The New InkHead HQ!

We’ve finally moved into our new offices! Team InkHead is thrilled with our new home in the Park Avenue Professional Building in historic downtown Winder, GA. Take a look around:

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It’s Almost Here–Get Set For Summer!

I know it’s technically not summer yet, but Memorial Day weekend seems to be the official kick-off for cookouts, vacations, and all-around fun in the sun. Take a look at some of our favorite promotional products for this time of year:

Item 9353

• Item 9353, Cooler with CD/MP3 Player and Radio: Nothing says summer like taking some ice-cold drinks and your favorite tunes out to the beach, pool, or even just the backyard. It’s a great high-end promotional gift for auto dealerships or resorts.

• Item 12720, The Deluxe Folding Chair: If you’re going to spend some time relaxing outdoors, you’re going to need somewhere to sit. Promotional folding chairs to the rescue! A mesh-backed style will help your clients stay cool and comfortable. A chair with a built-in cup holder or insulated compartment is guaranteed to win you some extra points. These summer staples are guaranteed to spend time outdoors at all kinds of events, which means heightened visibility for your logo!

• Item 17796, The Riviera Umbrella: Rain or shine, an umbrella can be your best friend if you’re going to be outdoors. Use it to enjoy a break from the sun, or keep it handy for those sudden summer showers. For a summer promotion, go for cheery stripes or bright colors to attract attention to your logo.

• BBQ/Grill Sets: One of my favorite things about warmer weather is a good cookout! Mainly because I don’t own a grill, so if I go to a cookout it means someone else is doing the cooking. Customized grilling accessories are a great gift for any grill master, and they’re ideal as a gift-with-purchase or take-home favor for the company picnic.

Item 15932, Neon Recycled Rubber Sunglasses

• Item 15932, Neon Recycled Rubber Sunglasses: What could be better for an outdoor promotion than custom sunglasses? This popular style is made with recycled rubber, so they’re a perfect way to support an eco-friendly message. Imprinted sunglasses are extremely popular with universities and student groups. We’ve also seen them used as party favors and wedding favors!

• Sunscreen: Whatever you do, don’t forget the sunscreen. We have it in pouches, bottles, and carabiner-clip tubes to help fend off the damaging effects of the sun.

What promotional events do you plan to participate in this summer? We’d love to help you find the best products to help you meet your marketing goals! Check out our Outdoor & Sporting Goods promotional items, or call for personal assistance!

Happy Mother’s Day…I Got You A Pen!

Like everyone else, I received a ton of marketing emails this week reminding me that I had mere days left to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. One came in this morning that left me scratching my head. It was from an office supply store, and it offered a coupon so I could save on my last-minute Mother’s Day shopping.

As a person who works in an office, I can appreciate quality office supplies. I have my favorite pen and a preferred color of Post-it note. I understand Milton’s tragic sense of loss when someone swipes his red Swingline stapler in “Office Space.” I’m a procrastinator, so I’ll definitely be out doing some last-minute Mother’s Day shopping this weekend. But when I think about giving office supplies as a gift, all I can think of is Lloyd Dobbler’s line from “Say Anything”: “She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.” More specifically, I imagine my mother saying, “I gave you life and you gave me a pen.” Oh, the shame!

I don’t think I’m going to wind up at the office supply store searching for gifts this weekend, but what if we took the advice of that marketing email? People might end up buying gifts like…

Expo Calculator, Item 16962

• A desktop calculator, so she can add up how much money it cost to support you all those years.
• A staple remover, so she can pry out all the staples and thumbtacks left in the wall from all those posters you had up in your room as a teenager.
• A USB flash drive, so she can carry digital versions of embarrassing childhood photographs of her little angels everywhere she goes.
• A highlighter, so she can write down her phone number for you. Maybe if it’s in neon green, you’ll actually see it and remember to call!

Office supplies might not be such a great idea, now that I think about it. But if you’re going to go for the pen, at least make it a personalized version.

InkHead’s Top 10 Eco-Friendly Promotional Products for Earth Day 2010

Earth Day is April 22nd, and it’s amazing how widespread the “green” movement has become over the last couple of years. Reusable shopping bags used to be confined to the natural food store crowd, and now they’re on the verge of being the norm for everyone–with some stores even offering discounts to customers who bring their own bags! There are so many new eco-friendly promotional products that it can be a daunting task to choose the right one to fit your message. Here are our top 10 picks for promotional items to celebrate Earth Day 2010:

10.  Bamboo BBQ Set, Item 14565: Get set for summer with this BBQ set made from bamboo, a renewable resource. Great for office picnics, this is the perfect gift to show people that eco can also be sophisticated and functional.

9.  Water Saver Shower Timer, Item 14729: Utility companies can promote water conservation initiatives with this clever shower timer. It’s a great tool for teaching children about water conservation!

8.  Blue Spruce Tree Seedling, Item 14219: Observe Earth Day at the office with a company-wide tree planting, or offer as a gift-with-purchase. A potted desk plant is also a nice way to put people back in touch with nature on a daily basis.

7.  Evolve Biodegradable 20 oz. Sports Bottle, Item 15733: Keep money in your pocket and disposable bottles out of landfills with this reusable, 100% biodegradable water bottle. Made in the USA!

6.  ReTread Recycled Tire Jar Opener, Item 16782: Perfect “green” giveaway for car dealers and repair shops! Made from 100% post-consumer recycled tires.

5.  EcoSafe Click Pen, Item 14189: An ad specialty mainstay goes green! Made from 100% biodegradable and compostable corn plastics, this stylish pen is suitable for almost any promotion.

4.  Seeded Business Cards, Item 14411: Include them as part of a direct mail campaign to further your eco-friendly message. The unique coloring and texture can also help make your card more memorable at networking events. And as more people move to digital card filing, the fact that it can be planted helps reduce waste! Printed with water-based inks.

3.  Anvil Organic Cotton T-shirt, Item 16780: Available in a wide range of colors, t-shirts made from organic cotton are a great way to be fashionable and eco-conscious. Ideal for Earth Day event participants and volunteers.

2.  Polypropylene Recycling Bin Totes, Item 15863: Show everyone that it’s easy being green with these handy sorting totes. Set includes one each for metal, paper, and plastic. Great membership gift for environmental groups!

And now for InkHead’s #1 eco-friendly promotional product for Earth Day 2010…

1.   Elephant Poo Recycled Paper Notebook, Item: 16774: Take recycling to a new level with this hardcover notebook! It’s a great attention-getter at trade shows or college events (and don’t worry, it’s odorless)!

Need more suggestions? View our full range of Eco-Friendly Promotional Products, including popular Jute Tote Bags!

Newcastle “Your Beer. Your Label.” Promotion

I recently encountered a promotion from Newcastle Brown Ale. And by “encountered,” I mean that I brought a case home with me. To get a better look at the promotion, of course. The box was marked with “Your Beer. Your Label,” and a packet of black and white labels was stuck to the inside. After some research, I learned that (A) the promotion was part of a label redesign contest and (B) they stopped accepting entries three weeks ago, which tells me that someone needs to rotate their beer stock a bit better. Newcastle drinkers were encouraged to redesign the label via design software and a downloadable template, or the old-fashioned way by coloring in the labels included with cases of Newcastle. Submissions were then voted on, and soon the winning design will be displayed on Newcastle’s website. Unfortunately for the winner, the public display of the winning design seems to be the only prize. No limited run? If you change your mind, Newcastle, we’re here to help.

Ready to design some labels of your own? Check out our stock promotional stickers, or create a custom shape!

March Madness!

Oh, March! Last week we had snow, followed by a few days of 70 degrees and sunny, followed by days and days of rain. It really is in like a lion so far…and full of holidays and events that you can tie into your promotions!

• Help spread a little Spring Fever with nature-themed stress balls! These fun promotional items are great giveaways at corporate meetings, trade shows, or grand openings. After all, everyone needs to de-stress so they can enjoy the warm weather when it arrives!

• Bring the outdoors in with promotional desk plants! Bamboo shoots with imprinted pots are a thoughtful way to welcome new employees to your team.

• March Madness is more than just a clever title…it’s also the favorite time of year for college basketball fans! Stock up on basketball-themed gear for in-store events, parties, or fan giveaways.

• Early Spring is a great time to give out lightweight promotional jackets. We thoughtfully took our own advice on this one and recently ordered some embroidered InkHead hoodies! Vests, windshirts, and track jackets are also great for this time of year.

• You don’t have to be Irish to know that St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Show your green with shamrock shaped items, or fill imprinted pint glasses with green beer!

• Perhaps my least favorite part of March is the onset of Daylight Savings Time. That first night with one less hour of sleep is a killer. Don’t forget to set your clock ahead one hour this Saturday night!

Valentine’s Day Promo Items: It’s Business Time!

You knew promotional products were good for business, but did you know that they could be romantic…and even sexy? Sure, you can go to the mall and get some heart-shaped diamond pendant that you saw on TV. You can send flowers or buy a card. But nothing says love like a promotional product. Sound too good to be true? We hereby offer the following suggestions:

Set the mood with a promotional candle! A vanilla scented candle will create a warm atmosphere–and if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, why not take the opportunity to remind him of cookies baking in the oven? To set a more exotic tone for the evening, try an incense kit.

Now that we have the lights down low and an alluring aroma in the air, it’s time to open up a bottle of wine. Here’s hoping you remembered the wine opener! Whether you prefer an old-school corkscrew style or one of those fancy new styles that do all the hard work for you, there’s a wide range available for branding. Just in case there’s any wine left over, don’t forget to grab a stopper. Know what goes great with wine? Cheese! A cheese board makes for a refined presentation, especially when you throw in the Valentine’s Day staple:  chocolate.

Pamper yourself–or someone you love–with a relaxing spa-themed gift. A luxury pedicure set, bath/shower gel, or an eye mask can help melt stress away, and Valentine’s Day is no time to be stressed! A massage is a another great way to show you care, not to mention a good excuse to get closer. Try a promotional back massager to maximize the relaxation factor. Need more gift ideas? You can always go with something heart-shaped–from stress balls to pencils, we’ve got you covered. Show your sentimental side with a photo frame and a picture of the two of you together, or go with a digital frame filled with LOTS of photos.

You’ve set the mood! You’ve poured the wine and nibbled on fine cheeses and chocolate! You’ve had a bath and/or massage and exchanged gifts! If you’ve played your cards right, you’ll be glad you have promotional condoms on hand! If things didn’t go according to plan, maybe you can just play cards with a promotional deck. And you can always cuddle up in an embroidered HugMe Blanket.

Lost Without LOST

Groundhog Day? Unless we’re talking about the Bill Murray movie of the same name, I’m much more interested in the season premiere of Lost tonight! Which got me to thinking: if the survivors of the crash had perhaps had some helpful promotional items on their persons, things might have gone a little differently on the island…

• First things first: no one should leave home without lip balm and breath mints. You never know when you might crash land on a time-traveling electromagnetic island with a handful of attractive strangers!
• Anything from the Dynamo line could have saved the day. The batteries in this line of lights and radios are recharged by hand cranking. Palm trees don’t exactly have power outlets, despite what you may have heard about “green power.”
• If the passengers of Oceanic 815 had promotional luggage locks to secure their possessions, they wouldn’t have had to buy their aspirin and deodorant back from Sawyer.
• The survivors don’t apply nearly enough sunscreen! A waterproof container filled with sun protection items would have been a life saver–or at least a skin saver.
• It would have been hard to get through airport security in a carry-on, but a survival kit would have been perfect for Locke. From
  

  Item 8446 5-in-1 Camping/Survival Kit

  chopping wood to breaking into Dharma stations, it has everything he would have needed–not that he didn’t make do just fine with what the island provided.

• A compass probably wouldn’t have done much good, what with the electromagnetic field and all. But maybe an imprinted pedometer could have helped them map out the island.

Your turn! What promo products do you think the survivors could have used in their early days on the island?

*LOST promotional image credit: ABC

Special thanks to fellow office “Lostie” Amanda Knisely for contributing to this post.

Promotional Products Defined: Part 2

In the last post, we established that there’s more to the world of promotional products than you may have previously thought. Now let’s take a look at some ways in which they are used.

The most common use of a promotional product is to simply put your name in the hands of a client or prospective client—think of it as a functional business card. That’s why the promotional pen is such a staple. Portable items with a high usability factor allow you to give someone your contact information in such a way that they’ll see it repeatedly instead of filing it away or tossing it in a drawer. Such products are great for introducing yourself to a new community, handing out at networking events, or just leaving around town–I once knew a lawyer who left a promotional pen on the table at every restaurant he visited. His reason? The servers would not only use the pens to take orders, but other patrons would likely use them to sign credit card receipts. That’s multiple impressions from just one pen, whereas a business card would likely have been thrown out in that environment. (For the record, I’m not knocking business cards. I’m a sucker for great card design–I’m merely suggesting that sometimes a promo product can ultimately be more effective.)

Promotional items are also a wonderful way to thank the clients you already have. The item doesn’t have to be expensive or flashy–many insurance agencies give out promotional ice scrapers or auto information wallets to welcome new clients. Mailing out custom calendars in early December is another popular way to show appreciation to those who contributed to your success throughout the year. High-end gifts like desk clocks or computer accessories are ideal for key clients at the holidays. Regardless of the price point, a corporate gift goes a long way toward letting your customers know that you value their business.

But what about your hard-working employees? Recognition gifts can go a long way toward fostering a productive work environment. Luggage is popular for sales teams, as are travel accessories. Technology items or products to help them unwind are also great ways to let your employees know that their efforts are appreciated. Want to help your team dress for success? Corporate apparel can help unify your team and build brand recognition, not to mention that clothing has a high perceived value for the recipient.

Maybe you aren’t promoting anything at all. Promotional items can still be of service! Customized products like napkins and cups can really help tie an event together. Take-home gifts like candles, tote bags, or stemware can also enhance your guests’ overall experience. From private events, like weddings or parties, to large-scale soirées, like fundraisers or corporate dinners, imprinted party accessories and favors are a great way to create a memorable night.

There are countless ways in which you can utilize promotional items, whether it’s for business or for fun! How will you use promotional products? Feel free to leave a comment with your ideas!

Coming up in our final installment: why promotional products matter, with a focus on their place in the marketing world.

Promotional Products Defined: Part 1

Promotional Products. Ad Specialties. Premiums. Giveaways. Incentives. Freebies. Swag. Tchotchkes.

Whenever I tell people that I work for an online promotional products distributor, the response is usually a blank stare. No one’s ever nodded and said, “Oh, right. I’ve heard of those!” I generally follow up with, “You know. Pens and coffee mugs imprinted with your business name!” While that at least gives a basic idea of what a promotional product is, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s available or possible within our field. This will be the first installment in a three-part series designed to help clear some of the confusion and mystery regarding promotional products: what they are, how they’re used, and why they matter.

The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) defines a promotional product as a “useful or interesting article of merchandise usually carrying an imprinted advertising or promotional message.”  To put it more simply, promotional products are items that have been imprinted with a logo or text—and they aren’t just handouts designed to drum up new business (though that’s often a pleasant side effect). Sure, there are free pens at the bank. But where did the tellers get those shirts embroidered with their logo? Have you ever received a branded gift-with-purchase? How about a free calendar from a charity as a thank you gift for your donation? The champagne flute you took home as a favor from your cousin’s wedding, the magnet on the back of your car featuring the school mascot, the tiny bottles of shampoo when you stay in a hotel…the list goes on and on! These are all customized products, and they are all a part of what we do here at InkHead!

Now that you have a broader concept of what can be classified as a promotional product, our next installment will focus on how promotional products are commonly used. Stay tuned!