PROMOTION COMMOTION

If It's a Surface - You Can Brand It

A friend of mine shamelessly (and successfully) advertises in many creative ways. Wanna see?  I (heart) creatives!

You gotta love the talent!

Branding - Be Everywhere You Can Be

What's a  common characteristic of businesses that succeed in economic up and down markets? They are going to be everywhere they can be. I like to refer to this as low key yet effective guerrilla marketing.   Collateral is unique, useful  with no missed opportunity to reach out to a targeted demographic.

Any business can achieve similar branding success. 

One simple area you might be overlooking: PACKAGING!  

You  can use the standard UPS, Priority Mail or Fedex freebies. They're free because you're marketing them.  You can change that!

These BRANDELOPES are completely customized and identifiable.  Use these  for marketing your new product announcements, product launch or special deliveries.   

Packaging is NOT expensive especially for the ROI you get in terms of brand retention.  Minimum order quantities are not outrageous.   I'd certainly recommend it for a co-marketing campaign! 

Branded packaging can be made part of a staple promotion.  This is a great way for HR to  welcome new employees, for banks to thank new clients or for a mortgage or title company to congratulate a new homeowner. Pharmaceutical companies have the printable real estate for educational and product information to comply with PhRMA rules and regulations.

Need samples or more information ? Just let us know. Email us at sales(at)webbmar(dot)com.

Branding - We Are So Visual

In the middle of my work day today, I briefly logged onto my TwitterDeck while I was waiting to print a presentation I was working on.  One of my good 'follows' on Twitter is a very amiable @newmediajim - also the man behind Verge New Media.  Jim's short tweet simply said  "BRANDING" and posted a link to his Flickr stream.  Here's the picture and it speaks more than a thousand words about that simple yet complicated process of established brands.

 

This is a photo of microphone cubes being set up for a news conference in Washington DC.  It may seem like just a photograph to some of you - but to the media and reporters behind a microphone - it's their identity.  In this institution of live reporting and streaming news, this simple branded cube is one powerful identifier.  If the subject likes you - they'll pick you out from the crowd.

How powerful is you brand?  Does your logo stand out from the crowd?  Who is behind the image?

Simple questions - but the answers may we be the key to big business - or no business.

Don't forget the little things that count!

   

If You Decorate It Well, They'll Wear It - Imprinted Promotional Apparel

Apparel, especially t-shirts and how it is decorated can be a factor when it comes to measuring return on objective or promotional investment.  Imprinted apparel can be an excellent advertising medium for your company if your brand gets the exposure you want.  We've seen it happen too many times.  Companies spend good money on imprinted apparel only to have a recipient ask for a size they can wear to bed!  That's where your ad dollars may end up unless you think outside the box marked "ORDINARY".

These guys didn't skip a beat.  They're message clearly delivered.

Wear 'em or consider them collectibles.  Either way, these companies received major bang for their not so big bucks.

For incredible decorating and packaging ideas, contact us at  sales(at)webbmar(dot)com. We work with top notch suppliers and can discuss or recommend new and eye catching decorating methods for you. Doesn't your brand deserve it?

Need new ideas?    We're saving some secrets you won't see here!

Michelin Hotel & Restaurant Guide - The PERFECT Gift

A new supplier to the promotional / ad specialty industry (did I miss them in previous shows?) - the THE MICHELIN GUIDE has been called by USA TODAY as the ''gastronomic bible for international travelers''. I have the San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Guide and  just went through it.  If I may say so, I am really motivated to check out these restaurants that are so close by!  The Michelin hotel and restaurant reviewers have done a fantastic job. The guide reflects a variety of culinary establishments and hotel scenes, all rated by Michelin (yes, the Michelin Man is on the front cover!). The reviews were done anonymously so you can't get any more real than that!   Culinary establishments were rated and classified accoring to decor, ambience, table settings and quality of service.  They're rated from Good to Exceptional; Modest to Luxurious; and price ranges for all budgets. Maps of San Francisco and the surrounding cities are on the front (street map) and back cover (city map) Both fold out, you won't need another map.   

These guides are available now for corporate branding and imprinting in the front cover. It makes a PERFECT gift for out of town guests. If you're hosting out of town or international visitors, hand them a guide to your city as a WELCOME gift when they check into their hotel room, or when they visit you at headquarters. The guide cover can also be customized with your own story. This guide should be a corporate staple. It is absolutely the most useful gift you can give to an out of town or foreign guest.  It has just the right amount of information a traveler can digest in a short amount of time -- and information that will entice them to return.

For more information, please contact sales(at)webbmar.com or visit WEBBMAR PROMO.

Who Promotes With Mousepads? Just About Everyone.

Here are just a few product niches for your mousepad sales. They one of the most useable and reliable promotional gift but they must be bright and pleasing to look at; have a really amazing design - and unique.  DIGISPEC - with their team of super professional and they customer service software is second to noe.  This is our third repeat order with them and it just shipped.  Thanks, guys!  We @ Webbmar surely appreciate your hard work.

Many unique styles are now available - some with photographs you can switch around.  Digispec also has recycled paper mousepads for those into the eco-thang.

Just tell us what you want to achieve, who you're planning on giving these to and we'll get you the best product. In fact, we'll send you an entire sample package just for the asking.  Contact Webbmar PROMO and request for your sample package!  It's on us!!

Java Stops and Splash Sticks

Well, it seems like coffee's costing more than a pretty penny.  Starbucks has embarked on a major marketing campaign to draw in more people for their daily doze of caffeine.  Aside from the new Pike Street roast, they've apparently introduced plastic disposable 'splash sticks' to prevent your coffee from dripping when you go from the counter to your car.  They'll encourage you to re-use it, but that's the end of the green campaign.

I must applaud my supplier EVANS for coming out with their JAVA Stops LAST YEAR.  I guess they saw the market for an item before it was really ready. While my samples were all immediately taken by my junkie friends who at the time thought it was the greatest invention, now may be a great time to offer these again to coffee houses in town.  Fact is, this one is not a throw-away (that's a plus). They clip back into it's home base that stays onto your key tag.  Neat idea, if the splash sticks are what draws folks over to the green coffee place (or brown, now).

Don't get me wrong - I love coffee.  I don't not buy Starbucks <yeah double negative, i typed that on purpose>.  But I'm also big on small, independent coffee houses in town.  I'm just a little ol'  ad specialist who wants to give David a chance to compete against Goliath.  Contact WEBBMAR for samples.

So you can all just sip your coffee in peace now.  And make sure you don't spill a drop on your way out!

Java Good Time!

PS: Mr. Starbucks, if you need my help and expert opinion, just gimme a buzz!!  You got this all wrong!

Camelbak Drinking Bottles- BPA Free Hydration

You can stop thinking now - we got your back! Now available - stylish and safe drinking bottles from Camelbak. You'll see this in your favorite sporting equipment store, now get it for your company or your school and proudly display your brand!!  This is completely BPA free.

Camelbak: Water Bottle (0.75 Liter) - The next generation water bottle has arrived. The Camelbak Water Bottle combines their Big Bite™ Valve made famous on the Camelbak hydration bladder systems with a classic Lexan® widemouth bottle. The Camelbak Water Bottle makes drinking water from a bottle almost automatic. Just bite and sip from the valve, no tipping required. A carabiner compatible handle provides an easy attachment point for backpacks and belts. No need to stop for a drink, the Camelbak Water Bottle offers one-handed sipping for life on the run. By mounting their Big Bite™ Valve to a removable lid, Camelbak has eliminated the inconvenience of unscrewing a lid for liquid nourishment. The Big Bite™ Valve is incredibly easy to operate. Just bite and sip.

Contact WEBBMAR for logo imprinting, pricing and ordering. Want to see this available at your school or company?  Have your purchasing department call us and we'd be glad to get them in your colors.

Accept no substitutes! The Camelbak water bottle is made from Eastman Tritan™ co-polyester which is safe for reusable food and beverage containers.

This is a great alternative to SIGG water bottles (aluminum) or polycarbonate.  Choose your color to fit your style and lifestyle!

Say Goodbye to Polycarbonate! 

 

Giveaway Gusto

Tradeshows are one of the most effective ways to reach the greatest number of prospects and current customers in the shortest amount of time. Naturally, much thought goes into the booth design and layout.  What kind of graphics will be used?  How will traffic flow within the booth?  Where will company literature be displayed?  Will there be an interactive component or multi-media display?

While all of these things are extremely importnat in determining how a brand is presented, there is one way booth visitors can take a piece of your brand home with them:  promotional products.

In a PPAI Study:  The Effectiveness of Promotional Proudcts in Tradeshow Settings,  71.6 percent of attendees who received a promotional product at a tradeshow said they remembered the name of the company that gave them the product.  Additionally, 76.3 percent of attendees had a favorable attitude toward the company and 65.5 percent thougth the product was useful.

Work with your consultant to determine how promotional products can be used to differentiate you from the hundreds (or thousands) of other exhibitors on a tradeshow floor, resulting in brand extension that is tangible and measureable.

Souce:  PPB / Lisa Horton

Media Fast Facts

Incentive Insight - The total market for incentive travel and merchandise in 2006 was $46.1 billion, with merchandise representing $32.7 billion and travel accounting for $13.4 billion. (Source:  Incentive Federation)

Experience Economy - Seventy five percent of marketers in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, China and Australia affirm they will increase spending on experimental marketing in 2008.  Of those planning an increase, half plan to spend five to ten percent more than in previous years, 12 percent will increase spending by 11 to 25 percent and almost one in 10 says they will increase spending by more the 25 percent.  (Source:  Jack Morton Worldwide)

Campaign Costs - Political campaign spending on advertising media and marketing services is expected to rocket to an all-time high of $4.5 billion in the 2008 election cycle, as an acrimonious political environment, record fundraising and the high number of presidential candidates are driving an unprecendented media spending splurge.  (Source:  PQ Media)

Click Here - Online ad spending is expected to reach $27.5 billion in 2008, an increase of 28.5 percent over 2007, according to internet research firm eMarketer.  This spending will be driven in part by paid search engine advertising, which is expected to climb nearly 32 percent over last year to reach $15.5 billion.  Additionally, newer ad platfors will impact the expenditures.  Online vide ads are predicted to hit $1.4 billion in 2008 (up 74 percent), and social network advertising is projected to reach $1.6 billion (up 70 percent).  (Source: eMarketer and BtoBonline.com)

Source: PPB Magazine

Marketing Article

From your Promotional Consultant - Webbmar Enterprises

Two Types of People, Which One Are You?

When you get right down to it, there are really only two types of people in this world, those who build bridges and those who don't.

Are you a bridge builder? You very well may be, and not even know it.
    

Bridge builders are team players. They go out of their way to render support and encouragement to people they meet along the road of life. They truly understand the power of a well-timed kind word and the importance of sincere appreciation

T Shirt 101

Just like pens, procurement of t-shirts may sometimes require a master's degree.  This is one of the more standard promotional item that corporations utilize to market their brand and product.  Men are more inclined to wear a free giveaway tee.  Women, sometimes more stylish, might use it when they're at home - or to sleep - UNLESS you give away women's cut (and you can!).  Again, like pens, not everything is equal when you have to consider this item.  Here are a few things you'll need to consider.

• Weight of the material.  Generally speaking, the heavier the material, the more durable the shirt. Knits are available in various weights from 3.69 ounces to 6.1 ounces. Fabric weight measures tell you how much one square yard of the fabric weighs. It's generally an indication of how thick the fabric will be, though a 3.69-ounce poly can feel as thick as 6.1-ounce cotton
• What's it made of?  - 100% cotton or blend (cotton/poly).  The majority of commodity-priced cotton T-shirts are open-end cotton, which is made of short fibers spun together to create the yarn from which the garment is knit. During wearing and washing, these short fibers loosen and can start to pill.
  
  Better-quality cotton T-shirts are made of combed cotton. This longer staple cotton provides a tighter weave and smoother finish to the garment, which is a much better surface to embroider.
  
  Ring-spun cotton is better yet. The name refers to yarn that is twisted as fibers spin around a ring. This happens at least three times, cleaning and aligning the cotton fibers before the actual yarn is spun. This lengthier process results in a stronger and softer yarn.
  
  Other processes, such as pigment dyeing, also are being used to make cotton T-shirts softer and give them a comfortable, lived-in look.
  
  Beyond cotton, a cornucopia of new fabrics and textures are available to explore in today's T-shirt market. Bamboo is making it's mark.
  
  Moisture-wicking T-shirts are having a huge impact. These shirts are usually 100% polyester but can be found in cotton/poly blends. The theory behind the performance features of these garments is double-layer construction. The top layer is designed to wick moisture from the under layer. This action keeps the wearer cool, comfortable and presentable under heat-generating conditions
• Style - Retro and vintage are hot and sought after. Classic styles remain a staple and best seller. Raglan and ringer tees may make an impact depending on your promotion and the market you are trying to hoping to attract.  Don't forget that styles come in both men and women fit.
• Price - most tshirt prices are set by the mills.  The prices are set weekly, just like flash memory! Price will also depend on imprinting method:  screenprinted, embroidered, digital printing. Of course, quantity is also a determining factor.
• Color - White is always the cheapest.  Heathers and Colors are a bit more.  Black tees, when screenprinted will always require a base coat of white, so if you have a two color imprint, it may be priced at 3 colors.
• Size - generally standard price covers XS to XL sizes. There is a slight upcharge for 2XL and up.

If you have any kind of campaign, be it corporate or NOT, T shirts are a commodity.  Got a design in mind? The opportunities are unlimited.  Your Ad Specialties provider can make it happen for you.

Promotional Product Testers - We Need You!!

As we're previously mentioned, our industry currently has over 750,000 products from over 3000 suppliers. We have an aggressive 2008 goal to weed out junk from quality. We are looking for a few good men/women, preferrably in a corporate or small business environment to help us in our quest.  We will work with you to discuss  which area you'll be reviewing:  Writing instruments, drinkware, some tech items, office products, bags and totes, desk accessories.  You will rate the shipping and packing quality, initial product impression, durability, craftmanship and overall quality. 

WE don't want to sell the junk!  Quality, durability and our branding standards are very high.  Have fun while you help us in Webbmar's QUEST to Raise the Bar!  Our quest to be the Best Little Engine of a Business That Could.  Choo Choo!!

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride! CONTACT US!

Show Floor Attraction

The Interactive Products That Capture the Attention of Transient Techies

BY RENÉE TARGOS

They’ve got RAM, high-speed connection and an endless script of computer languages on the brain. If it’s complicated, it’s good. If it’s an analytical programming problem, it’s interesting. That said, how do companies ensure their promotional products will hold the attention of techies?

The secret to capturing a professional programmer’s interest is to keep them entertained with interactive products, as they did at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco. “One booth was giving away an Xbox each hour by drawing a contact card — so each participant had to fill out a contact card — and then they wrote the winner’s name on a white board,” recalls Troy A. Griffitts, a software architect in Tempe, Ariz. “This made you keep passing by their booth to see if you won.”

“The big boys — Intel, AMD, Dell — were all giving away a laptop each day by drawing a contact card,” Griffitts continues. “Some made you get a minimum number of partner stamps by listening to their presentation before accepting your card for the drawing.”

While expensive giveaways of laptops and other nanotechnology creations are attractive, they aren’t the only ways to keep a programmer’s attention. “If things are useful, they don’t have to be expensive,” reports Andrew Cornwall, a software developer in Phoenix. “One company just took my business card, laminated it with a calendar with the company’s name and gave me a luggage tag. It was flexible enough to withstand the airlines — something that more expensive plastic luggage tags can’t do — and because the company made it look attractive and functional, I was happy to put it on my luggage.”

Cornwall classifies trade-show products in two categories: things that are appropriate and things that are useful. So if it can’t entertain, then make sure it’s helpful — especially at the desk. Jody Panzica, a senior software engineer based in Scottsdale, Ariz., says, “My thinking is practicality. As I look over my desk, the items that have logos on them include good pens, coffee cups, note pads, envelope openers and a mousepad.”

Cornwall, Griffitts and Panzica all agree that pens can be a favorite, if the product is of good quality. “My favorite was a really cool laser pen,” Griffitts recalls. “It was actually an LED flashlight, laser pointer, pen and PDA stylus, all in one. But the laser part was the coolest.”

Don’t bother with

Poorly made products, above all else, are what seem to turn off the jet-set techs as they visit out-of-town trade shows. Flimsy, breakable plastic pens are an example of commonly junked items. Other thumbs-down products include:

• “Water bottles — they’re cheap, they leak, they make the water taste funny and they take up too much room in luggage — and T-shirts, [which are also] cheap and tend to fall apart,” Cornwall confesses.
• “Big, long key chains,” Panzica says.
• “Mug warmers,” Griffitts adds. “They’re useless.”

Dream Promos

If the techs could call the shots, the promotional products they’d like to see vary from the expensive to the low-cost practical. “Tools are always cool, although that’s chancy sometimes because airport security likes to take them,” Cornwall says. “Tech stuff, such as USB thumb drives, will get used. Cheapo plastic toys aren’t that good — the interns collect them, but professional developers often pass. In general, expensive things are better.”

Other products simply complement the techie’s lifestyle. Panzica says that sitting at desks or walking the show floor is often stressful, so little massagers go a long way. Also, a portable mouse for a laptop makes life easier for on-the-go computer users.

And don’t underestimate the simplest of conveniences such as a good bag, something everyone at a recent show was looking for, Griffitts adds. “Everyone gives out products, so you need a good bag to carry it all in.”

If you’re still at a loss, consider this last advice from Griffitts: “We’re techies; give us something unusual to stimulate our minds.”

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TECH GOES GREEN

The tech world is full of recent college grads and early-30-somethings — an advertiser’s favorite market! But getting through to this group may prove to be a challenge. Keeping in mind they’re already into technology, they’re not going to be impressed by the most basic or low-memory device. You’re going to have to find another hook.

Consider the immense push for everything to “go green.” This trend has particularly taken root with the younger generations. Let your client’s brand be associated not just with top technology products, but with environmentally friendly ones, too.

The SKL Series from CorporateKey is the ultimate in environmentally friendly electronics. All products in the series decompose easier and contain no toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury or cadmium. The products in CorporateKey’s Green Products Kit — a USB flash drive and four LED keychain flashlights from the SKL series — are also solar-powered and made from recycled plastic materials while maintaining high-impact construction. Talk about impressing your target market!

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Discover Your Brand's Truth

02/13/2008

To help your clients reach their target market, it’s important to understand the inherent value and reputation of their brand. If you want to position a brand, you need to find out where it presently sits in consumers' psyches. You need to discover your brand's truth. Below, Marketing Consultant Isabelle Albanese discusses how to correctly identify a brand’s place among its peers.

In plain speak, knowing a brand's truth means discovering the "edges" of a brand — what it is and what it can never be. While there are a handful of well-known examples of brand truths that have evolved, in general your brand truth "is what it is." The sooner you learn it and work with it, the better your marketing messages will become.

We use the exercise below in almost every project we do with clients. It is remarkably simple and straightforward and takes less than 15 minutes. It may be the smartest use of 15 minutes you and your marketing team ever spend.

Brand Truth Discovery Exercise

Question One: What is your brand, and what is it not? This tells right away what the "edges" of the brand are within the category and the limits of consumer acceptance. It also provides a kind of roadmap for where the brand can credibly be taken. For example, when we did this exercise with Dunkin' Donuts, we discovered: It is a simply consistent, quickly delivered, high-quality cup of coffee at a reasonable price. It is not a pretentious, overly expensive latte that is enjoyed over a long period of time.

Question Two: What does your brand stand for, and what does it stand against in the minds of consumers? This begins to get at emotional connections, underpinnings of loyalty, and longstanding beliefs and their origins. This touches on a brand's iconic status, potential toward status or lack thereof. Using the Dunkin' Donuts example again: It stands for the everyday, hardworking man or woman who makes this country tick. It stands against phoniness, fluff, and being idle and self-indulgent.

Question Three: What is your brand an expert in and what does it know nothing about? This tells us the true brand equity as well as inherent lack of credibility. It also begins to get at brand differentiation and elements of ownability. In the case of Dunkin' Donuts: It's an expert in coffee and donuts. It knows nothing about skinny soy lattes.

There are other polarities you can create to find out more about a brand, but with these three sets of information at your fingertips, you can begin to create honest marketing messages that will connect with your customers — because they reflect your brand's truth! When marketers develop credible messages, consumers listen.

Isabelle Albanese is a leading marketing consultant for Fortune 500 companies and the author of “The 4Cs of Truth in Communications: How to Identify, Discuss, Evaluate, and Present Stand-out, Effective Communication.” (Paramount Market Publishing, 2007)