Ideasbynet - The complete guide to promotional gifts, items and products

Launch of Funditbynet!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:08:00 +0000

Hold the front page! Here comes the eagerly anticipated launch of Funditbynet! After months of development, the website is now live!

How did Funditbynet come about?
Following an in-house study of our client data from the last 5 years, we discovered that our clients use promotional gifts for two distinctly different reasons. There are those wishing to promote a business or message (advertising) and those wishing to sell the products on to make money (fundraising). Ideasbynet has traditionally focused on the advertising side of the business, dealing with corporate clients and large government agencies. But what about the local school that wants to raise money for a new minibus, or the local football team that needs to raise funds for ref fees and club strips? The problem these small organisations experience when buying products from Ideasbynet is that there is a risk in committing to an order of say, 100 units, particularly if they only manage to then sell 50 units. This is where the idea for Funditbynet originated, developing a risk free way for fundraisers to sell branded products without the possibility of having leftover stock and losing funds.

The idea is that Funditbynet will help these smaller organisations sell products to their members and supporters by providing them with a customised ‘Fund Pack’ – a sales leaflet, poster and pledge page. This pack is put together for free and displays the product they are trying to sell, complete with their logo, enabling the fundraiser to then promote the idea and encourage pre-orders up front. This way they can work out exactly how many they need. The fundraiser can order their stock after having already sold the product, meaning they will never order too many and all the funds raised will go to their good cause.

What exactly is Funditbynet?
The idea for Funditbynet is simple and effective. A fundraising group can go on the website, knowing the amount of money they wish to raise and insert this amount into the Fund Engine along with what they are fundraising for, for example a community group or school. The website will then generate product ideas, the suggested sale and purchase prices and the amount they will need to sell in order to raise their target. The Fundometer allows them to alter their target and in turn indicates the quantity of products they need to sell. Through this they can request a Fund Pack which they will receive through email including a poster, leaflet and pledge page - meaning they can then start to sell the item before making any purchase. They will then input their order when they are clear of the amount of products they require. This way, the fundraising group does not lose any of their funds through leftover stock or excess spend and all their profits can go towards their fundraising initiative.

How Marketing Methods Have Changed Over the Past Decade

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Marketing is one of the main ways in which businesses generate sales and promote products and services. Marketing methods have changed over the last decade so make sure you are up-to-speed with the best ways to target potential customers.

Society has changed over the past 10 years and consequently, marketing methods have adapted to suit growing trends and customer behaviour.

Marketing is a business function which helps organisations understand what customers wants and needs are, aids development of a product or service which meets these needs and then gets the goods in front of the customer.

Marketing activities veary hugely and include everything needed to get initially create or develop a product and then get it into the hands of the customer. The function of marketing is essential for every business and can range from developing and designing a product or service to setting a price and them promoting the product appropriately.

In the not too distant past, marketing was a largely paper based activity with print media taking precedence. Technological developments over the past decade have changed the marketing methods now commonly used, so it is important to ensure your business is up-to-date with all the potential ways in which customers can be communicated with. Keeping ahead of these trends can have a profound affect on your business so it pays to be informed.

The majority of households in Britain now have internet access and this has changed the way organisations communicate with customers and market their products.

Marketers are now able to use tools such as social networking and email marketing to target prospective customers. Social media has made two-way communication easier between organisation and customer and is proving valuable when trying to gain more insight into customer’s attitudes and perceptions.

Technological advances are enabling marketing professionals to use more specifically targeted digital channels to get their message across and email marketing is a low cost way to get your message directly to consumers.

Digital marketing may be on the rise but print marketing methods are still of significance and an integrated communications approach which fuses old methods with new is the best way of moving forward.

Customer segmentation is more important than ever as audiences become more fragmented. This has led to an increase in the number of specialist publications, websites and television channels so keeping astride of this is integral to delivering targeted marketing campaigns.

Promotional materials have remained popular over the years and you can purchase branded items which are tailored to suit your audience, whoever they may be.

Promotional materials that customers are likely to use every day can enhance brand image and reputation and gain daily exposure for your company.

When it comes to choosing what sort of promotional item you wish to brand and distribute, begin by thinking about who your target audience are and what they might do on a daily basis. Items which can be used by everyone are ideal; promotional mugs, pens, bags and notebooks are all excellent examples. But it is always important, when choosing your business gifts, to allow for logistical implications - if you want to mail something out, then promotional pens are a good way to go where printed mugs would not be.

Presenting ‘Tuggz’, the Blatter-friendly snood substitute

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Ideasbynet showcase this season’s safer alternative to the controversial snood – ‘Tuggz’.
Promotional gifts giants Ideasbynet welcomed Sepp Blatter’s decision to ban the snood from professional football pitches. The FIFA president claimed the snood, if tugged upon by another player, “can be dangerous, even like hanging somebody”.

The danger Blatter describes is experienced by amateur footballers all over the country. The son of Peter Howarth, Ideasbynet’s Managing Director, is one such amateur footballer. Miles Howarth, 16 year-old sixth form student and aspiring entrepreneur, originally pitched the idea of ‘Tuggz’ to his father several months ago. A prototype has been developed, coinciding with Blatter’s ruling and offering a real alternative to the snood – reducing the danger but not the warmth.

‘Tuggz’ has been expertly streamlined so it is more difficult to grip. If however, another player is successful in taking hold, the garment’s multi-stress ‘Tugg-points’ will cause the ‘Tuggz’ to detach and come away from the neck, without the risk of choking.
‘Tuggz’ is manufactured from closed-cell foamed neoprene with a micro-fleece lining, making it comfortable, warm and water-resistant; perfect for a football season in England. The innovative Tuggz will stay firmly in place during a high-octane game, only coming loose when tugged – hence the name.

Byron Metzger-Edwards, member of the Ideasbynet team and keen footballer states, “I would definitely use Tuggz over a Snood – if someone does grab you it detaches straightaway, and conclusively shows the referee who’s in the wrong!”
‘Tuggz’ will eventually be available in a range of sizes so young fans of Carlos Tevez or Samir Nasri will be able to emulate their heroes; stylishly and safely.

Getting your brand into peoples hands

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:46:00 +0000

By focusing on promotional materials that offer true practical value, you can develop positive associations between your brand and your customers.

The recession taught many businesses the value of cost-effective promotional strategies, with companies that spent large amounts on television and billboard advertising campaigns often failing to boost their earnings sufficiently to warrant such expensive marketing practices. However, advertising doesn't have to be big and brash to be effective, and promotional items such as office stationery are still among the best ways to increase recognition and loyalty for your brand among consumers, employees and other associates.

Brands are present everywhere we look in our daily lives, from the prominent designer logos of clothing and cars to company names on carrier bags. Many people may be acting as promoters for companies without even being aware of it, enhancing visibility of the brand name everywhere they go, which can be a lot more vital in enhancing your brand perception than less useful objects that end up in the trash.

That's why businesses are encouraged to produce practical promotional material that people are likely to use every day, rather than printing flyers and posters that may improve your brand's visibility, but won't serve to develop the same positive associations. By branding your logo onto useful items such as pens - items always in high demand, and often gratefully received - your existing customers will tend to think of your company highly, and this connection can be passed onto others who use it too.

Promotional pens are not the only form of effective promotional material, of course, but they are one of the most enduring, and can also help towards creating a stronger identity within your company, if workers at all levels are issued with matching pens, notebooks, mouse mats, umbrellas and other useful objects. Another advantage of office stationery is that it's relatively inexpensive to produce, even in large quantities, and you can usually find a range of options - depending on the type or colour of pens and other items you wish to distribute, and what best reflects your company's image and slogan.

Improving awareness of your brand will only be effective if your company's logo, slogan and other featured designs are truly memorable, and this is where a design revamp can be useful before undertaking a major marketing campaign. People are more likely to remember and respond well to eye-catching or emotive designs than bland typefaces and uninspired slogans, and if you're investing in a wide array of promotional materials, you'll want to be sure the message you're sending out to potential customers is as enticing and up-to-date as possible.

Ways to Use Promotional Travel Mugs to Advertise Your Company or Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Using promotional travel mugs to advertise your company's products or services can be a really smart move and a great investment for your business. With a minimal amount of effort and a minimal investment upfront, you can ensure that your company's name is becoming well-known in the surrounding community. Giving logo imprinted travel mugs as gifts is only one way to achieve this goal.

You can include custom printed travel mugs with other promotional materials, informational materials or packets of promotional items as incentive or drawing prizes. This will entice new clientele and will also help gain the loyalty of current clientele. The primary reason for this is because promotional travel mugs are useful items, which makes them ideal for gifts. Everyone appreciates useful gifts, even if they are logo imprinted, because it shows that a business or company is willing to go the extra mile to meet their product or service needs.

Offering logo printed travel mugs to local charities or city events that your company helps sponsor is a great way to show community spirit and demonstrate that your business truly cares about people and their locality. This is especially good if the promotional travel mugs are included with free samples of food items, coupons for useful items or included with logo printed sweatshirts or jackets. If your company works closely with events that go toward the betterment of the community, demonstrating further care is always a good idea. Custom printed travel mugs will help that - people can always use a good travel mug - while getting your company's name out into the general public. Travel mugs are also great as fundraising ideas – if you need to raise funds for your organisation you could get travel mugs printed with your fundraising message and sell them to supporters of the organisation. Since you can purchase the travel mugs at bulk rates you can sell them at normal high-street retail prices – without ripping anybody off – which would leave a profit per unit that can go straight into your fundraising kitty.

Why Promotional Sticky Notes Are a Great Way to Advertise Your Office Supply Company

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:40:00 +0000

If your company is in the office supply industry, whether you directly distribute office supplies or are in some other part of the industry, your business should consider using promotional sticky notes to advertise your products or services. Custom logo printed items have become an increasingly popular method of advertising products and marketing services in recent years, it only makes sense to apply them to your business as well. When using logo printed sticky notes to market a product or service, your company can reach many different groups of people and types of clientele with minimal effort.

Using promotional sticky notes can give your business more exposure for your advertising dollars. This is due, in part, to the fact that a simple gift of sticky notes can be a very appreciated item. Who doesn't occasionally need to write something down? Giving potential clientele something they can - and will - actually use, is a great way to make a lasting impression on them, which will help ensure that they keep your company in mind for their future product or service needs or wants. Custom printed sticky notes are a simple and inexpensive way to give them something imprinted with your company logo, which is better than simply handing out fliers or business cards.

Giving your clientele promotional sticky notes during transactions or consultations is a great way to say "thank-you" to them for considering your company or trying your products and services. You can also give custom printed sticky notes to other businesses, when at conferences and meetings - this helps them look on your company favorably, and makes them more likely to utilize your products or services in the future. With a low-cost per piece, logo imprinted sticky notes are a great investment for your company and will give you the most advertising exposure with the least amount of effort.

Why Use Promotional Keyrings to Promote Your Auto Business

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Using promotional items to help advertise a company's products or services is an easy way to help spread the word without using pushy sales techniques, making "cold calls" or resorting to more expensive advertising methods. You can use promotional keyrings to advertise your auto business and its products or services. Logo printed items, especially keychains, can be custom printed to suit your company's needs. You can advertise specific promotions, products or services with a minimal amount of effort and time.

Promotional keyrings are a great way to say "Thank-you" to already existing clientele for their patronage of your business. You can include custom printed keychains in informational or promotional packets that are given to already existing customers or give them out during initial visits to your business location. If your auto business sells vehicles, then you can give your clients the keys to the vehicles on brand-new, logo printed keyrings. Your clientele will appreciate the gesture and know that they are valued by your company.

You can gain new clientele by giving out custom printed promotional keyrings during special events at your business or during city events that your company helps sponsor. There is no better way to show your company's generosity and dedication to quality and good customer service than to give away items that people can actually use. Giving logo imprinted keyrings to your employees is also a great way to show your appreciation for their hard work. In turn, your employees will feel valued and be more likely to refer family and friends to your company for their product or service needs. An auto business - in any part of the auto industry - simply can't go wrong by using custom printed keychains.

Using Promotional Coasters In Your Restaurant Business

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:11:00 +0000

If you're looking for a unique way to market your restaurant or restaurant supply business, consider using promotional coasters. There are many benefits to using logo printed items, the most important being that people will remember your business name and the products or services you offer when they see your company logo on something that they use. With a low-cost per piece, it simply makes good business sense to use custom printed coasters to market your business if you're in the restaurant industry.

Whether you've recently opened a new restaurant or are wanting to remind people of your already existing restaurant, promotional coasters are a great way to jump-start the advertising process. Custom printed coasters can be used when serving beverages or given to people as they come through the entrance. When your servers or hosts offer logo imprinted coasters to patrons - your customers will appreciate the gesture, know that your business is dedicated to good customer service and they will likely take the coasters home with them. When people take the coasters home with them, they'll remember the great experience they had in your restaurant and will be more likely to tell others.

Promotional coasters are also a great idea for companies that deal directly with restaurants. Your business will stand out to restaurant owners and managers, which means they will be more likely to contact your company when they have need for your specific products or services. Your company and its employees can give out logo printed coasters during initial visits to restaurant locations, at business conferences and even to local city offices. This will help spread the word about your products or services, with minimal effort on your company's part.

IdeasByNet supports launch of ALRA North

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:42:00 +0000

At IdeasByNet we are always keen to support other northern businesses, and as such have pledged support for London based drama school ALRA (The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts), which has recently opened its northern campus in Wigan, with a new cohort of students starting term on Monday 27th September.

ALRA has worked alongside IdeasByNet previously and we offered to support the launch of the northern site by providing the students with a range of ALRA branded stationery including promotional pens, notebooks and cotton shoppers.

The products were warmly received by ALRA co-director, Adrian Hall, who said: "We're delighted that IdeasByNet have chosen to support ALRA North by providing us with branded stationery free of charge. As well as our regular Open Days, we hold Outreach talks at schools and colleges across the country, to teach students more about life at drama school. It’s great to be able to take branded stationery along to these sessions for the students to take away with them."

ALRA prides itself on its strong community relations, and has been working hard to raise awareness of the potential of the new campus locally. Local dance and drama groups are being welcomed in to share the performance and rehearsal spaces. Being able to hand out branded items will help spread the word even faster, and they’ll also offer the students a little bit extra as they join ALRA in their first week.

IdeasByNet are particularly keen to support other northern companies, in addition to the continuing support we are offering registered charities. Adrian added: "Obviously, as a registered charity, we always need to think carefully about how any money we spend benefits our current students, so a boost like this from a regional company is just the ticket."

Spain’s sporting heroes are good omen for Ideasbynet’s move into Spanish market

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:25:00 +0000

In terms of sporting achievement, 2010 has been the ‘Year of the Spaniard’. At Ideasbynet we hope to continue this success with the launch of our Spanish website. Following the success of the Spanish football team at the World Cup, Alberto Contador’s defence of his Tour de France crown and Rafa Nadal’s domination of the tennis majors, at Ideasbynet we hope to continue the ‘Year of the Spaniard’ with the launch of http://www.articulospromocionales.net/.

The new website has been in development for a number of months, with thousands of 'articulos promocionales' uploaded ready to start selling. Ideasbynet, which has become one of the leading online promotional gifts distributors in the UK, has decided to launch in Spain following the immediate success they have seen in selling ‘werbeartikel’ on their German website.

The company’s ethos of providing quality promotional products and forging lasting professional relationships is one it feels will transfer productively to the Spanish market. Promotional pens and promotional mugs, as fairly low cost items that are used daily have proven to be hugely popular in the UK as a vehicle for maintaining brand profile. However, with such a variety of ‘regalos de empresa' to choose from, including promotional cooler bags, folders and beach accessories, Ideasbynet are fascinated to see where Spanish customers will focus their marketing efforts – perhaps the promotional sports holdalls!

Ideasbynet is looking forward to beginning its work in Spain and hopes that the country’s sporting success in 2010 will be a good omen for the website launch.

More Exclusive Pens Launched!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:27:00 +0000

Not content with selling the same old pens that you see day in - day out, at IdeasByNet we are focused on constantly sourcing new and exclusive promotional gifts. There is nothing worse than handing out a promotional gift than for the recipient to mistake your brand for another simply because you've chosen a standard giveaway pen.

We take sourcing promotional gifts very seriously and as such have come up with a couple of cracking new pens. The Aviator Metal Pen is a very high quality metal pen which has a distinguished weighted feel to differentiate it from the crowd. Available in cool matt silver or polished toned enamel colour options of black and blue. With striking chrome detail this pen looks as good as it feels. Best of all, the price doesn't break the bank - at less than a pound for 2500 units or more it is incredible value for money.

The Twenty50 Ball Pen is a retractable promotional ball pen that has been developed specifically to maximise branding opportunities. With a huge 20 x 50mm print area we can use rotary printing techniques to allow you to effectively use 2 print areas for the price of 1! If, for instance, you wanted to print a logo or message in line with the clip, we could also print a web address on the reverse in the same colour - without charging two sets of print costs or two setups. We can print up to 5 spot colours on the barrel, and can also print on the clip if further branding was required. From only 16p, the Twenty50 Ball Pen delivers on price as well as quality.

With an ever growing selection of products, we are sure you will find what you need on our website. However, if you ever need advice or want to speak to someone about your promotional needs please don't hesitate to contact us on 0844 8117 566 or sales@ideasbynet.com. In addition to all the products on the site, we have access to a further 20,000 products so we are always confident we can source the perfect item for your promotional campaign.

New Improved Print Area on Best Selling Pen

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:55:00 +0000

The Curvy Promotional Ballpen has been a consistent best-seller for the last 2 and a half years. After it's launch in 2008, IdeasByNet recorded sales of 325,000, which improved in 2009 to reach a staggering 510,000. Year to date sales have reached 380,000 with expectations of over 600,000 after the Christmas rush.

IdeasByNet has been working closely with their specialised pen printing experts to develop a new improved print area to maximise branding opportunities. Instead of a typical rectangular print area, we have developed a 'wine bottle' shaped area, with the 'neck' area at 23 x 3mm and the 'body' area at 35 x 10mm. You can see an example of the improved print area on the product image lightbox (click 'more images' on the Curvy Pen page). However if you preferred the old print area of 45 x 7mm, we can still offer that too!

In addition to the improved print area, IdeasByNet are also extending the range of product colours offered on this pen. We can now also offer a range of Curvy pens with a white barrel and funky colour grips. This improvement is just one of the many things IdeasByNet are doing to improve their product offering and ensure they continute to offer the widest and best range of promotional gifts in the market.

IdeasByNet's Ongoing Charity Support

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:59:00 +0000

At IdeasByNet we are constantly committed to providing support for charities, either directly by providing promotional products to a specific charity, or by sponsoring our clients' charity events. One of our clients, The Mental Health Foundation, approached us recently to ask for our assistance. They were looking to promote their 'Tea and Talk' campaign, and had the idea to send promotional mugs to TV presenters, in the hope that they would use them on television and thus promote the event. IdeasByNet duly obliged, providing a range of our highest quality Ultra White Sparta Mugs printed with the Tea and Talk strapline, completely free of charge of course.

The campaign has been developed in coordination with the World Mental Health Day on 10th October, which raised of £30,000 last year and is hoping to smash that record this year. The premise of Tea and Talk is very straightforward, and anyone can take part - there's no need to run marathons or jump out of a helicopter! - simply grab a few friends, stick the kettle on, and encourage them to make a donation to the Mental Health Foundation.

1 in 4 people in Britain will experience a mental health problem in any one year. The more money raised by the charity, the more support they can offer those suffering from mental illness. So in addition to enjoying a good old natter, you could really make a difference to someone in anguish.

Last year over 6000 people took part in the event, IdeasByNet will be hosting their own Tea and Talk event - why not join in this time around and help make a difference? You can register for a Tea and Talk pack on the Mental Health Foundation website.

IdeasByNet Supports Charity Event

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick Hathaway) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:48:00 +0000

IdeasByNet is always looking to support charity events and has recently been involved with BT to provide a range of promotional products to help them on a sponsored climb of Mount Snowdon. 45 BT graduate employees took on the challenge, with a fundraising target of £150 per person and all the money raised going to Child Line.

To help them on their arduous journey, IdeasByNet provided Travel Mugs for the all important tea-breaks, First Aid Kits for the inevitable bumps and bruises and Bottle Opener Keyrings for the post-climb celebratory beers! We also supplied Long Handled Cotton Shopping Bags to hold everything in.

With all their free gifts in tow, the graduates set out on a sunny Saturday in early June – some in fancy dress – and all completed the climb up and the even more precarious descent. Everyone did a fantastic job and their efforts should be applauded.

IdeasByNet supplied all the promotional gifts with ‘The Climb’ logo printed on, to help get the all-important message across. The event raised over £6000 for Child Line, a worthy a-mount! Support Child Line yourselves by visiting their website.

Donate Promotional Bags for New Resident Welcome Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:43:00 +0000

Promotional bags come in a wide variety of styles, including inexpensive plastic shopping bags, reusable totes and luxury imprinted travel, gym or conference bags. Custom plastic bags, reusable tote bags and other emblazoned bags are often used at trade shows or community events for handing out promotional materials or freebies, and are sometimes used to hold the contents of welcome packages for new residents who have just moved to a new housing community or town. Companies that are able to arrange for their imprinted bags to be used in the creation and distribution of welcome promotional gifts for new homeowners or renters have an excellent opportunity to position themselves to be the first company that comes to mind when the recipient is in need of their products or services.

Welcome packages are sometimes given to new renters when they move into an apartment complex, handed out by Realtors to new homeowners when escrow closes, or given out by the local chamber of commerce or visitors center when new folks arrive in town. Some of these distributors will ask you to pay for the privilege of advertising your company in this manner by paying a fee in exchange for having the opportunity to provide bags imprinted with your company information, while other communities or organizations will often simply appreciate the donation of bags and will only require you to supply the promotional products for them to fill with welcome goodies. Either way, it is well worth the investment to have the chance to come in contact with your potential consumers before your competitors. Getting your brand in front of newcomers first will place you in the front of the line once they have settled in and are in need of the services you provide.

Ideasbynet Launches in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:47:00 +0000

After months of preparation and hard work by all the team at Ideasbynet, we are now proud to be able to announce that we have lauched into the German promotional items market (in German, as I now speak a little werbeartikel) - with a bang. Already we are seeing high levels of traffic to our brand new look website (www.werbeartikeldirekt.de) and orders are flowing thick and fast. Our team of German speaking sales executives are a delight to work with and we hope that they will all have long and fruitful careers with Ideasbynet.

Our highly dedicated team of programmers and sourcing specialists are now ploughing their way through the US gift market and our new US website will be live in the next few days. But as always we don't do things by halves at Ideasbynet, Oh no, we just love a challenge, so to top it all off we also decided to launch in Spain with our new articulos promocionales website http://www.articulospromocionales.net/ which again should be online in the coming months.

Well done to all involved and I am sure the ride is going to be exciting if not a bit scary at times but as I always say, no pain no gain and with the amount of effort and personal sacrifice made by many members of the team, and the gigantic investment, I have little doubt that we will get exactly where we want to be over the coming weeks and months.

Three Great Ways to Boost Business With Promotional Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Many businesses are already aware of the immense potential that promotional corporate gifts have to boost business but are at a total loss as to how to make the best use of them. Amazingly, there are scores of ways to increase your bottom line by giving out promotional gifts. The following are just 3 oft-overlooked favorites:

1. Give them out as employee bonuses: Too often business owners and their marketing departments are so wrapped up in pleasing existing customers and courting new ones that they forget all about the people working so hard to help make that happen. But a business's employees are its most valuable asset. Pleasing one customer or prospect benefits your bottom line, certainly, but keeping your number one sales force--your employees--happy can bring you endless streams of clients and leads, benefiting your bottom line today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter.

2. Give them out as raffle prizes: The next time you host an event--be it a corporate conference or a charity fundraiser--hold a raffle. People love the opportunity to win something for nothing (or next-to-nothing depending on your raffle-entry terms). And by using promotional gifts as your prizes, you can buy just a few larger, "high-ticket" items and wow not just the prize-winners but everyone who enters and even all those who just watch.

3. Give them out as raffle tickets: A raffle is a multi-layered marketing opportunity. And another way to maximize that opportunity--in addition to buying a handful of more expensive promotional items to give out as prizes--is to purchase a large amount of a very inexpensive promotional item to give out instead of paper tickets. This way, everyone who enters gets to take something with your name on it home with them, making everyone who enters a winner!

Low Cost Promotional Items For The Credit Crunch

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:37:00 +0000

In these credit crunch times businesses around the world will be asking themselves 'should I or shouldn't I go ahead with our planned promotional campaign?'. There is no easy answer to this question and obviously budgets play a big part in the answer to the question. However, there is a clear need for all businesses to strive to retain existing customers and also to bring on board new ones at the same time. The key here is how to do this in the most cost effective way. The first part is quite easy we can all use the telephone where calls cost nupence to keep in touch with our current client base, the second is a little more tricky.

Promotional gifts can offer a great low cost way in which to promote your business to the masses and what's more effectively. You don't have to spend a fortune on gifts to get your message noticed. There are a whole host of product options which are available for pennies and not pounds, the obvious one is promotional pens. Pens are available from only a few pence each and can be custom printed with your logo and contact details and then distributed to potential customers via traditional methods or handed out at trade shows and conferences. Think about it 1,000 pens imprinted with your details are going to give your brand a wide exposure and for only a few hundred pounds at most. Compared with other forms of advertising this form of building brand awareness is extremely cost effective.

We all use pens on a daily basis and leave them lying around our desks so not only does the recipient see your message but also any passer by in the office or other use of the pen. Plastic promotional keyrings are another great low cost way to promote your business, we all have keys and use them daily and if you can come up with a eye catching design there is no reason why the recipient wouldn't substitute your keyring for their existing one. Once attached to their keys your message is going to be hanging around for months if not years to come.

So you see, even in the tough economic climate we currently live in promotional items can form a crucial part of gaining new customers in a highly cost effective way just don't blow the budget on high end products and the result will still be the same, new potential customers at a cost that won't make the boss choke.

Recycled Rulers as Promotional Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:52:00 +0000

Recycled promotional gifts are a very hot item right now. Consumers are scrutinizing environmental Impact with all of the media hype regarding the damage our past and present activity is wreaking on it. To get on the bandwagon, so to speak, you can offer recycled promotional gifts to impress your clients, customers, and even employees.

All that remains is choosing the types of recycled promotional gifts you would like to offer these individuals. Something that is very functional has always been a ruler. At various times in our lives we need to measure things whether it is at home, in school, or at the job. In fact rulers can also be used as a means of keeping place on a page of material being typed.

The functionality of rulers leads to the importance of the recycled promotional items. There are recycled rulers offered for recycled promotional gifts at Ideas by Net. These rulers are made from recycled CD cases, discs, and other recycled plastics.

You have your choice in the style of recycled rulers that you purchase. There are 15 cm, 30 cm, and 1 m rulers you can purchase. The type of recycled promotional gifts you offer will need to be based on your target audience. If a lot of teachers, children, or parents of children come into your store the recycled rulers will fit this need perfectly.

Not only are the recycled promotional gifts perfect for advertising your company; they are also very cost effective marketing.

Recycled Promotional Gifts to Enhance Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:29:00 +0000

The environment is a hot topic of late. With new reports, concerns, and companies jumping on the bandwagon the environment is always in the forefront. This is not a bad thing; in fact it can be used towards promoting your business.

Your business needs to advertise and have a marketing campaign. What many businesses are doing is assuring their consumers that they are environmentally friendly through a variety of different ways. To be in the running for generating more revenue from consumers, you need to offer recycled promotional gifts. These gifts will show just how much you care for the environment.

They can also be a way to enhance your business sales. A free gift always goes a long way towards wooing consumers, but recycled promotional products can take it even farther. Now that you know how the recycled promotional gifts can help you, let’s look at the kind of gifts you can purchase for promotional reasons.

In the recycled promotional gifts section you have organic clothing, bags, coasters, mouse mats, mugs, note pads, pencil cases, pens, rulers, and sticky notes. Each of these promotional items has been made with the environment in mind. The recycled promotional items will be cost effective to your business. They will also allow you to advertise your logo for brand recognition. The most important thing about gaining sales is to make sure the business name and logo will be recognised. If you can have this and have your name recognised in a good light, then you are succeeding.

Promotional Merchandise as Employee Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:28:00 +0000

There are four reasons you should offer promotional merchandise to employees. The obvious reason is seasonal gifts such as Christmas. Promotional merchandise will help show your appreciation to the employee for all of their hard work during the year, and that you recognise the holiday.

We touched lightly on the other three broad reasons. Employee recognition is a huge reason to offer promotional merchandise. The merchandise can be offered to a specific employee for a specific project that was well done. It can be offered to a group for a project. Promotional merchandise can be used to signify an anniversary with the company, such as the five-year mark for employment. It can also be used as a motivator.

Promotional items are often used in contests for rewards. Corporations like to have contests to help increase employee morale. The contests can be for upping sales, hitting the budget for the quarter, or any other reason. The point at the end of the contest is that there is a reward worth working for. The promotional merchandise will fit that idea. The merchandise should be something the employees would want to work for. It will be something they might covet from the company, such as the new products. In this case the promotional merchandise can be anything you make it.Again, to offer a good light towards the company, the image you create with the promotional merchandise needs to be one that will satisfy your needs. Employee promotional merchandise should not be low quality or leftovers.

Promotional Items at Trade Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Trade shows are a little different from regular events that many businesses host. Trade shows are a way for you to get your products sold in a store. For example, at a trade show products that you produce or make by hand are often on display. This allows anyone that has a shop to come find merchandise for his or her shelves and floor. It is essentially a merchandise mart for smaller shops that get their products from several places.

Trade shows need to be impressive so that a person can find good quality products for sale. Some places will want to have a huge number of items that they can buy in order to fill their shop. Others may just want to get a few items to see if it sells. One way to impress potential clients at trade shows is by promotional items.

Promotional items can be a new product line you are offering for free or it can be a way for brand recognition. There are five useful promotional items at trade shows you should consider. These five promotional items are pens, key rings, paper and carrier bags, notepads, and mint strips or mint cards. These items tend to be functional as well as intriguing to the consumer. For example, utilizing the mint strip or card can be considered an unusual gift that peaks the interest of your client or potential client. It is something that not every business will do. It is also inexpensive and therefore a cost effective promotional item.

Promotional Merchandise Functionality

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Your business is important to you; therefore you want it to succeed. Part of making a business succeed is the marketing and sales that you have. To get your brand recognised you have a number of options. One is offering promotional merchandise. The promotional merchandise can be gifts to employees, clients, or conference attendees. It can also be something offered in conjunction with an item you have for sale.

For example, new product launches often have promotional merchandise along with them. Cosmetics, when you purchase the entire new line, may offer a free bag to take the cosmetics home in. The bag would be the promotional merchandise. This also leads to our main topic. Promotional merchandise needs to have functionality. In other words it needs to have a use that the receiver will see and like.

One of the promotional items found at Ideas by Net is a pen, but they are not just any pens. These pens have carabiners, tape measures, and other options that create a dual functionality within the pen. You don’t just have something to write with, you also have a tape measure when you need it or perhaps you have a multi-inked pen. The point we are trying to make is that the promotional merchandise must fit your brand, but also be functional to the client to have a greater effect on the marketing and sales. After all, to have your business succeed you need to impress your target audience as much as possible through promotional items.

Are Recycled Promotional Gifts Cost Effective?

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:26:00 +0000

Recycled promotional gifts or Eco friendly promotional gifts are often made from organic materials or materials that have been trashed and refurbished. About a decade ago the organic or recycled items you could purchase were more expensive. The reason behind this was the lack of mass production and demand. The environment wasn’t being seen as something to be too concerned about, despite all the reports. In fact, a lot of individuals felt global warming was and is a myth. Luckily the thought process has begun to change. More and more consumers are beginning to realise just what the impact we have on the planet is likely to lead to. This now means that as a general rule eco friendly and recycled items are costing less.

To be eco friendly in a business, even with recycled promotional gifts, you don’t have to worry about being cost effective. In fact the pens, clothing, and other recycled promotional gifts that you have at your disposal are all about the same cost as the regular items. This is because production is up, as is demand.

Businesses such as Ideas by Net, offering recycled promotional gifts understand the need for all businesses to show how eco friendly they can be. With the range of recycled promotional gifts you are sacrificing nothing when it comes to quality, cost effectiveness and marketing reach. It is perhaps even more effective to offer recycled items rather than other gifts. To please your consumers, offer recycled promotional gifts and see the return on such a small investment.

Corporate Gifts for Employees

noreply@blogger.com (Gareth Parkin) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:52:00 +0000

You value your employees, but sometimes you might not show it. Corporations tend to be a little lax in rewarding employees because they are less personal; however if you truly want to motivate your employees you need to start offering recognition. The type of recognition you offer should be for everyone, and not just for the top sales. It doesn’t have to be much when you consider the recognition. You can offer holiday corporate gifts.

The point is that you have an option and obligation to encourage your employees, especially if they have provided you with a lot of years of service. The corporate gifts for employees can be clothing, bags, mugs, pens, or other options that you have available.

The corporate gifts you choose should be something of value. In other words don’t offer a gift like a pen to a person that has worked for the company for 20 years. That is more a slap in the face. Your employees can be your greatest marketers when they are treated correctly. To ensure this, take the time to offer corporate gifts they will find useful and appropriate.Corporate gifts for employees can also be contest rewards. In this case you have plenty of options for little trinkets up to the most expensive travel bag you can find. The corporate gifts, while they should be cost effective also need to be of value to promote your image to the employees. Personalisation of the items is one way to do this.