As Americans living through these difficult times, we can understand the need to . . . → Read More: Promotional Products Industry and President Obama Mandates]]> Today President Obama announced a mandate to cut 20% from federal agency spending on promotional items such as plaques, clothing, and what he categorized as unnecessary promotional items. He declared that these cuts are designed to trim the government’s “Wasteful Spending.”

As Americans living through these difficult times, we can understand the need to cut “wasteful spending”, but spending on promotional items is not a waste. The promotional products industry is a vibrate industry that helps build moral and businesses around the country.

Key Points:

The promo products industry helps create jobs. The industry employs nearly 500,000 people throughout North American and includes thousands of small and women and minority-owned businesses.

Promotional products, which cost just half a penny per impression, beat out prime-time TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available. This means that even smaller companies can pack the advertisign punch of multimillion-dollar companies. ASI – The Advertising Specialties Institute studies show 83% of ad specialty recipients in the U.S. say they can identify the advertiser on a promotional item they own.

As more companies shift to lower-cost advertising like promo products, it’s helping the industry bounce back. A recent ASI Q3 industry survey found sales rose for the 7th straight quarter.

Promo products ave taxpayers money. The U.S. government used promotional items as reminders to mail back the U.S. census instead of sending government representatives door-to-door – a move that may have saved taxpayers up to $85 million. The U.S. government reported spending $22.7 million on Census-related promotional products, including mugs, T-shirts hats, water bottles and pencils. In total 62.5 million promotional items were gien away in the campaign, at an estimated cost of a quarter per product or nickel per person.

Obama knows how promo products work. He relied heavily on them to get elected in 2008, and his reelection website today offers everything from logoed T-shirts to leather bracelets, bumper stickers, buttons and beyond.

We felt compelled to bring this “mandate” to the attention of our readers. Promotional products are not unnecessary, but they are items that bring loyalty, recognition, and help further promote business and goodwill for government agencies, to fortune 500 companies, to the small business.

Technorati Tags: 2011, marketing, promotional products, trends

Right now the elves at e-CorporateGifts.com are looking for different and exciting gifts that can be . . . → Read More: Unique Christmas Corporate Gift for 2011]]> Hard to believe that Christmas is on the minds of corporations and businesses throughout the world already. But as money is tight, finding just the right gift that will leave a lasting impression is even more important than ever. 

Right now the elves at e-CorporateGifts.com are looking for different and exciting gifts that can be branded with your company logo, text, or sentiment. We came across this unique Christmas Business gift and just had to share it.  We believe it is clever and full of all the elements that make it a perfect Christmas gift for clients, employees, and executives.  It is a Holiday Reindeer Nutcracker made of heavy metal. Push on his tail and open the nuts. It is also a great decorative piece for the holidays.

The beauty of this gift is that is comes in a bamboo box that can include an engravable metal plate that can have your logo or text engraved. The box can be used for storage in the future. In addition, there is an option to include half a dozen nuts with an imprint on the shell or blank. This gift is a total mixture of uniqueness and usefulness.

Technorati Tags: 2011, business gifts, Christmas, corporate gifts, Holiday, imprinted, logo

According to ASI – Advertising Specialty Institute, in . . . → Read More: Happy New Year! Business Gift Forecast for 2011]]> This post comes to you with wishes for a Happy New Year that brings you much success, health, friendship, and prosperity.  As we roll out the New Year, we all start with great expectations of things to come, leaving behind the negative from the preceding year. 

According to ASI – Advertising Specialty Institute, in 2010 businesses spent more on gifting their employees than prospective clients. From our research, we see that trend continuing in 2011. Recognition Awards are a growing category in addition to small tokens of appreciation to an organization’s most valuable assets – their employees. 

In addition to rewarding and recognizing employees. It is now a perfect time to lay a foundation plan for the marketing of your business. Will you be attending some tradeshows, sponsoring a golf tournament, hosting a seminar? If you answered yes to any of these, it’s time to think of some promotional items to brand your company name and logo. Handouts and giveaways are a great way to keep your name or brand in front of prospective clients all year long.

So start planning now. Be ready with your marketing strategies for a year full of success. Happy New Year from the staff at e-CorporateGifts.com.

Technorati Tags: 2011, advertising specialties, business gifts, corporate gifts, employee, marketing, promotional products

Here are some interesting dates and events to remember. Be creative and develop a marketing strategy . . . → Read More: December 2010 – Dates to Remember]]> So when you think of December probably the first occasion that comes to mind is Christmas. For some it might be Chanukah or Kwanza, but did you know that great marketing potential exists in obscure and fun dates.

Here are some interesting dates and events to remember. Be creative and develop a marketing strategy incorporating one of these occasions you may have never heard of before.

1. December is Bingo’s Birthday Month
2. National Write a Business Plan Month
3. Spiritual Literacy Month
4. Dec 1 – Anniversary Date of the creation of Basketball
5. Dec 4 – Coats and Toys for Kids Day
6. Dec 10 – National Salesperson’s Day
7. Dec 26 – National Thank-You Note Day

Technorati Tags: 2010, advertising, Holiday, imprinted, marketing, promotional products

Everyone knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. If you are looking to stay in front . . . → Read More: Promoting “Causes”, “Awareness” and Your Business]]> Are you looking for a new way to promote your business?  Do you want a unique promotional item that will be remembered by your current and prospective clients? Why not promote your company while promoting awareness for causes you are passionate about?

Everyone knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. If you are looking to stay in front of your clients, a useful promotional gift that also shows your philanthropic side is perfect. During the month of October you could market your company with items in pink with the Cancer Awareness ribbon and your company logo. 

The same theme could be carried out for raising awareness for Heart Disease. Possibly items that are heart shaped, or red. Maybe your passionate about animals. You could give portable dog bowls with your logo and a slogan about saving the animals.

Consumers appreciate and respect a business that “gives back”. In addition to promoting your company with marketing items that contain your logo and cause, you could coordinate the distribution of items with your pledge to donate to that cause. For example, a note with the items saying your are donating a percentage of sales for the month to that cause that you have just highlighted on the item you are giving.

Bottom line, it doesn’t matter  if you manufacture widgets or sell pastries.  You can market your company while promoting awareness to your favorite causes or charities.

Technorati Tags: advertising, advertising specialties, business gifts, corporate gifts, logo imprinting, marketing, promotional products