Trade Shows

Dec

2009

Pink Gloves Dance: Can You Spot the Promotional Products?

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon sure knows how to get down and dance! They are the makers of this very popular YouTube video – Pink Gloves Dance.

It all started with a glove manufacturer, Medline Industries, which decided to make pink hospital gloves instead of green. For each case sold in the month of October, Medline donated $1 to breast cancer research.

St. Vincent decided that the more health care workers wear pink gloves, the more people would talk about breast cancer. More than 200 hospital staff volunteered to wear the pink gloves in a video. There are lab technicians, janitorial staff, kitchen staff, nurses and doctors all showing their moves dancing in the hospital.

There are lots of different promotional products available to help support various causes, and a few ideas are featured on the Pinnacle Promotions Promotional Marketing Calendar.

We even have a specific page dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month which provides several product ideas and marketing recommendations.

Can you spot the following promotional products in the video?

1) Flag
2) Scrubs
3) Lanyard
4) Doctor Jacket
5) Hawaiian Lei
6) Pink Umbrella

One of my favorite and most effective promotional products is the pink umbrella. While it’s raining as you walk through the town, your awareness message can be seen from so many people. I encouraged the use of a fold up umbrella to one of my non-profits last year for their campaign. They received such positive feedback that they decided to use umbrellas again this year!!

Dec

2009

Promotional Products to help your Marketing Campaign Win Big

While many people swear that bingo is a game of luck, I have my doubts. In the 20 years that I have been playing bingo with my family, my older sister has consistently been the winner. In fact, she’s stockpiled so many M & M’s (we don’t play for money) that she could open her own candy store. Despite the fact that I very rarely win, I love bingo. There’s something about choosing a card and covering the free spot that brings me back to my childhood in a way that I just don’t find with more competitive games. And, the best part is that people of all ages and cultures can share a game of bingo.

In fact, the game of bingo originated with an Italian lottery game called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia” in the 16th century. Over the years, the game evolved and its popularity increased. Germans often used the game in schools as a way to teach spelling and math, a tradition that has since been brought to America. While bingo has been around for many centuries, only recently have businesses begun to realize the game’s marketing potential. And, since December is Bingo Month, I thought now would be a great time to share my love for the game, as well as a valuable lesson about promotions.

In addition to being a great way to bring family and friends together for a little healthy competition, bingo and other interactive games are great ways to advertise a brand. Like bingo cards, customized scratch off cards engage and excite consumers by offering them a chance to win a grand prize at essentially no expense. Scratch-off cards, which feature pre-selected numbers that are hidden behind a removable film, are cost-efficient promo products that are especially great giveaways at tradeshows.

You can customize the cards with your company’s name and logo and have each card contain a small prize, such as merchandise or service discount. Hand out the cards at the tradeshow entrance and increase your traffic by telling winners to claim their prize at your booth. Or for improved Internet sales, allow winners to redeem their prize only by visiting your Web site. Any way you choose to utilize scratch off cards, you will surely hit the jackpot for your marketing campaign.

Nov

2009

Top 5 Ways to Tell If You’ve Bought the Wrong Promotional Products

On November 5, 2007, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) are labor unions which serve to protect the rights of film, television, and radio writers. The 100 day strike, which ended on February 10, 2008, was aimed at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), and striking writers protested against inadequate compensation for their work when compared to the massive revenue earned by the production studios. Both parties reached a mutually agreeable settlement, and after months of subjecting the American public to re-runs, the writers returned to work.

The Late Show with David Letterman was one of the few shows to reach an “interim agreement” with the Writers Guild of America in December of 2007 prior to the end of the strike. This meant that despite otherwise limited television options, Dave’s jokes and banter were able to keep viewers laughing.

Just in case Dave’s writers should ever happen to go on strike, however, the Marketing Department here at Pinnacle is ready to come to his rescue with fresh comedic material! We have taken the liberty of coming up with a Top 5 List to take the place of his usual Top 10 List segment if he is ever in dire need of a script:

Top 5 Ways to Tell If You’ve Bought the Wrong Promotional Products

5) South Florida trade show attendees stare blankly at the promotional ice scrapers that you have given them, but have no idea what the items are or how they should be used.

4) Outraged hockey players throw the pink fashion tote bags that you have given them in the garbage.

3) Sneezing, sniffling, and allergic reactions ensue when you deliver scented hand lotion imprinted with your company logo to an allergy clinic.

2) Promotional picnic kits, complete with wine bottle openers and wine glasses, offend the audience at a meeting for recovering alcoholics.

1) A custom t-shirt in the wrong size and for the wrong gender may not be appreciated by all recipients…
ie for a Marketing Department comprised mostly of petite ladies, a 5XL Men’s t-shirt (that is actually large enough to accommodate 3 of us at once, as pictured above) is not a wise gift for one of the employees. (NOTE: this item was not given to us as an actual gift, and was merely found in our company showroom.)

In closing, I would just like to reiterate that while these examples are given because of their comedic value, there is an important lesson to be learned by recognizing the needs of your target audience. It is highly unlikely that a marketing manager would purchase such inappropriate gifts as women’s tote bags for a group of males, but there are plenty of minor oversights that can cause a brand to accidentally alienate, or even offend, its audience.

The experienced sales representatives at Pinnacle Promotions can provide a wealth of information if you are willing to reach out to them with your questions via phone, e-mail, or LiveChat. Also, Promotional Products – A Survival Guide is now available for purchase. This handy book is a compilation of background information, trends and advice related to the promotional products industry, and covers the ins and outs of the ordering process in great detail. There are numerous reliable sources to consult regarding promotional products, so make sure to take advantage of them to learn how to use these items in the most effective way possible!

Sep

2009

Promotional Products to Recruit A Few Good Employees

For the first time since its inception in the 18th century, the US Army has introduced an advertising campaign to recruit officers. Overcome with young recruits – due in part to the economic downturn and the damaged job market – they have found themselves short on officers to lead them. The force has expanded by more than 50,000 troops since 2005, only 83 percent of which in 2008 held a high school diploma, coming up just short of the Army’s goal of 90 percent for the third consecutive year. So while it is meeting, and exceeding, its goal for total number of recruits, it is not finding enough men and women qualified to lead them.

The new ads do not stray far from the style of their typical recruitment efforts depicting soldiers in fatigues marching to patriotic music. But they have been altered to appeal to more ambitious and higher-educated young Americans, those who may not normally consider the Army as a positive step toward their career objectives. They have created four television commercials as the nucleus of the campaign, featuring stories of high-ranking corporate executives who began their careers as Army officers or showing pictures of notorious generals from George Washington to Colin Powell. The goal is not only to find officers for the Army now, but also to do an overall better job of marketing that position within the force. As Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, head of the Army Accessions Command, which oversees recruiting told NY Times reporter Douglas Quenqua, “If you think about it as brand or product management, we have this product within our brand that gets no notoriety. For those who just graduated college, now is the time to become aware they can come to officer candidate school. We think the timing is right to get the notion out.”

Is your company looking to recruit new hires? While you may not have the budget to permit a national television ad campaign, there are many other less costly ways by which to find the right candidates to help build your business. The job market is beginning to heat up again, and especially the demand for entry-level employees. One way to acquire new recruits is by offering promotional products, especially if the candidate is not actively pursuing a position with your company. Promotional products can help lure people to your booth at job fairs and career shows, and help them remember your company after the event too. You could choose something of use to them at the time of the event like promotional jotters to take notes about the companies they meet or even offer bottles of water with labels customized with your company name and logo. Another idea to support your recruiting process is to offer promotional gifts as incentives for employees who bring in prospects. Browse our online selections of gifts and giveaways for some more promotional marketing ideas.

Here is one of the new Army Officership Recruiting Commercials:

Sep

2009

Serving Up Promotional Products – and Tennis Champs – in Norcross

Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters won her second United States Open title this weekend, defeating challenger Caroline Wozniack of Denmark in the woman’s singles finals on the 24,000 seat Arthur Ashe stadium, not having even played there since her first victory in 2005. But one of the other most notable achievements of the tournament this year was the success of 17-year-old Melanie Oudin, who trained at the Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Georgia – which happens to be less than 5 miles away from the Pinnacle Promotions office! Only her second time to play in the US Open, Oudin defeated top seated players Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, and Nadia Petrova, to become the youngest American tennis player to compete in the quarter-finals since Serena Williams in 1999. Though she lost in the quarter-finals to Caroline Wozniacki, her overall performance in the tournament and her fighting determination that enabled her to advance each round after being down after the first set in three straight matches has made her an overnight tennis sensation with the talent and will to become a champion.

In honor of Miss Oudin of Norcross, today’s blog is going to feature – you guessed it – promotional tennis items. At Pinnacle Promotions we have more products relating to tennis than you could imagine! From custom imprinted tennis balls and jersey tennis polo shirts, to tennis can koozies and tennis ball stress relievers, tennis players and fans can choose from an assortment of tennis items for any marketing campaign.

Jaime
Creative Writing Intern

Aug

2009

PINNACLE Spells Promotional Products

I received an e-mail chain this week entitled “Random Thoughts of the Day” that basically outlined miscellaneous thoughts and situations that occur in our daily lives. Here was one of my favorites, a situation that used to happen to me more often than I’d like to admit when having to spell Conaway, Strickler & Margolis at the law firm where I used to work:

“Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using ‘as in’ examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss’s last name to an attorney and said “Yes that’s G as in…(10 second lapse)…ummm…Goonies.”

Inspired by this concern, today’s blog will consist of ‘as in’ examples for Pinnacle using promotional products!

P – as in Promotional Pens.

I – as in ID Badges & Holders.

N – as in Notepads.

N(2) – as in Non Woven Tote Bags.

A – as in Automotive Accessories.

C – as in Coolers.

L – as in Laser Pointers.

And finally E – as in Executive Gifts.

What does that spell? PINNACLE! (As in Pinnacle Promotions)

Aug

2009

Express Your Beliefs with Promotional Signs and Presentation Tools

News coverage has recently been inundated with stories and images of American citizens voicing concerns over President Obama’s proposed healthcare plan. With millions of Americans currently not holding any health insurance, and millions more currently underinsured, the government’s healthcare expenditure is out of control, and the whole country is in agreement that changes need to be made with urgency. However, opinions about how to revamp healthcare programs to conserve federal funds are far from unanimous. The on-going debate about Obama’s plan has led to a media frenzy, and neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have taken a clear-cut stance on the issue.

For years controversial topics such as this one have brought people with common beliefs together to fight for their shared convictions. Anything from animal rights, to anti-smoking, to green and sustainable initiatives, is enough to spur passionate dialogue from informed (and unfortunately sometimes, uninformed) citizens. Whether you are setting up a protest, or merely trying to direct peoples’ attention to a cause that you are dedicated to, it is important to prepare adequate signage and displays to effectively communicate your message. Your collateral needs to be bold enough to make a statement, but I would advise against setting up anything too permanent. Chances are that you will want to repeat your efforts in another location in the future, so your best bet would be to purchase presentation equipment that can be put up and taken down without a hassle. Also, consider transportation whenever you are planning for a cause-related event or rally. Can your display pieces be moved by a compact car? Or will you need to rent appropriate vehicles? Advance preparation will greatly benefit the execution of your event, and you will be more relaxed if you do not have to scramble for last-minute collateral and promotional materials.

To assist with your publicity efforts, we feature a wide array of Trade show Displays & Signage on our website. You can purchase items like portable tables and custom imprinted banners to enhance the professionalism of your staged protest or campaign. Passersby will be more likely to take notice of an attractively conveyed message, and if you do happen to capture press coverage, your organized rally will be taken more seriously than just a spontaneous get-together. Also, consider purchasing inexpensive giveaway items that support the objectives of your campaign. Items like pens or bumper stickers can gain serious promotional mileage, but make sure that you have adequate supply to distribute to all of the supporters in attendance.

As Americans, we are fortunate to be granted the right of free speech, and in accordance with that right, why not articulate your meaningful words on a customized promotional product or piece of promotional signage?

Aug

2009

Promotional Products for the Hippie Inside Us All

So I’m a couple of days late, but this week (August 15-18) marked the 40th anniversary of what is now regarded as one of the most monumental events in music history, and an icon of the 1960’s hippie counterculture, the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Billed as “3 Days of Peace & Music” – which ran over into a fourth day – the Woodstock festival lured over 400,000 concertgoers despite heat, rain and mud, to a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York (43 miles south of the actual town of Woodstock, New York) for a queue of 32 live acts from the likes of the Grateful Dead; Janis Joplin; Creedence Clearwater Revival; The Who; Jefferson Airplane; Joe Cocker; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Jimi Hendrix, just to name a few.

It was originally spawned as a fundraising effort by four young men (the oldest of whom was 27 in the summer of ’69) to raise money to build a recording studio in Woodstock, NY where artists like Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel already resided. Their idea began as a 2-day rock concert for 50,000 people or so in Wallkill, NY, with tickets ranging in price from $7 to $18. It would evolve into the free, 4-day, half a million people event in Bethel it became thanks to the citizens of Wallkill passing a last minute law banning the concert, early arrivals camping out before security gates were placed, and an ultimate decision to make the concert free instead of attempting to pool resources to improve fencing and security. Despite the challenges and changes, the crowds, the rain, the hour-long lines for the toilet, and the result of a $1 million debt and 70 filed lawsuits, Woodstock still produced an overall sense of success as, with the potential for riot and disaster, there was only social harmony and great music.

In honor of Woodstock’s anniversary, I have compiled a list of promotional products to help bring out the hippie that inevitably lies somewhere within us all, the part of our minds and souls where there is only room for peace, love and music.

An acid wash t-shirt – because actual acid was made illegal by the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.

A bandana – because you need something to cover up your greasy, dread-like locks.

Aviator-style sunglasses – because your eyes will need shade from the bright, summer sun.

And of course, a lighter – because legend claims that the practice of waving lighters at concerts began during Woodstock when candles were held aloft as the sun went down and Melanie took the stage.

Jaime
Creative Writing Intern

Jul

2009

A Promotional Product Idea That Is Worth Betting On…

Let me preface this post by saying that I consider myself to be extremely unlucky. Aside from the watergun I won playing Bingo when I was 8, I can’t remember the last time I won a contest or drawing. My sister, on the other hand, continues to win countless freebies: tickets to sporting events from furniture store raffles, numerous movie premiere tickets from radio stations, and even a weekend getaway courtesy of a large hotel chain. My losing streak, however, does not discourage me from trying my luck every so often with scratch-off lottery tickets. 9 times out of 10, I wind up empty-handed, but the mere prospect of scratching off prizewinning boxes is enough to keep me coming back for more. “Not a winner” this time? I guess that means I have to buy another ticket!

One of my favorite giveaway ideas involves the aforementioned scratch-off cards. At a tradeshow booth or even in a direct mailing to valued customers, distribute custom imprinted scratch-off cards to promote your brand. If you are feeling generous, make every card redeemable for an inexpensive gift so that everybody feels like a winner, or vary the price points of your prizes to add to the excitement and suspense. Premium giveaways featuring your company’s logo and contact information can generate buzz and create brand awareness, and you can minimize costs by only giving out a handful of winning cards.

Scratch-off cards, unlike most promotional products, provide an experience instead of just a giveaway item. When people are engaged in a memorable activity related to your company, they are much more likely to think of your brand first and foremost when they have a need for your services in the future. Also, the originality involved with scratch-off card promotions can be helpful in terms of referrals, lead generation, and client retention.

You don’t need luck to ensure the success of your next promotional giveaway- customized scratch cards are destined to do the trick!

Dana
Marketing Coordinator

Trade Shows

Pink Gloves Dance: Can You Spot the Promotional Products?

Promotional Products to help your Marketing Campaign Win Big

Top 5 Ways to Tell If You’ve Bought the Wrong Promotional Products

Top 5 Ways to Tell If You’ve Bought the Wrong Promotional Products

Promotional Products to Recruit A Few Good Employees

Serving Up Promotional Products – and Tennis Champs – in Norcross

PINNACLE Spells Promotional Products

Express Your Beliefs with Promotional Signs and Presentation Tools

Promotional Products for the Hippie Inside Us All

A Promotional Product Idea That Is Worth Betting On…

Recent Posts

Browse by Category

Archives

Get blog updates via email