005

This summer, the Pennsylvania/New Jersey regional branch of the American Red Cross invited people to get their kicks on Route 56. Huh? That's the name of the summer blood drive campaign just comp...

Pinpoint or shotgun?

Sep 15, 2005

In a recent case study, a business owner sent personalized pizza cutters in custom-made boxes to a dozen key decision-makers that he wanted to get appointments with. The boxes, which contained the...

Help for Holiday gift giving

Sep 13, 2005

Choosing that perfect holiday gift for an employee or client is a difficult task. Here are several points to remember when going through your holiday list. Build a relationship! The holidays pr...

Lesson in Motivation

Aug 23, 2005

It’s no secret that online training can increase employees’ sales power and effectiveness. However, getting them to participate isn’t always easy. Microsoft discovered incentives...

Count the Days

Aug 11, 2005

Calendars Keep Your Name in View There's nothing like a calendar to keep your name in view of your customer every day. Most people have several calendars, which they refer to repeatedly throughou...

Do Tradeshow Promotional Gifts Work?

Aug 09, 2005

You're about to invest a big chunk of your marketing budget on a big tradeshow exhibition. Should you spend even more money on promotional items? Georgia Southern University conducted a study at f...

5 Unique Rainy-Day Promotional Products to Keep You Covered!

Jun 29, 2019

Unpredictable weather is a shared experience in life. No matter your age, geographical location, job, or personality, it will always rain. These unique and functional promotional products are sure to ...