What is a Promotional Product?
How Promotional Products Compare
Christmas is approaching so fast and I was wondering what to report for my December newsletter. I decided to do a 3 part “Promotional Products 2011!
The first being “What is a Promotional Product?”
The words “Promotional Products” is actually a blanket term for a wide range of items. I’ve tried to narrow this down to 5 groups.
AD SPECIALTIES – An ad specialty usually comes with a logo or promotional message on it, and has a practical use. A few examples would be, mugs, pens calendars, key tags etc. The list can be endless but the important thing to remember is that Ad Specialties are generally given with no obligation.
PREMIUMS – Premiums on the other hand, come with strings attached. These Premiums are offered as an incentive for your clients to respond in a certain manner; for example “Purchase this bike and receive a free water bottle”.
AWARDS – These are usually in the form of lapel or service pens, jewelry, watches, clocks crystals etc. The recognition is often more important than the award, but it is a symbol of the honour received. These awards usually have an inscription showing the individuals’ name, the reason for receiving the award and the date.
BUSINESS GIFTS – These are usually given to customers, employees or suppliers, to thank, recognize performance, or develop new business. About half of all corporations give these business gifts and find them very effective. A few examples of these gifts would be Clothing, Golf Accessories, or Pen and Pencil sets.
MISCELLANEOUS PROMOTIONS – This is a catchall for any items that do not fit a specific category. These might include products for membership in a club or sponsorship; for example the company name or logo imprinted on a jacket, hat or shirt etc. Souvenirs for tourists, such as coffee mugs, key chains, hats or towels. Promotional events very often use logoed balloons and banners to promote their events.
If you would like to discuss these and any other Promotional idea to “Brand” your business please feel free to contact us at 250-317-4333.
Advertise? Why Bother!
People are constantly telling me that they have to cut back as business is slow and the one thing they always cut first is advertising. Cutting back (or eliminating) your advertising budget when business is slow is certainly the easiest thing to do, but it isn’t the right thing to do.
Advertising is not something you dabble in when things are good it should be a constant that you do throughout all of the ups and downs in the marketplace. Your advertising dollar is not what is left over after you’ve paid your “important” bills; it “is” one of your important bills.
You have to constantly tell your clients and the people you want to be your clients that you are still here and ready to do business with them. You need to be shouting from the roof tops that you are here.
I read recently that businesses should be spending between 3% and 5% of their gross sales on advertising. If you are not perhaps you should reexamine your advertising strategy. You can’t afford to stop advertising now.
Remember, this is part of “Branding” your business and “Promotional Products, help you Brand ‘YOUR’ business”.
Please feel free to call me to discuss different promotional ideas for your business.
Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com
Create a Buzz!! As posted in Beyond 50 Fall Edition
At Falkins Advertising Specialties our specialty is in Corporate Apparel Wear, Beverage Containers, Bags,
Business Gifts, Writing Instruments Tools and Knives.
What is the mission of your nonprofit organization? Most non-profits exist to spreadthe word about an important issue or to raise money to meet a need. Promotional products can serve as an important part of your strategy in many different ways.
The purposes of promotional products usually fall into one of the following categories:
- increase name recognition
- advertise a product or services the word, promotional items can
- thank customers or contributors
- raise funds
- increase support for a cause
Non-profit agencies often find themselvesworking on public awareness advertising and marketing campaigns. While radio PSAs and flyers are good ways of spreading the word, promotional items can really launch a message in a way that it can’t be ignored. Whether your message is a greener Earth or cleaner lungs promotional items can
help create a“buzz” for your cause.
Bruce Falkins has been very involved locally on the local boards and eventually President of the “Central Okanagan Home Based Business Association (COHBBA). Bruce was also a director of the Promotional Products Professionals
of Canada (PPPC) for five years. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Kelowna Sunrise and has held many positions on the board including President. In 2010-2011
Bruce accepted the position of Assistant District Governor for Area 4 of the CentralOkanagan responsible
for helping the nine local Rotary Clubs as well as two Interact clubs and one Rotaract Club. One of the
main reasons Bruce joined Rotary was its incredible scope. We can work with local organizations as well as around
the world, and my contribution “does”make a difference.One of my most fulfilling local projects is our
clubs “Dictionary” program where each year we deliver a dictionary to every grade three students at Pearson Road Elementary School. This dictionary is theirs to keep and used at home and school year after year.
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
As posted in Beyond 50 Fall Edition
Ramesh Ferris – Guess speaker at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna
Ramesh Ferris – Guess Speaker
Ramesh Ferris, a man who hand cycled across Canada, will speak in Kelowna about surviving polio. Ramesh’s visit is being sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of the Central Okanagan.
A Canadian polio survivor and long distance cyclist Ramesh Ferris will speak at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna on October 30, 2010.
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Ramesh was infected by polio when he was six months old. At the age of two he was adopted by Canadian parents in Whitehorse Yukon Territories and, after many surgeries and physical rehabilitation, learned to walk with the aid of crutches.
Ramesh Ferris first made the news in 2008, when he hand-cycled across Canada to help Rotary raise awareness and funds to fight this disease that still threatens children in parts of Africa and Asia. Ramesh hand cycled more than 7,110 km by hand cycle over 173 days, and raised $318,000.00 Cdn. and increased the awareness of polio dramatically.
Ramesh is a Paul Harris Fellow, Vice President of the Whitehorse Rotary Club, and Chair of the Rotary PolioPlus Committee for his club. In April 2010 Ramesh released his first book entitled “Better than a Cure, One Man’s Journey to Free the World of Polio”. His book will be available, for purchase (at $20.00 per book) and for him to sign at the event on October 30, 2010. Proceeds benefit Rotary PolioPlus.
Most recently Ramesh shared Rotary’s message of Polio Eradication to delegates at the 2010 Rotary International Convention in Montréal, including The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper,His Royal Highness Prince Phillip and Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II.
This November Ramesh has been invited to speak at the United Nations as part of Rotary International Day. Ramesh is looking forward to speaking in Kelowna and sharing his personal journey of surviving Polio and invites everyone to join with Rotary in their efforts of making our global community polio free!
Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com
Promotional Pens keep Writing and Writing
This month I wanted to talk about “Promotional Pens”. I’ve spoken about these before but recently I’ve had a couple of comments from different clients and I wanted to address them.
I was in a client’s office and happened to ask how the pens they purchased a few months ago were going over. His answer was that “people liked them so much; he had to keep them locked up so that his customers wouldn’t steal them”!
Another client of mine called to tell me that she had been at Safeway and the Cashier was using one of her pens and she was so excited to see that they were moving around town she just had to call and let me know.
Promotional Pens are meant to be spread like seeds amongst your customers and future customers, hiding them does no one any good! It really doesn’t matter as to your pen being used by your staff, fiends or clients as long as they are moving from hand to hand with your message being broadcast as they move.
Did you know that Promotional Pens are second only to clothing in the Promotional Products industry and that over $2 Billion worth of Promotional Pens are sold annually?
Promotional Pens have become the staple of just about every Promotional campaign; imagine your company name or logo on every pen you present to your clients and potential clients. “They stay at the finger tips of “your” customers”.
So remember “Writing Instruments” when you are contemplating your next Promotional campaign in Kelowna, there is a place for the basic “Stick” or plastic pen on up to a beautiful engraved mental pen and you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost.
The next time you are at a trade show, a conference or sign up the big contract with a new client consider leaving them with a Promotional Pen, one of the best ways to “Brand” your business.
Please feel free to call me to discuss different promotiional ideas for your business.
Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com
Wow! Go Canada Go!
I can’t believe the Olympics are over, I think I’m going through Olympic withdrawal now that I can’t turn to it when I get home. We have lots to be proud of, 14 Gold medals, the all time high for a country in the Winter Olympics, plus Gold in the hockey. Our athletes win or lose really did us proud!
Back to the business of Promotion! The Olympics showed us just how valuable branding is. Everywhere you looked in Vancouver you saw a sea of red and white, our country looked wonderfully patriotic.
We can accomplish the same thing in our businesses, perhaps not on the same scale but whenever we are in our place of business, in a trade show, or attend a sales meeting or even go to the mall, if we are showing our corporate logos, we our showing ourselves at our best.
This doesn’t just apply to clothing. Mugs, pens, fridge magnets, lip balm, desk accessories etc. etc. These all allow us to show off our businesses.
Now is the time to start thinking about what we will be handing out or wearing to promote our brands this spring and summer, so please call at any time to discuss your Promotional or branding needs.
Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS What are they? When is the right time to use them?
The greatest value of Promotional Products comes from their ability to get an effective, targeted marketing message in front of the prospects and clients you have to reach, without the wastes high costs associated with other media.
The definition of “Promotional Products”, is any useful item showing off your company logo, name or advertising message, however the best promotional products don’t just brand, they generate actual, measurable results.
WHAT IS A SUCCESFUL PROMOTION?
• An audience-appropriate product. – The most compelling marketing message in the world is lost on the recipient if the promotional item is not appropriate to your target audience.
• An effective message. – Very often, a promotional product shows only a company name or logo without any strong benefit statement, advantage or call to action. It usually costs no more to add these things to the imprint, but it can have a dramatic effect on the entire campaign.
• Targeted, Qualified recipients. – Very few companies can afford to market to everyone, so each promotion should be geared towards your target audience.
• Timing is everything. – A perfect marketing message delivered either too soon or too late does not produce positive results. I.e.: Calendars!
When you imprint an audience-appropriate product with an effective marketing message and deliver it to motivated recipient at the proper time, you dramatically increase your likelihood of success. Falkins Advertising helps our clients to master the four factors of a successful promotion!
WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR PROMTIONAL PRODUCTS?
There are over 650,000 items available providing a wealth of choices to fit any target audience and message.
According to the PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) the top 10 promotional product categories in North America are;
1. Wearables 29.3%
2. Writing Instruments 10.6%
3. Desk/office. Business accessories 7.6%
4. Calendars 7%
5. Bags 5.9%
6. Glassware/ceramics 5.5%
7. Recognition awards, watches/clocks etc. 4%
8. Magnets/buttons/badges/stickers 3.5%
9. Automotive accessories 3.5%
10. Sporting goods/leisure products 3.3%
If you would like to enhance your image and achieve a stronger bottom line through the use of promotional products please contact Bruce at;
Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
