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Your Promotional Pocket Guide: 5 Must-Haves for a Beach Ready Brand

Your Promotional Pocket Guide: 5 Must-Haves for a Beach Ready Brand

As the weather warms up and summer vacation travel plans are in the works, now is the perfect time to promote your brand message. Customers are getting themselves in shape for spending time at the beach, and – to be completely honest – your brand should be, too.

Promotional products will help both you and your customers take full advantage of a relaxing day at the beach. Consider these five essentials for a beach-ready brand, and your customers will thank you every time your products make their beach day just a little more enjoyable:

Sun Protection Promotional Products

As we’ve mentioned before, with warm weather comes the risk of skin damage from sun exposure. Helping customers enjoy the outdoors without experiencing these potential problems can give your brand a competitive advantage. Branded sun-protection products like sunglasses, sunscreen, visors, and handheld fans, show your customers that your brand is considerate of their needs and well-being. These types of promotional products can be easily stored and carried, ensuring optimal brand mileage and continued exposure.

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Tap Into Nature With Eco-Friendly Promotional Products

Since summertime is when most of us head out to enjoy the outdoors, it’s also the perfect time to show your customers just how much you appreciate and respect the environment. Custom eco-friendly products like reusable tote bags, BPA-free water bottles, eco-safe water bottles, and bottle coolers are excellent options if you are looking for unique giveaway items that will highlight your brand personality and help you develop a good reputation. These environmentally-conscious, custom products will make for meaningful mementos, and they are guaranteed to see repeated use.

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Stand Out With Bigger Outdoor Promotional Products

While there’s no doubt that the aforementioned smaller promotional products will boost your brand awareness, these larger outdoor products will make an even more impactful brand statement. Custom branding larger items like beach towels and mats, coolers, beach chairs, and picnic baskets provide considerably more space for your branding to be displayed. This is an economical way to advertise your business and create greater brand visibility. You can cleverly draw attention to your brand without expensive and intrusive advertising. In turn, you’ll easily develop a brand following. These make wonderful complementary gifts, which customers will love to receive and show off at their beach parties.

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Liven Up Playtime With Promotional Products

Infuse some branding into your customer’s beach fun. Custom printing your corporate logo onto family-friendly products like frisbees, beach balls, paddle ball sets, and soft dart rockets offer customers an unexpected token of appreciation that will help them remember your brand. This will propel their interest in sharing your brand message with others. These fun-inducing promotional products add an extra dose of branding charm that will connect with customers on a more personal level, and custom toys and games will appeal to all age groups.

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Promotional Products from Top to Bottom

It may be hard to believe it, but beach staples can go a long way if they are appropriately custom printed with your company logo. Customers will be ready from head to toe wearing items like your custom flip flops and swim goggles, and they will be reminded of your brand as they go from casually strolling on the sandy beaches to taking a dip in the refreshing waters. These practical gifts will be kept, remembered, and frequently used, so they are a good way to reward customers for their support.

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You can easily satisfy the needs of customers AND your business by taking each and every detail of the beach experience into account.

By taking advantage of custom beach products, you can subtly integrate your brand message into the lives of customers AND ensure your logo enjoys a nice, long summer vacation.

 

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Pinnacle’s Top 14 of 2014

Pinnacle’s Top 14 of 2014

As we say goodbye to 2014, we want to take a look back at some of Pinnacle’s top moments of 2014.

1. 20th Birthday

Pinnacle Promotions celebrated our 20th birthday in July. We hosted a company celebration replete with songs, and food, and fun. 10538603_10152494339887383_3992781262570483818_n

2. Pinnacle’s Big Office Move

After 10 years in our previous location, we moved to a new, spectacular office space in February. We had to work around some pretty major weather delays, but eventually we arrived at our new digs with our pink crates and worked quickly to get settled in!10325568_10152471209487383_5870214058539602638_n

3. Holiday Gift Giving

Pinnacle Promotions Do Good Feel Good committee chose a foster family to adopt for the holidays. Our team shopped for Barbies and pjs and makeup for two sisters taken in with nothing but the clothes on their back just before the holidays. How fun it was to make a difference in the lives of these young ladies. Pinnacle team members donated more than $500 in gifts and gift cards for this family and these girls. 10846163_10152867507242383_361187609961176788_n

4. Pinnacle Promotions named #58 on ASI Counselor Magazine’s Best Places to Work 2014

For the fifth year, Pinnacle Promotions is named to ASI Counselor Magazine’s Best Places to Work. The family culture, continuing education training and career pathways, and flexible work schedules all contributed to the recognition in 2014.

5. Pinnacle’s New Brand

January 3rd, 2014, Pinnacle introduced our new brand to the world in a huge unveiling!
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6. Atlanta Idea Expo ’14

Pinnacle hosted our first-ever Atlanta Idea Expo ’14. The event happened on September 17th, and was the first of its kind for Pinnacle. We invited area clients, and some clients from farther away, to spend the day at our new offices with vendors, free samples and a delicious lunch.
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7. Pinnacle’s New Website

In May, to match our new branding, Pinnacle launched our totally re-vamped website.
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8. PPAI Award Notification

PPAI, the national non-profit association for the promotional products industry, selected Pinnacle Promotions as a finalist for four awards: Image Awards – Branding, Image Award – Distributor Catalog, Image Award Technology Award – Ecommerce website, Technology Award – Social Media, Technology Award.
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9. Trustpilot honors Pinnacle Promotions

Trustpilot is an online-review platform for ecommerce businesses. Trustpilot boasts more than 7.5 million reviews on its site, representing businesses in more than 16 countries. Pinnacle Promotions uses Trustpilot for its customer review program. And, we were so very proud to accept the first-ever Trustpilot Customer Milestone Award. In July, Trustpilot recognized Pinnacle Promotions for collecting more than 500 reviews. Of those reviews, the majority are five-stars.

Award from Trustpilot

Award from Trustpilot

10. Counselor Best Place to Work Road Tour

Counselor Magazine’s Andy Cohen, Mindy Jensen Ligos and C.J. Mittica stopped by Pinnacle Promotions to check out the new offices during the Counselor Magazine Best Places to Work Road Trip.
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11. World Cup Watching

Like many workplaces around the world, Pinnacle gathered in our new, large breakroom several afternoons in July to cheer the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team on through their journey at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. #USA #USA #USA
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12. Emory Winship

Each year, our team members join Emory University (we are alumni, they are a client) for their annual fundraising 5K race.
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13. Inc. 5000

Pinnacle makes the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing companies in 2014.
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14. Snowmaggedonpocalypse

The snow and ice storm that hit Atlanta in January and February not only shut down most of Georgia, but also slowed our office move. On the bright side, this past year we initiated an “always on” connection plan so that our offices are never really closed, moving forward.
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We can’t wait to see what 2015 brings to Pinnacle Promotions, and to all of you!

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Brand Identity and Corporate Logos, 0 comments
Marsala is a “wine” choice for the Pantone Color of the Year 2015

Marsala is a “wine” choice for the Pantone Color of the Year 2015

The Pantone color matching system is the standard from which designers and graphic designers work for developing logos and brand guidelines. The color system is universal and allows for all areas to communicate in a color language that is fixed, and not left to interpretation.

Each year, Pantone chooses a “Color of the Year.” The color is decided upon at a secret Pantone meeting held in a European capital each year. The color is reportedly chosen in conjunction with many of the cultural influences that Pantone believes are relevant in our present lives. The color is meant to capture the spirit of the year.

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. It is a mix between red, rust, and burgundy.
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Beyonce’ has already sported the breakout color this year. And if Bey has done it, we can expect more stars to follow.

Last year’s color was radiant orchid. Not all that many things are radiant orchid. But, we saw it make big strides in items such as apparel and drinkware. {link to blog}

The challenge we see for Marsala will be finding the right mix between red, dark red and burgundy. And, which products will highlight this subtle hue the best. Will a pen simply appear to be dark red rather than Marsala? Will a matte-finish mug showcase the color better than a promotional glossy-finish mug because of the light glare from gloss? Perhaps branded apparel and imprinted bags will win the day for the unique qualities of Marsala.

To help our designers, idea-makers and customers get into the color of the year we created a Pinterest board.

What promotional items do you think will look best in Marsala?

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Current Events News, 0 comments
Case Study: Gift with Purchase

Case Study: Gift with Purchase

Challenge

Hush Puppies was looking to increase sales of Hush Puppies shoes in the Fall for their WeatherSmart campaign and in the Spring for their Commuter campaign using a gift with purchase. The Pinnacle programs team worked closely with the fabulous group at Hush Puppies to develop just the right products to help Hush Puppies make the right impression with their value-added items.

“Hush Puppies helped the world relax… but it took a bit of work to get there. The history of Hush Puppies is rooted in comfort innovation – from the first casual shoe with Worry-Free Suede® to the many patented technologies that make shoes more comfortable and lightweight. From the beginning, the revolutionary use of Scotchgard® leather protector, added during the tanning process, made Hush Puppies leather scuff, stain and water resistant and changed suede footwear forever. Water beaded up and rolled away, leaving feet dry and the suede soft, supple and looking like new. Hush Puppies made “worryfree” a benchmark of its shoes and its brand attitude. In the 1980’s, Hush Puppies combined “computer modeling, biomechanical design and state of the art shoe crafting” to introduce the Hush Puppies “Body Shoe®” and ushered in the walking shoe era.”

The long, storied history of innovation at Hush Puppies set the bar high for quality and unique product offerings!

Solution

Pinnacle provided our client with IdeaKits featuring product ideas that would speak to the campaign messages.
• For WeatherSmart Campaign, we designed a fashion-forward folding umbrella that would appeal to the retail distribution channel.HPW-U-041810 042
• For Commuter Campaign, we designed a fashion-forward keychain and introduced a clever, new & unique product called the PopSockets(R) for a mobile technology accessory.HPS119HPS118

Pinnacle managed the production and distribution of these 2 campaigns to Hush Puppies’s nationwide retail channels. We also held available leftover inventory on these items that we then re-purposed for Dealer Incentives (WeatherSmart) and to tie into a Social Media Campaign Giveaways (Commuter).

Result

Pinnacle not only was able to manage and execute the projects successfully for the US, but also for the UK and Canada markets. In addition the retail partners responsible were very impressed with the drive in sales and appreciated we were able to integrate into their distribution network without any hassles.

Posted by Admin in Case Studies, 0 comments
Atlanta Idea Expo ‘14

Atlanta Idea Expo ‘14

“This was great! Got some ideas for future promotional items that I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.”

This is just one of the quotes from people who attended Pinnacle Promotions Atlanta Idea Expo ’14. The event happened on September 17th, and was the first of its kind for Pinnacle. We invited area clients, and some clients from farther away, to spend the day at our new offices.

We invited 12 vendors to bring their best presentations, samples and ideas to share with our customers. Guests moved through the offices with a passport, showing destinations and directions for experiencing what each vendor had to offer. At the end of the day, we invited our guests to sign the back of their passport and drop it in a drawing for an iPad. Just for attending, guests were entered to win any number of prizes throughout the day including compu-backpacks, men’s and women’s all-weather apparel and even a golf bag.

Throughout the day, guests were welcome to stop at any one of the five educational sessions. Session topics included Holiday Gifts, Apparel, Case Studies, Company Stores and Social Media. The Apparel and Social Media sessions proved to be the most popular among the attendees. Ideas were flowing fast and fierce!

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Guests left Pinnacle with goody bags full of samples and new information about smart products that they can use to promote their brand. They were able to complete sample request cards to get specific samples sent to them at their office for a closer look. They were able to leave with the experience of having spent the day with their co-workers or Pinnacle account teams. And, they were able to leave Pinnacle Promotions with sneak peeks into what promotional items are new and unique for 2015 as well as great ideas for ways to use popular branded items to gear up their team, reward employees or expand their audience.

Click to see more pictures from our event.
If you attended the event at our offices, please stop by our Google+ local page and leave a review about your experience!
And, stay tuned for news and information about our next great event!

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Brand Identity and Corporate Logos, 0 comments
3 Keys to Social Selling with Promotional Products

3 Keys to Social Selling with Promotional Products

Our recent Pinnacle Promotions Atlanta Idea Expo ’14 was a huge success! We invited area customers and prospects to join us for the day to take advantage of promotional samples and a chance to meet with vendors. We hosted several educational seminars. And, we invited our guests to sit down with us for lunch provided by local fav Cue. One of the educational seminars focused on the idea that you can use social media to connect, sell and reward your customers using promotional products.

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Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee, 0 comments

Trustpilot honors Pinnacle Promotions

20140805-thophy-july2014 (1)‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity’ – Phineas T. Barnum

That’s not completely true. In today’s crowdsourcing environment, a positive public image is vital. Businesses are competing for an ever-dwindling mindshare using all tools at their disposal. Which means that the value of the credible, qualified customer review is higher than it has ever been before.

Trustpilot is an online-review platform for ecommerce businesses that boasts more than 7.5 million reviews on its site, representing businesses in more than 16 countries. One of the key value-adds of the platform is its relationship with Google that lists Trustpilot reviews in the Google Seller Ratings. Unlike other crowd sourced or location-based review options, Trustpilot is regulated and cannot be “gamed” in the business’s favor. It is entirely customer focused, customer controlled.

Pinnacle Promotions uses Trustpilot for its customer review program. And, we are so very proud to accept the first-ever Trustpilot Customer Milestone Award. In July, the company recognized Pinnacle Promotions for collecting more than 500 reviews. Of those reviews, the majority are five-stars.

“We are honored to be the first recipient of the Trustpilot Customer Milestone Award, the party was fantastic. The entire company got to celebrate this achievement together over cake, cookies and champagne. We take our customer experiences very seriously and it’s great to know there’s a company out there that does too and is willing to recognize those that do. Thanks Trustpilot.” – Justin Hutchinson, Director of Inside Sales at Pinnacle Promotions

Trustpilot threw a party for the team at Pinnacle to celebrate this momentous occasion when they selected their top ten favorite reviews and had them framed and presented to the team during this company-wide event. Read the Trustpilot blog post, here.
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Pinnacle strives every day to provide a high level of excellence in products and service. We look forward to continued positive relationships with our customers. Thank you, Trustpilot, for recognizing Pinnacle and this groundbreaking achievement!

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Pinnacle Promotions News, 0 comments

5 Ways to Make People Forget You

Not putting your brand name on the door of your business is the same thing as not using a promotional product. The price of NOT using promotional products all but guarantees people will forget you.

The Advertising Specialty Institute, a leading promotional products association, releases an annual impressions study. ASI breaks down the effectiveness of promotional products against other types of advertising, by product, and by demographic. Every single study type drives home the high-value effectiveness of promotional products.

Here are the top 5 ways to not use promotional products to guarantee people forget you:

1. Don’t put your brand logo on a promotional pen that people find in their kitchen drawer, on their desk or in their purse.

2. Don’t brand a personalized note pad…let’s just keep calling it scrap paper.

3. Don’t put your logo on a shirt or customized uniform to ensure no one thinks about you when you see it in a crowd.

4. Don’t put your company name on a reusable tote bag that you give out at a tradeshow and no one will thank you for not helping them carry all of their show swag.

5. Don’t put your restaurant logo on a custom mug, on the menu or on the café door. Why do you want people to remember where they at that delicious meal that time?

Click to see our best selling promotional items, and make sure your brand is never forgotten!

Posted by Lee in How to Reach a Target Audience, 0 comments

What Happens After a Big Breakup

Your last breakup may not have been worth millions of dollars. But, perhaps you too had to decide what to do with a corporate logo after dissolution or split. Perhaps you needed to find an outlet for your uniforms after a company name or logo change. Or, maybe you decided not to give that favorite concert t-shirt back to your ex. Either way, there’s a lot more to think about after a big breakup than just the feelings. Don’t forget to consider the stuff!

Manchester United Defend (Photo credit: Paolo Camera)

Manchester United Defend (Photo credit: Paolo Camera)

Manchester United, one of the champions of the Barclay’s Premier Football League in England, made big news recently when they switched from Nike to Adidas as the main supplier for their kits. The deal is the highest uniform deal of all time in any sport. Adidas will pay Manchester United $1.3 billion over 10 years to provide uniform kits.

The Initial Breakup:
Nike decided after a 10-year relationship that ManU wanted too much money to continue the relationship. Did this have anything to do with Manchester’s recent poor performance in the Premier League? They finished 7th this past season. Either way, when word got out that Nike was moving on, sports powerhouse Adidas was more than happy to move in. Adidas worked a deal to pay $130 million per year for the next 10 years to Man United. They expect $400 million in sales per year to generate from this relationship. Man U put Nike on notice in January, and the Adidas deal was done by June. The new kits start in the 2015-2016 season.

Intellectual Property and New Gear:
Of course, the brand owns their logo as intellectual property. But as part of the complete kit, Adidas will outfit Man U with an updated, slightly tweaked logo, and full game and training uniforms (down to the underwear). However, the deal is only for playing and training wear. Unlike with the Nike contract, now the team will control any other licensing for promotional products directly.

Old Gear:
And what is the team to do with the old, outdated Nike gear? The team will continue to use the kit through the 2014-2015 season. But, what happens to the gear after that?

Often, teams need an outlet for getting rid of outdated products. Some clubs sign the old items and give them to charity. Others are required to donate the items, but not in a geographical area that they can be resold or profited. It can be mandated that the items be sent to third-world countries and given to charity.

Man U is hosting a contest this season so that people can enter to win Nike Tour Gear worn during game play and signed by the players. You can enter here.

Enter to win Tour Gear from Aon

Enter to win Tour Gear from Aon

Whether a logo change or corporate split, what do companies do with all the old stuff? Have you found creative ways to use last year’s marketing materials? Tell us in the comments below!

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Brand Identity and Corporate Logos, 0 comments

How 5 Brands Glammed Up With Promo Products

By Elizabeth Fenlon, Merchandising Specialist

When you think promotional products, what comes to mind? Probably stress balls, pens, note cubes? Some janky item you’d pick up at a tradeshow? You most likely don’t think of promotional items as useful products that will enhance your next event. Promotional products are not just bland, boring products that trade style and personality for inexpensive and purely functional.
The use of promotional products, especially in unique and subtle ways, can do wonders in helping to build brand awareness in your client base. Event planners and marketers, take note.

1. At an in store event, CUSP by Neiman Marcus offered refreshments to guests in simple frosted cups with their logo imprinted on them. cuspcup

2. At another in store event, Neiman Marcus gave guests a sweet treat! They are sure to take these home with them and think of Neiman’s fondly as they enjoy their tasty morsel. treats

3. Celebrity stylist and fashion blogger, Rachel Zoe, adds a subtle hint of branding to her event by supplying logoed metallic sharpies for attendees to use. sharpies

4. She also shows us logoed office supplies don’t have to be boring with these metallic journals! journal

5. Sometimes, it’s not the product, but the messaging that ties everything together. Nylon Magazine lets their personality show with these simple, metallic pencils available for purchase on their website. pencils

6. CFDA thinks outside the ‘block’ with their promotion for their studio visit with Band of Outsiders. blocks

Not sure how to find the right ‘glam’ product to enhance your next promotion or event? No matter the parameters, we have something for you! Tell us about your event and let us do the thinking for you, matching the perfect product to fit your brand and event. Trust us, we’re experts.

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Admin in Cool Promotional Products We Love, 0 comments