Admin

Dec

2009

Pinnacle’s Lyrics Lounge: Promotional Products Inspired by Music

Today featuring: Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!, commonly referred to as just, Let it Snow, written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945 in Hollywood, California, ironically during one of the hottest days on record.

Oh the weather outside is frightful,  But the fire is so delightful (1),  And since we’ve no place to go,  Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn’t show signs of stopping,  And I’ve bought some corn for popping (2),  The lights are turned way down low,  Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,  How I’ll hate going out in the storm!  But if you’ll really hold me tight,  All the way home I’ll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,  And, my dear, we’re still good-bying,  But as long as you love me so,  Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (3)

Lyrical references:

1 – A promotional lighter to get the fire started.

2 – A screenprinted gift box filed with caramel popcorn.

3 – A promotional ice scraper to remove the snow from the windshield.

Find these promotional products and more at Pinnacle Promotions!

And here’s a version of Let it Snow performed by Bob Lido in 1963:

Dec

2009

Reflections of a Recessionista: Promotional Products Anyone Can Afford and Why Target Commercials Top My List This Year

Some of my favorite TV commercials this holiday season are part of Target’s sarcastic “Blue Christmas” campaign. The retail chain’s edgy, slightly gloomy approach to holiday shopping stirs up conversation no matter when the commercials appear on-screen, and after a little bit of investigation, it has become apparent to me that the controversy about the campaign has extended into the online arena as well. Frequenters on many advertising and marketing-related forums and message boards weigh the appropriateness of Target’s holiday advertising this year and mixed opinions abound.

I find Target’s take on thrifty spending to be tactful and right on “target” (pun intended!)- the current recession has put a damper on the holidays for many families, and finding humor amidst this enormous crisis is one way to shed light on how Americans are coping. Why ignore the truth when it is a glaring reality that fiscal challenges are facing almost every member of our society on a daily basis? Yes, the bluntness of Target’s ads may offend more conservative viewers, who fare better when problems are kept behind closed doors, but for other avid TV watchers, the ads are easy to relate to and provide a much-needed dose of comedy. The thought of spending excessive amounts of money on holiday gifts is stressful enough for consumers when the country is NOT in a recession!

Economic hardship has been an on-going struggle throughout 2009, and although we all hope to see financial improvements in 2010, the recovery is shaping up to be a long and arduous process. In the meantime, we can all add the phrase “recessionista”* (made popular by another Target ad campaign earlier this year) to our vocabularies and try our hardest to return to normalcy next year. You can save money on your promotional products by exploring Pinnacle Promotion’s Sale and Closeouts category- the recipients of your custom imprinted giveaways will be none the wiser about how much you actually spent on the items! ;)

*Wikipedia defines “recessionista” as: “a blend of the words Fashionista and recession that describes a person who strives to remain fashionable on a minimal budget… originated in the United States during the economic difficulties of 2008.”

Dana
Team Lead – Social Media

Dec

2009

Just When I Think I’ve Seen it All…

Having been in the promotional products industry for nearly 5 years, I like to think that I’ve seen just about every gizmo, gadget and trinket out there. But today – I was wrong.

Earlier this morning while brainstorming with a client for unique trade show gift ideas to consider for their upcoming season next year, I stumbled across a factory that makes disposable breath alcohol detectors.

This FDA cleared item, available in zero tolerance (.02%) and impairment (which begins at .04%), can help party-goers check their blood-alcohol content in less than two minutes before deciding if they are fit to drive, or need to call a taxi. Of course – these kits are fully customizable with a full color label and can be produced in 1-2 weeks.

While it may not make my presentation for today’s client, I think I have a few customers in mind that would find these promotional products especially interesting for their customer base.

John
Account Manager

Dec

2009

Green Promotional Products and Ideas: Gifts That Give Back

It’s the Holiday Season and we all need ideas for gifts! It is always so hard for me to come up with the PERFECT gift, so I take any help on suggestions I can get. One of my best friends sent me a “Holiday Good Guide” entitled “Doing Good this Holiday”. She works for a sustainable company that strives everyday to be completely “green.” One day they could only use 6 gallons of water for 12 hours! I did not realize how much water we use in a day, but believe me it is WAY over 6 gallons. This guide serves to show what we can do for our communities, our environment, and our society. I have really enjoyed going through the different suggestions, and would love to share some of the points made in the guide with you!

First, the guide lays out different charities that people can donate to this season. For example, Nothing but Nets is a campaign to raise awareness and funds to combat malaria. Just a $10 donation sends a net to people in need and hopefully saves a life! It might be a good idea to donate that $10 in someone’s name. There you go! 1 gift down, and it saves a life!

Next, the guide tells us about Eco-Friendly gifts for the Holidays! They suggest giving energy efficient bulbs, natural candles, recycled windshield wine glasses, and eco totes (which you can get from Pinnacle Promotions… where else would you go??).

Another suggestion they offer is going to your local farmer’s market, or shopping at a community supported agriculture cooperative to receive food from HERE not there! I LOVE great food, and the fruits, veggies and other goodies from these associations are bound to be fresh, healthy, and yummy. Hmm, I could get this service delivered to my mom and grandmother for Christmas. Three gifts down, and I feel good about giving these presents!

The last tip in the guides has 10 steps; “10 Ways to Go Green.” Number 10 is to bring your own bag. Pinnacle Promotions has you covered there! Check out our reusable totes in all different colors and sizes. Take your tote with you everywhere: the grocery store, the drug store, the local farmers market, shopping, and the list goes on! What a great way to go GREEN this holiday. This guide has helped me SO much with my Holiday List, and hopefully through my short summary, it will help you, too. It is great to know that I can give presents to my friends and family, and also give back to my community and society! Happy Holidays!

Dec

2009

Happy Meal Hamburger and a Side of Promotional Toys Please

The “Happy Meal” debuted at the fast-food chain McDonald’s in June of 1979 as an advertising medium to promote McDonald’s as a family restaurant, especially one for those with small children. It cost one dollar, and along with the choice of hamburger or cheeseburger, small fry, and small drink, also came, of course, the Happy Meal Toy, which in 1979 meant either a McDoodler stencil, a puzzle book, a McWrist wallet, an ID bracelet or McDonaldland character erasers. Since then, children across the globe have been delighting in this kid-sized meal with a side of fun found in cheap, plastic promotional toys.

But beyond the capability of occupying a child’s interest for a few moments, these Happy Meal Toys have also been known to promote new movies – the first such promotion being the Star Trek Meal for Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December 1979 – prompting adult Star Trek fans to purchase happy meals too in order to receive these collectable items. One of the most popular Happy Meal movie promotions was for the release of 101 Dalmatians in 1996. It featured 101 different Dalmatian toys in enclosed packaging so purchasers did not know which promotional toy they were getting until it was opened. This enticed collectors to make even more purchases. (In may of this year, an 11-year-old boy Luke Underwood sold his 7,000-piece collection of McDonald’s promotional items – toys, boxes, posters and more including the only known complete set of the 101 Dalmatians – at auction for a whopping £8,130 (that’s over $11,000)!)

The Happy Meal Toy movie-promoting trend continues today with the most recent promotion for the upcoming film by James Cameron, Avatar, which opened in theatres worldwide this past Friday. The campaign features six different interactive toys such as Tsu’tey, a character from the film, who lights up when you make a clapping noise. McDonald’s is hoping to boost sales by tying its products to the highly anticipated movie.

Dec

2009

Can A Promotional Ice Scraper Truly Bring Happiness?

The other day my husband and I buckled up and braved the mall crowds in an attempt to finalize our holiday shopping. As we slowed to a crawl through the city as we neared the bustling mall, he made a discovery that truly made his day.

He found a promotional ice scraper stored in the cubby of my car door. I am not exaggerating: he was SO excited. He wanted to know where I got it, what the company does, what the grooves in it are for, and of course wanted to know if he could keep it.

You would have thought it was his birthday.

After the initial joy of the find, he went into a sob story about how he has to use a broken CD case to scrap the ice of his car in the wee hours of the morn. Then he had to remind me of how he leaves the house three hours before me, five days a week.

Of course I had to let him keep it.

I really would have let him have it without the story akin to the “when I was your age, I walked 5 miles in the snow, up hill both ways to school” story we used to get from our parents. But anyway, he is now the proud owner of his very own promotional ice scraper.

And this brings me to the point of this entry. The holidays are upon us. No matter how big, or how small the gift may be, promotional gifts, like an ice scraper, are sure to make someone’s day brighter!

Dec

2009

College Football Players Are No Strangers to Promotional Giveaways

Its no secret that college football players often get special treatment. Many colleges treat their star players like royalty, allowing them to miss class occasionally (some schools are more lenient about this policy than others!) to prep for upcoming games, and even the opportunity to register before their peers for next semester’s classes. Fans clamor to get their autographs, take pictures with them, and just shake their hands. Yes, their athletic abilities are admirable, but is this extent of recognition truly warranted?

In my humble opinion, absolutely. These young men have worked hard to reach their goals, many times battling to overcome injuries, balancing their studies and football commitments, and dedicating countless hours, days, and months to learning plays and honing their athletic prowess. Their payment comes in the form of scholarship money and respect from their fans, but unlike professional athletes, there is no true monetary compensation for college athletes’ hard work. They do not get summer or winter holidays off like most college students, and rigorous practice schedules force them to spend much of their time away from their friends and families.

For college football teams that extend their seasons because of coveted invitations to bowl games, there are some additional perks involved. I just learned that the NCAA allows college bowls to give each player up to $500 worth of gifts at the site of the bowl. The bowls can either offer players the gifts or allow them to select their own gifts through a shopping spree or gift suite. According to an article by David Fox on rivals.com, at least half of the 34 bowls this year are opting to present players with shopping sprees, hosting a gift suite or letting players choose gift items from a catalog. Here are just a few of the awesome gifts that college bowl football players will be presented with this year:

Poinsettia (Utah vs. California, Dec. 23, San Diego):

Flo TV personal television and one year of service
Tourneau watch
Best Buy gift card
Sports Tek hoodie
Cap

Meineke Car Care (Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina, Dec. 26, Charlotte, N.C.):

Option of Bose Quiet Comfort headphones set or Bose Sound Dock or iPod Touch, iLive speakers and $20 gift card
Fossil watch
OGIO duffle bag
Commemorative photo

Rose (Oregon vs. Ohio State, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.):

19-inch Sharp television combo
Fossil watch
OGIO backpack
Hat
Commemorative plaque

For a list of even more bowl game giveaways, check out the article by David Fox at rivals.com, and rest assured that even if your favorite team is defeated in a bowl game this season, the players will not be going home empty-handed. Promotional electronics, apparel, and jewelry awaiting them in their hotel rooms should help to soften the blow of a demoralizing loss.

Dana
Team Lead – Social Media

https://www.flickr.com/photos/adambales/ / CC BY 2.0

Dec

2009

A Promotional Products Bill of Rights

https://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/4/2TBxxPPhzj8

As a United States citizen and more specifically, an avid blog writer, the right to freedom of speech is very important to me. That’s why I wanted to take the time to honor the fact that today is Bill of Right’s Day. The United States Bill of Rights, otherwise known as the first ten Constitutional amendments made to protect citizens’ privileges and interests, first came into effect 218 years ago on December 15, 1791. Since then, other laws have been created to protect citizens and various customer behaviors, including the Consumer Bill of Rights that was created by President John F. Kennedy, Jr. in 1962.

After much frustration over faulty products and little manufacturer liability, President Kennedy decided that consumers had the prerogative to protect themselves from defective products, false or exaggerated advertising and generally unethical corporate practices and procedures. This sentiment has evolved over the years and, with the ability to shop online and compare prices, is more important than ever these days.

As a consumer in the promotional products industry, you have right to be safe, the right to choose your products and distributors freely, the right to have your product requests be heard and the right to be educated about new items on the market. You also have the right to be informed about production schedules and all costs, rules and regulations that may apply to your purchases. One common regulation was discussed in Jaime Weinstein’s blog about Prop 65. Although it only relates to products distributed in California, Prop 65, along with an entire Consumer Product Safety Commission, was created as part of many consumer rights’ acts.

Your right to staying well informed is one part of the broader guarantee to high-quality service from professional account teams. So the next time you shop for promotional products, make sure you use your rights wisely by choosing a company that fits all of these needs and guarantees your consumer rights!

Dec

2009

Eat. Sleep. Farmville. The Facebook Phenomenon Breaks Into the Promotional Products Arena.

We all know that the social utility website Facebook has grown to become a worldwide online phenomenon, having just reached over 100 million active users in the US, meaning that nearly 1/3 of the American population are now logging on each month. Beyond this social media platform itself, it has helped to spawn the development of many other social phenomena – including the biggest social gaming stage ever, FarmVille.

For those who are not one of its 72 million something active users, and those who have not been reading friends status updates such as, “Judy just milked their goat and got some sweet, tasty goat’s milk in FarmVille!” here’s a little 411 on the game: FarmVille, launched in June 2009, is a game developed by Zynga, which, founded in July 2007 out of San Francisco, California, is now the largest developer of social games on the web. The FarmVille application essentially allows its users to grow and tend to a virtual farm by planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops, trees, and livestock. The game is based around its market where items ranging from seeds, trees, and animals to buildings, cars and more land can be purchased for one’s own farm, or gifted to a neighbor’s farm. These purchases are made with “coins” that a user generally earns by selling crops, however, players can spend real money on virtual goods to help them advance to higher levels within the game, thereby benefiting Zynga, whose annual revenue is likely to surpass $100 million this year.

As if FarmVille has not already practically taken over the virtual world, it is now extending its reach into the real-world through the use of promotional products. Players can now share their addiction beyond the Internet with FarmVille promotional products such as “I’d rather be farming,” magnets or the “Eat. Sleep. Farmville,” trucker hat, which are all available online at www.cafepress.com.

Admin

Pinnacle’s Lyrics Lounge: Promotional Products Inspired by Music

Reflections of a Recessionista: Promotional Products Anyone Can Afford and Why Target Commercials Top My List This Year

*Wikipedia defines “recessionista” as: “a blend of the words Fashionista and recession that describes a person who strives to remain fashionable on a minimal budget… originated in the United States during the economic difficulties of 2008.”

Just When I Think I’ve Seen it All…

Green Promotional Products and Ideas: Gifts That Give Back

Happy Meal Hamburger and a Side of Promotional Toys Please

Can A Promotional Ice Scraper Truly Bring Happiness?

College Football Players Are No Strangers to Promotional Giveaways

Poinsettia (Utah vs. California, Dec. 23, San Diego):

Meineke Car Care (Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina, Dec. 26, Charlotte, N.C.):

Rose (Oregon vs. Ohio State, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.):

A Promotional Products Bill of Rights

Eat. Sleep. Farmville. The Facebook Phenomenon Breaks Into the Promotional Products Arena.

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