Spruce Up Your Company Holiday Party With These 10 Promotional Products

Holiday party favors and giveaways come in many forms — wearables, accessories, glassware, decorations and more. They’re perfect for showing off your company’s personality, making your employees feel appreciated and bringing that extra something to your company holiday party.

Not sure where to start when it comes to picking the right promotional products for your next party?  Here are a few of our favorites:

#1 Electronics and Accessories From branded chargers and battery packs, to ear buds and USB drives, these are the kind of gifts that actually get used — on business trips, long commutes, wherever. Giving away a tablet at this year’s party?  Don’t forget to wrap it in a sleeve or cover.
#2 Gift Cards They’re popular for a reason. They give your employees the flexibility to buy what they really want. Buy cards from popular department stores and restaurants and give them away in branded gift card holders.
#3 Premium Clothing Fleeces and outerwear are popular in the cooler months, but so are those coveted team jerseys and polo shirts. Outfit your team in stylish threads that just happen to have your logo on them — and your corporate apparel will become a staple in their closets.
#4 Industry-Specific Gifts Not everyone would appreciate winning a branded microscope or a stuffed company mascot, but for others, these are guaranteed to be the most coveted prizes of the evening.
#5 Corkscrews & Bottle Stoppers If you’ve ever rifled through a messy drawer or cooler searching for the ever-elusive corkscrew or bottle stopper, you know how useful this gift can be. Have it engraved with your company logo for a nice touch.
#6 Creative Party Favors Add to the glitz and glamour of the season with fun party favors to get your crew into the holiday spirit. Think party glasses branded with your logo, customized confetti, masks and maracas. The right party favors can inject some fun into any setting and bring your party theme to life.
#7 Commemorative Glassware When it comes to cocktail parties and banquets, customized glassware can add that extra touch of class. Give them away to commemorate the event or reuse them for other special occasions.
#8 Jewelry It’s a popular gift for tenured employees, but it can be hard to cater to everyone’s tastes. If you’re going to do jewelry, go with something simple and modern — a classic timepiece, cufflinks or earrings.
#9 Balloons Branded balloons are like breadcrumbs. They show people where the party’s at and they lay claim to your event space. Having a family-friend event? Hand a few out to the kids for as an instant party favor.
#10 Beverage Napkins or Coasters Have some coasters or bev naps printed with your company logo and tagline or turn each one into a conversation piece with witty one-liners and cutting-edge design.

Shop these products and more at www.app-co.com.

What promotional products are you planning for this year’s company holiday party?

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Creating a Brand: Boost Your Brand Personality with a Promotional Giveaway

Why do we love certain brands? They are useful, they make us look good and they’re there when we need them. They satisfy a need and as result, they earn our admiration. Promotional giveaways are another opportunity to strengthen these relationships and show off your brand personality. Though each one, you can turn a ho-hum promotion into something that significantly moves the needle when creating a brand.

Be Useful

At a networking conference? Give attendees a way to remember the people they meet.  At an outdoor event in the summer? Give away a care package to help them stay cool and comfortable.  Add your logo into the mix, and they’ll always remember the who behind the favor.

Give Them a Story to Tell

You may have just given away a T-shirt, but what did your customer have to do to get it?  Were they the one in a thousand fans who caught the shirt you shot up into the stands?  Did their entry receive the most votes in your latest contest? Did they just run a grueling race you organized? Make the process of getting the promotional item a story in itself and your brand will be worn like a badge of honor.

Be the Kind of Novelty that Doesn’t Wear Off

Standout design is essential when you’re creating a brand — it’s also a great way to make sure you have the most sought-after swag at every event you attend. So, get creative — don’t just give away your logo, give away a conversation piece your fans will want to wear every single day. Turn a basic tee into a work of art or a basic accessory into a collector’s item.

Need help with the design of your promotional products? Create a contest for your in-house design team, enlist the help of APP’s graphic arts and design department or outsource the project to a community of freelance designers.

When In Rome…

You wouldn’t bring branded bookmarks to a baseball game. Use the venue to your advantage. For example, at this year’s SXSW music, film and interactive conference, attendees scored all kinds of relevant swag, from branded ear buds and smartphone covers to books and stickers.

How Do You Show Off Your Brand Personality

Through Promotional Giveaways?

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The Power of Logo Imprinted Pens

Do pens have real power? Comedic writer Marty Feldman thought so when he said, “The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with.” Maya Angelou also said, “Our stories come from our lives and from the playwright’s pen, the mind of the actor, the roles we create, the artistry of life itself and the quest for peace.” So, the question remains:  how can you harness the power of the pen to tell your brand story?   The answer: logo imprinted pens.

In the digital era, the power of the pen can be underestimated. But, did you know the average pen has between eight and ten owners before it goes missing  or runs out of ink? If each owner held onto their pen for at least two years, that could add up to  16-20 years of impressions for your brand. Talk about making a lasting impression for less! A promotional pen like the one below, starts as low as $0.24 cents a piece.

A study by the Promotional Products Association International found writing instruments to be the most remembered promotional product category after wearables. So let’s get to the point (pun intended). Logo imprinted promotional pens have more marketing power than you may think. They’re useful, long lasting and the perfect tradeshow giveaway for any business. How is your business staying top of mind?

The Top Five Brand Merchandising Tips For Promoting Your Band at a Concert

 

Bands have been going on tour for decades. They’ve performed to audiences big and small, in the hopes of bringing their music to more people.  But with the dawn of digital music and live streaming concerts, it has become more important than ever for bands to sell brand merchandise (often called merch) to drum up sales and garner more fans.  Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your merch:

Tip  #1: Give away free stuff

Giveaways and freebies go a long way with fans, and provide a feel good experience. Some ideas for giveaways include shooting T-shirts into the audience, handing out custom glow sticks with the band logo or giving away gift cards or backstage passes for unsuspecting fans.

Tip #2: Keep pricing simple

Using whole numbers are best when pricing band merchandise. If fans have cash on hand, it’s easier for them to hand over a $20 bill than to dig for change or break a larger bill.

 http://bit.ly/1wrdkfB

 Tip #3: Go for quality

Your fans may pay an average of $30-$50 for a concert T-shirt and will be expected to see something that goes beyond the standard tee.. Purchasing wholesale from a promotional products company allows a band to get quality T-shirts at an affordable price —even the high end ones. Find a reliable partner that can offer quality shirts and customized services, such as embroidery.

Tip #4: Get input from the band

Get the band involved in the brand merchandising process. Their feedback will make the products more authentic and personalized for the fans. Also, think of ways to get the band involved with promoting your merchandise. Have a contest or get the band to show off some of your merch online.

Tip #5: Go beyond the T-shirt

Social media is most likely where your audience is hanging out right now. Use social channels like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to reach your fans. Create real-time content by sharing sneak peeks of on-the-road band moments, clips of performances, screaming fans and cool new merchandise.

Show Your Green! Top Eco-friendly Promotional Products

Consumer expectations today are higher than ever due to the growing demand for corporate transparency. Consumers now expect companies to do their part in protecting the environment, giving back to charity and helping out their local communities.

Sustainable companies need to walk the talk. Building buzz around a sustainable cause or business can be done in many ways. Using eco-friendly promotional products is one unique and fun option to reach your audience while talking about the great work you do. Here are a few of our favorite ways to promote your company with eco-friendly promotional products.

Custom t-shirts are a smart way to spread awareness, however the key to a good t-shirt is quality material. Our 100% organic cotton tees are the perfect backdrop for any logo, motto or graphic design. Adding a quirky statement or phrase to your tee is a great way to garner attention for your campaign or your brand.

Office dwellers are always in the market for new and useful office supplies. Which makes these eco-friendly adhesive notes the perfect gift. Imprinted with a soy-based ink on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, your sustainable audience will surely use these!

Eco-friendly coasters are another way to get your brand message out to the masses in a fun and interesting way. These aren’t just any coasters though; they’re made of paper embedded with wildflower seed. How cool is that? Plus, on the back of each coaster is a removable label with planting instructions, allowing your guests to plant the coaster and watch it grow at home. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Does your business sell small sized items such as jewelry or collectables? We adore these double drawstring unbleached muslin bags for holding smaller items. They’re a great alternative to plastic bags and can be re-used too.  

We bet your companies sustainability efforts are fantastic, but if you don’t advertise your audience might miss it. How are you highlighting your brands eco-friendly attributes?

Creative Strategy Ideas for Fall With Promotional Products

As a business owner, you want to promote your brand, likely in a unique and powerful way. The first step, is to devise a creative strategy or campaign. Consider adding promotional products and apparel to your strategy, which have a potentially high reach and are an excellent way to increase and sustain brand awareness. A recent Promotional Products Association study found 88% of consumers recalled the advertiser from a promotional product received in the past 12 months. Are you missing out on impressions right now?

When your consumer needs a solution, you want to be the first company that comes to mind. Here are three ways you can leverage affordable, proven to work, promotional products this fall.

1. Fleece vests are ideal for layering in the fall and winter months. Not only are they easy to customize with your logo or graphic, but they act as a cozy reminder to your current and potential customers.

2. Never drink luke warm coffee or tea out of a boring cup again! These colorful tumblers are the perfect solution to keeping your beverages ice cold or piping hot. An ideal gift or giveaway, these cups are perfect for a beverage brand promotion or eco-friendly company. Our 24 oz tumblers are FDA approved and BPA free. What’s not to love?

3. Stay top of mind by sending personalized greeting cards before the holidays. Send an autumn-themed card to prospective customers to remind them of your upcoming event or special promotion.

Five Unique and Affordable Promotional Solutions

As a business owner, you know that holding on to your current clients is cheaper than sourcing new ones. However, keeping your current customers connected is a long-term play that requires consistent engagement. You need the right promotional solutions to keep your brand in front of them.

For more than 200 years promotional products have served as a long-term marketing tool for small and large businesses. Results from a recent PPAI study found that 48% of respondents said that they would like to receive promotional products more often. It’s a connection strategy that just works.

To get you started with building and reinforcing brand connections, here are five promotional solutions you can use to surprise and delight your customers this fall.

1. Send warm wishes to your customers over the holidays with a custom embroidered micro-mink and Sherpa fleece throw.

Super Sherpa

2. Show that your company is environmentally conscious with a green gift like this bamboo coaster set.

Bamboo coaster set

3. Go above and beyond by sending custom designed t-shirts for your biggest client’s upcoming team charity run.

Crewneck Tee

4. Keep your customer’s brew hot with this professional stainless steel thermos.

Custom thermos

5. Help your customers cut down on plastic in the office by giving SIGG bottles to their team of employees.

           SIGG bottle 

It’s the little things in life that make a difference. Go the extra mile through promotional solutions like these to let your customers know you appreciate their business. You never know what they might do for you in return. So what have you done for you customers lately?