Why is the problem getting worse? It’s because our technological capabilities are getting better. Digital billboards and vehicle wraps offer unlimited ways to add sizzle to your signage and your marketing. Full color photos flash across digital big screens. And your vehicle can be emblazoned with big, beautiful pictures of your business, your crew, or whatever else your little heart desires. Some of these are jaw dropping examples of digital printing and presentation at its best.

But here’s where people get in trouble. Because they can now use extremely detailed graphics, they do, regardless of how it will actually be observed in reality. As well, they are usually viewing the proof for their billboard or vehicle wrap on a much smaller computer screen and up close. At that distance, everything looks great. And it’s stationary… unlike it will be when viewed at 35 to 55 miles an hour (or more).

So here are some of the most recent offenses:

• Whose Ad is This??? – This is usually a problem with billboards. No, make that a problem with billboard designers. They’re usually magazine or print designers, transitioning onto the big screen. So they go for the oh-so-subtle logo and identifying info in the lower right corner. Unfortunately, at high speed and long distances, you can’t even see the logo or contact info… not even with my distance vision specs on.
• Pink and Orange DO mix, All Too Well – Okay, I’m a child of the 60s and I do love the combination of pink and orange… just not when there’s an orange logo on a pink background. And, yes, I did actually see this for a pharmacy, a big one in Chicago, that slapped their orange-ish logo on top of a photo of a woman wearing a pink-ish sweater on a digital billboard. I had to look at that billboard maybe half a dozen times over a number of days to even determine what company the ad was for. You need high contrast, people! And you especially need it in the digital arena due to the screens washing out some colors.
• The Roving Brochure – A vehicle has so much surface, there’s a temptation to put all kinds of detailed information on your vehicle wrap graphics. Your social media info, a listing of all your services, QR codes, phone number, website, pictures of your company or jobs, logos… it’s a roving brochure! Now let’s walk, no drive, in the realm of reality. How much of that information is actually going to be retained by the driver next to you traveling at 40 miles an hour? Not much. I do think the funniest one I saw was a QR code on the back of a vehicle. How do you expect a driver behind you to scan that code while driving?
• It’s What’s in Front of You – On a related note, even funnier are the vehicles that have all the important information on the SIDE of the vehicle. When you’re driving, where is your focus? In front of you. So the important info should be on the BACK of your vehicle where it will get more view time. What’s important? Company name, phone, website and a couple word description of what you do. In big, bold, high contrast lettering. And please be specific with the description. I love the trucks that say “XYZ Services – We Serve the World” or something of that ilk. They serve what?

While some of these problems can be attributed to clients who have unrealistic visions of what they need for their big advertising, I really blame their marketing and graphic design teams. So I’ve asked for a special little place in purgatory just for them. And to get into heaven, they have to whiz by this unreadable advertising at 55 miles an hour until they can correctly identify all the ads they pass. I know, evil.

Think this doesn’t apply to you because you’re creating graphics for a tradeshow exhibit where people will be s-l-o-w-l-y walking by? Think again. While they may not be going 55 miles an hour, their minds are racing along at blazing speeds that give computers a hernia, essentially reducing their attention spans to that of a gnat. So that digital big screen in your booth where you’re displaying QR codes, lots of text, and detailed graphics might as well be whizzing by them at 55 miles a hour for as much attention as they can give it.

Okay, done ranting. But hope you’ll keep these principles in mind when you order signs and displays for your next event or promotion.

Product Info

• Tradeshow Banners & Signs
• Tradeshow Tablecovers
• More Tradeshow Supplies

What are the starting points of reaching influencers online? Klout, an online influence measuring company, launched a new feature in 2010 called Klout Perks to help companies get in touch with leading experts and/or influencers in their targeted markets. Imagine accessing a database of over 100 million profiles with scores to tell you how many people an influencer can reach for your marketing efforts.

Industry leaders are taking advantage of the Klout Perks program, but the real challenge is finding influencers in your market to help you do the same. Now, we’re all interested in meeting the best influencers who understand and are willing to communicate what we have to offer our markets, and it’s a tough job to know who can reach a large audience on our behalf. Klout Perks are little extras for having online influence that work for businesses and influencers alike.

Evolution of Online Influence

Klout is the standard for measuring one’s online influence. Now, Klout Perks are the benefits of being a trusted advisor to your followers. According to recent studies from Walt Disney, Audi, Levi and other national brands are taking advantage of this unique service to connect with top influencers to build their reach. Unlike other online measurement tools, Klout Perks reaches into the mix to get the best and brightest brand influencers to maximize a company’s marketing efforts online.

Audi’s Klout Perks in Action

How do 217 influencers reach 3.1 million people? Klout Perks. Audi’s 2011 A8 launch invited 217 of the top design, luxury and technology influencers to test drive the A8 at its events. Other lucky winners won a weekend with the car to take home, drive around and impress their friends. If this sounds like something you want to do, you must have influence, and you must reach the people who can spread the word.

Make Klout Perks Work

A great way to use Klout Perks to promote your products is to complete research for people in your area. If you’re a company in Raleigh, NC you should search for influencers that can encourage others to visit your company.

You may want to research influencers in the technology field to offer a perk of free remote IT support for their businesses for one week. If the company likes your IT services, you may have a new customer and a brand influencer to suggest your services to their social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

After the company talks about your product, you also receive:

1. An increased Klout score for brand recognition in the influencers’ networks.
2. Potential sale leads for future business partnerships and/or work requests for IT services.
3. Branding at an extensive reach to increase your online influence.

Your company or product is now known by thousands (maybe millions like Audi) by reaching just a few influencers in the technology. As great as this sounds, you have to judge the right influencers to help you promote your company effectively. Klout is changing the way you do business. It is important to develop perks, connect with influencers, and build relationships for results.

This is a guest post by eVenues. eVenues is a Seattle based startup and an online marketplace for meeting rooms and event space–currently focused mostly on the West Coast. Check out their Seattle meeting spaces and Los Angeles. Follow on Twitter at @eVenues.

Click Here to View My Interview with ASI’s Chris Ruvo on YouTube

Opening day of the ASI Orlando tradeshow saw crowded aisles. Always a good sign! And ASI President Tim Andrews announced at one of the functions that the industry had grown to $18.5 billion, up from 6.2% from 2010. Also good news.

Here are some of the new trends and ideas I spotted. (And, yes, the alligator and toy stories follow… you gotta learn something first, okay?)

• More Emphasis on Made in the USA – Noticed that the standard booth signs provided by the show had identifiers for those suppliers who were offering made in the USA promotions. This was very helpful. As well, since the show found it important enough to take this extra step and expense (logo was in color imprint), that is a good indicator of what is happening in the market. With my emphasis on USA made products, you can bet I was glad to see this.
• Tech Gadgets that Aren’t Tech – I saw a number of tech-related gadgets and gizmos, but they weren’t actually tech themselves. Mostly it was items that could be used in conjunction with tech toys such as cell phone skins, handy accessories for cleaning or maintaining electronics, ear buds, etc. Seeing less calculators and the like. It’s obvious why. Our smartphones have assumed the duties of so many tech items, having additional items to do these functions has become obsolete. Some of these new tech-friendly items are scheduled to launch early spring 2012. We will be featuring some of them along with ideas for using in future posts. So stay tuned.
• The Green Scene… or Not Seen – While there were a number of booths that prominently featured greener promotional product options, there were far fewer than in the past couple of years. You can either be discouraged or encouraged by this. You can be discouraged because the economy seems to have impacted the forward progress of the green movement. Or you can be encouraged because a number of the green initiatives are now standards including product offerings that are BPA-free, recyclable, durable and reusable, biodegradable, or are more socially compliant (e.g. made in the USA and/or with fair labor). I saw many examples of all of these initiatives throughout the show floor.
• No Magnetic Force – Sure magnets are still around. But I saw more products that could be applied to surfaces with repositionable and removable adhesives. Quite some time back I discussed this trend in my post Promotional Products We’ll Be Laughing at in 50 Years (or Less). Expect this trend to get even more traction going forward.
• Refill, Reuse, Refill – One of the hottest items featured by almost all the major suppliers were those insulated reusable takeout tumblers, similar to those you can buy at Starbucks-type restaurants. We’ve been carrying them for a while on our USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com site. Many of them are dishwasher safe (thank God!) and are a greener promotional product selection since they can be used and reused over and over again. While standard water bottles (whether plastic or aluminum) will still be useful or preferred in some settings, these are so much more convenient for today’s working or mobile lifestyle. I’ve always found it difficult to enjoy a cold drink from a standard travel tumbler and keep my eyes on the road. It’s the straw access that makes them useful.

Click Here to See More About Reusable Tumblers (YouTube video)

And some additional fun highlights from the show…

Heidi Thorne with Tom James, Slinky, at ASI Show Orlando 2012

It’s Slinky®! – One of the legendary toy products of the 20th century was the Slinky®. The simple, yet addictive, metal spring toy was invented by Richard James in 1945 and met with wild success. At the show, I got to meet Richard James’ son, Tom. Tom is actually part of the Slinky legend. How? He’s the one who discovered “it walks down stairs.”

You’ll be glad to know that genuine Slinky® toys, imprinted with your logo and in a cool retro box, are made in the USA (always have been). Plus, they’re made of 90% recycled steel. They are available by special order from the USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com.

Click Here to Send a Request for Pricing Info on Promotional Slinky Toys

You might also be interested in licensed Slinky® adhesive notepads that we’ve recommended to our clients for a couple years now.

Check Out My Video on Made in the USA Slinky® Adhesive Notepads on YouTube

And, now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the pic of me with Willy the Alligator from Gatorland…

Plus, I was glad to catch up with Branndon Stewart from Promo Labs at the show. Promo Labs is the sponsor of the Industry Voices award. I was honored to have them name me to their 2012 Industry Voices honorees. Thanks, Promo Labs!

Product Info

• Shop for Made in the USA promos at USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com

Click Here to Read the More About Using the Layered Look for Tradeshows

ASI’s logo is red, black and white. Throughout the show and education zones, this color scheme was consistent, even extended to some details that might normally be overlooked. Some examples:

• The registration area was decorated with big red roses in vases of black marbles.
• Male executive and sales personnel were in dark and/or gray suits with white shirts and red ties; gals were mostly in all black.
• Some key registration personnel were donning red cowboy hats so they would be easily identifiable.

Of course the aisle carpeting and draping was in show and association colors, too, which is pretty common. But the concerted effort for consistent personnel dress code was unusual compared to many events I’ve seen lately. Kudos to the ASI team!

Have you established a color code for your show or event team?

See how the Oscar statue is made in this video:

• Click here to view video if player is not available on your screen

And I love this Made in America segment about the manufacturer hosted by Cheers television star John Ratzenberger:

• Click Here to View Made in America Feature

Though they may not be walking down the red carpet at the Oscar or Emmy Awards, your customers and employees  have major roles in your show. Here’s how to treat them like stars:

• Surprise ‘Em – Around the time of the Academy Awards, make your next sales call an awards presentation. P.S. Lucky for you, they’re unlikely to have a never-ending acceptance speech ready on such short notice.
• Single Out the Stars – Because you can get these unique Oscar-style awards in quantities as low as 1, you can save some money by only getting them for those who are most deserving.
• Don’t Forget the Swag Bag – Almost as talked about as the famous award are the fabulous swag bags filled with luxury items that movie stars get during the Academy Award festivities. Put together your own star swag bag filled with movie-theme goodies and send them to your best customers. How about some custom chocolate stars? And with the Academy Awards in the month of February around Valentine’s Day, almost anything chocolate is in! Click Here to See Made in the USA Custom Chocolate Gifts from GiftsImprinted.com

Product Info

• Made in the USA Awards including Oscar Statue type styles from USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com
• Made in the USA Custom Chocolate from GiftsImprinted.com

Heidi Thorne, Thorne Communications, (shown 5th from left) has been named as a 2012 Industry Voice by Promo Labs. Photo courtesy of Promo Labs.

Promo Labs (UPIC: prmolabs), a provider of sales and marketing tools for the promotional products industry, has announced its second annual list of the most important voices in the industry. Nominated by the Industry Voices from 2011, the members of the 2012 Industry Voices are big thinkers and social media experts who also demonstrate a passion for progress in the promotional products industry.

The 2012 Industry Voices will be honored at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas with a giant 10-by-15 mural illustrating each of the 11 personalities. The mural will be located next to the Promo Labs booth (#3063) and will be painted by two professional artists live during the show for attendees and exhibitors to enjoy.

“Our industry is fortunate to have smart and progressive leaders who are willing to share what they’ve learned to advance our entire industry,” said Branndon Stewart, Promo Labs’ vice president of marketing. “We’re proud to recognize them on the biggest stage of the year at PPAI Expo, and we look forward to sharing their insights throughout the year.”

The 2012 Industry Voices includes a wide array of leaders representing suppliers, distributors and service providers, including:

• Jeff Anderton, Co-Founder of Leashables and Mass Transit (@JefeAnderton)
• Rick Brenner, CEO of Prime Line (@RFBrenner)
• Charles Duggan, Director of Bus. Development at Greystone World Resource, Owner of LookwhatWOW (@IronManDuggan)
• Tonya Allen Gould, Founder of TAG! The Creative Source (@ToniaAllenGould)
• Jonathan Irvin, Director of Operations at Promo Kitchen, Founding Partner at EasyPromos3d.com, Partner at bNetCentric (@JonathanIrvin)
• Paul Kiewiet, Former Chairman of PPAI, Certified Life Coach at Fowler Wainwright International Institute of Professional Coaching (@PaulKiewiet)
• Kim Newell, President of World Wide Lines, Inc (@KimNewell)
• Danny Rosin, co-President at BrandFuel and Band Together (@DannyRosin)
• Mark Shinn, Founder of Incentives West (@FindingPromo)
• Heidi Thorne, Founder and President of Thorne Communications and PromoWithPurposeShop.com (@HeidiThorne)
• Bryony Zasman, Vice President and part owner of ZOOMcatalog (@ZOOMcatalog_Bry)

Throughout the year, Promo Labs will feature each Industry Voice on the Promo Labs blog, detailing their predictions for 2012 industry trends and ideas for working smarter in the new year.

• Click to read the story at the Huffington Post
• Click to read the exclusive story at RadarOnline

Haven’t we heard this story before with brands and celebs such as Nike and Kathie Lee Gifford? Same story, different day.

Here’s the problem… and why I feel sorry for the K-clan. If you’ve done any reading on foreign labor issues in the apparel industry, you’ll soon learn that it’s an absolute muddy mess. The factory that you may have contracted with may also have contracted with a not-so-up-and-up inspector to cover up unacceptable labor practices. Want an in-depth look at the global apparel markets and manufacturing that will just blow your mind? Check out this book…

• Click here for The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power and Politics of World Trade (Amazon, but not affiliate, link)

The labor practices that the United States and other fair trade countries take for granted are just not the norm outside our borders.

While I don’t know their situation, I would be willing to bet that the Kardashians have an army of advisors working for them on marketing, merchandising, public relations and legal issues. It is unlikely that Kim, her mom, and stylin’ sisters personally inked deals with these less than honorable foreign companies and “bad people.” While I am for fair trade, I am also for fair reporting and fair dealing. The investigation into these allegations is now going on. And until all of these allegations can be confirmed, I will cut the family some slack and abide by another cherished value in our country: innocent until proven guilty. As well, I’m sure their advisory army will have some explaining to do.

I had to chuckle at the statement from one of the labor groups mentioned in the articles that said the Kardashians were making their products in China to make more profit… yep, them and the world’s large multinational corporations. Just to give you an idea of how much is produced in Asia and other low labor cost regions, let’s look at the promotional product industry as an example. My scan of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) product database, one of the promo industry’s largest, revealed that only about 10% of all products were identified as made in the USA. Only 10%! (With that limited selection, you can see why we opened up the USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com to accommodate our clients who demand USA made.)

• Click here to shop for Made in the USA promotional products at USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com

With so many contributors to most supply chains, the possibility of a dishonorable link anywhere along the line is a reality. So what should our friends the Kardashians do to help assure that this doesn’t happen again… and what can YOU do to protect your brand from an incident like this with your promotional products? First, I would suggest sticking with made in the USA products. And while the following article was written primarily for nonprofit groups, the suggestions apply to any company or organization that wants to live true to its values.

• Click here to read How Non-Profits Can Avoid a Public Relations Nightmare
• Click here to order my book which discusses more about buying on purpose and on values

On a related note, things are changing in the China labor arena. According to a Wearables magazine article (November/December 2011) on “Rethinking Sourcing,” Chinese workers are striking for better wages and leaving the factories for better jobs. Hmm… looks like they’ve got the collective bargaining bug.

Got some advice for the K-fam or for fellow marketers on sourcing issues? Share with us in Comments below.

PRODUCTION TIME

When you look at various promotional item descriptions, you’ll often see a “Production Time” estimate listed. What does this mean? That is the actual time it takes for a manufacturer to physically round up the items from inventory, prepare the imprinting equipment and apply your artwork to the items. This is NOT the entire time it takes to complete the order. Typically, the “production time” clock doesn’t start ticking until the order and artwork are received and approved by the manufacturer from your promotional product distributor. And usually, the production time begins the day AFTER the order is received by the supplier.

Many manufacturers also have daily cutoff times for receipt of orders. For example, let’s say a manufacturer has established a 2:00 p.m. CST cutoff for receipt of orders to be placed into production the FOLLOWING business day. Let’s also say that in this example the order is received by the manufacturer at 3:00 p.m. CST on a Monday. That order will not go into production until Wednesday. So if there is a 3-day production time on this example order, it would not normally ship until late Friday.

On top of that, it may take your promotional distributor a day or two to check and prepare artwork and place the order. If your artwork is not in a native vector-based electronic file (a Encapsulated Postscript .eps or Adobe Illustrator .ai file are industry standard), it could take several additional days to prepare your imprint for production. Click here to find out what is “good” artwork for imprinting

And I need to emphasize that production and order processing time are BUSINESS days, not including weekends or holidays.

Agreed, this is very confusing for customers. Unfortunately, published information fed to promotional shopping sites from manufacturers states only the in-house production time.

TIP #1: Add at least 4 days to the published production time to complete your order, if your artwork is production-ready; more if it is not.

PRODUCTION EXCEPTIONS

There are some special scenarios in regard to production time:

• Rush Service – Many promotional distributors offer a rush promo service so you can get your promotional items fast. But there are caveats. First and foremost, you must be able to provide production-ready correctly-sized artwork for your distributor. If you do not have that, there will be additional time (and usually expense) required and rush service will not be available for your order. As well, watch for cutoff times. For example, on our 24-Hour Express service at PromoWithPurposeShop.com, we have a 9:00 a.m. CST/US cutoff. If not received by that time, it will be processed the following day. Shipping time need to be added to this and will depend on the type of service you choose (ground, 2-day, overnight, etc.). TIP #2: Watch for cutoff times on rush order service, add shipping time and click here for 4 More Tips for Handling Rush Orders
• Holidays – From October through December, promotional holiday gift suppliers (particularly for food gifts) are up to their eyeballs in orders, often doing double and weekend shifts to meet demand. They will attempt to meet published production times, but often physically cannot. Therefore, your production time could be extended by up to 5 to 7 working days during the holidays and express shipping may be required to meet any in-hand date you might have. TIP #3: During the holiday rush season of October through December, prepare for longer production times (add at least a week) and/or more expensive shipping to meet your target dates.

SHIPPING TIMES

This is where it gets very confusing for customers. People often like to buy local and will place an order with a local promotional distributor. This may be a shock to many, but promotional product orders are rarely physically produced by the distributor you place the order with. Your distributor may be working with dozens or even hundreds of suppliers/manufacturers from coast to coast, or even overseas, depending on the item. Though some might, rarely do distributors have promotional item stock on hand at their office or shop. So the order you place with your local distributor in New York may actually be shipping from California. Therefore, for ground shipping, it could take up to 5 business days (in the continental U.S.) after the order is produced to ship via ground to you.

TIP #4: For shipping within the United States, estimate at least 5 shipping days for domestic orders placed within the continental U.S., more for Alaska or Hawaii.

DOING THE MATH

Okay, let’s walk through an example. You’re browsing through a U.S.-based promotional product site and the item you want has a production time of 7 days listed (no cutoff time is noted).

• Prep time to process order by your promotional product distributor and manufacturer: Allow up to 4 business days, starting the day AFTER you place the order if your artwork is production-ready. If you do not have production-ready artwork, that prep time could add several days.
• Production time: 7 business days.
• Shipping time: Allow 5 business days if you are in continental U.S. (more if in Alaska or Hawaii).

So to receive this item, you would need to place this order at least 16 business days prior to your target in-hand date, provided that your artwork is production-ready.

With that, I’ll leave you with the best tip of all…

TIP #5: Plan ahead, it’s later than you think.

Product Info

• 24-Hour Express Service Shop at PromoWithPurposeShop.com

Why does this idea work?

• It Uses the Surprise Factor – Like those cans that have a crazy item jump out when opened, your customers will certainly be surprised at these promotional desk calendars that automatically pop into shape when removed from the envelope. Attention getting!
• It Engages More Senses – We’re so oriented toward just sight and sound. So when something can also engage touch, your message can break through the attention barrier by engaging more senses.
• Year-Long Exposure – Even though I use my e-calendar all day long, for quick date and day of the week referencing, I still use a physical calendar (actually two of them) on my desk. It’s actually faster than the e-calendar. In businesses like mine where I need to count production due dates and such, this is helpful. As well, on this particular calendar, your logo and info is located on two panels for added exposure.
• Toy? Stress Reliever? – I’ve seen these pop up calendars in use in offices over the years. What I also have seen is people tossing them in the air and squeezing them flat and letting them pop back into shape. So is it an executive desktop toy? Stress reliever that’s better than popping bubble wrap? Let your recipients decide!
• Saves Money – These pop up calendars can be mailed in standard first-class mailable envelopes (not square-shaped) which saves you money on postage. Plus, they are shipped to you already inserted in the envelopes to save you time.
• Made in the USA – And you can be proud of using a promotion that’s USA made.

Product Info

• More Info & Order Form (.PDF) from PromoWithPurposeShop.com

Click to See the Original Rudolph Christmas Special Credits on YouTube

One of the most adorable segments of the special is the Island of Misfit Toys. Kind of like a benevolent landfill for toys that no one plays with. As I think about that segment, it has some lessons for promotional product buying:

• One Man’s Misfit is Another Man’s Magic – I always thought the unique and slightly off Misfit Toys were kind of cool. I’m sure I’m not alone. Anyway, an imperfect promotion for one group, may be perfect for another. All depends on the audience and purpose (you knew I had to get that in somewhere).
• You Might Need Some Help – Enter Santa and the Island of Misfit Toys’ King Moonraiser. Moonraiser’s got the goods, but Santa needs to match ‘em up with the right kids. Maybe you need a promotional products or marketing advisor to match up your products and promotions with the right audience. Get partners who can help you achieve your goals.

And the promotional and partnering lessons continue from this Christmas classic. Take a look at these original 1964 ads and promos supporting the special. Oh man, can’t imagine sportin’ a hair dryer like that! And not too sure hubby would appreciate the electric knife as suggested. But do notice how GE completely integrated the special they sponsored into their advertising. Lesson to content creators and sponsors: Look for ways to integrate marketing efforts to benefit both.

Click to Watch the Original 1964 GE Ads for the Rankin/Bass “Rudolph” Christmas Special on YouTube

Well, hope you enjoyed this trip down holiday memory lane. And thanks to all of you for another great year of learning, fun and friendship!

Product Info

• Give Heidi’s Book SWAG: How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business to a Marketer on Your Gift List
• Shop for Made in the USA Holiday Food Gifts at GiftsImprinted.com