May 15, 2018

​Go Offline to Reach Your Clients

Submitted by Kelly Glass

It’s a common misconception in the promotional products industry that the best way to reach Millennials, and really the only way to reach modern customers, is by amping up your business’s online presence. In other words, if you build an online persona, the customers will come.

Or so they say.

May 9, 2018

4 Times Promotional Products Companies Helped Those in Need

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Thanks to news that distributor sales reached a record-breaking $23.3 billion in 2017, we know the promotional products industry is alive and booming. With such a big sales base, we’d be remiss not to give back to our communities as much as possible. Here are four instances when promotional products companies helped bring awareness to a cause, raised money for those in need or helped out with disaster recovery efforts.

May 1, 2018

​The Psychology Behind Your Favorite Logos

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Creating a logo is more than just throwing together an image with a fun font and bright colors. Truly successful companies, such as Starbucks and Target, know the key to logo design actually lies in the psychology behind it. Each choice, from shape to color to font, delivers a specific message to customers.

April 24, 2018

​4 Embroidery Problems with Hats — and How to Solve Them

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Hats are one the most widely used items for promotional products and spreading marketing messages. You see them everywhere, branded with company logos, short clever quips and brand names.

There’s only one problem. Embroidering hats, specifically ball caps, can be a pretty big hassle. Here are the top four problems with getting embroidered artwork on ball caps, and what you can do to solve them.

April 17, 2018

How to Handle Natural Disasters at Your Business

Submitted by Kelly Glass

The weather’s been crazy, right? Hurricanes, blizzards, flooding, nor’easters . . .  all things that can cause major disaster for your business. You’ll need to act quickly if you want to be sure the damage isn’t irreversible or even more costly. If you’re the unfortunate victim of a force of nature, follow these steps to minimize the impact.

April 10, 2018

The History of Embroidery

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Thinking of getting your customers’ logos embroidered? It’s a great choice! They will build on centuries of historical positivity at seeing an embroidered piece of art. Plus, the design style is booming right now and on-trend all over the runways. But where did embroidery begin and how has it gotten to the ubiquitous level it’s at today?

April 2, 2018

How to Resolve those Pesky Client Conflicts

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Say it with me: The customer isn’t always right. Shocking, I know! But it’s true. And nothing can make a client angrier than not being right. It’s unfortunate how many client conflicts are born. But you don’t have to let disagreements with a customer ruin your business relationship. Here’s how to manage those customer conflicts and come out on top — without any lost revenue. (Special thanks go to Vanilla Ice for the entirely appropriate section headlines.).

March 20, 2018

Try a Bit of Subtlety in Your Branding

Submitted by Kelly Glass

Lynne Lambert, owner of Mapt Gear, has a revolutionary idea that may upend the promotional products industry. It’s kind of like anti-branding. Her company sells totes, messenger bags and a padfolio waiting for logos. However, the logos themselves are sometimes never seen on the products. Instead, she prints maps with pin illustrations to show the exact locations of companies’ headquarters (or specific locations or even event spots).

March 13, 2018

March Madness Magic and Mayhem

Submitted by Kelly Glass

The Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and now March Madness — the sports world has been in overdrive lately. Which can mean both good and bad things for the promotional products industry. As you gear up for the annual 64-team college basketball showdown, follow these tips to avoid the mayhem and bring on promo product magic.

March 6, 2018

Making Trade Shows Work for You

Submitted by Kelly Glass

With a full slate of industry trade shows coming up over the next few months, it’s important to know that the time and investment you’re putting into events will be worth your while. So, sorry folks: that means late nights partying with industry friends and then sleeping through the showroom floor is probably not the best strategy.