Posts Tagged ‘Promotional Gifts’
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
There are many benefits to having a strong brand in business, and more than ever brand values are being used as a way for customers to find their way around an increasingly saturated marketplace.
Whether you’re an online business, a high street retailer, even a political party, brand identity is becoming an important way of getting a company noticed and enabling it to speak with one clear voice.
Once a business has decided to enhance their brand it can be difficult to know how to use it to their advantage. Companies may have invested a great deal of time and money into developing their brand, only for it to stagnate as they have difficulty in realising it’s potential.
The Corporate Gifts Company have come up with a guide to getting the most out of your brand to make sure a company’s efforts don’t go to waste.
1. Make sure it gets noticed
Many businesses choose to rebrand in order to better communicate their brand values and create an identity in the market place. In order to do this, your brand needs to be thrust under the noses of the people who will take notice, whether that’s potential customers, existing customers, suppliers or shareholders.
Promotional products can help to do this. Promotional stationery and promotional items can help with this, as it puts your brand in a prominent position in the workplace or the home. Whether it’s promotional pens, promotional t-shirts or promotional calendars, items such as these can help companies spread the word about their brand, their business and their product, getting themselves noticed by the people that matter.
2. Use your brand to motivate staff
The right brand used correctly has the ability to inspire and galvanise a workforce. It can be used to transmit the core message of the business throughout the company, ensuring everyone is pulling in the same direction. It is important that everyone working for the company is made aware of the brand and taught how to use it correctly to make sure the message is kept consistent.
Use a brand launch to make a special event out of the occasion. Rather than just replace old stationery and logos with new ones, give the event a real sense of occasion to get staff excited about the brand and it’s message. This will not only encourage staff to accept it but also provide an important occasion to educate them on the message and how to use it correctly. Promotional banners and branded corporate gifts can be used to give the event a special feel, as well as corporate awards to encourage staff to be an ambassador for the brand and raise awareness.
3. Be Prepared
The strongest brands are those that have prepared in advance. Before launching your brand, consider what message you want to portray and what voice you want to transmit. It can be easy to get carried away with colour schemes and logo designs, so think carefully about what you want your company to say before deciding on a brand image. This is especially important if you are a charity or an organisation that gives opinion and advice. If there are tricky or controversial issues that your company gives advice on, it is important to decide on your position before your brand launches. This can save answering tricky questions when it’s too late to change.
Once you have launched your brand effectively, don’t be shy about it! Use promotional gifts and promotional products to show off your brand to anyone who will listen!
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts, promotional product, promotional products
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Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
At The Corporate Gifts Company, we keep an eye out for stories of vintage promotional gifts and promotional products raising a fortune at auction, and the latest example comes from Michelin, as was reported on in this article from The Drum.
200,000 Euro was raised from the sale of classic promotional products, and for established names like Michelin, promotional items can be extremely collectible.
Michelin are not alone in producing much sought after promotional gifts. Brand names like Coca Cola and Guinness are world renowned for producing collectible promotional items, and both have made separate industries out of their promotional wares.
Although not every company can produce such collectible promotional items, it shows what can be achieved with relevant, high quality promotional products. By producing unique, brand consistent promotional gifts, you will not only enhance your reputation but you might well end up producing items that are sought after by staff and customers. Remember, the more people who want your promotional products, the more places you logo and brand will appear.
For more information and ideas on promotional gifts, visit http://www.corporate-gifts-co.com.
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts
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Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Only a couple of years can make a huge difference in the way people spend. What people look for when they are buying is often guided by changes in fashion. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the fashion industry, where shoppers change their tastes by the season, often guided in their choices by magazines and celebrities.
The craze for organic foods and green produce peaked in 2008 but has been on the decline ever since. Since the recession hit, cash strapped shoppers have seemingly opted for price over sustainability, and sales of organic food alone fell by 13% during 2009.
But just as magazines can influence style, could the media at large have been responsible for guiding a green fashion statement? Now that the papers are full of tales of financial woe, has the green message become outdated, much in the same way a dress loses it’s appeal after a few years?
It’s an idea that’s worth exploring. How many people can genuinely say that they understand the meaning of organic foods, or the Fairtrade symbol? Indeed, how many products that are marketed as green can honestly claim that they are making any positive difference to the state of the planet?
There’s no doubt that companies cashed in on these ideas during the boom times, and many shoppers, often with much disposable income, were keen to play up to the role of the ethical shopper. It almost became a statement of your personality rather than an effort to shop more ethically.
It also became a popular device in the world of business, with more and more companies keen to show off their green credentials to appeal to those consumers who followed that ideology.
It can be argued that for all it’s good intentions, the green craze did more harm than good. The issues it raised were often trivialised by people looking to jump on the boat, and surely any increase in consumerism will only result in an increase in waste further on down the line.
These ecological conundrums are even played out in the world of promotional gifts. A feature of the new product range on our sister site, http://www.promotional-gifts-co.com, is an environmental showcase of recycled and Fairtrade promotional items that tick the box of being eco friendly. There is an argument that says that given the disposable nature of promotional gifts, such as promotional bags and promotional pens, can there ever be any such thing as an eco friendly promotional gift?
The answer has to be that if there is going to be a demand for promotional gifts, it makes sense to try and produce these in as green a way as possible. While they will be used to some extent to further the green credentials of the companies that use them, it also makes sense to produce an often disposed of product in as ethical a way as possible.
If the eco craze was a fashion statement, it certainly was a popular one. But surely if it is going to teach us any lasting lessons, it is of our responsibility to produce products, promotional or otherwise, in an ethical way.
Tags: promotional gift, Promotional Gifts
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
As the business and economic worlds try to find stability after a long global recession, the aims and strategies of marketing are in a state of flux. With many companies not surviving the downturn and marketing budgets cut across every sector, business bosses are having to come up with more innovative, meaningful ways of promoting their business to potential customers.
Rather than marketing to a large, general population, businesses now need to focus on how to appeal to a more specific target audience who will offer a much higher return on investment. It is important to make a connection to this audience in a personal way, and one technique that can be used to achieve this is promotional gifts. It is a powerful area of marketing which stands out amongst its peers for being able to offer a unique brand experience that cannot exist with any other form of marketing.
There is nothing that can rival the experience of receiving a gift. Most major holidays revolve around the theme of gift giving, and as a marketing tool promotional gifts can evoke an emotional response like no other. In order to achieve this response, promotional gifts have to follow some guidelines.
When a promotional gift is personalised, it becomes the embodiment of the company’s brand, and as a result people will associate that product with the company who gave it. To that end, it pays to give a durable, practical and novel promotional gift that will convey the message of the brand and of the company. If a gift breaks or isn’t fit for purpose, the disappointment of the customer in the promotional gift will be transferred onto the company that gave it. That means it becomes vital for a businesses to ensure the quality of the item they will put their brand onto. After all, it makes no sense to spend time and effort on perfecting a brand image only to let a promotional gift let it down.
As well as durability, businesses also have to think about the sustainability of the product and the ethical connotations attached to how the gift is produced. In today’s world of organic, fair trade produce, companies not only have to conduct their business in an ethical way, but also consider the business practices of the companies they choose to supply their products. With the values of the brand embodied in a promotional gift, companies have a responsibility to ensure their gift is produced in a way that reflects the ethical commitments they pursue themselves.
There will always be a cost consideration when it comes to sourcing ethical produce, but as more emphasis is placed on the importance of responsible trading by governments and businesses, it can become more costly not to conduct business in an ethical way. A company’s reputation can hinge on their business practices and with consumers more aware of where their goods come from, giving an ethically sound promotional gift can have a positive impact on that reputation.
With a new dawn emerging for marketing, quality promotional gifts can play an important role in securing a prosperous future.
Tags: promotional gift, Promotional Gifts, promotional product, promotional products
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Monday, June 7th, 2010
With the Summer arriving in splendid style, 2010 looks set to be a great year for outdoor events. Many businesses choose this time of year to attend conferences or organise exhibitions and open days. For many of these events, promotional gifts are a must. They provide the company involved with a fantastic opportunity to spread the word of their business and increase their reputation by gifting quality promotional gifts.
The Corporate Gifts Company knows how important a successful promotional gift can be, so we have put together this list of how to get the most out of your promotional gift.
1. Get something that people will use!
It sounds blindingly obvious but it’s a common mistake to make. You’ve spent ages choosing the item, putting your logo in the right place and getting it in just the right shade of green, but if it’s not a gift people will use or want then it’s all time wasted! Think about the people who are attending the event and choose a gift that will make an impression with them. Your branded item is doing nothing for you at the bottom of someone’s drawer, or worse, the bin.
2. Match the item to the event.
It’s important that the gift reflects the importance of the event. If it’s a major event, people will be expecting something on a grander scale. Equally, if it’s a smaller event, you don’t have to break the bank. For these more intimate occasions it’s possible to get a quirky, original gift that people will enjoy and hold on to but won’t cost the earth. If it’s on the higher end of the scale, you don’t want to take the gloss off it by giving out a cheap gift! Make sure the gift matches the scale of the event.
3. Order in plenty of time.
If you know your event is coming up, get in and order your gift. The longer you leave it, the less choice you are giving yourself. Often there will be negotiations on colour schemes and type of product, so make sure you don’t leave it too late to get the gift you want.
You can see our range of promotional gift items at http://www.corporate-gifts-co.com
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts
Posted in Corporate Gift Range, Promotional Gifts | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
With the World Cup just around the corner, all eyes are firmly set on a wonderful Summer of sport. The great and the good of the football world will converge on South Africa for what promises to be a thrilling world cup. But for thousands of amateur enthusiasts, their season is just coming to a close.
It’s not just football where amateur players across the northern hemisphere will have their weekends back. Rugby, hockey and the full compliment of winter sports are all drawing to a close as the summer arrives.
Although we can’t all play in the Premiership, many clubs will be having end of season award ceremonies. Though probably not as glitzy as the professional awards and seriously lacking in the supermodel WAG factor, these can be great occasions for singling out the star performer in a team and rewarding those who have had a fantastic season. And even if you’ve been relegated, there’s no better way to cheer people up!
For those who don’t wish to go down the trophy route, awarding promotional gifts can be an effective and affordable way of rewarding players. By using promotional gifts, you can make the award specific to the player. So rather than just give a token trophy that will be destined to gather dust for twelve months, give your star player something they will be really excited about. By personalising your promotional gift it will mean more, ensuring better morale in your team.
The promotionlal gift can be personalised further by branding it with either the name of the player or logo of the team and it will add a fantastic feature to an end of season awards night.
Check out http://www.corporate-gifts-co.com for some great promotional gift ideas.
Tags: promotional gift, Promotional Gifts
Posted in Corporate Gift Range, Promotional Gifts | No Comments »
Monday, April 12th, 2010
As the world begins to emerge from one of the longest recessions in history, there was cause for optimism amongst British companies with the news that confidence and output in the UK is at its highest for four years, according to a survey by accountants BDO.
A return to pre-recession levels is definitely a cause for optimism, and as companies continue to recover and grow there has never been a better time for businesses to reinforce their brand, announcing their presence in a brave new world for business.
One way to do this is by using Personalised Corporate Gifts embossed with a company logo, showing your rivals and your clients the continued strength of your brand. These gifts can be used as a thank you to clients for their business during the downturn, or for employees to reward their hard work in maintaining your Company’s position in the market.
The effects of these gifts can be huge. With clients unsure over which companies have survived the downturn, a branded corporate gift such as the Orbital Spinning Clock, is a great way to remind them of the continued strength of your Company.
When used as an employee reward, a Corporate Gift is also a great way to raise morale in a team that may have been hit by cutbacks during the recession. Awards such as the Star Trophy Award can be used to reward employees who have exceeded their targets, providing a fantastic reward and also an incentive for the rest of the team.
The Corporate Gifts Company carries a huge range of other Corporate Gifts that any Company can use to celebrate a more optimistic 2010.
Tags: awards, corporate gifts, Promotional Gifts
Posted in Business Gifts, Corporate Gift Awards, Corporate Gifts Business Card Holders | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Well, I hope you enjoyed the first part where we talked about squeezing the lemon. Of course, it’s rare that a sequal ever lives up to the original – but I’ll give it a go.
So this time we’re going to consider the pie; how to grow the pie, specifically. The first part talked about the lemon as your customer base, and the anology of squeezing the lemon was how to get the most juice (business) out of those lemons and not let the lemon shrivel up in the fridge.
So, squeezing the lemon was all about getting the most from your existing customers in a more direct and short term way, and growing the pie is about maximising profit and creating value for both customers and suppliers as part of a longer term strategy. This is done by;
- Differentiation – what makes you different/better than your customers? Look at; product, pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, selling, core competencies, competitive advantage, USP’s
- Added Value – what aspect of your product/service adds real value for the customer?
- Value Chain – monitor and feedback performance up stream and downstream to continually improve.
The key elements of growing the pie are;
- Constantly strive to deliver value for the customer by improving your overall proposition.
- Understand the supply and value chains and learn how to leverage key aspects to create added value and differentiation.
- Change the mindset of both your company and your customer base. This is more important than immediate short term gains.
So what does The Corporate Gifts Company do to grow it’s pie? Good question, and a challenging one too. Well, we talk to our customers constantly about how they find our service and product, what they liked and what they didn’t like; we encourage testimonials (good or bad) and we have used that feedback over the past 18 years to hone our service and quality levels so that we give our customers exactly what is most important to them; reliable service, consistent quality (we have the international quality standard ISO9000), appropriate and quality promotional branding, and responsible business practices (see our CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility – policy.
Thanks to The Cranfield School of Management’s BGP (Business Growth Development) programme for inspiration.
Tags: Business Gift Ideas, Business Gifts, Corporate Gift Awards, Corporate Gift Sales, Corporate Gifts Co, Corporate Message, corproate gifts or promotioanl gifts, Engraved Gifts, Engraving Messages, Promotional Gifts, Promotional Messages, Promotionaol Gifts, Sales Incentives
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Friday, October 2nd, 2009
At the world famous Cranfield School of Management’s Business Growth Development programme they spend a lot of time talking about a couple of tasty food analogies; “Squeezing the Lemon” and “Growing the Pie”. As part of the marketing part of the programme these two ideas are at the heart of the growth of any business. So what’s the story behind these culinary concepts for success? Let’s start with the lemon.
The lemon signifies your customer base, and who amongst us can put hand on heart say we get the most out of all our customers? Do we sell as much as we can, are there other products or services we can sell to them, do we sell to all divisions and departments of our customers’ businesses? No, well that’s actually the story for most companies and to add even more zest to the analogy think of your average customer like this; if we’re using a lemon at home more often than not we cut into it and squeeze out what we need and then stick it in the fridge – great, the poached salmon tastes great. The problem is when we go to use the lemon again (sometimes after weeks sitting lonely and forgotten next to the eggs) it’s wrinkled and dried and all that juice has been wasted.
And that’s what happens to new customers; we fail to squeeze the maximum amount of business out of them. After the initial order is won, we don’t pay them enough attention until eventually they go and find another supplier. And if you didn’t know already, it costs up to seven times more to aquire a new customer than look after an existing one. So the moral of the analogy is; get squeezing - before your lemons dry up or someone else does it for you.
Of course, in the light of the above blog, it would be remiss of me not to mention that The Corporate Gifts Company supply a comprehensive selection of promotional items and advdertising merchandise that are perfect for communicating with your customers in a tangible and cost effective way. Whether you want to reinforce your brand values with items such as business card cases or clocks, or say thank you to key customers with an appropriate promotional desk item or personal accessory, The Corporate Gifts Company can help you squeeze your lemons.
Look out for “Growing The Pie” next week!
Tags: brand name, Business Gifts, Business ideas, Corporate Gifts Co, Corporate Message, Cost Effective, Engraved Gifts, Exexcutive Clocks, Growing your business, promotional business card case, Promotional Clock, promotional gift ideas, Promotional Gifts, promotional incentives, Promotional Messages, Promotional Sourcing
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Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
With the huge rivalry between companies online, it is hard to differentiate yourself from the throng. An area internet marketing people fail to utilise fully is with business giftware.
Corporate gifts are products that are branded with your company logo, URL, contact information or a different message you want to relay.
Normally the 1st item that comes to mind is branded pens or T-Shirts but in actuality there are thousands of a different items you can use all you need is a bit of creativity to make yourself stand out from the crowd.
Promotional product giving points:
1. Promote Your Website
• This is the one of the first things that comes to most people’s minds once they think of how they should use business giftware. Every product you choose to promote your business you should include your URL on it.
2. Niche Promotional Gifts
• You can find products that compliment your type of business items.
An example is, if you sell handbags, it would-be be a great idea to include a handbag hook for table that has your brand on it.
3. Motivate the consumer to purchase more – the upsell!
• You can use promotional gifts to incite your customers to buy more products than they would normally, this is called up selling. This can be easily achieved online by bundling multiple products on with a promotional item.
4. Affiliate rewarding
• Thanking your best affiliates by giving them a business gift. it shows that you appreciate that they promote your company. You could send gifts to your partners once they reach a pre-determined goal, or you can simply surprise them with a present. In doing this you are building a stronger relationship. And they will be more likely to promote your business more and make you more money in the long run.
5. Thank Your Customers
• Just like saying thank you to your affiliates, it is always worth considering thanking your clientele. The most effective way to do this is with a tiered giving approach. Give your top clients a high perceived value products and then decrease the value of the products for the preceding tiers. You can have as many tiers as you want.
6. Get a competitive benefit
• Because of tough online competition, it’s harder than ever to compete for business online. But promotional gifts can give you an advantage. If your competition aren’t utilising this essential marketing technique then steal a march on them!
Tags: business gift, corporate gift, corporate gifts, promotion, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts, promotional item
Posted in Corporate Gifts Advice and Help, Corporate Gifts Business Opportunities | 1 Comment »
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