Sunflower Marketing

More than Trinkets and Trash

2013-10-24T07:58:00.000-05:00

In the past year, I’ve heard the phrase “Trinkets and Trash” used to describe the promotional product industry more than ever before. Usually I enjoy a catchy phrase, but this one just isn’t at the top of my list. Our industry is so much more!

Promotional products are powerful items! Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) research shows that over 80% of recipients recall the advertiser on promotional products. That recall rate is outstanding, and it leads to a larger ROI for your business than other advertising mediums. Promotional products can help your business create brand love and loyalty as well as creating traffic. Using promotional products is good business!

Promotional products can provide incentives for employees to reach sales goals. They can be a thank you to employees and to customers. They can be used to celebrate an important milestone for an organization. They can promote health and wellness. They can even be used to relieve stress and have fun!

Promotional products are a great way to commemorate an event. When one of our customers was getting ready to dedicate a building named for one of its leaders, we worked with them on a coin to commemorate the occasion. One side showed the building, and the other side showed the leader – very Jeffersonian nickel style.

Some promotional items help get the word out about health programs such as KanQuit. With their 1-800 number right on the products, they are letting folks know that when it is time to quit smoking, there is someone they can call to help them through the process. Another popular health program is “Immunize and Win a Prize” with promotional products serving as incentives for immunizing children. Promotional items have also been used to encourage people to get the flu shot.

Whether you are looking to win more customers, incentivize employees, commemorate an event, promote a program, or have more fun around the office, please keep promotional products in mind. They get your brand in customers’ hands!

By: Erin Iams, Account Manager

Don't Act Like You're Not Impressed

2013-09-17T13:57:00.001-05:00

We’ve all heard about impressions as they relate to online advertising. There’s a lot of strategy, time, and money that go into getting more impressions and making them meaningful. These impressions also relate to advertising “offline” through mediums such as promotional products. When it comes to purchasing promotional products it is important to take a similar approach so that your impressions actually impress (see what I did there!?). Promotional products that impress are more likely to be used/worn and talked about by people that see them while creating more bang for your buck.

It’s easy to get lost in the hundreds of thousands of products available in the world of promotional products, let alone find something that will impress everyone that sees your branded products. So what’s the best way to find something that will turn heads?

Consider these:

1. Pay careful attention to what people are handing out at tradeshows. It’s easy to identify booths that have extra special swag, and in just about every case they’re VERY willing to share it with you. Tradeshows are a great way to get ideas for your next promotional product buy because you get to witness how promotional products perform in their natural environment.

2. Go retail. Solid “typical” colored (navy, black, white, etc.) polo and twill shirts easily get lost in the assortment of clothing that we all come across each day. Experiment with patterns, colors, brands, and styles! And it also doesn’t hurt to pair your brand up with the strength of brands such as Brookstone, Zebra, Igloo, or Bobble. Which just goes to show you that going retail doesn't just apply to branded apparel.

3. Contact one of our promotional consultants. It never hurts to engage a member of our team who lives and breathes promotional products. We can tell you what’s new and what’s not, while updating you on current promotional product trends.

Let’s face it, your business is kind of a big deal. It’s time to make sure your promotional products impress.

By: Mike Eldridge, Marketing Manager

Farewell

2013-07-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Welp, my time here is about up. And it’s been a busy 2 months, so I don’t want anybody to simply write them off as partying with Mike all day, everyday and not doing any actual work.

Because while I did party with Mike all day, everyday, part of the partying was work. No, I’m not referring to the ice cream Snickers bars or Ralph on the Big, Red Couch. I’m talking about real, bona-fidehahahaha I’m sorry, I couldn’t even type it with a straight face. Let’s just say I’ve got the impression that most of these Sunflower employees don’t know what work is.

Because this was fun, not work. So much so, in fact, that I’m starting to worry about putting it on my resume. I’m afraid someone’s going to find out and say “that’s not work, that’s fun.” And I won’t know what to say. Mike didn’t prepare me for that!

What he did prepare me for was how to handle the crazy bunch over in the art department. Just tell them “have fun and be creative.” They’ll understand.

And how to write for an audience. Maybe most of Sunflower’s customers won’t catch a Lil Jon reference, so maybe I shouldn’t use one in that particular forum. But to those of you who would understand a Lil Jon reference, I say “WHAT?! YEAH! OKAY!” And if you didn’t catch that reference, you were lying to yourself, because that was a Lil Jon reference.

But enough about Lil Jon, if you want to know more about him buy his album (2004’s “Crunk Juice.”) No, I’m almost certain you simply skimmed the Lil Jon paragraph in search of an update on “Bigger and Better.” Patience young padawan.

Mike also taught me that it’s all fun and games until someone loses an “I” (see the 1996 “Transpotting,” 2005 “Munch,” and 2008 “Ron Man” catastrophes).

That was a joke. But the attention to detail I’ve had to exhibit was no joke. No, it was guileless, incontestable datum (“simple, undeniable fact,” but in more smarter words I learned at english collage).

With the help of my cousin, Jared, I boxed up and mailed out (with the help of my uncle twice-removed, Chad) about 150 promotional “poppers” (little toys that “pop” into the air). That’s a lot of boxes. One might call me a professional boxer. One might even go as far as to say I’m the heavyweight champion of boxing. I’m looking at you, Alexander Povetkin.

I’ve also designed (alongside my dad, Bill) many “e-blasts.” These are e-mails that are sent out to our huge customer base, repping our company. I’m sure I could make some joke about “reps” and boxing here, but the boxing arc was so one paragraph ago, and another thing I’ve learned is to be timely. And on time. Nevermind that I get here between 1:15 and 1:45 every work day.

I updated the company e-store (“e” for “electronic,” “store” for “store”) which was a time-consuming and monotonous process. But I kept it fun and interesting by slipping some cuss words here and there in the product descriptions. Good luck finding those Mike!

But back to the “Bigger and Better.” After a summer of trading with some of the strangest characters in Topeka and its surrounding areas, I ended up with a CharBroil propane BBQ package and an HP printer! That’s pretty good I’d say for starting with a $15 Sunflower promotional item. That’s a pretty powerful promotional product, huh? One might even go as far as to say it’s the heavyweight champion of promotional products. I would go as far as to say it’s the heavyweight champion of promotional products, that “Ringy Dingy” retro handset is.

So now I auction off the goods and donate the money to a worthy cause.

All things considered, I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s helped me out along my journey. It’s been fun.

I’ll leave you with one final note. I believe it was the great Western philosopher J.B. Bauersfeld once said, “don’t take any wooden nickels.” Be safe out there folks.

Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.

Promotional Product Industry is Alive and Well

2013-07-15T10:41:00.002-05:00

I went to a Kansas City Royals baseball game last Friday evening. No, they didn’t win. In fact, they didn’t put up much of a fight until the ninth inning. Except for the companionship and fireworks after the game, the experience was a flop, with nothing much to hold my interest. So, I watched the fans, nearly 35,000 of them in all shapes, sizes and colors, most of them wearing printed T-shirts, or embroidered caps and polo shirts. Some of the decorated shirts were ancient, sporting old Royal’s designs and colors. Maybe they were wearing their “lucky” T-shirts, though they didn’t do the trick.

There were the “old school” fans holding up their foam “#1” hands, with variations that included tiny #1 foam hands supported by a 10-year-old’s finger and thumb. There were infants dressed in Royal’s decorated onesies, and tiny little baseball caps. Families climbed the steps to the “nosebleed” sections, all carrying their Royal’s printed souvenir cups, filled with their favorite beverage, and popcorn buckets with the likenesses of George Brett and Frank White smiling back at me.

But, my favorite was the couple caught on the “Fan Cam” wearing their matching red, white, & blue, star-shaped sunglasses with some unknown logo on the sides. They won a $50 gift card for being the most obnoxious fans, or something. I’m pretty sure the cameraman zeroed in on those fabulous promotional sunglasses. I sure wish I had had a pair of those babies to show off. Or, better yet, I should have had my mustache sunglasses with me. I might have gotten on the “Fan Cam”! As it was, I remained happy in the thought that the promotional product industry is alive and well.

By: Monty Smith, Sales Manager

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 4

2013-07-05T14:10:00.001-05:00

The flatscreen TV’s gone and it’s not coming back. Let it go. All is not lost.

It’s true – I’ve traded the flatscreen TV away in search of better days. I may not have a flatscreen TV any longer, but what I do have is the “Ultimate BBQ Package.”

After a plethora of e-mails and texts not all necessarily lining up linearly, Rhianna and I finally settled on a date.

No, not like a date date. She was married. With children. Children who had no idea they’d soon be inhabiting a bedroom populated by a new flatscreen TV; and their determined mother made it happen - convinced me.

Now, I’ve been fielding many offers over the past week for the TV, it was a hot item – even hotter, I can say with prideful determination, than the entertainment projector before it. I’m making progress and man, does it feel good? Yes. Yes it does.

But Rhianna (not the multi-platinum recording artist – that’s Rihanna), didn’t stop with just the grill, no. Along with it came a propane tank, lawn chairs, a cooler, and just about everything else that would make for a successful family barbecue (even an oxford comma, which I hadn’t needed to use until this particular trade!) So, now I’ve got my BBQ, and she’s got her TV and two of the sweetest little children you could possibly imagine.

On a related note, my parents are ever-supportive in my growing project, which now means for them STORING a grill, a propane tank, lawn chairs, a cooler, and just about everything else that would make for a successful family barbecue (yes, even the oxford comma). And that’s not to mention the printer which is in a universe all its own. You see, I’ve since separated the grill and printer trades, thinking it might be easier to find two separate people in need of a grill and a printer respectively, rather than a single individual who might find use in both the grill AND the printer (maybe they could print recipes and coupons?). Now that’s not to say I word bite my thumb at the chance to trade both away in one fell swoop, because I wouldn’t. But that is to say I don’t necessarily expect it to be that easy. And I’m okay with that. This is fun!

Oh! I forgot to mention – Rhianna knew Mike from high school, which was almost a dealbreaker (I can only imagine) considering their fued-filled (I can only imagine) history. Luckily, my masterful make-the-trade-fast-before-she-can-change-her-mind-because-of-some-bad-blood-with-Mike mentality netted me a BBQ.

But I don’t want the BBQ – it’s of no use to me (being a self-diagnosed “grillan”). I want to trade it and the printer too, so if you have an offer for either or both, let me know.

Until then, I’ll be glued to this chair pondering how exactly I managed to trade a Sunflower promotional product worth $16.80 for a printer and a grill. The “funtential” (a term coined by “One Red Paperclip” author Kyle MacDonald to described an item’s potential for fun) is palpable.

Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 3

2013-06-27T13:45:00.002-05:00

I believe it was the great Western philosopher Jay-Z once said “would you rather be underpaid or overrated?” I apply this mantra to my daily lifestyle and my unpaid internship, and look where it’s gotten me: I now have a flatscreen TV and an HP printer available for trade.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, my internship is proving to be quite the adventure, and I am its captain, sailing the seven deadly seas of Craigslist.

Maybe I should elaborate. Ever seen The Craigslist Killer? Well add it to your instant queue. You’ll never want to use Craigslist again.

Personally, I haven’t seen it, and that’s why I met a guy in the parking lot of the Holton Walmart Tuesday morning to trade a Wonderwall entertainment projector for a 27” flatscreen TV. His was the 3^rd of several “too good to be true” offers, which also included a 750GB external hard drive and a “limited edition” Tippman paintball “marker.”

But back to the flatscreen – my brother and I pulled up next to the silver minivan and carried the projector over to the other side to meet the man. The most compelling detail of the encounter (besides his incredibly friendly demeanor) was his shirt – one that I would rather not elaborate on. Let’s just say it was… “totally inappropriate.”

I had fielded his offer earlier that morning with massive anxiety – having responded hours later to his initial text, sure that the deal was off and he’d moved on with his day. Not so! He responded with interest, ready to trade his “32” flatscreen tv and a #20 home depot 1/24 scale die cast piggy bank” for my projector. You may have noticed he provided more information about the piggy bank than the TV. Amusing, if not a little disconcerting.

We made the trade and while still standing outside his open minivan door, he said “have you seen that movie about Craigslist?” The only one that came to mind was the aforementioned Craigslist Killer, and I recognized this as a perfect segue into shoving me in his van and peeling out. I slowly side-stepped around the back bumper as he further elaborated on the plot of Craigslist Joe (billed as “Zach Galifianakis presents…”). Needless to say, I’m adding the DVD to my Amazon shopping cart as we speak.

As he and I speak, not me and you. You could be reading this months after the fact. Years even. How could I know?

I shut my trunk on the trade and as they say, “that’s that!” I wave goodbye to my new friend and the coolest trader I’ve met (to date).

A few minutes late to work now, I prepare to make my second trade of the day. That old antique unicycle is prepared to go and my cousin Jared (also an employee of my internship’s host firm) is prepared to find out “what [he] can break” trying to ride it. I believe the list of bones donated to similar causes already includes his collarbone and small toe (though he did not specify which foot).

So now I’m standing in the Sunflower parking lot trading a (an?) unicycle for an HP printer.

I can say with unbridled certainty that this is not the most bizarre incident to take place in the Sunflower parking lot.

And it all started with a single promotional product.

Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 2

2013-06-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

Look, the alarm clock radio is gone. I know, I know, your great grandmother had that same one in World War II and you've never been able to find another one just like it until now. I've heard it all before, old man. But it's gone. Quit calling here.

I got rid of that and now I've got an antique unicycle.

You that read right.

But you didn't read that right!

I traded the alarm clock radio for a motherfuedin' antique unicycle. It's got just the one wheel which, I've learned, is how you can tell it's a unicycle. Now if you recall, I traded a Sunflower iPhone handset for that alarm clock radio (and if you don't recall, you should probably go see a doctor because that was only a week ago dude). So I essentially traded that Sunflower promotional product for the unicycle.

Now we're playing with POWER (this is a Knife Party reference [Knife Party is a young people music band {I know, “Knife Party?!” What's wrong with kids these days?!}])! Anyways, it's the POWER of promotional products! I'm (we're) on my (our) way up in the world!

But my mom says the unicycle has to go. “You can't ride the $%^&ing thing and you're gonna #$%^ing hurt yourself!” My mom's got a dirty mouth.

But seriously, I can't keep the unicycle. I need to continue trading up. I (we) can't stop now! I'm donating the final trade to Helping Hands Humane Society and apparently they “have no use for a unicycle.” They didn't actually say that, I just inferred.

I'm (we're) only getting started! Are the “we”s in parentheses bothering you? It's something I picked up from my marketing textbook. Something about engaging and including the reader? Don't ask me, I only read the Sparknotes.

Back to the point – I want to get rid of this unicycle. It's taking up my whole trunk which leaves no room for subs (shorthand for “subwoofers”). Doesn't putting the full word in parentheses after the shorthand totally defeat the purpose of using the shorthand? Yes, yes it does. You can continue to follow the POWER of promotional products here, and YOU CAN BECOME A PART OF THE STORY by trading me something for the unicycle! Just e-mail me (ekampsen@mcind.com)! No nudes please, this is my work e-mail.

Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 1

2013-06-17T14:58:00.001-05:00

It’s now my second week here at Sunflower Marketing and I’ve already learnt an excess of new things, adding to my already diminutive knowledge of marketing! My head hurts.

For instance, Mike has taught me that he doesn’t take lemon in his ice water and that he’s got a very short temper – valuable knowledge I could have only picked up here.

As I’m sure you are already well-aware (having subscribed to mine and Sunflower Marketing’s Facebook and Twitter updates), part of my job responsibilities here include a re-enactment of the One Red Paperclip Project. For those of you who are unfamiliar with said project, I will not elaborate. Google it – you’re not helpless!

I’m kidding of course. You’ll get to know that about me. I’m never serious. Except for right now; I’m 100% serious about never being serious.

The Red Paperclip Project was a viral story about a man who used the barter section of Craigslist to trade a red paperclip (thus the name “One Red Paperclip”) for a house. Beginning with the red paperclip, he offered it for trade and began trading up just a little bit at a time, a paperclip for a wooden fish pen, a wooden fish pen for a doorknob, a doorknob for a Coleman stove, you get the idea… Until in the end he had traded for a house. No, I’m not joking, we already discussed that. Having begun with the one red paperclip and having spent no extra money of his own, he ended with a house. A house!!

Now I’ve started with a Sunflower promotional product, the “Ringy Dingy” Retro Handset, imprinted with Sunflower’s logo, and I’ve already traded for an Alarm Clock Radio with built-in CD Player. What’s next, you ask? Who knows?! You might know. Because you might be the next person who wants to trade with me. I’ve got this Alarm Clock Radio for trade. You might have heard about it? Yes, the one with the built-in CD Player. What do you want to trade me for it? E-mail me and let me know (ekampsen@mcind.com).

Now, a little about the trade itself. Dude was weird, but then again, aren’t most people who use Craigslist? Yes, yes they are. I don’t like to wait for answers – you’ll get to know that about me. Anyways, we’re meeting behind Wendy’s near 7^th and Topeka, and this big dude rolls up on a Gary Fisher mountain bike. The thing looks brand new. The rider however, does not. Missing half a head of hair and half a mouth of teeth, and rocking a wife beater that I’m sure was white when he bought it, the dude looks like something straight off an episode of Cops. And under his arm, he’s got the Alarm Clock Radio, complete with built-in CD player.

Now most people would have locked their doors and rolled up their windows at this point, started the car, peeled out of there, but I, being familiar with the kind of crowd Craigslist attracts, was unphased. I stepped out of the car and he said “you Elijah?” and I said “Yep. You Darnell?” and he said “yep. You got the ‘Ringy Dingy’ Retro Handset?” and I said “Yep. You got the Alarm Clock Radio?” and with it under his arm he gazed into my eyes with a stare so piercing it could’ve cut diamonds.

I returned the gaze with a stare so dull it could’ve been a prison shank.

We made the trade, and then I made like the Exorcist and got the hell out of there.

And now I want to do it all over again. Only this time, it won’t be me who’s getting the Alarm Clock Radio, if you know what I mean.

I’ve also been reading some marketing textbooks and watching some marketing videos. Good stuff.

Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.

Brand Love: Don't Leave 'em Hanging

2013-05-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Love. It’s a powerful word. It makes me think of my wife and kids. I think of my job. I think of the company that I work for. It conjures up thoughts and feelings of food, destinations, and even products and services.

Love comes in an abundance of forms, some more obvious than others. Romantic love. Puppy love. Unconditional love. Brotherly love. Twoo love. Even Guy love. A big focus at Sunflower Marketing is Brand Love, or the sincere passion that customers/employees/shareholders/vendors have for an organization.

Where does the Brand Love exist for your company? What are you doing to reciprocate that Brand Love...to fan the flames of passion? How will you capitalize on the Brand Love and turn that devotion into opportunities to further promote your products and services?

Enter promotional products! Something as simple as a corporate branded mug or trendy t-shirt goes a long way to strengthen the bond others have with your brand. Not using promotional products as a tool to spread, or even reciprocate some of that Brand Love is analogous to leaving someone hanging in the middle of a “high-five.” Don’t be that person.

Promotional products are the answer.

All you need is love. Brand Love.

By: Mike Eldridge, Marketing Manager

Halftones: A Heroic Solution to Saving Money

2013-04-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

Besides being a graphic artist, I am also an unabashed comic book nerd. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably stared at superheroes and action-filled pages long enough to know that comics are printed using only four colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (abbreviated CMYK—K stands for Black).

These four colors are printed in patterns of small dots that visually mix together to create every color of your favorite superhero’s dashing costume.

What you might not know is that this pattern of small dots is called a halftone, and it has saved printers of comic books—and nearly every other printed publication—money on ink for over a century. As it turns out, halftones work just as well when screen printing apparel.

How can halftones help you save money on your branded apparel? Keep reading to find out.

Behind The Mild Mannered Alter Ego

Halftones are already at work in your desktop printer, where Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black are laid out in dot patterns to reproduce photo-realistic images, tricking the eye into thinking there are more colors than there really are. So how do halftones work, exactly?

Simply put, the eye likes to simplify what it sees. Printing a very small red dot next to a very small yellow dot makes the eye think it’s looking at an orange dot. Consider how many ways colors can be mixed together and you can literally see how halftones offer nearly limitless possibilities.

Halftone Super-Powers 101

In screen printing, all colors—even solid colors—are printed using a grid of dots when the ink gets pushed through the holes in the screen. Halftones just push less ink through the screen, creating the illusion of a new color. A halftone of solid red, for example, makes an effective pink. That one-color budget just bought you two colors!

But that’s not all halftones can do; you can also have a color fade from a solid to a halftone, creating a 3D look! And what comic book nerd didn’t look forward to putting on his 3D glasses? Using halftone fades will make your designs really POP!

Combining colors offers even more possibilities! Overlapping two halftone fades creates an eye-catching visual transition called a blend that simulates a third color. By blending three inks, you can create nearly every color of the rainbow!

Wise Man Say

Whatever number of colors fits your screen printing budget, halftones offer you the chance to get one or two more colors out of your design for the same super-powered price! Here are some guidelines to use your newfound abilities wisely:

--Only use fades of dark colors on light-colored shirts, and vice versa. Blends can be used on any color shirt!

--Avoid stretching your halftone too far! Using a solid color in the same design as a very light halftone may require using another screen to get the colors to look right, at which point you might as well use two different colors anyway. If the colors you want to use are that different, you might consider working an extra color into your budget.

--Avoid using halftones as a skin tone. If you do, only do it on white shirts with warm-colored inks (orange, red, or warm browns). Even then, it might take a couple tries to get it right. If you can’t do without a skin tone, you might consider working an extra color into your budget.

Up, Up, and Away!

Talk to your friendly neighborhood graphic artist if you have any questions about halftones, or pick up the bat-phone and ask a Customer Support Associate about other ways you can make the most of your marketing budget!

Next time you’re out in the world, get up close and personal with the printed materials around you; you’d be surprised how many halftones are hiding their money-saving secret identities in plain sight!

By: Wm Jay Carter III, Graphic Artist and Unabashed Comic Book Nerd

Moody Sumo Aromatherapy

2013-03-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

The month of April is known for many different things:

April Fool's Day (a favorite among me and my sisters!)
Arbor Day-April 5th
Tax Day-April 15th
Earth Day-April 22nd

And let's not forget the often overlooked National Stress Awareness month!

WebMD reports that 75-90% of doctors visits are for stress-related illnesses and complaints. Side effects from stress include: headaches, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, depression, anxiety, and many others. If you are dealing with any of these symptoms now due to stress, stop reading and call your doctor (It's OK! We'll be here when you get back!). If not, sit back and relax because we're about to reveal how Sunflower Marketing can help cure those day-to-day stressors.

Stress balls are a fun and entertaining way to take out some frustration. Stress causes muscle tension and there isn’t a better way to relieve muscle tension than squeezing the “you know what” out of a pig in a bikini or a squatting sumo wrestler!

Everyone loves one of the best toys from the 70s, the mood ring. Why not create something with a super cool response similar to the mood ring that can stick to a file cabinet or refrigerator and detect levels of stress? Well guess what? You’re in luck! These customizable business cards allow for a full color process print without a set up fee and can also tell you how stressed you are. Take that 70s mood ring! People that receive your business card are more likely to keep a business card that they can stick to their refrigerator or a metal surface at work rather than throwing it in a stack of other business cards in their wallet or in a desk drawer. You have just established real estate on their desk/fridge!

Aromatherapy is a proven way to relieve stress as well. For example, this stress relieve lotion (complete with carabineer) that makes it easier than ever to take your lotion on the go with you at all times. This menthol scented lotion is in a 1.9 oz. bottle that allows for your logo to be printed in a full color design on the front of the bottle without multiple set up fees.

Stress is everywhere, but luckily Sunflower Marketing is on it. We look forward to making life stress free by handling all of your fulfillment and promotional product needs.

By: Amber Meier, Customer Support Associate

Super Pens

2013-03-04T14:00:00.003-06:00

In the Pixar move The Incredibles, Syndrome’s goal is to give everyone access to super powers in order to eliminate the gap between the “Supers” and everyone else. A similar phenomenon is being orchestrated in the world of promotional pens, but let me first tell you why pens have super marketing powers according to a recent study.

· Pens are used 18.2 times per month

· Pens generate 437 impressions per month

· Recipients keep their branded pens for 4.9 months

· Pens have a total Cost per Impression (CPI) of $.001

· 90% of recipients keep branded pens because they are useful

It’s easy to see why so many organizations have jumped on the promotional pen bandwagon and seemingly leveled the playing field, in essence making them all “Super.” We’re here to tell you that there are, in fact, different levels of “Super” and the following suggestions will ensure that your promotional pens are incredible at the highest level...

Go name brand. Bic, Zebra, Uniball and many other name brand pens are available for just pennies more than their generic counterparts. When you select name brand pens you receive better quality, deeper inventory and product innovation.

Be different than your competitors. If you don’t choose name brand pens, then be more creative. From “Thumbs Up” pens that will promote your company’s Facebook page to custom barrel designs, there are thousands of unique pen options that will make your message memorable.

With great power comes great responsibility. Unleash the power of promotional pens!

By: Mike Eldridge, Marketing Manager