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10 Steps to Successful Promotional Products

The Promotional Merchandise Association recently carried out research where promotional products were compared to print, web, direct mail and TV. Research results showed that promotional products motivate twice as many people to take action, they invoke loyalty in three times as many recipients and they make almost six times as many people feel appreciated.

In previous research it is recorded that 94% of recipients of promotional products remember the brand associated with the items and 67% of recipients keep the items.

Drawing from all of the above we have outlined 10 simple steps to follow when purchasing promotional products.

1. What

What are your goals? Look carefully at what you’re trying to achieve and how this will be measured. Are you trying to increase membership, sell more products, recruit staff, say thank you, raise awareness? Your outcomes will help you decide on which products to purchase, budget allocation, distribution etc.

2. Who

Who are you targeting with the promotional products? Is your audience male or female? What age group do they fall into? What are their occupations, hobbies, interests etc.? These questions should form part of the process of putting together detailed audience profiles. The profiles will help determine not only the type of products to purchase but also will help with colour and design choices.

3. Where

Where / how will your promotional products be distributed? Will they be sent by post, handed out personally, distributed at an event? This will impact on the type and volume of products you purchase. For example, heavy or bulky items may be expensive to send in the post.

4. How Much

How much of your marketing budget can be allocated to this campaign? It is important to determine your budget in advance to work out the type of products to purchase, volume and distribution.

5. Message

What do you want to convey through the products? What is your message? Are you saying thank you, encouraging repeat business or attracting a new audience? 

6. Usefulness

The most effective promotional products are those that have a function and can be used frequently. For example, trolley tokens, keyrings and travel card holders. Recipients are less likely to discard items that are useful and continued use will increase your brand exposure.

7. Colour

When deciding on colour it is important to keep your target audience in mind. Make sure you take into consideration any cultural implications. If you have specific brand colours that need to be incorporate, ensure your supplier is able to match them.

7. Artwork

What artwork will be included on your products? Is this something that exists already or will this need to be created from scratch? Check that your supplier is able to work with your file formats and if new artwork is required, check requirements and dimensions carefully.

8. Supplier

Make sure you do your research and find a reputable and trustworthy supplier. Ask for recommendations, check online reviews and ask for samples. Put together a shortlist of companies you are interested in working with before making a final choice. Make sure your own brief is clear and that the supplier is able to understand and fulfill your requirements. 

9. Proofing

Always ask for samples and proofs and make sure you check everything carefully before signing off. If possible, ask a colleague to check as well. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can pick up on something that may have been missed. Changes at this stage will be far less costly than making changes to finished products.

10. Creativity

Remember that promotional products represent your business. They represent you. So think carefully about what they say. Be creative. Innovate. And have fun.

5 TOP TIPS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR CORPORATE GIFTS

5 TOP TIPS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR CORPORATE GIFTS

1. Choose corporate gifts that you would be happy to own and put your name on
The best test of whether your clients or customers will be pleased with an incentive or promotional gift is your own feeling about it. If you think it's a cheesy, inexpensive bit of promotional fluff, chances are that they'll see it the exact same way. Remember that your customers and clients will associate your company with any item that carries its name. When you choose promo giveaway items, be sure to choose items that speak well of your company.

2. The best corporate gifts are the ones that your recipients will use daily

If the aim of your corporate gifts campaign is to keep your name in the minds of your customers, choose items that you think will get daily use. Some good examples are bags, mugs, useful desk gadgets such as powerbanks or mobile telephone holders and writing materials.

3. Consider your goal when choosing corporate gifts and make them relevant to your event
There's always a reason for giving a gift and that reason will help dictate the items that you choose to give. If your intent in giving the gifts is to increase the brand recognition of your company then you should choose something that is associated with your business to help further the association in the minds of your customers. Also consider the event as promotional gifts that are meant to increase name recognition will likely be far different than those chosen to mark a celebration or anniversary for your business.

4. Make corporate gifts a line item in your company budget
It has been proven that the most effective method of creating relationships with potential customers and retaining your existing business relationships is by way of corporate gifts. Everyone loves a good and useful gift and these are more than a feel-good measure. If your customers are carrying your gifts around they are not only grateful for your gift but promoting your business to everyone they meet. No other advertising is as personal or powerful as a gift.

5. Acknowledge exceptional contributions with corporate gifts
There are times throughout the year that employees, contributors and customers will make exceptional contributions. Make it a practice to acknowledge those contributions with a gift that will make your appreciation tangible. For an employee, double the impact of the appreciation by presenting it publicly.

 

Are all PowerBanks the same?

BEWARE OF POWER BANKS THAT HAVE RECYCLED BATTERIES OR FAKE CAPACITY BATTERIES

Are all PowerBanks the same?

We have had first hand experience of Chinese companies trying to sell us Power banks with bad quality recycled batteries.  In fact this is a booming business in China,  many factories strip down old laptop batteries and put these into power banks for resale in their domestic market.  A lot of these power banks end up being sent to the west.  Fortunately we know how to test batteries true capacity and output endurance. Batteries come in various grades and it’s important to know what quality you are purchasing. The second part of a powerbank that is critical is the IC chip.  We ensure that our factories have thoroughly tested their circuits.

Below is an excerpt from an article translated from Chinese. It was posted by a Taiwanese called  on his Facebook page. The photos are taken from his original article.

Beware of dishonest cheap power bank that claim have high mAh capacity

One of the key issues of mobile phones, particularly smartphones, is that they are power hungry causing their battery doesn’t last long. As a result, mobile power bank comes into the market as portable external power source to supplement the internal battery of the mobile phone or mobile device.

While most of the modern mobile devices nowadays are using Li-Polymer battery () as their power source, a lot of mobile power banks are using the cylindrical or prismatic Li-Ion battery ().

The major problem or hazard of Li-Ion battery and Li-Polymer battery is that, they can overheat when charged for long time. There is an overcharge prevention IC on its circuit board to cut off the charging when the battery is fully charged. If the IC is malfunctioned, the battery could caught fire or explode when overcharged.

Another disadvantage of Li-Ion battery is their lifespan will greatly reduced if they are operating in high temperature of 45°C and above. Li-Polymer battery, on the other hand, has higher endurance to high temperature, and can still operate over 4 hours in 85°C without much problem.

Nowadays, you can find a lot of power banks claimed to have charge capacity as high as 12000mAh, 18000mAh, 20000mAh, or even higher, selling at the Internet stores. If they are unbranded and selling at a very cheap price, you need to be alerted before placing your order.

The shorter power bank in the picture above consists of 4 Li-Ion 18650 batteries, while the longer one consists of 6 Li-Ion 18650 batteries. The size of the cylindrical Li-Ion battery in used is 18.25x65mm, and their manufacturing part number is normally in the form of XXX18650-XX.

The quality of Li-Ion battery differs.

Branded made-in-Japan (eg. Sanyo, Panasonic) one normally has capacity of at least 3100mAh, and comes with 1 year warranty. They have higher price too and won’t be chosen to make the cheap power bank selling in the Internet stores.

Branded made-in-Korea (eg. Samsung) one is quite reliable too. Part number could be ICR18650-30A, ICR18650-28A, ICR18650-26F, ICR18650-26D, ICR18650-24E, ICR18650-24F, ICE18650-22F, etc. 30F means capacity is 3000mAh, 22F means capacity is 2200mAh, and so on.

Samsung OEM made-in-China Li-Ion battery has 4 grades. The highest A01 grade normally reserved for Samsung own use, while A02, A03 and A04 are made available for customers. Part number could be ICR18650-20, ICR18650-22, ICR18650-24, ICR18650-26, etc. If a power bank claimed to use Samsung batteries, the batteries inside are probably the A02~A04 type.

Certain unbranded made-in-china battery were found to have only 1600-1800mAh but also put in the 18650 code and claimed to have 3000mAh. The cheap power banks probably are using this kind of Li-Ion battery.

For the power bank with 12000mAh capacity above, its capacity is calculated like this:

3000mAh x 4 = 12000mAh

However, if the real capacity of the batteries inside is only 2200mAh, you can only get 2200mAh x 4 = 8800mAh.

For the power bank with 18000mAh capacity above, its capacity is calculated like this:

3000mAh x 6 = 18000mAh

However, if the real capacity of the batteries inside is only 2200mAh, you can only get 2200mAh x 6 = 13200mAh.

Beside the possible short-change in real capacity, since the size of the Li-Ion batteries are the same, some dishonest power bank might even use recycled batteries!

The picture above is said to be taken from a newly purchased cheap power bank, opened up for inspection. Note that the colour of the 6 Li-Ion batteries are all different, which is very unlikely if they are manufactured from the same batch.

Also note that the soldering point is rusted and shows sign of multiple re-soldering. There is also leftover glue on the surface. Worse still, what if the cheap dishonest power bank does not have a properly functioning overcharge / over-discharge circuit? And even more ridiculous case, you probably get only a single Li-Ion battery with 2 bags of sand.

The bottom result is you need exercise caution when purchasing Powerbanks from China, especially when the product is unbranded and the price is cheap.

How do I know that the PowerBank is the true capacity?

Fake capacity power banks are a dime a dozen right now in China.  We have personally visited our supplier’s factories to ensure their quality and to check their battery testing compliance.

We also have specialised testing equipment that allows us to place a load on the power bank or battery we are testing and then measure the output duration of the battery.  This gives us the true capacity of a battery or power bank.  

*All our power banks complies to US and EU Safety Standards /CE, ROHS, FCC & REACH Certified

with Battery safety test certificates: UN38.3 & MSDS

 

 

Its Bobblehead MANIA!

Bobbleheads are small, lifelike figurines with oversized heads attached by springs to cartoonish bodies.

Taking their name from the "bobbing" motion their heads make when lightly tapped, bobbleheads have been nodding their way in and out of popular culture for decades.
It was in the late 1950s and 60s that bobbleheads started to gain enormous popularity, due in large to the advent of celebrity merchandising and also their use as a giveaway at professional sports games.

These early bobbleheads were typically made from paper-mache and generic in nature usually of a cherub-faced boy wearing the uniform of a particular club.
By the mid-1970s, the bobblehead craze was fading, and it was to take almost two decades, a switch to Polyresin material and cheaper manufacturing processes, before the bobblehead were to once again return to prominence.

In 1999, the stadium giveaway burst onto the scene when the San Francisco Giants baseball team, distributed 35,000 Willie Mays bobbleheads at a home game to celebrate the team's last season at Candlestick Park. The rest they say is history!

Today's version of bobbleheads are totally different to those of old. The use of Polyresin has made them more durable and easier to mold, allowing for much finer detailing, including hair style, tattoos and even earrings.

Why are they so popular? 
Its a combination of kitsch and nostalgia, cute faces, whimsical bodies and lifelike features which all go to make the bobblehead so irresistible and drumming up an array of feelings and emotions.



STAGE 1 - PREPARATION OF LIKENESS SKETCHES

The first step is to gather up as much information about the subject as possible and then convert these into mechanical drawings.
Photographs/images, specfic details such as skin tone, hair style, eye color, distinctive features such as tattoos etc. are all used to build up a clear image of how your bobblehead will eventually look like.













STAGE 2 - MAKING THE PROTOTYPE
After the sketches are completed they are then converted into a 3D clay model, which is used to give a general idea of the shape, size and proportions the bobble will eventually look like.

After many hours of tweaking to get the features perfect, the model is then approved by the customer and then painted it in the colors of its final presentation
A final approval of the painted bobble and the prototype stage is complete.


STAGE 3 – PRODUCTION

During each stage of the production process each bobblehead is individually inspected by our quality control staff. After drying and a final check-over the bobbleheads are ready to be packed.




STAGE 4 - PACK and SHIP

Each bobbleheads is placed into specially moulded styrofoam inserts, then carefully packed into their individual boxes and put into a master carton.
They are now ready to be shipped off to their new homes.

Packaging options:

Standard White box with foam insert or Upgrade Window Box

Benefits of investing in Promotional Products for Brand Marketing

If you are planning to invest in a promotional product campaign and you aren’t sure that the campaign will bring in a return on investment, read on to see statistics on proven results from branded product campaigns. You will see why promotional products have been around for so long and are still widely used today by such a wide variety of companies large and small to great effect. In addition to a form of advertising, promotional products can help you show off your brand and reward loyal customers!

 

 

Selfie Sticks – The Perfect Promotional Gift!

Gone are the days that formal photos were taken using only traditional cameras. The popularity of the iPhone and Smartphones in general means that spontaneous photos are now taken capturing moments that previously might have been missed. Not only is the photographer interested in taking photos of their surroundings but of the photographer themselves so the word “Selfie” has become a description for that specific style of photos. The only limitation has been that it isn’t always easy to take good selfies with angles and buttons to take into consideration.

Now with a Selfie stick, photos and videos can be easily taken of the person taking the photo so much better photography is now possible. The Selfie Stick can be a great addition to a promotional merchandise range and is sure to generate interest in a product or service if used as part of a marketing campaign. The Selfie Stick is an ideal promotional item which will engage niche markets and generate interest in products or services.

This handy arm is designed to give you freedom of movement to get the best picture possible!  The design is simple: A long, extendable metal rod clasps onto a smartphone at the tip.  The stick extends  from 12” to 36”, allowing for a wider shot and a higher angle that can include more people and landscape

We offer both the built-in Bluetooth shutter stick option or the basic stick option which uses its camera self timer *custom 2D logo version comes in basic stick option