Cookie Jar is Centerpiece for Iconic Brand's Anniversary Promo

This year, the food industry celebrated a significant milestone – the 100th birthday of the famous Oreo cookie. Since 1912, Oreos, originally a knockoff of Hydrox biscuits, have become the best-selling cookie in the United States; over 362 billion have been sold since they were first released. Over the past century, the detail on the chocolate disks has changed slightly, but the Oreo has remained unaltered since it was introduced to the public.

To commemorate its centennial anniversary, Kraft Foods, the distributor of the Oreo, launched a major nationwide promotional campaign which involved a consumer on-pack offer. A limited-edition, custom Oreo 100th Birthday Cookie Jar was chosen as the premium item to be distributed. According to a company spokesperson who worked on the campaign, the cookie jar made sense from a promotional standpoint, and the lid design also reinforced the core equity of the brand.
The offer was placed on 16 million packages across the country and, as of this writing, actual redemptions were still being calculated. By mid-October, 69,000 jars had been distributed.
Have a milestone you’d like to promote? Contact your distributor partner for ideas and products that will make the celebration last longer than a one-day event. Like the Oreo cookie jar, your logo on a special promo item will be a pleasant reminder to customers who will want to hold onto it as a keepsake for years.

From Successful Promotions

Bag That Hangover

Bag That Hangover
San Francisco-based wine producer Cameron Hughes recently sponsored a booth at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival, a not-to-be-missed annual event for foodies, wine and culinary celebrities and industry leaders, held high up in the Rockies.

“It was the first time we attended the festival,” says Jessica Hughes, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Cameron Hughes. This year marked the company’s 10th anniversary as well as the 30th anniversary of the Aspen festival.

“We offered festival guests 12 different wines from around the world. Since we source wines globally, the wines hailed from Bordeaux to Napa, all under the Cameron Hughes label,” she says. “We are little people, and we wanted to have the greatest presence possible there.”

Wine trade tasting events are very intense; sometimes there can be 1,000 wines under one tent, Hughes notes, adding, “If we didn’t spit, we wouldn’t be able to get through the first hour.” Also, it’s easy to get inebriated more quickly in a location like Aspen due to its high elevation and lower oxygen levels. “You can get a ferocious hangover if you’re not careful,” says Hughes.
To combat the perils of tasting at high elevation, Cameron Hughes created a “wine-tasting survival kit” to promote its brand to event VIPs. The reusable red pouch, bearing the name of the winery and its website address, included such essentials as Aleve, teeth whitening strips, Emergen-C vitamins, breath mints, Blistex and Wet Ones.

The items were carefully thought out. For example, Blistex soothes the inevitable chapped lips that result from tasting red wine. Alka Seltzer helps tackle the acidity of wine tannins that can cause an upset stomach, and Emergen-C provides a vitamin infusion. “In the wine industry, we all take Aleve with Emergen-C in the evening, combined with a big glass of water. This guarantees no hangover,” Hughes says.
The versatile pouch had a hook and eye to attach to belt loops, and was small enough to fit into a back pocket. It also had a zipper piece that allowed it to be hung from a lanyard, worn by many attendees at the festival for identification. The pouch also contained a slit for credit cards and a license, and could be used as a wallet.

It was the first time the wine merchant had ever done a giveaway like this, and Hughes wanted the kit to be “smart, innovative and well thought out.” Cameron Hughes distributed 450 pouches to industry VIPs, and an additional 4,500 Chapsticks were distributed in the event’s registration bags, as well as at its booth. “People loved the pouches,” Hughes says. “Some said it was ‘genius,’ and the Chapsticks were also hugely popular
-ASI Successful Promotions

Bank Snags Tweens With Backpack

These days, attracting any new business can be tough, let alone business from tweens, who tend to stash any money they haven’t spent yet in their desk drawers.

Still, one credit union that a distributor was working with wanted to try tween client development. The way to do that would likely center on finding the ideal promotional product with which to attract tweens looking to open a savings account, and also draw in their parents.

Rather than a T-shirt, the distributor suggested using a wearable accessory – in this case, an Ogio backpack with an iTunes gift card slipped inside. The multi-pocket backpack with a blue cassette pattern printed on it would be hipper, more desirable and more user-friendly for tweens. The backpacks came in the colors of the credit union’s logo.

The credit union execs agreed with the distributor’s suggestion, and they also agreed not to put their logo on the bag – a potentially less valuable promotional move, but, with a tween audience that’s possibly less keen to carry a bag with a bank’s name on it, the move made sense. The young recipients could always talk about the bag and where they got it. And, the thinking went, if they were more likely to wear it sans logo, it would be a better branding move in the long run.

All 400 backpacks were given away almost immediately during the promotion, and it was so successful they did a reorder for another 50.

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Building Relationships With The Help Of Promo Products

Ubiquitor Inc. acts as the IT department for companies that don't have their own. "Everything we do is at a low, fixed, monthly rate, and we're all-encompassing," says President Doug Grabowski. "It's what I like to call location independence, so our clients can do anything from any place."

As Grabowski's career has evolved, so has his understanding of the importance of using the right promotional items in the right settings. "What I learned is it's all relationship-driven," he says. "I try to do things with my business that will be lasting and won't have my logo all over it, but while people are using the products, they'll be pleasantly reminded of our company."

Grabowski makes sure to give his customers products that won't be thrown away. For example, he mails every new client a four-gigabyte USB ballpoint pen. "Two weeks into the agreement, they'll get a lumpy envelope in the mail – I'm a big fan of lumpy envelopes," he says. The pen has the company logo on it and is preloaded with all the system tools.

"People really get into it because it's a thicker pen vs. just a normal pen, and they like the idea that we had the forethought to preload it with our system tools," he says. "Those are the types of things that give me positive word-of-mouth."

Grabowski has also utilized high-end pens with clients' names on them for his top customers. "They're all black with a thick barrel. One end has our laser-etched logo, and on the other end, we laser-etch the client's name," he says. Personalizing the pen makes it less likely people will throw it away. "Since it has their name on it, they're prone to use it more than other pens for no other reason than it's got their name on it," he says. "It's expensive, but it's worth it."

And Ubiquitor's 12-pack cooler bags have been an unexpected hit with clientele, according to Grabowski. "The first holiday that we were in business, I invested in the cooler bags. They were all black and said ‘Ubiquitor' on the side," he says. "People really took toward that more than a lot of the other stuff. I got a lot of requests like, ‘Can you get one for my wife?,' which I didn't expect coming out of it, but it's really been a nice side effect."

Bottom line: Grabowski has learned that investing in higher-end promotional materials that people use and keep is always worthwhile. "If we take our clients to play golf, we give them a $100 shirt vs. a $10 shirt, or the Titleist golf ball vs. the cheap golf ball," he says. "Trade show junkie guys walking around with their little bags trying to get all the free stuff – there's really no relationship there. It's a favorite thing of mine to do the unexpected."

Get Students' Attention

Each year, SandRidge Energy visits college campuses across Oklahoma and neighboring states in search of talent to keep their company competitive.

In the spring and fall, SandRidge recruiters attend career fairs to talk with students majoring in engineering, IT, accounting and other business specialties about internships at the company. To stand out amid a crowded auditorium, SandRidge knew that they needed to have something special to give attendees. “The students swarm to the cool items,” says Ashley McDaniel, a recruiter for SandRidge. “We’ve used water bottles the last couple of years, so I wanted to do something different this year ... something we haven’t seen before.

The SandRidge Communications Department worked with its distributor partner to design a new, doublwalled tumbler that works for both hot and cold beverages. They selected a Triton 16-oz. tumbler. Whatreally sets it apart, though, is the custom-woven patch with the SandRidge logo encapsulated inside the tumbler. A rep for the distributor firm says they used a woven patch to make a really sharp logo. It was the company’s first order of this particular product and with over 1,000 tumblers already sent, the rep says SandRidge is extremely pleased with the product and is planning to order more in the fall when they start attending career fairs again.

Biz tip: Give them what they want
If you’re working in the education market, make sure you’re pitching useful items to your target demographic. For instance, flash drives and organizers are great items for college students. Trendy apparel and technology accessories are must-haves in the high school market. Make sure you’re staying on top of what’s hot for this trend-oriented demographic. Contact your distributor partner for creative ideas and appropriate promo products.

THE LURE OF INCENTIVES

While travel awards are almost always used for the highest level of sales performers, motivating the middle 60% of the sales force is the key to an organization's success. Especially through a points-based recognition program – where reps can redeem points for electronics (the most popular category), jewelry, sporting goods, home goods, and other items with brand-name cache – companies can do well in a slow economy by progressively rewarding reps' incremental improvements.

To wit: If a rep rang up $100,000 in revenue in Q4 last year, hitting that number in Q4 this year earns 200 points; 10% above the number earns 300 points, while 20% above the number earns 500 points. And remember that the top 20% of your sales force is eligible for these awards too. So using product to drive monthly or quarterly goals will even boost their performance.

In fact, incentive programs can be structured to change behaviors that will lead to revenue in future quarters, too. Getting sales or customer service reps to increase their engagement with clients and prospects will help fill the sales pipeline – even as sales reps tap into that pipeline near the end of a quarter in order to qualify for incentive-award points.

Takeaway Tip: Motivating the middle 60% of the sales force is the key to an organization’s success, so think outside rewarding just the superstars.

Take a Trip

A Society of Incentive and Travel Executives survey showed that incentive programs can boost individual employee performance by 27% and team performance by 45%. As we mentioned, superstar employees are often rewarded with travel, and if that's the route you want to go for your top performers, you aren't alone.

Global performance improvement company Grass Roots notes that a high percentage of its clients are incorporating travel incentive programs into their employee rewards plans and the firm predicts incentive travel to grow throughout the year.

"When a sales incentive runs for several weeks or months, the buildup generated by teasers about the destination through an ongoing communication program can play a huge part in motivation to achieve targets, as can the brag factor of wanting to be able tell friends and colleagues about a place they have not visited before," Kathryn Hulse, communications consultant for Grass Roots, told Travel Daily News.

Of course, you can play an integral part in these teaser packages by offering your employess pre-trip gifts, such as passport holders, luggage tags and other items that would be useful and create excitement about the destination. Once they arrive, have room gifts, such as T-shirts, caps, beach towels and sunscreen, all imprinted with "President's Club 2011" or whatever the event happens to be.

Wellness Programs
Besides the engagement and goodwill wellness programs foster, they also serve to lower insurance premiums, sick time and medical costs at a moment when employer-sponsored health plans face legislative uncertainty.

One firm recently built a program where people earned even more points for placing step counters on their sneakers to verify that they were exercising as much as they reported they were. The program was turned into a game of mild espionage, where one "mole" was planted among each team of program participants to verify claims of increased exercise, decreased smoking, etc. Anyone who could positively identify the mole received additional points, and a new mole was chosen to keep the game going. It pushed people to tell the truth, but in a fun way.

"Seventy percent of firms say they have a wellness program, but too many don't get it right or make a half-hearted attempt," says one distributor rep. "They have a gym; they hold a biggest loser competition; they're in a volleyball league; they have a walking club at lunchtime. Those are good, but a true program requires constant communication plus incentives on the back end. You won't get everyone involved, but if you get even one quarter of your people to be active in it, you'll see cost savings and improved morale."

Takeaway Tip: Wellness programs are a prime opportunity for incentives. Similar to safety programs, besides the engagement and goodwill such programs can foster, they also serve to lower insurance premiums, sick time and medical costs at a moment when employer-sponsored health plans face legislative uncertainty.One idea that works is using wellness teams in which people can earn reward points for being active. To keep track, the firm monitors event sign-in sheets and online participation in lessons and quizzes about specific ailments. The program regularly doles out unannounced points as a bonus. Unannounced rewards can also make a strong impression. For instance, Ford recently ran a program for its Explorer line – buyers received collapsible chairs that fit perfectly into the SUV's storage compartment. The best part: The branded chairs arrived at buyer's homes a few weeks after the purchase, extending the excitement period for new owners.

Motivate Staff
When executives of the Seattle arm of Comcast, the cable-communications giant, wanted to cut the company's insurance premiums and medical costs by reducing the number of injuries among its field workers, they turned to a local distributor to create a super-successful safety program for the operation's 700 outside employees.

At the outset, Comcast didn't have a program concept in mind. They simply wanted to keep their people more focused on safety by rewarding them for keeping hardhats on, wearing their boots, following rules for working with cable and electric, and more. The first move of the program involved personal and specific products that employees chose themselves.

The online points-based program that was created rewarded individuals and teams alike after spot checks plus random calls to customers (who earned a free movie). Consisting mostly of items between $5 and $25, the program was diverse, offering items like flashlights, picnic packs, personalized pen sets and watch sets.

The program's results came rapidly. Just two months into the program, safety incidents fell to 17 from 54 versus the same period one year prior. What the program unquestionably saved was money: The number of incidents over the full year was low enough that the firm paid $125,000 less in insurance premiums, and saw many fewer sick days used. Total cost of the items redeemed in the incentive program: $65,000.

Takeaway Tip: Incentives don't have to be super-expensive. This safety awards program which included items from $5-$25, resulted in a decrease in safety incidents from 54 to 17 during the same period; $125,000 less paid in insurance premiums and the cost of items redeemed was $65,000.

WELLNESS PROGRAMS THAT REALLY WORK - 3 CASE STUDIES

Rising health-care costs have made wellness programs a good deal for companies that invest in them, and now Uncle Sam has stepped in to make it easier to create and fund them. The new Health Care Reform Plan enables companies with fewer than 100 employees to receive federal assistance from a $200 billion grant to establish wellness programs, and in 2014, the wellness reward levels that all companies can offer to employees will increase by 50%.

Wellness programs typically yield a 300% or greater return on investment, but you've got to incentivize employees to become involved. Here are three case studies of successful programs to help you get started.

Case Study #1 - Meredith Corporation
Des Moines, Iowa-based media and marketing company Meredith Corporation has had an award-winning wellness program since 2006. "We focus on metabolic disease; elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride levels and waist circumference," says Program Manager Tim O'Neil. "These inequities can have catastrophic impacts on employee well-being and health claims."

To tackle these issues, Meredith brought on board a third-party diagnostic group to screen employees. Results were given to employees, and the company received an aggregate no-names report that catalogued total company results. Once the data was collected, O'Neil says, "the challenge was how to use it to attack health concerns in each of Meredith's 22 state locations – each with its own culture."

For incentives, it was obvious a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't work. A variety of incentive plans were tailored to the needs of each Meredith office. "We formed teams to compete against each other in weight loss and physical activity categories for prizes that included branded apparel and keep-fit items like exercise bands, stability balls, fitness DVDs, healthy cookbooks and cash prizes," O'Neil says. Other Meredith plans offer wellness points worth up to a $500 annual discount on health plan contributions and reimbursements toward health club memberships, personal training, nutrition counseling and participation in sporting events. Points are accumulated and tracked via the company's website, Meredithwellness.com.

Meredith's results were impressive. From 2004 to 2006 the company saw annual health cost increases of 18.5%. After introducing the wellness plan in 2006, O'Neil says, "We lowered this to an average 1% annual increase from 2006 to 2011, saving us approximately $10 million vs. an investment of $2.5 million – an impressive $4:$1 ROI."

Meredith's wellness program continues to evolve. "We couldn't keep doing the same thing year after year," O'Neil says. "As we progressed, we went to a tobacco-free workplace, and in 2008, we added Wellness Bucks and reimbursements as incentives. We've also introduced group courses and individual instruction, and this year, we'll add spouses to our screening programs."

Case Study #2 – Anderson Performance Improvement Company 
Louise Anderson, CEO of Minnesota-based incentive and recognition system provider Anderson Performance Improvement Company, was certain that the health benefits of increased employee activity would lead to an increase in per-client tracking hours and a corresponding surge in overall productivity. "We're not self-insured and we had a pretty healthy crew to start with," says Anderson, "so our company's main focus in setting up our Move It wellness program was productivity, not health insurance costs."

Anderson gave all employees pedometers to track their walking. This was coupled with walking meetings and encouragement to park farther out in the company lot. "Our walking efforts were accompanied by tips on how to increase physical movement and an incentive award system where our employees could gain points for increased activity that are redeemable for over 4,000 catalog items including clothing, jewelry, electronics and kitchen equipment," Anderson says.

Anderson's Sonic Boom wellness website is also a strong player in increasing employee participation in Move It. The website tracks both individual and team activity on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Individuals are given private access to their own results, and everyone can view team results. Teams compete for points against other Sonic Boom teams on a national basis.

Move It concentrates on healthy eating. "We no longer allow things like leftover holiday candy in the office," says Anderson. "If vendors want to bring in snacks, they're asked to furnish fruit or granola instead of doughnuts, and office celebrations substitute zucchini brownies and strawberry cakes for the store-bought varieties."

The results show Move It has led to a more efficient workplace. "Over a two-year period, we've seen an 11% increase in measured productivity," Anderson says. "This means not only greater output, but that we can do more for our clients with the same workforce."

Anderson offers a tip for those starting on the wellness track: "Think about the things you spend money on versus the health effects they produce. For example, holiday bonuses can be substituted for alcohol-consuming holiday parties. Efforts like these can lead to greater productivity and lower costs, and if you're self-insured, you'll save twice as much."

Case Study #3 – Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. 
The goals for the BeWell wellness program aim to help employees stay healthy. "As an organization, we hope to improve productivity and control health-care costs by reducing health risks," says Kathy Enochs, COO of Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. (GPA), a Dallas-based third-party benefit administrator.

Enochs started small with BeWell, offering free fruit for employees in the break room and discounting healthy items in company vending machines. "The fruit didn't go over big at first," she says, "but now it's gone before the next basket arrives." Confidential employee health assessments and biometric screenings were next, along with access to GPA's one-on-one health professionals, including telephonic coaching and on-site visits.

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BeWell doesn't just focus on physical activity and healthy eating; it incorporates financial education, spiritual awareness, stress management, blood pressure control, cholesterol management and educating participants living with multiple chronic conditions. "In order to encourage a high percentage of our employees to participate in BeWell activities, we use wellness incentives to propel the program," Enochs says. "Non-smokers get a 20% reduction in health-care costs, and employees who participate in wellness activities can accumulate incentive points toward gift cards and merchandise including bicycles, heart rate monitors and cookware. In addition, employees receive a paid day off for every year they participate in the program."

BeWell and its incentives have greatly benefited the company. "In 2008, 34% of our employees had five or more high-risk health issues," says Enochs. "By 2011, we reduced that to 18%. We've also made significant reductions in stress and weight levels, and we've cut employee smoking by 50%, but it didn't happen overnight. Our results were achieved through comprehensive planning, effective communication and senior-level support."

Enochs' advice to those starting their own wellness program is to not rush it. "Make sure you think your strategy through, and survey your employees to see what incentives and activities they might be interested in," she says. "Most importantly, make sure your program launch is well-planned because first impressions last."

-Successful Promotions-

Promo Products Boost Beverage Sales

College students are known for their ability to work hard and play hard. So it's no surprise that the makers of Code Blue, an all-natural recovery drink, wanted to target the college demographic in a recent marketing blitz.

 
In an effort to appeal to this important segment of the market, the company loaded up its brand-new Code Blue Recovery Ambulance with the drink and branded merchandise and traveled to Boston for CollegeFest, an annual back-to-school gathering for college students.

Code Blue wanted to build on the great feedback it received at its first CollegeFest appearance a year earlier, as well as reach incoming freshmen, expand its existing campus-rep program and add fans to its Facebook page, says Code Blue Founder and CEO Jeff Frumin.

Part trade show, part festival, the 25-year-old CollegeFest brings together more than 17,000 brand-loyal students and connects them with nearly 100 national and local brands; promotional items and prizes are given away, and live music performances entertain the crowds.

"Kids love the free stuff and leave with bulging swag bags," says Vincenzo Saulle, vice president of business development at Mr. Youth, the youth marketing agency that owns and organizes CollegeFest. In addition to elevating brand awareness, CollegeFest is a great way to discover students' likes, dislikes and how they respond to the brands that exhibit there, Saulle says. The event is always held in Boston, home to nearly 200,000 college students – one of the largest student populations of in the country.

The beverage sector is the most competitive sector at CollegeFest, says Saulle. "Kids are the right age for the beverages, and the show is a good place to give away large numbers of drinks to concentrated numbers of students," he says. Typically 20 to 30 drink brands, including energy drinks, waters and teas, exhibit at the show each year.

Code Blue's CollegeFest setup centered on the branded Recovery Ambulance, equipped with large coolers filled with ice-cold cans of the beverage. Reps handed out free medicine-cup samples of Code Blue, and every student who registered received a full can of the recovery drink. Every half hour, a drawing was held for a Code Blue Recovery Kit, containing branded medical scrubs, a T-shirt, a hat and a six-pack of Code Blue. Prizes of a semester's worth of Code Blue were also awarded. The Recovery Kits were very popular, and Code Blue gave students the opportunity to register on Facebook to win one.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 "prescription" flyer cards providing detailed information about the product, along with coupon books, were distributed at CollegeFest. There was significant Code Blue branded signage, and two of the three company founders attended, along with some campus reps and marketing staff. Four social-media reps carried branded Code Blue iPads to register students and take photos in front of the ambulance to post on Facebook. Students could comment and immediately share photos with friends.

Frumin says education about the product, especially the recovery concept, is critical to the success of Code Blue, which he calls a "healthier, more functional Gatorade. Students are interested in what is healthy." He notes that Code Blue is made with natural ingredients like vitamins C, B12 and B6, and has three times more electrolytes than Gatorade. In addition, it's the first ready-to-drink beverage containing sustamine, a liquid glutamine that aids muscle recovery. "Code Blue is not an energy drink," Frumin says. "Rather, it's more about hydration."
While the company focused on the sports-recovery message at CollegeFest, Frumin says, reps also told students they could use the drink any time they were dehydrated (read: hungover). Indeed, the informational hangtag on the Code Blue can reads, "Feel Better Faster."

The appearance at CollegeFest gave company sales a shot in the arm; sales doubled in nearly every account following the event, with some accounts witnessing a tripling of sales. Sales jumped 50% in the two weeks following CollegeFest, largely due to the brand's appearance there, students returning to campus and general Code Blue marketing efforts, says Frumin. In addition, Code Blue doubled its number of campus reps to some 50 students, and Frumin received "countless" inquiries via e-mail; most were along the lines of, "Hey, I saw you at CollegeFest, where can I buy you?"

T Shirt Helps Increase Attendance at Beer Fest-A&A Specialty

CASE STUDY OF THE MONTH

Organizer Bill Steigerwald had great results promoting the World Beer Festival in Columbia, SC, by using a creative combination of guerrilla marketing, social media and promotional merchandise. The festival celebrates the world beer culture and provides samples from almost 100 breweries, as well as educational sessions led by industry experts, local food and entertainment. ADVERTISEMENT Together with an agency, Steigerwald advertised the January event with an eight-week holiday blitz. Rather than just focusing its ad efforts on men, the team expanded its campaign to target women. One of the promotional products that helped get the word out was a T-shirt featuring the World Beer Fest logo and the line "Smart Women Drink Beer." "We were able to position within the campaign that smart women drink craft beer," says Doreen Sullivan, president of the agency. "We also created posters and shot glasses for the festival." Clearly the products to promote the event helped, as attendance at the beer fest was up 40%. .

Boosting Morale

Buyers use promotional products to draw in consumers and potential business partners. The top use of ad specialty items is for business gifts, according to a promotional products usage survey, with 69% of respondents saying they use products as holiday or thank-you gifts. This is followed by trade shows with 47% and customer acquisition at 40%. But close behind are employee incentive programs, with 39% of end-users reaching for promotional products to reward productivity or improve morale.

Solar Junction, a solar cell manufacturer based in San Jose, CA, has used a handful of ad specialty items in its four-year history, all of them for internal efforts to improve the workplace or employee morale.

"It has been a great way to reward our employees," says Diandra Weldon, marketing director for Solar Junction. "It has really been a unifying thing."

Weldon began by ordering reusable travel mugs after employees expressed a desire to use something more environmentally friendly than Styrofoam cups. While it began as a simple solution to employee concerns, the yellow mugs, emblazoned with the Solar Junction logo, have become a part of the company culture, given to every new member of the team as well as to consultants, often before they even receive their business cards.

A similarly practical motivation led Weldon to order a set of branded black polo shirts for the company's 30-plus employees. With a staff made up mainly of engineers who spend their time getting their hands dirty working on projects rather than going on sales calls, few paid much attention to what they were wearing; if board members visited the office or an event came up, some staffers found themselves scrambling for something appropriate to wear.

"We were going to our first conference, and didn't have a booth yet, so I said, ‘If we can all wear this same shirt, we will get some brand recognition out there,' " says Weldon. The shirts proved to be a big hit and continue to get regular use. "I have had to order several more because a number of the men have worn theirs out," she says.

To celebrate Solar Junction's anniversary recently, the staff went to a minor league baseball game that tied in a specially designed T-shirt as a souvenir. The employees were divided into six teams, with each team getting a different T-shirt. According to Weldon, some staffers were such big fans of the other teams' shirts that they ordered additional ones for themselves.

But the product that got the biggest response from the staff was a branded zip-up fleece jacket. The heating in the Solar Junction office is less than stellar, and the occasional chilliness had become something of a running joke in the office. So for the holiday party that year, Weldon ordered a warm, comfortable fleece jacket for each person.

"It got a great response – everyone got the joke," says Weldon, emphasizing that the jackets have since gotten plenty of use. "On days when board members visit, they can wear it and automatically have a nicer, more professional look."

Published in Successful Promotions

Junk Nobody Throws Out

Junk Nobody Throws Out
While waste disposal company 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is in the business of removing clutter from the businesses and residences it serves, there is one thing its customers never want to throw out: the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? branded dump truck toys used to promote the company. The blue Hot Wheels-style toy is a miniature version of the company's recognizable trucks, carrying its name and tagline, "The World's Largest Junk Removal Service."

Employees at the company's corporate headquarters and its more than 200 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Australia keep a number of the toy trucks on hand and give them out whenever an opportunity presents itself. Whether during office tours, on jobs at houses with kids or when meeting with prospective customers, the trucks have become ubiquitous branding tools for the company.

"I bring a bag full of them and I leave them everywhere – on my seat when I leave a plane, at restaurants – even when I leave my hotel room, I put the tip for the housekeeper in the bed of the dump truck," says Natalie Burgwin, public relations manager for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, who makes decisions with the marketing department about all promotional initiatives.

The company keeps a warehouse full of the trucks and goes through 50 to 100 each month, according to Burgwin. "In deciding on the trucks for our promotional product, we really looked into what our company is known for," says Burgwin. "The answer is: our cute dump trucks. In the end, it was more about having fun with promotions and getting the idea across that we are a creative yet professional company."

While the toy trucks are the standard promotional product for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, it also incorporates a number of other products into its marketing. The company's marketing team has started giving out squeezable "stress trucks" that are particularly popular with corporate clients who can keep them on their desks at work. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? also warehouses a huge number of refrigerator magnets, pens, mugs and lanyards that franchisees give away to create brand awareness in their communities.

From:  Successful Promotions

Pen Helps Fight Fraud

Until one nightmarish day in August 1996, Mari Frank, an attorney, never knew there was a Bank of New York in Delaware. It turns out there was a lot more she didn't know. "I got a call from the bank, and the woman on the phone told me I had an $11,000 bill," Frank says. "I thought she had the wrong number."

Frank was ready to hang up, but the bank representative persisted. She read off personal information like Frank's social security number, matching it to billing statements and a credit report. After a few agonizing minutes, Frank realized what had happened. "I was a victim when people didn't know what identity theft was," she says.

Stunned, Frank had to get some answers quickly. She spent almost an entire night calling credit reporting agencies, asking for original card applications and billing statements and trying to understand the full extent of the fraud. Eventually, Frank learned she was on the hook for $50,000 of debt. "It was pretty terrifying," she says.

Finding someone to help her through the ordeal proved even trickier than tracking down the actual fraud. Her local police department wouldn't help. Neither would the FBI or even the Secret Service, which has jurisdiction. But Frank didn't give up. "I had to become a private detective," she says. "It was so labor-intensive."

Finally, after finding a list of resources for identity theft victims online, Frank shifted her focus to Ventura, CA, where the crimes were committed. With the help of a sympathetic police officer there – who had been a victim of identity theft himself – Frank was remarkably able to find the person responsible for the fraud. The thief was a 36-year-old woman who worked in a legal office as a secretary. "She was passing out business cards and posing as me," Frank says.  

It wasn't long before Frank's story gained national attention. She appeared on programs like Dateline and 48 Hours, testified before Congress and even helped write identity theft statutes in California. Today, dedicating her time to help victims, she's considered one of the nation's foremost identity theft experts. "Everything happens for a reason," she says.

As part of her work, Frank has made a connection to the promotional products industry, serving as a spokesperson for uni-ball gel pens. Several uni-ball pens contain specially formulated ink that can't be washed from a check. "When they asked me to be an expert for them, I was honored to do that," Frank says. "I give these pens out when I go to speaking engagements and presentations."

To find out more about fraud-preventing pens and other great promotional products for the financial industry, contact your distributor partner.

From Successful Promotions

Promo Items Boost Business For Financial Advisors

Certified financial planner Jon L. Ten Haagen often speaks at seminars on financial planning. “I present on timely matters and give enough information that people realize they need more, so they come in for a consultation,” says Ten Haagen. These talks give Ten Haagen the opportunity to provide attendees with promotional giveaways, including a refrigerator magnet. 

Ten Haagen has a host of promotional refrigerator magnets. Designed to look like an old-fashioned phone, the magnets feature his firm’s contact information. He has been giving them out for years, and they continue to pay dividends.

“There are many times I will get a call from someone telling me they saw the magnet on someone’s refrigerator and asked the person about it,” says Ten Haagen, founder of Ten Haagen Financial Group.

Ten Haagen often gives two magnets to clients. “I ask them to put one on their refrigerator and give another to a relative or friend,” says Ten Haagen. “You never know where it will lead. I’ll get calls from friends and relatives who see them.”

Additionally, Ten Haagen gives out promotional pens and small flashlights that fit on keyrings, which feature his firm’s information. A boater, Ten Haagen supplies keyrings that float to other mariners at his yacht club. “Boaters are always losing their keys overboard,” he says with a laugh.

One of the ways Irwin Gross, a partner with Family Wealth Partners, achieves his thriving referral rate is through personalized service, which includes sending consolidated financial reports four times a year and customized birthday cards. Gross bolsters this outreach with promotional product initiatives that include giving clients laser-printed notepad holders, personalized pens and plaques.

Wealth manager Annette Bau builds relationships, in part, through sending personalized cards and food gifts, such as truffles on Valentine’s Day. She also hosts soirees for clients, including a salsa dancing event on Cinco de Mayo. Such events provide a great opportunity for memorable, promotional giveaways. “It’s important that you build a relationship,” says Bau.

Often, personal finance firms sponsor events, such as charity walks or community initiatives. Using imprinted items like T-shirts, caps and water bottles gets a firm’s name featured prominently and positively.

From:  Successful Promotions

How's Your Screen Printer? A&A Spaecialty is Great!!!

Have you ever been less than happy about the results of those multi color images you wanted screen printed on your tees.  Can your apparel screen printer produce an imprinted product that looks like this?  Well  A&A Specialty Advertising can.  If you have some difficult artwork you've been reluctant to have them do.  Well, whether you want that imprint on a light or dark tee shirt, give me a call and A&A Specialty will get it done right.

QR Code Drives PSA Campaign

The QR code has become a popular choice of late, and it was instrumental to the success of a recent campaign from the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) aimed at trying to get people to stop texting while driving.
   
To keep drivers' hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, MDX embarked on a national awareness campaign that would communicate the true danger of texting while driving and try to increase awareness enough to create a law banning texting and driving. Instead of taking the gory, shocking route, MDX chose to connect emotionally with drivers, showing the damage that can be done to those left behind.


MDX teamed up with their promotional products distributor to produce a short film entitled The Last Word, which is about the aftermath for families of victims of texting while driving. They also developed a comprehensive communications strategy, including extensive social media outreach, the creation of industry partnerships and a consistent presence at local and national events.



One unique component of the campaign was the use of T-shirts with QR codes to get the message out. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR code brought a user directly to the film/website. In all, 10,000 T-shirts were distributed at key events, including the Miami-Dade College graduation, as a gift to all new graduates in a bag labeled "this bag will save your life."


The students received the shirt and gift bag after they signed a pledge to not text and drive, with a branded mini Sharpie keychain that they were also able to keep as a reminder. "We created the shirts because we wanted the students to watch the film and pass it on to their family and friends, but knew that the venue where we would have the most access to them was not necessarily the best one for them to interact with the film,".


They recognized that the audience was interested in and familiar with new technology. "We provided them with a piece that they could keep and easily scan at any time and be taken directly to The Last Word, which they could watch on their mobile device – a particularly poignant way of receiving the message, considering it is about texting and driving," she says.


In addition to T-shirts, the distributor developed a postcard with a QR code that was launched at the Miami Corporate Run in order to continue the buzz and further convey the message.
To date, there have been more than 30,000 views of the film on YouTube. There has been extensive media coverage of the campaign, as well as a highly active Facebook page and positive feedback from other companies and individuals looking to join in supporting the cause.