Executive Gifts

My clients are always looking for some new ideas for executive gifts to give out to busy executives on the go.  Today I thought we would share a few new products that make great gifts for the executive road warriors.

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Most of my clients fall into one of two groups.  In one group those who have an iPad and in the other those who want an iPad.  (In fairness there is also a much smaller third group those who don't know what they would do with an iPad.)  This first product from Leeds is the new Case Logic Security-Friendly netbook/iPad Sleeve.  Its zippered compartment holds most mini laptops, netbooks and ultraportables with a 7-10" screen.

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If you are like me there are two things I'm constantly searching for at my desk.  Where did I stick my cell phone and where can I find an open USB port to plug in my latest tool or gadget?  The new Cell Phone Holder/USB Hub from High Caliber takes care of both issues at once. The silicon cell phone holder is perfect for keeping your phone close and near your computer and has a built in 2.0 4 port hub.

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This last product the Luggage Scale from Gordon Sinclair is a perfect gift for any frequent traveler.  Its high precision strain gauge sensors measure g/oz/kg.lbs.  The features include blue backlighting, over load indicator, low battery indicator and tape measure to ensure you avoid any extra fees at the airport.

Some Drinkware with Flair

I had the opportunity to run an obstacle course yesterday.  We had to pull people across the gym while they sat on a gunny sack then hurdle benches.  Next we had to do mountain climbers across the gym floor with our feet on felt pads then run with a kettle bell in our arms.  After that we got to shoot a free throw using a medicine ball (not as easy as it sounds) until making the basket.  Then a run up and down a flight of stairs then outside up the hill stepping through a series of tires.  That was lap one of four.  It was fun and yet extremely challenging.

I like things that are fun and functional so today I thought we would take a look at one of my favorite drinkware manufacturer's, Berney-Karp Inc., who has found a way to have fun with their designs.

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Every time I see the Ring Bling Ceramic mug I hear the Beyonce song "Put a Ring on It" in my head.  Berney-Karp has created a whole category of what they call Bling Products designed specifically for women to be both fun and glitzy.  Check out the entire line of bling products.

Several of their products like the Vanity Water Bottles come with built in mirrors and places to store cosmetics.  Perfect for any customer service giveaway to remind staff to smile.

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Still, the thing I think Berney-Karp is best known for is their stock and custom mugs with unique handles.  I still remember one of the first projects I did when I got into this industry was a coffee mug with a handle in the shape of my clients' delivery trucks.  We had them made and everything looked perfect right down the color of the trucks and the placement of the logos.  They also have a huge selection of stock unique handles to choose from.  Just because it's a coffee mug doesn't mean it has to be boring.

Questions to Answer in Choosing a Promotional Product

Here's wishing everyone a great Memorial Day Weekend.  Nothing like 3 fun filled days of relaxation to clear your mind.

I get a lot of phone calls and emails that start out with "We want to do something to promote our business do you have any ideas?"  The answer is yes I have a few hundred thousand ideas of promotional things you can do.  Will they work for you?  I haven't the first clue so today I thought I'd pose a few questions I ask clients to hone in on the right promotion.

1.  What do you want to accomplish?  This is the number one question I ask because this really directs the whole project.  Are you trying to reward loyal customers, entice tradeshow attendees into your booth, offer a gift with purchase?

2.  Who is going to receive this promotion?   The demographics of your target audience are extremely important.  While logoed hair brushes might be great for a salon convention they would be fairly useless at an Alopecia conference (alopecia is baldness by the way).  How old is the target market?  What is the breakdown between men and women?  The more demographic information a client can give me the more laser targeted we can make any promotion.

3.  What is your budget for the project? Seems like this would be an easy question however, I'm often surprised how many people tell me they aren't sure.  Nothing helps narrow down the choices faster than if someone tells me they have a budget of $200 per item or $0.50.  A total budget for the project is great as well as that way we can account for freight, special packaging and method of delivery and disbursement.

4.  What quantity do you want?  This is where we decide who is going to receive the items.  Are you going to give one to all 6000 show attendees or just to the 500 best prospects.  Often this question leads to readjusting the budget either up or down.

5.  When will you need them? Time frame also helps us narrow down the choices.  If you tell me you won't need to receive them for 3-4 months then we have time to look at overseas production based also on quantity and budget.  If we have the time this is one area we can save some serious coin!  If you tell me 3 weeks this narrows us down a little more and means we are looking at domestic production.  Tell me 1-3 days and now we have a very targeted list of products to choose from using select quick turn factories.

6.  Do you have artwork I can review?  I know its question number 6 but it's number 1 in terms of things that hold up the project more than anything else.  Illustrator vector art is almost always the preferred choice to receive in artwork.  This is also a good way to find out in advance if it really is a one color logo or 4 color process artwork as those factors weigh into cost and options.  Also if you have a lot of text that will be printed it helps us narrow down what to put it on.  10 lines of text are not going to look good on a pen but might be just fine on a padfolio.

7.  What kind of packaging would you like?  I have spent enough time around the ladies in my life to know that packaging is as important as the gift itself.  Typically most things when ordered in quantities come in bulk packaging of some sort.  However, that is no reason we can repackage your order into a more visually appealing presentation.  We bring many things into our warehouse and repackage or kit them with other items and marketing materials you would like to get out to your recipients.

8.  Are there any products you absolutely do not want to do?  I have one client who refuses to give their clients anything with a blade as she puts it "Why arm your clients with a weapon?"  Another client doesn't want to give out any food gifts.  If I know this up front it also aids in the product selection.

Sitting in the Rain but Thinking About the Sun

Sitting at my desk preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend and watching the Oregon rain fall for the third day in a row with six more to come.  Figured with all this rain falling we might as well talk about sun care products.

I like the new Z collection Lip Balm from Snugz.  It's made in the USA with beeswax base, spf 15 and includes their new patent pending color changing technology that makes the lids turn from clear to color when exposed to UV light.  These are available for as low as $0.17.

This same technology is also available on lanyards, bottles and other products.

Snugz also offers a great tradeshow package.  Guess that lip balm flavor. Snugz has three specially formulated flavors of lip balm that can be used as a tradeshow game.  You can choose from the easy, medium or hard formulations and have attendees guess the flavor to win prizes.  With over 30 flavors to choose from this can be a fun and crowd drawing promotion.  If you have enough time Snugz can develop a custom flavor of lip balm specifically to suit your needs.

I also like the new Zinc sunscreen products that protect against UVA and UVB rays and are also made here in the US.  They are available in white, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue zinc tones.  In my many years in the promotional business sunscreen is one of the products that I never throw away.

New Products from Leatherman

Living all my life in Oregon and enjoying spending lots of time in the great outdoors I've always loved Leatherman tools.  Their multi-tools are one of the greatest inventions ever.  Basically, they are a grown up version of the scout knife so you can always "Be prepared".

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Yesterday our Leatherman rep was in the office to show us two new products that have been introduced for under $30.  The Leatherman Style features 5 tools including scissors, knife, flat/philips screwdriver, nail file and tweezers.

The one I am most excited about is the Leatherman Style CS which features a stainless steel body, glass-filled nylon handle scale, spring-action scissors, knife, nail file, flat/philips screwdriver, carbineer/bottle opener, tweezers and key ring attachment.  I think this product is great addition to any safety program or incentive gift. Either product can be purchased with your logo and presented in a very stylish metal tin.  Don't forget to check out all of Leatherman's great products.

Creative Brainstorming

I read the following quote a few days ago and it's really stuck with me.  "There are so many people out there that will tell you that you can't.  What you've got to do is turn around and say watch me!" -Layne Beachley

I really think this holds true no matter what we do in life.  Every organization has plenty of people who will tell you why something can't be done.  Sure they serve a purpose but coming up with reasons why something won't work is easy.  I try to surround myself with people who can help brainstorm ways that things can be done.

Today I thought I would leave you with a few tips for creative brainstorming.

1.  Pick a time when you are most rested.  I'm a morning person so some of my best thinking comes when I first get into the office (after at least one cup of coffee) and before everyone starts bombarding me with projects and questions.

2.  Clear your mind.  I have a couple of ways I like to clear my mind to get the creative juices flowing.  One is to listen to a little music which can vary widely depending on my mood.  Today it's the new Lovestrong cd by Christina Perri (hauntingly beautiful voice check her out on iTunes.).  The other way I like to clear my mind is a great strenuous workout.  Some of my best thinking is done right after a run or 5 AM bootcamp.

3.  There are no stupid ideas.  Okay in all honesty there are some horrifically stupid ideas but for the process of creative brainstorming pretend there aren't.  Don't shoot down any idea out of hand.  Give yourself a set amount of time.  Give yourself 30 minutes or an hour.  In that time jot down as many ways as you can think of to solve your problem.  Brainstorming with a team is great if possible.  Again, in a group it's even more important to have a strict rule not to criticize anyone's ideas in the brainstorming process.

4.  Pick your top three solutions.  Once I've got a list of possible solutions I like to go back and rank them, or if I have a group available have them vote on the best solutions.  When finished you should have your three solutions you and your team think have the best chance of working.

5.  Now and only now hand your top ideas over to the pessimists.  Once you've come up with ideas you think will work hand them over to the people around you that are famous for telling you why something can't be done.  This is the one part of the process where there consistent negativity can benefit you as they might see a hole in your plan that needs to be patched.  Remember that you don't have to use their advice if you don't agree with it.  If they come up with legitimate challenge you can always start the brainstorming process over to find a way around that objection.

T-shirts that "Sweat" your Logo

I finished my first 5k this weekend in 30 minutes 49 seconds.  No world record by any means but a huge personal accomplishment in its own right. One thing for certain I was dripping in sweat by the time I finished which is why today's new featured product caught my eye.

Now there are t-shirts that "sweat" your logo.  This new patent-pending T-shirt printing technology activates the logo or graphic and makes it appear when somebody sweats in the shirt.  I have seen heat and cold activated printing on mugs but this is a first for me in the apparel market.
I am very excited about the possibilities this can provide for teams, charities, company picnics or any other corporate events.  I can already think of several marketing campaigns to go along with this technology.  Not to mention great co-branding opportunities for sponsored events.
If you have a project coming up you could use this for drop me an email.