The success of most political campaigns is based upon just how good they are at raising awareness. Beyond kissing babies, there is much we can learn from these master marketers. Here are five tips:

1. Keep it simple
   The letter ‘W’ will never be viewed the same. George W. Bush (who is thought by some Democrats to have a questionable grasp on the alphabet), successfully hijacked the 23rd letter of the alphabet as his symbol and his logo. This made it easier to create impactful promotional products and ads.
2. Recycle
   Marketers spend a lot of money to create postcards, posters and signs. As any good cash-strapped campaign manager will tell you: if they get tossed out, then recycle. Have staffers pluck the materials out of the garbage or off the floor and use them again. If anyone objects, just say you are being environmentally friendly.
3. Know your target
   It’s easy to try and find a one-size-fits-all product, however more targeted items are likely to leave a lasting impression. While college students may enjoy blinking buttons and party favors, a more mature demographic might prefer oven mitts or other utilitarian household items.
4. Dare to be different
   Pens, pencils and pins are the staples of politicking much like hats and T-shirts often find their way into consumer promotions. Still, the most effective items can be the ones no one else is using.
5. Have a sense of humor
   People like politicians and brands who have a sense of humor. Bald politicians have poked fun at themselves by handing out combs. And, rival parties have handed out brooms pledging to clean up their competition’s mess. These are just two examples of ways politicians have looked to pull themselves out of the cluttered advertising space with items that are more creative and funny.

Read more about Promotional Products that Rock the Vote, or skip straight to our Patriotic and Political promotional products.

Back in the day, printing on t-shirts involved either messy, expensive screen printing or artistically limiting digital transfers. And lots of labor. You may not have known that, but as people who do custom printing for a living, we were all too aware of it.

But now with our super-advanced system we can print from a digital art file on the computer directly onto a shirt…skipping all the middle steps (the messy, laborious steps mentioned in the previous paragraph that you were probably blissfully unaware of.)

Best of all, this new technique will reproduce photographs, illustrations and multi-color logos in full-color with stunning clarity. Ahhh, technology is the best.

Watch these videos to be mesmerized by the printing process:

WARNING: Before we get started, I would like to point out that sequins are only appropriate for promotions targeting little girls and certain women. Any attempt to pass off sequined embroidery to a mixed or all-male audience will result in abject failure. You will waste your promotional budget and will probably get fired. So girls only, ok!

Sequined embroidery is created on standard embroidery machines, using sequins (duh!) instead of embroidery thread. Although only one color of sequins can be used in a design, you can achieve a multi-color look by combining sequins with traditional embroidery.

Watch the videos below to see the decorating process in action, and examples of some finished garments.

We just created some great employee gifts for one of our healthcare clients that we wanted to share with you.

This client’s employees are all required to wear name badges, which are usually worn on a lanyard. We printed the lanyards with their logo, and then added a custom-created element: a credit-card size squeeze flashlight, that can be worn behind the badge.

The new lanyards and squeeze lights were given to all employees during a safety program rollout, and will be standard issue to all new hires.

The recipients gave a lot of positive feedback about the gift. Those who routinely leave work after dark were especially appreciative, as the light was always handy for shining a light into a dark corner of the parking area or finding dropped items.

Although this business gift idea was created for a hospital, it would be equally effective at any company that requires name badges. The version shown here with a hole for attaching the light to a lanyard is a custom product that is not kept in stock, so make sure to give us some extra lead time to have them produced.

Located in Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is dedicated to being the world’s foremost museum for modern art. It champions innovation and experimentation in art, architecture, and design, and is world renown for its exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.

For over 70 years, MoMA has collected influential examples of mass production, technological advances, and innovative materials. Its retail stores offer a wide range of products that highlight materials and makers of good design and the Museum’s curators approve all products that are sold.

Our MoMA Design Store collection embodies this spirit and features products that embrace MoMA’s design sensibility. The collection includes contemporary desktop accessories, writing instruments, key and bag tags – each bearing the MoMA logo – and packaged in a custom designed gift box.

Our favorites:

The Click Ball Perpetual Calendar features a click-button on top to adjust day, and a rotating dial to change the month. It’s makes a nifty retro-looking desktop accessory with your logo printed on the back.

The Timesphere Clock was designed for MoMA by Gideon Dagan and captures the essence of pure, minimalist design. A seemingly gravity-defying ball travels around the dial to mark the time, creating an eye-catching illusion.

Our Ultra Club organic cotton shirts come in a rainbow of fruit flavors (like Skittles, but you can’t eat them. The shirts, I mean. Go ahead with the Skittles.)

The same fabric is available in both men’s and ladies styles of polo shirts, t-shirts and long-sleeve t-shirts. Here’s what the manufacturer has to say about them (again, the shirts, not Skittles. I didn’t ask the manufacturer about candy preferences):

“It starts in the fields, of course, with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. To help it grow, they use only natural means like crop rotation and composting. They even use ladybugs to help protect the cotton from harmful insects. And in manufacturing, everything from dyeing the fabric to cleaning the machines is all done with natural materials. It’s all sustainable, environmentally-friendly agriculture and manufacturing.”

“UltraClub Organic is unique not just because it’s the first private-label organic in the industry, but because the shirts are organic, affordable and they’re great shirts. All the styles have a great price-point, come in a variety of colors, and are really comfortable. In fact, both the tees and polos are ring-spun, which makes them even softer than most non-organic styles.”

These shirts will be available on our website soon. In the meantime, just call us if you’re interested.

Madeira, a global leader in the production of embroidery thread for the decorated apparel and home fashion markets, relies on the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 to guarantee that its products are safe for humans. The company’s Classic Rayon, 100% polyester Polyneon, FS/Supertwist, and wool-blend Burmilana threads are all certified as free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances that are known to be dangerous to people and to the environment.

“We have provided the Oeko-Tex guarantee to our clients for many years,” says Hajo Voeller, Madeira USA’s president. “Now our clients in the USA recognize the importance of textile safety and are requesting embroidery threads that meet the highest international standards. We assure them that our Oeko-Tex certified threads deliver a comprehensive and verifiable safety guarantee that they can pass on to their customers.” Dr. Manfred Wentz, US Director for Oeko-Tex confirms the growth in safety textile awareness. “Decorators in the USA are reacting to consumers’ demands for safe textiles in their apparel and their homes. Madeira, a long time Oeko-Tex certificate holder, has been a provider of safe textile products for many years and sets a high standard for other suppliers to the decorated textile market.”

The International Oeko-Tex Association’s 14 independent facilities test textile products for substances that are prohibited and regulated by law, as well as for chemicals that are known to be harmful to humans, but are not yet regulated. The Oeko-Tex restricted substance list (RSL), which is updated annually to reflect the latest in international textile chemistry, includes unsafe chemicals such as formaldehyde, pesticides, and carcinogenic dyestuffs. Textile products that receive Oeko-Tex certification are guaranteed not to contain harmful amounts of these or other dangerous elements. In order for a finished embroidered product to receive Oeko-Tex certification, all its components must pass the same stringent tests. Using Madeira’s Oeko-Tex certified threads puts embroiderers one step closer to being able to certify their decorated product lines as safe for humans.

These Oeko-Tex certified Madeira threads are available on almost all of our embroidered garments. Make sure to request them when placing your order (there is no extra charge for this.)

We’re always on the lookout for new eco-friendly products to help our clients with their promotions. But an often overlooked aspect is the environmental practices of the manufacturing and printing facilities. Making a greener product is great, but the overall operations of the factories can have just as much of an impact as the products themselves.

With that being said, we wanted to share a statement from one of our primary bag suppliers, who are (and have been) taking the necessary steps to become a more responsible manufacturer:

This year we have added environmentally-friendly paper bags that are made from 100% recycled material and plastic bags that are made from up to 40% recycled material and up to 20% of a non-petroleum calcium filler which reduces the use of petroleum based resins by as much as 60%. Our 100% recyclable and reusable non-woven bags are also made from recycled material that offers an excellent extended life comparable to similar woven bags like nylon or canvas. The non-woven material is non-allergenic, non-toxic and non-corrosive, making it safe for people and the environment. Yet it does not end there. We will continue to explore eco-friendly product options to help protect our environment.

• All of the recyclable scrap bags generated at our facility from the printing process are recycled by our local recycling service and our plastic bag sources
• Our imprinting waste byproducts are recycled into alternative fuel energy sources, further eliminating their disposal into landfills.
• We reuse most raw material cartons and packaging received to reduce the amount of new corrugated material that is required.
• We have implemented a company-wide recycling program to reclaim the everyday materials we use in our business (paper, bottles, aluminum, etc.) that has also significantly reduced the amount of waste going into the landfill.
• We have implemented energy-conserving lighting within our warehouse facility that is motion activated and only operates when personnel are working in the area.

You can see this manufacturer’s line here on our website. There are additional products not shown, and they can also help us create custom products for you on request.

In this video, Mitch Silver presents the plastic bags from this manufacturer:

Successful promotion campaigns don’t happen by chance. Like any solid marketing program, they require careful thought. Of course your budget must be considered, but you must also bear in mind other factors like your target audience and your ultimate goal.

These six important elements can help you plan the best promotion for reaching your objective:

1. Define your promotion objective.
Decide what you want to have happen in the end. Whether you are trying to boost sales or increase awareness, be able to state exactly what will make the program a success.

2. Identify your target audience.
Is it a particular industry, mostly blue-collar workers, or do you just want to motivate your own sales staff? Decide precisely who you want to be aware of your message.

3. Plan the product distribution.
How will you get the products to your audience? Will you use direct mail or present them yourself? Depending on your goal, the method of distribution can greatly increase a program’s effectiveness.

4. Determine a theme, if appropriate.
Building your message around a theme helps to brand your message in your target audience’s mind.

5. Develop a message for imprint.
In some cases, you’ll use only your company name or logo as an imprint. In other instances, such as a direct mail campaign, clever copy ties your promotion pieces together, giving a better impact. Wanting to promote its services to small businesses, one bank created the theme “Are you tired of being treated like a small fish?” and sent fish-related products along with promotional literature to prospects.

6. Choose an appropriate promotional product.
Don’t get caught up in the latest trend. Instead of choosing products based on uniqueness, price or perceived value, choose an item appropriate to your business or that supports your theme. For example, pharmaceutical companies routinely give pens, notepads and other items imprinted with their company name to doctors’ offices and hospitals. Another example is a company who developed a magic motif for its conference at Disney World, then gave attendees magic-related products that tied in with the theme “Experience the Magic at Disney®.”

Visit our resource center for more articles and promotional product information

Never before has a plastic cup been able to promote your corporate image with such detail and clarity. Hi-Definition graphics increase the initial impact of your promotion. Plus, you’ll get added exposure when your reusable plastic cups are taken home and used again and again.

Use our full color cups to:

Promote People:
Political candidates, real estate agents, celebrities, athletes, artists, spokespeople, sports teams, or customer service groups – any time you need to put a face on your promotion!

Promote Products and Services:
Product and service introductions, features and benefits or build brand recognition and loyalty – any time you need a spectacular presentation!

Promote Places and Events:
Vacation destinations, sporting and entertainment events, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, zoos and museums, grand openings, meetings and conferences – anytime “where” is a part of your promotion!

More Than Just Drinks:
Popcorn, coins banks, donation cups, flower pots, product packaging or ice cream!

Lids (flat strap, flat drink-thru, or domed) and straws (flex, straight and spoon styles) are available. The cups are made of polypropylene (plastic #5), are recyclable, and are top-shelf dishwasher safe.