Promotionally Yours: Branding with Apparel- Promotionally Yours, Sheri ...

Promotionally Yours: Branding with Apparel- Promotionally Yours, Sheri ...: Why You Should Be Branding with Apparel Posted: 30 Mar 2016 10:19 AM PDT Whether you’re promoting an event, introducing a new ...

Branding with Apparel- Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux

Why You Should Be Branding with Apparel

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 10:19 AM PDT

Whether you’re promoting an event, introducing a new product or raising brand awareness, you should highly consider adding branded apparel to your marketing mix.

People will remember you for it.

According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, 85% of people who receive branded shirts or hats remember the advertiser that gave them the item.

Promotional shirt recall broken down by region. Graphic Credit: ASI Impressions Study 2016. http://media.asicentral.com/resources/impressions-study-2016.pdf

The same study found that 58% of U.S. consumers own a promotional shirt. Consider the number of people who could be wearing your brand coupled with the number of people who will see your logo on the shirt as the person passes by. According to ASI, caps and headwear alone earn over 3,000 lifetime impressions in the United States.

Apparel makes up three of the five top spots for most impressions by a promo product in the U.S. Graphic credit: ASI Impressions Study 2016. http://media.asicentral.com/resources/impressions-study-2016.pdf

Make an impression while getting a high impression rate.

Apparel marketing is a very legitimate way to spread your brand message. For example, the founder of Single Grain learned that shirts could yield thousands of impressions and help grow a large customer base. While his story may not be the norm, there is some merit in the strategy used. Read about how t-shirt marketing helped grow his business here.

Single Grain promotional t-shirts. Photo credit: Sujan Patel / Single Grain

Styles and options to fit any brand.

When deciding which promotional apparel fits into your marketing plan, you have many choices. Even if you know you want a “shirt”, the decisions don’t stop there. What color shirt? What material will your audience prefer? Do you need long sleeves, short sleeves or somewhere in between?  Then there’s the decoration. Screen printing, embroidery, full color saturation… the list goes on.  Depending on how you’re using the apparel, you’ll need various sizes, too. How many larges do you need vs. mediums? Do you need any women’s or children’s sizes?  Remember, people are more likely to wear your apparel if it’s comfortable and fits them appropriately.

Getting started.

With all of these decisions, how do you decide what’s worth your marketing dollars? If you’ve done this before, consider a user survey. Ask past apparel recipients if they like your apparel, if they still wear it, and what they wish was different.  This can give you important insight when creating a second version.

If you’ve never used branded apparel before, you may need some help with your first order. Contact    sheri.breaux@halo.com today to connect and I can walk you through the apparel buying process and help you find the right attire for your next marketing campaign.  281-658-1392

Promotionally Yours,

Sheri Breaux

Promotionally Yours: Whether you followcollege basketball or not, it’s ...

Promotionally Yours: Whether you followcollege basketball or not, it’s ...: Whether you follow college basketball or not, it’s hard to avoid March Madness. According to Fortune.com , the American Gaming Associati...

Whether you follow college basketball or not, it’s hard to avoid March Madness. According to Fortune.com, the American Gaming Association estimated that $9.2 billion worth of bets would be made on this year’s basketball tournament. This includes all bets from Nevada sports books to office pools and illegal offshore sites. Add in advertising dollars spent on every game in every form of media, and you have an event that some say is as large as, if not larger than, the Super Bowl. With so much money invested into one event and so many eyes on the games, it’s no wonder marketers jump on board. In fact, joining the “madness” is a completely sane decision. Companies can choose to sponsor the tournament in a number of ways, from running ads during games to hosting official watch parties and events. Becoming an official sponsor of the tournament may cost more than your budget allows, but you can still learn a lot from the marketing strategy behind it.

Create Your Own Competition

One of the biggest takeaways from the March Madness statistics? People love friendly competition. Many who create a March Madness bracket don’t even follow the teams they choose, they simply like to play along. Promoting a simple contest or sweepstakes can help you increase brand awareness and traffic to your store, social media pages and/or website. If you want people who are genuinely interested in what your brand offers, create a competition that takes a bit more effort and skill (ask them to create something: a poem, a recipe, a new logo for your upcoming event). If you’re interested in simply generating excitement, a simple “enter to win” format can work.

Give Branded Prizes

Whatever style competition you create, your prize should reflect your brand or campaign. Even if the main prize can’t be branded (a trip or cash), you can incorporate branded elements into runner up prizes and the grand prize package. If you’re giving away a tropical vacation, for example, runner up prizes can include branded beach towels, sunglasses and flip flops. The grand prize package can included branded passport holders and bags. While the main purpose of the contest is to generate traffic, you want people to be interested in your brand and remember it in the future.

Encourage Sharing

Office pools are common for sports competitions. They help build community in the office and generate additional excitement for the event. There are many ways to encourage sharing of your competition, too. Offer additional entries for shares or referrals on social media to grow your following. If you’re hosting a contest, you can hold a raffle on the side for those who are less interested in creating an entry but still want to follow the action.

Generate Extended Buzz

March Madness excitement lasts for weeks because of the format of the tournament. Your contest or sweepstakes can generate the same type of buzz. Ask your fans to vote for the winner and announce finalists weekly or hold smaller drawings on a weekly basis and the larger, main giveaway at the end of the month. Whatever deadlines you choose, stick with them. Push for more entries just before the deadline to give your efforts one final boost.

No matter what kind of sweepstakes or contest you run, remember to thank all participants at the end. A participation reward such as a special offer, coupon or branded keepsake will encourage those who did not win to continue to support your brand now that the contest has ended.

Promotionally Yours: 5 things to consider before purchasing trade show ...

Promotionally Yours: 5 things to consider before purchasing trade show ...: How to Design a Trade Show Booth Posted on March 16, 2016 by Phil Peden Since you’re reading this article there’s a good cha...

5 things to consider before purchasing trade show exhibiting materials... Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux

How to Design a Trade Show Booth

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Phil Peden

Since you’re reading this article there’s a good chance that this is your first rodeo, and you’re interested in doing your due diligence before you spend any money on trade show exhibiting materials. With that in mind we would like to share…


1. Exhibit Space
Before you purchase a single product, it’s a good idea to determine the space you’ll have to work with by researching the show you’re planning to attend and the booth dimension options offered. Once you know the specific measurements, use tape to create a mock booth space on the floor of an open room. This will help you visualize your space and make purchasing decisions easier.
2. Display Options
It’s important to familiarize yourself with the general types of trade show exhibit items. Images courtesy of Showdown Displays.

Table Covers

Retractable Banner

Table Top Displays

Floor Display with Podium

Floor SIgns

Banners and Flags

Material Stands

Tents

3. Form and Function
Because booth space is limited, the decision on what type of exhibiting materials to use in your trade show space is critical. Before you make any decisions, be sure you have a good grasp of what your event staff will need to properly tell your brand story.

• Signage – This one’s a no brainer, every exhibitor needs some sort of signage to let attendees know who they are and what they do. The real question with signage is what kind and how much do you need?
• Storage – Will you have a lot of brand collateral/literature, giveaways or products that need to be stored at the booth?
• Product Displays – Do you need space or shelving for displaying your product offerings?
• Counter Space – How much counter space will you need for marketing materials, product displays, demo space and general use if any at all?
• Consultation Space – Do you need an area for attendees and staff to interact out of the aisle that doesn’t block your signage and products?

Floor Plan Example

4. Audience Interaction
Most exhibitors purchase products and arrange them in their booth without considering how attendees will interact with the space. Planning how you will interact with attendees before you actually purchase your booth space/materials will help you decide what to buy and where to put it.

• Grab and Go – If you would like attendees to pick up marketing collateral or samples and then move on to their next stop, place your table and displays closer to the aisle to for easy accessibility.
• Stay and Browse – If you would like attendees to stop and browse products or interact with staff, place your tables and displays around the perimeter of the booth allowing attendees to “come in” from the aisle.
• Wall of Graphics – If your intention is to wow traffic with attention getting graphics and messaging, you can remove the table and use large or multiple floor displays that can be seen from all directions.

No matter what layout you choose, keep it flexible as all exhibit spaces are different and you may need to adjust your layout depending on your neighbor’s displays, foot traffic direction or changes in your area’s square footage.

Display Layout Example

5. Simple Design
Now it’s time for the fun part, visually telling your brand’s story. Before you call your graphic designer here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Your display’s main purpose is to grab attention and simply convey who you are and what you have to offer. By focusing on one central image and overall message attendees will quickly relate to what you have to say increasing the chances of them stopping.
• Use a clean typeface that can be easily read at a distance.
• Use text sparingly. As much as you want to list all the features and benefits of your products or services offered, don’t. No one is going to stand in front of your displays and read a lot of text. That is the purpose of your marketing collateral.
• Keep your logo front and center and be sure to take into account people or objects being in front of your displays. It’s a good rule of thumb to keep your logo in the top 1/3 of your displays.
• Put your website, email or phone number on your displays. Horizontal or vertical bars are a good place for this information to keep it from breaking up the general

For help planning your next trade show booth or to purchase trade show items Contact your HALO Account Executive  and for tips on building a trade show marketing plan download our white paper  “Booth! There It Is”.

Promotionally Yours: Favortie Items... Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breau...

Promotionally Yours: Favortie Items... Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breau...: Top 10 PPAChicago New Product Ideas Posted: 11 Mar 2016 01:36 PM PST Yesterday I attended the PPAChicago New Product...

Favortie Items... Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux

Top 10 PPAChicago New Product Ideas Posted: 11 Mar 2016 01:36 PM PST Yesterday I attended the PPAChicago New Product Ideas Show. The show was packed with dozens of exhibitors showcasing thousands of products. As I walked through, I couldn’t help but ooh and ahh at some of the items. Many were classic favorites like elegant awards and professional, retail-style golf shirts.  Others were fun, trendy items like a water bottle humidifier or Moscow Mule mug. After a few hours looking through oodles of product, I narrowed down my list of favorites to 10. Why did these 10 make the list? They’re fun, useful products that the end-user is likely to keep and also provide unique branding opportunities.  Note: There were MANY products that could have been on the list, so in the end I just picked some of my personal favorites. 10. Couture Bag with SPARKLE Imprint What immediately caught my eye about this lovely bag was the beautiful imprint of the Chicago skyline. From a distance, the artwork looks like tiny sparkly gems, but in reality, it’s a special type of glossy imprint technique called “SPARKLE.” Since it is an imprint (part of the bag and not something that was glued or attached such as a small gem), there’s no fear of losing part of the art over time.  The bag was sturdy and stylish making it the perfect go-to tote.   9. Flexible Cutting Board  Kitchens provide numerous branding opportunities (refrigerator magnets, calendars, branded utensils and tools), but in pursuing some opportunities you need to be careful. People take a lot of pride in their home, and cooking enthusiasts love their kitchens. Choosing the right kitchen utensil is as much about style as it is about function. Most people do not want overly branded kitchen items, which is why I love these cutting boards. They were quality, flexible, non-slip boards in fun colors with subtle, yet clear, branding. The logo is always visible when in use, but it’s subtle enough to blend in with other kitchen décor when standing by on a counter or shelf.   8. Inflatable Chair When it comes to trade show exhibits, one of the main goals is getting people to stay in your booth. The longer they’re there, the more likely they are to buy. Successful trade show marketers design an inviting space that makes people feel comfortable. This chair would make a great addition. It’s another space that can display your message, and it’s easy to bring from show to show because it’s inflatable. Pack it in your suitcase and blow it up at the show. You can bring other types of inflatable furniture to create a small seating area complete with a chair, couch and loveseat.   7. Jersey Rally Towel Rally towels are an inexpensive way to get your brand message out at large events. How can you make your towel stand out among the rest? Choose a special shape like this jersey towel. Want to promote something other than a sports team? Print any artwork on this shape; it can look like a police uniform or doctor’s scrubs. Whatever you choose is sure to make an impact.   6. Custom Shaped Chocolates I think it’s safe to say that most people enjoy chocolate, so if you want to get in their good graces with chocolates, consider something custom that will help them remember your brand. Chocolate can be molded into pretty much any shape, so think about what represents your brand. If it’s not a tool set as shown here, maybe it’s musical instruments, athletic equipment or cooking supplies.   5. Sweets Trucks OK, when I said most people enjoy chocolate, I was definitely including myself in the mix. I love chocolate, but that isn’t the only reason this truck made my list. Unique containers help extend the shelf life of edible promos. The goodies it carries will be gone within weeks (or days), but when they arrive in a container like this truck, people have a reason to keep it. Many people collect specialty packaging (consider the power of nostalgic Coca-Cola bottles and old school, tin lunchboxes). The additional impressions your brand earns with this collectible gift are worth the extra investment.   4. Temporary Tattoo Event Bracelet Event bracelets are tricky. They serve a practical purpose of tracking attendees, assuring everyone who is there should be there, but for the attendee they can be an inconvenience. Traditional bracelets can be itchy, collect dirt and grime, and may fall off (or at some events, people may try to “share wristbands”). This temporary “waterless tattoo” band eliminates all of that. It’s made with a hypo allergenic, clear surgical tape that blends in with your skin so only the logo is visible. It lasts through washing making it perfect for single-day events. You won’t have to worry about people trying to sneak others into your event, and attendees will feel more comfortable because they won’t actually be wearing anything on their wrist.   3. Toddy Gear Power Bank & Case Toddy Gear is known for its retail product (now available as a promo product) the Smart Cloth. The brand recently added power banks to its product lineup, and when you combine the seamless printing (one continuous full color image, not four separate images with visible seams) on these power banks with an imprinted case and smart cloth, you have a great tech gift.   2. Fremont Power Bank Portfolio This portfolio is perfect for executives, college students or anyone who travels regularly for business. It holds everything you would need to get some work done on the go: writing instruments, a phone, charging cords, USB drive, credit cards and IDs and a notebook. It also features a tablet sleeve and pocket for receipts or business cards. Sure, that’s all great, but what’s the icing on the cake? The built-in power bank! Wherever you go, you’ll never lose a charge. 1. Pixaction Calendars Even in today’s digital age, traditional calendars are still popular in homes and offices. Now there’s a way to tie traditional calendars to technology with the Pixaction app. Described as using a “QR Code on steroids”, calendars incorporating Pixaction can house custom videos for your brand. Scan each calendar image with a smart phone and tablet (using the Pixaction app), and the image comes to life in a video. You can incorporate commercials, product demos, workout tips, DIY guides and more. The opportunities are endless. Pixaction calendars with stock video options are also available. Interested in learning more about any of my favorite #PPAChicago products? Contact your HALO Account Executive today.

Promotionally Yours: part 3 Building a Trade Show Marketing Plan... the...

Promotionally Yours: part 3 Building a Trade Show Marketing Plan... the...: Building a Trade Show Marketing Plan, Part 3: The Follow Up Posted on March 2, 2016 by Phil Peden During a product show ...

part 3 Building a Trade Show Marketing Plan... the Follow Up... Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux

Building a Trade Show Marketing Plan, Part 3: The Follow Up

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Phil Peden

During a product show earlier this month I stopped to talk to a supplier about the material his company used on one of their products. The sales representative was very efficient, extracted more information out of me than I planned to share, made sure we exchanged cards and sent me on my way with a clearly marked catalog noting the products I was interested in.
9 out of 10 times, this would have been the end of all contact I would have with this salesperson. Sure I would receive a few email offers once my email address was added to their mailing lists but, that would be it. This time it was a little bit different.

• When I returned to the office a message was waiting for me on my machine. It was the exhibitors associate introducing herself, thanking me for visiting their booth, recapping the conversation I had earlier and explaining that she would be available if I needed anything while her associate was on the road.
• The next day I received an email from the sales representative reintroducing himself and his associate, their contact information, business hours, an offer of help with placing orders and the use of his expertise with the products they manufacture.
• Later that week I received an email featuring information on the product I was interested in.

I won’t be ordering these products until later this year, but due to a good trade show booth experience and efficient follow-up I definitely know all about the products I am interested in and who to call when I am ready to make a purchase. Sadly for most exhibitors, this isn’t the case. According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research 80% of trade show exhibitors don’t do any follow-up after a trade show, wasting a perfect opportunity to turn a warm prospect into a new customer.
I’m a little biased, but as impressed as I was with this company’s follow up, I felt they could’ve benefited from a promotional product. A 2016 study by the Advertising Specialty Institute found that the average promotional product is kept by its recipient for about eight months. A relevant, unique and useful product would still be sitting on my desk right now reminding me who to call when I was ready to order.

Download White Paper

Do you need some tips on how to improve your trade show follow-up? Be sure to download our free white paper “Booth! There It Is” for tips on how to build an awesome event and contact your HALO Account Executive for help planning your next trade show booth.