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Folding Water Bottles at ASI Dallas

18 Feb

HydroPouch!™ 24 oz. Soccer Ball Collapsible Water Bottle - Patent Pending

Folding water bottles were everywhere at ASI Dallas this year. Bullet had them. Jetline had them (some shaped like sport balls).  Numo had them. Maybe another two or three folks.

Why? Because they are a good idea. It is much easier to pack a foldable BPA-free bottle into a purse, glove compartment, or backpack than a solid water bottle. And when needed these empty bottles can much more easily – and for less cost – be mailed.

Yes, these are not going to hold up to the same punishment as a h2go-v volt style stainless steel bottle, but so what, the stainless steel bottle is 3x the cost and targeted at a different audience.

Where would I suggest using the new folding bottles? Airports. Anything to do with marketing to folks getting on planes. This is a super lightweight item they can place in their carry on. Once they are through security, fill the bottle up at the nearest water fountain and board the flight. Simple.

Frequent travelers would hold on to these forever, all the while getting your brand into that business networking club that is the first class cabin. (Yes I can see these in first class, water is water people, and those tiny little glasses up there just do not cut it on a 16hr business trip to Asia from the US).

Where else? School and clubs. Same idea, sort of. Play up the easy to store idea. Use them for a long trip, when you are done fold up and toss in child’s backpack. Simple.

Going the other direction we actually pitched these to a Dallas bar know for a signature Margarita. The idea was to serve the Margarita in a freezer-safe, custom shaped HydroPouch from Jetline, which would be great out on the bar’s porch in the Dallas Spring and Summer. Be creative.

Here I am at ASI with the Bullet Hermosa Water Bag With Carabiner.

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I would say expect more pouch bottle designs as 2012 continues. So pick your bottle. Pick your ASI contact,  Kim Gasparini at Numo Manufacturing, Jon Granek at Jetline, Mary Beach at Leeds, or contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Jute Color from Hit Promo

6 Feb

#3617 Jute Tote With Front Pocket

The #3617 Jute Tote With Front Pocket from Hit Promotional Products packs a lot of color into a natural fiber tote bag.

Part of the Hit Green line, the #3617 Jute Tote is a 17″ W x 14″ H x 5 ½” D tote available in Beige, Light Blue, Green and Poppy.

The bag offers a nice 10″ W x 7″ H imprint area, and imprint matched to trim colors is an option allowing for a one color imprint that really pulls the entire look of the bag together.

On the sustainability front the #3617 Jute Tote boasts 100% natural Jute fiber construction, a natural vegetable fiber which is 100% biodegradable. Additionally the festive colors of the tote are created with Azo-Free dyes.

The natural look and feel of jute bags lends itself easily to spa and wellness focused marketing efforts. The size of the #3617 Jute Tote works well as a shopper, a spa tote, even a beach bag.

If you are a promotional items distributor looking for more information on the HitGreen line contact Chris Platt at Hit Promotional Products. If you are interested in HitGreen items including the #3617 Jute Tote to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information, pricing, and samples.

Best Idea 2012: h2go-v volt

8 Jan

20 oz h2go double wall 18/8 stainless steel water bottle, vacuum insulated with threreaded lid

In the sustainable arena it is generally agreed that for reusable drinkware, stainless steel bottles are safer and easier to maintain than aluminum, plastic, or glass. So the question then becomes, which is the better stainless steel bottle to promote your brand or event?

For 2012 I am voting for the h2go-v volt from Express Line. This 20 oz. double wall 18/8 stainless steel water bottle is vacuum insulated and features a high impact threaded lid. This vacuum insulated bottle keeps cold drinks cold. It also makes for a slightly heavier bottle, which I see as a plus for a promotional item, as the h2go-v volt has a heft to it that conveys value, strength, and quality, all words that most businesses would like to associate with.

To top if off, the Express Line offers the h2go-v volt with an amazingly appealing chrome finish. The chrome finish makes any logo pop brightly and is a much better canvas to your logo than the standard stainless steel natural finished offer on most bottles. But you’re not limited to this wow/bang chrome, indeed the h2go-v volt comes in eight finishes, with bright colors like apple, orange, and fire engine red leading the pack.

Express Line will even add a carabiner to the bottle for $0.50.

The Express Line offers many, many, many stainless steel drinkware options. I think the h2go-v volt beats them all when judged for functionality, classic design, and flat out coolness. The h2go-v volt is really most appreciated in person, when comparing apples-to-apples with another bottle, so I suggest you get your hands on one before doing any bottle buying in 2012.

If you are an ASI distributor Nicki Russo is the contact to talk to at Express Line. If you are interested in the h2go-v volt to promote your own business or event, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information, pricing, and samples.

Executive Jelly Bean Gift from Maple Ridge Farms

6 Dec

Executive Jelly Bean Dispenser Standard Multi-Color Assortment

It is the holiday season and many organizations are looking for that perfect thank you for clients and employees. Food is always a fun idea at this time of year, but of course food goes away, so from a marketing point of view the question is how do we keep our gift in front of our client for the entire year.

Pairing a food gift with a sustainable and branded container is the ideal combination of “thank you” and “reuse me.” And of course the more often a client reuses your container, the more often they see your logo and of course are reminded of the gift.

One gift that is sure to be used again and again throughout the year is the Executive Jelly Bean Dispenser, the “Business gift of the year” from Maple Ridge Farms. From their website: “This nostalgic dispenser evokes the childhood memories of the local candy store and their multi-colored array of delicious confections. Simply remove the cover, and fill the chamber with jelly beans. Turn the crank and feel like a kid again!”

Nostalgia aside, we just think it looks cool and will enjoy a prominent spot in the client’s office. Along with the wood dispenser comes a half-pound assortment of JELLY BELLY® jelly beans. To further assure that your gift is used and reused, send your client a jelly bean refill every month or so.

The dispenser is a noticeable 11″ x 6 3/4″ x 2 5/8″ and the wooden cover is firebranded with your imprint, with an printable area of 3″ x 1 1/8”.

If you are ASI and have questions for Maple Ridge Farms, contact Traci Simonis. If you are interested in food gifts to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for holiday ideas, information and pricing.

Beech Wood Body Card Drives From Hirsch

22 Nov

Beech Wood Sevilla USB Drive

The card style T5405 Sevilla USB Drive from Hirsch Gift is simply very cool.

I have to admit that when I first saw these drives I though they were made of bamboo, because, well bamboo seems to be everywhere these days (more, more).

But the Sevilla USB shell is made of beech wood, which is not a material I have seen used for drives before, so it looks like Hirsch is on to something new. Hirsch also uses beech wood in the T5366 Cadiz USB Drive (whose design for some reason reminds me of a high-end cigar cutter).

But it is the Sevilla USB Drive I like best because it provides what most USB drives do not, a large imprint area. Most USB drives have a small area for imprint which is dictated by their smaller size. But card designs can go big, and the Sevilla USB Drive can be imprinted up to 1 1/4W” x 1 1/4H”.

That is large enough to turn it into a business card, print a QR code, or even a detailed logo. Like all Hirsch USB drives the Sevilla USB Drive boasts grade A memory and is RoHS compliant (which in this case means their USB drives are free of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and some other nasty things I cannot pronounce). Memory options run from 512MB – 16GB.

These are great items for a program with a nature-meets-technology theme — think renewable energy, LEED certified building projects, etc. They would also make a nice speaker’s or presenter’s gift, a practical, modestly-priced item with a high perceived value.

If you are ASI and have questions for Hirsch Gift, contact Robert De Veau. If you are interested in flash drives to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

This Holiday, Make It Last with Glass

29 Oct

Footed Square Glass Jar

What could be sweeter than a holiday gift that promotes your business or organization all year long? During the holidays, food-related gifts are popular, but it’s important to make sure that the container (and your logo) lasts long past the time the treats are devoured.

Enter the glass goody container, which can be used and displayed on office desks and kitchen counters for years to come.

The more attractive the jar, the longer it will be used and the more prominently it will be displayed. Mid-Nite Snax has many handsome glass containers to choose from (filled or empty). I am a fan of both the Footed Square Glass Jar with Sports theme candies and the classic Glass Square Jar.

While you’re on the Mid-Nite Snax website, check out their snack tins too – since metal and glass are more likely to be reused than a cardboard container, and are by their nature recyclable, they can help promote your client’s sustainable message or brand better than a tosh away container, especially if language explaining the re-usability of the contain is included with your marketing message.

If you are an ASI distributor, you can get more information about Mid-Nite Snax’s glass containers on their website. If you are interested in Mid-Nite Snax products to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Notes from Ecofest Arlington

19 Sep

Ecofest Arlington

This weekend was the third Ecofest Arlington, hosted by the City of Arlington Texas, which the city promotes as a “free, family oriented event, [which] helps build a sense of community, stimulates environmental awareness, and promotes stewardship across North Texas”. Bascially it is just a lot of good fun, good music, and good food.

The two biggest draws at this year’s event where likely the class on building your own rain barrel and certainly the tree give away.

This year, instead of using plant containers or bags for the small trees, the city decided to use a reusable, dishwasher safe, and recyclable custom printed cup from Visstun.

The tagline for Visstun is “visually stunning cups” and they totally lived up to their reputation on this product. The cups were printed with a full color wrap which included the Ecofest logo, plus information on tree planting and welfare, and QR codes for more information on planting trees in North Texas. So instead of a simple plastic, throw away bag, each tree came with one of these great, yet practical, reusable souvenirs.

Take a look at the video.

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If you are an ASI distributor looking for knock out cups talk to Joe Davis at Visstun. If you are interested in Hi-def Visstun Reusable Clear Plastic Cups to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Getting Ready For Fall at the Farmer’s Market

9 Sep

Recycled Cotton Market Bag

Fall is in the air. Well since I live in Dallas and it is still 90+ degrees this first week of September, let me say the idea of Fall is in the air. And Fall means fun at the farmer’s market.

I really do enjoy weekends at the market and every season brings a new selection to the stalls. Cauliflower, Butternut Squash, Fall Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and of course Pumpkins all come out around this time of year.

But look around at the shoppers. Even though I am at the farmer’s market I am surrounded by reusable bags bearing the names of the big food store chains of Dallas – Central Market, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Tom Thumb.

The thing about a farmer’s market is normally everyone brings their own bags. And since a printed shopping bag is really also a small moving “billboard” might I suggest if you are planning a marketing push this season that has anything to do with food or foodies, think about getting some printed bags to the farmers market for distribution to the crowds.

Like a tee shirt, most folks do not throw away bags. Indeed, again like a tee shirt, most shoppers have a favorite bag that they use over and over because a quality shopping tote is held on to for years.

Here is a hint. YOU WANT YOUR BRAND ON THAT BAG.

If not exactly free advertising, the average cost per impression of a shopping tote (i.e. the cost per view of your logo) is so very low, handing out a good bag that will last for years is a much, much better return on advertising dollars then print ads, TV ads, even billboards. The secret is to tie your brand to a good bag. No one uses a Yugo for a company limo. In the same respect skipping on your bag budget is not a good idea when you are using the bag itself as a vehicle to promote your brand.

Here are two videos on bags from Gemline that I think would work great for any promotional event targeting shoppers that would frequent a farmers market. The Gemline pre-printed Laminated 100% Recycled Shopper Set (adding your logo to a pre-printed bag is an easy way to get more bang for your marketing buck) and the very sturdy and understated Recycled Cotton Market Bag.

If you are ASI and wish to learn more about these Gemline products contact Andrea Catalano. If you are interested in bags to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

The videos.

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Video: Paper Inserts for Spirit Tumblers

5 Sep

Example of full color Insert on 24 oz spirit tumbler

As Halloween and end of year holiday planning starts I wanted to revisit the paper insert idea for double wall acrylic tumblers developed by The Express Line that I wrote about in July.

This BPA-Free reusable drinkware design is showing up more and more both in the promotional market and also in retail stores.  And while Leeds and some other vendors are showing off holiday themed double-walled tumblers imprinted with candies and shipped with candy cane style straws, I think everyone needs to wake-up to the possibility of holiday inserts for the Spirit Tumbler from Express Line.

Think about it, with the ability of full color imprinting via the paper insert, the Spirit Tumbler from Express Line can become your holiday card, or at least exactly mimic it, with card cover art on outside and message printed on the inside of the tumbler. Stuff it with candies if you like, but this is a much more expressive holiday hello than a simple card. And as a reusable item of drinkware, it will stay with the recipient much, much longer than a simple paper card.

The Express Line recently put out a video on their insert program. It does not address my holiday idea, but does show off the concept much better than explaining it in words does, so I decided to post their video here.

As you can see the Spirit Tumbler from Express Line with full color paper insert could easily become a perfect canvas for your holiday messaging. Jack O’Lantern drinkware anyone?

If you are an ASI distributor Nicki Russo is the contact to talk to at Express Line. If you are interested in full color to promote your own business or event, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information, pricing, and samples.

EMERGENCY SELF-CHARGING DYNAMO

6 Aug

EMERGENCY SELF-CHARGING DYNAMO

There is no getting around the fact that the last few months have seen some really terrible weather in the U.S.  Floods, fires, tornadoes, all have been issues in the first half of 2011.

Something that often proves invaluable in bad weather situations is a good radio, preferably with a shortwave (SW) band.

The Emergency Self-Charging Dynamo from Sweda is a good example of a small, portable, self-charging emergency radiothat at the right place, and at the right time, can go way beyond “just another promo item”.

The Emergency Self-Charging Dynamo from Sweda features a sleek metallic silver case and a matte black rubberized body. The radio also contains a three bulb LED flashlight. Both the radio and the flashlight run off an internal wind-up generator, so the Emergency Self-Charging Dynamo will never need batteries.

The imprint area of the Dynamo is 3/8″H x 2-1/4″W smack on the center front of the unit, total size of the unit is a very portable 3”H x 6”W x 2”.

If you are a credit union in Tornado Alley still handing out toasters, I suggested you think about switching to the Emergency Self-Charging Dynamo from Sweda. The Dynamo is also a good fit for storm awareness programs or organizations promoting weather awareness and educational programs.

If you are a distributor and want more information on the Emergency Self-Charging Dynamo from Sweda contact Lakisha Higgins, Sweda Strategic Accounts. If you would like to purchase this item for your own business please contact your local promotional items provider or email info@proformagreen.com for pricing and samples.

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