:: Logo Products Blog ::

Recently, I’ve noticed how many companies are having their employees wear imprinted polo shirts with a pair of khakis as a uniform.  What a great idea!  The employees are easy to spot in their matching shirts that are inexpensive to supply and they generally are responsible for providing their own pants.  The employees don’t mind wearing the shirts because they are comfortable and stylish.  Some companies even sell imprinted shirts and/or imprinted hats for profit for their frequent customers.  Imprinted shirts are definitely a great way to publicize your company in your office or out on the street.  Happy Halloween!

Right before school started, my granddaughter’s nursery school ordered imprinted sports bottles to give to the new families that started attending the school at a beginning of the year ice cream social.  It was a nice touch.  First of all, the new children were excited about having a cool water bottle to take home with the initials of the school on it.  Secondly, the school was happy because it was in line with the new “go green” policy that they are adopting.  And finally, the parents were happy to see that their families were getting a warm welcome from the place where they will watch their children grow for the next couple of years.  While there were some leftover bottles, they are able to sell them for a small profit along with the other logo wear like t-shirts and lanyards that are imprinted and sold.  Sometimes the simple giveaways are the most cost effective advertising you can buy.    

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the “run of the mill ” custom imprinted coffee mug is one of the best, if not the best, marketing value available. One of the leaders in the Promotional Products industry indicated that he felt this claim was based on the conservative estimate of an imprinted coffee cup lasting any where from one to two years and that three to five people would view it each day. If you extrapolate that this would result in 15 to 50 impressions per five-day work week then the cost per impression would range from .006th to .001th of a cent. Let’s not forget that coffee is now the second most consumed beverage in the world next to water, so the value of a custom imprinted cup as a promotional product will continue to grow in the coming years.

One of my grandchildren is about ready to embark upon her journey to elementary school. Her parents are not sure where the best place is for her to attend Kindergarten. As a result, they are visiting private and public schools near where they live. In doing so, they have received a number of Promotional Products or Advertising Specialties by the private schools, quiet reminders to fill out applications or call with questions. They have gotten pens, pencils, folders, magnets, and even staple removers with the school’s information imprinted upon each product. Once granted acceptance into the school, there are t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and more available for purchase. This is a great fund raising tool, but it is also an easy way to send out a reminder - in this case to the parents, but businesses can also benefit greatly from the quiet message these types of imprinted items send.

Did you know that the lanyard that you see being used as an Advertising Specialty or Promotional Product actually started its life with the “dragoons” of the 17th and 18th century when they used lanyards to secure their sabers to their wrists. With 90% of the 11,000+ trade showsannually using lanyards, as well as the security firms and health care industry (to name just a few users), why not get your custom imprinted message on the necks of all these people for better “eye-level” advertising. Your cost for this type of Advertising Specialty or Promotional Product advertising is very minimal on a cost per impression given the number of people who will see your imprint.

I know that everybody that is reading this has at one time or another written with the good old fashion wood pencil and just took for granted the power they had in their hand. That’s right (or should I say write)- power - because a standard 7 in imprinted wood pencil is capable of writing an average of 45,000 words according to one of the Promotional Products industry leaders.  Another “crumb” of information is that from the mid 1500s until 1770 bread crumbs were used as erasers and it was only then that the first rubber eraser was made. It was finally in 1858 that a patent for attaching an eraser was give to Hyman Lipman in Philadelphia and the pencil as we know it today was born. Today there are many collectors of imprinted pencils such as vintage Coca-Cola pencils which can command prices in the range of $50.00. You can visit www.pencilpages.com for more information on collectible custom imprinted pencils.

The last concert I went to had them.  The last show I saw also had them.  The last event I was involved in had them.   All three of these activities had one thing in common… They all sold imprinted T-shirts & imprinted caps.  What better way to advertise while making a profit!   A quality shirt or cap with a logo on it is a great way to get your band or company’s name out there creating buzz.      

In today’s world we all need to be thinking about what we can do to conserve our natural resources and reduce the amount of trash we put into landfills. One way is by using bags, which can be custom imprinted. Churches and Temples in the San Fernando Valley, here in Southern California, have come together to be part of the Green America campaign. In addition to trying to inspire their congregations with their sermons, religious leaders have been using advertising specialties as an added dimension to their programs. For example, Temple Judea gave every congregant who attended High Holiday services an imprinted bag that was made of non-wovern polypropylene with the temple logo on it and they promoted the “Green” message by making a strong plea for everybody to take the bag into the store when they went shopping so that it would be one or more less bags that would be used and tossed after their shopping trip. It’s such great product that can be a reminder of your organization while helping the environment. What more could you ask for?

The other night I went out to dinner with one of my grandsons to the Red Robin Restaurant. While waiting for our dinner I started counting all of the custom imprinted advertising specialties that they were using. My grandson was playing with the custom imprinted placemats and crayons while the server, who was wearing a custom embroidered golf shirt, brought our drinks that were in custom imprinted glasses that he placed on custom imprinted coasters that they were using to promote their specialty food items. The only thing that surprised me was that we were not given a custom imprinted pen to sign the check with.  The imprinted pen is essential to a company as an advertising specialty, and here they were missing out on such a great opportunity for publicity.  It does go to show how many possibilities there are for promotional products to be utilized.