The season has arrived for outdoor activities, summertime fun, and one of America's favorite corporate sports, golf.  Over the past ten years, the occurrence of corporate golf outings has declined as budgets decreased and corporate spending was put to a halt.  However, we are finally seeing a rebuilding relationship between the golf industry and corporate America.  In 2011, promotional golf item sales were up 6%* and are continued to grow.  The one-on-one face time provided by golf outings and tournaments with clients, and the opportunity for employee teambuilding are valuable experiences that only golf can provide.  

The way to truly maximize the impact of any golf outing is to incorporate promotional items into the event.  Complementing a golf experience with branded merchandise ensures the goodwill and memory of the event will continue to make an impression long after the event is over.  Everyone from big budget corporate entities to smaller community businesses can use golf events to boost business and build their brand.  Regardless of an organization's size or budget, there are promotional items at various price points that can enhance both an event and a brand.  

Below are some great ideas for promotional golf items at various price points.

Budget-Friendly (Under $5)
For those who truly need a budget-friendly item, there are value-priced options that can still make an impression.  Every golfer can use tees and divot tools on the green, and a water bottle or can coolie to help quench their thirst on the fairway.  These are inexpensive items that can be used as mass giveaways before, during, or after your event.

Conservative ($5-$10)
In the lower priced range, there are some options with a higher perceived value that can be given to event attendees as thank you for attending.  Consider giving a ditty bag with a thank you note inside or with drink tickets for a post-golf dinner or happy hour.  Or give out golf towels, bag tags or hats upon registration that attendees can use while on the course and take home after play is over.

Mid-Range ($10-$25)
Some of the most popular golf event items fall in the mid-range price arena. Apparel is always a great option, and it gives your brand much exposure.  Apparel can range from t-shirts to golf shirts, to windbreakers.  The most recent trend in golf apparel is moisture-wicking fabrics.  Coolers, duffels and shoe bags are also popular options.  They are useful, easy to transport, and can double as packaging for other event-related gifts.  

Premium (Over $25)
Merchandise in the premium category can be used as attendee gifts, prizes or auction items, starting at $25 and ranging over the hundred dollar mark.  The most common premium giveaway is a golf umbrella. An extra golf umbrella can always come in handy and when you pull one out on a rainy day, you will definitely remember who gave it to you.  Other ideas include golf bags, premium golf balls and even watches.  

As golf events become more popular, golf-related items will continue to evolve.  Whatever route you take with your next golf event, make sure your attendees don't leave empty handed, and the items they leave with prominently showcase your logo.  
Best Promotions has a great selection of promotional items for your next golf event.  Visit http://www.bestpromotions.com/products/browsecategory/118/ for ideas.

*PromoMarketing, March 2012

Posted by: Jamie Mlinarcik
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Topic: Promotional Products
Tags: budget friendly , golf outing , promotional golf

    We all do it. We all know it is bad, and yet 28% of accidents on the road are texting related. Texting results in car accidents that kill 11 teens every day. These statistics are astonishing, and unfortunately show no signs of changing anytime soon.
    While legislators across the county work to make texting while driving illegal, other concerned citizens have decided to take a more proactive approach; the silicone thumb band was made for anti-texting messages, and is small enough to fit on the offending digit.  The thumb band does more than legislators ever could, putting the reminder right at the drivers fingertips.
    Texting reminders are just one thing these silicone products can do. Most everyone can recall the Lance Armstrong Livestrong bracelets popularity and availability of awareness bracelets has skyrocketed scince they were introduced in 2004 .Slogans and awareness messages are perfect for the size of the bracelet and are easily readable.
    Silicone bands are a growing trend in non-profit awareness. These bands are durable and inexpensive, and make for a great promotional item and can be printed with any message you wish. They can also be printed with a team's colors, and serve as excellent school spirit items, or with a company's logo for team building and brand awareness.
    Silicone bracelets also are a great fundraising item.Since they are fairly inexpensive to produce, they are a great way to make a profit for a variety of organizations. Wrist bands are very popular items on high school and college campuses across the country, and an effective way to get your message to a tough-to-crack demographic.
    Unlike t-shirts and hats, wristbands can be worn all the time. In fact many wearers never even take them off. This level of exposure is invaluable for any brand. Your message will be seen by thousands of people, which in advertising could cost a small fortune, and your organization can make money doing it!
    Wrist bands come in a wide range of styles and colors. The variety is perfect for different charitable awareness months, such as pink in October for breast cancer or red for heart health in February. The bracelets are fully customizable, and there is a bracelet for every awareness and advertising campaign.
    And most importantly, silicone bracelets are inexpensive. At well under a dollar, awareness bracelets are affordable for any budget. There are few less expensive and more durable promotional items.
    Think of silicone bracelets the next time you need to spread an important message. Getting started is easier than you think, and you can have your bracelets in as little as 5 business days. To learn more about silicone bracelets, visit www.bestpromotions.com or call 1-866-881-2378 for ideas and suggestions for your project.

Posted by: Jamie Mlinarcik
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Topic: Other
Tags: silicone bands , silicone thumbrings , silicone bracelets , rubber bands , rubber bracelets

    In case you have been living under a rock and didn't hear, Apple has released the iPad 3. Apple loyalists camped out for days to be able to claim that they were one of the first to own the new iPad. The iPad 3, or HD as it is sometimes called, was released to the world in one of the most anticipated product launches ever.
    The iPad is so iconic that entire businesses have been built around it. iPad accessories are more popular than ever and they are available to customize with your logo They run the gamut from cases to keyboards to stylus pens to stands. There are multiple options at a variety of prices points, one that is sure to fit within your promotional budget. Now is the time to get in on the action.
    Most people know that promotional items are a great way to advertise. Putting your logo on an accessory to one of the most coveted items in the free market is not just a good idea, it is a great way to ensure your brand gets maximum exposure? How many iPads do you see on the move each day?  A lot.  And that number is anticipated to keep growing.Take advantage of the hype. Not only will people use a branded accessory with your logo on it, they will be excited to have it. And, your brand will be associated with innovation and forward thinking, characteristics that will elevate any brand status. Apple has encouraged an almost fanaticism amongst its fans, and Apple's level of consumer loyalty is unmatched. It would serve your brand well to be associated with Apple, if only in the smallest of ways.
   

5 Great Ways to incorporate iPad accessories into your next promotion.
1.    Use as a customer incentive program.  When a customer reaches a certain level of sales, give them an iPad with a logo carrying case to ensure they remember the company who rewarded them with such a gift.
2.    Outfit your sales force.  Many sales teams need to access their company website when on sales calls.  Make sure every iPad your sales team has is accompanied with promotional accessories.  A great gift for a yearly sales meeting or conference.
3.    Make your next tradeshow giveaway unique.  A stylus/pen combination is a perfect item to use at your next tradeshow and will set you apart from your competition.
4.    Implement a gift with purchase program. Entice customers to purchase your products by throwing in a free iPad case with qualifying orders.  
5.    Recognize employees for their dedication and service.  What better way to show appreciation to your most valuable asset than by giving them a useful and unique token of thanks.  iPad accessories are a great way to motivate and boost employee morale.

    Let's face it, the iPad is not going away.  As the use of iPads continues to grow, the need for you to put your logo on one increases as well.  With a variety of options at a variety of price points, choosing an iPad accessory for your next promotion will elevate your brand to the next level.
BestPromotions.com has a great selection of accessories to customize.  Call them today at 866-881-2378, or visit their iPad section at http://www.bestpromotions.com/products/browsecategory/411/ .

Posted by: Jamie Mlinarcik
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Topic: Promotional Products
Tags: ipad , apple , promotional products , logo , ipad accessories

Take a look at your calendar and you can see that Earth Day is quickly approaching. In the last decade, huge strides have been made in educating and empowering the public to make earth-friendly choices. No longer are just a few companies "green", now almost all companies have programs in place to reduce their carbon footprint.
Earth Day has been a day to celebrate Mother Nature for over three decades. Earth Day is also a great time to enact a promotional program to show you care about the environment.  Eco-friendly products are the current rage. You cannot walk into a grocery store, department store, or even a gas station without seeing an eco-friendly product. Any business can stand to benefit from environmentally-friendly products, both with their bottom line and their carbon footprint. But, as with anything, it's important how you do it.
How do you want to acknowledge your brand? Are you focusing on renewal? Reducing waste? Or Recycling? There is a vast array of eco friendly products for whatever theme you choose.
If your brand is about reducing waste both professionally and personally, Eco-friendly totes are great trade show giveaways, and reduce the number of plastic bags one might use at the mall or grocery store. Plastic bottles are a huge drain on the environment, as they take almost forever to degrade. Why not offer plastic bottles as a promotion? Water bottles are great for fitness centers, schools, or any company wellness program, and come in a wide variety of choices and price points, and some even have built in filters.
If your goal is to reuse, then look for products made from post-consumer waste. You are not relegated to notebooks, as there are post-consumer recycled materials of all sorts, such as the cornball pen. Reusable Coffee Cups and Soda Cans are all of the rage in promo items right now.
Fans of promotional apparel also have a slew of options. There is a large variety of sustainable fabrics, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, hemp, and bamboo. A clever idea is to reference the green movement as well as your brand.
Going green in promotions is not only the right thing to do, but also a great way to tap into a different and engaged market. Your promotional item will with careful thought be something the recipient will use every day, so your logo will be seen buy a large number of different people. Green friendly products are often in the same price range if not less expensive than traditional promotional items.
However you choose to acknowledge Earth Day, it is important that sustainability efforts be an extension of your brand.  Being "green" can be a part of your business identity if you so choose. Consumers respect businesses with eco-friendly practices. People that are committed to healthy and sustainable living are members of one the most loyal and engaged consumer groups.
For all of your promotional product needs, use Bestpromotions.com. They have a large selection of any number of products, and will work hard to bring your ideas to life.   Visit them at www.bestpromotions.com

Posted by: Jamie Mlinarcik
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Topic: Promotional Products
Tags: green , promotional marketing , green advertising

Traditional  Advertising vs. Promotional Items    


    Do you switch radio stations during commercial breaks? Fast-forward through ads when watching your favorite TV shows on your DVR? Name the last print ad you can remember. Traditional advertising has been utilized to the point of ineffectiveness. The average person is exposed to between 100 and 5,000 ad messages in a day. Up to 31% of these ads are never even seen!
    In this digital age, companies have more competition than ever. Your product is no longer competing with just the guy next door; you now have to compete with someone across the globe. Location is no longer a barrier, and your business can be lost in the shuffle. This presents a new sort of dilemma for business owners.
    So, how can your business get your message effectively out into the world? Print messages, the old inexpensive standby have largely gone by the wayside. Radio and television can be very expensive. The vast landscape of the internet has the potential to make your message white noise.
    The answer is simple and cheap. Promotional products are inexpensive and deliver highly targeted impressions.  A person can forget a lot of ads, but they won't forget your logo if it is on a favorite sleep shirt, their gym bag, or the coffee mug they drink out of every day. Promotional items offer extended brand exposure. A study conducted by PPAI Research revealed that 90.4% of people that have received a promotional item in the last two years still have possession of the item; what's more, 83% of respondents enjoy receiving promotional items. That's a lot of impressions of your logo! An additional bonus? The average cost per promotional items in the U.S. is .005 of a cent over the lifetime of a product.
    Promotional advertising has been a cornerstone in gaining sales for decades, and there is a reason why it is still going strong. Promotional marketing is inexpensive and highly effective. If you want to increase the ROI of your advertising spend, promotional products are the answer. There is a huge array of products for your logo and your budget. There is an effective promotional campaign for your business, and you can start it from the comfort of your home or office.
    The options for your campaign are limited only by your imagination. Most personal use items can be customized  with your logo.  Your customers want and appreciate a tangible reminder of your brand.
    Promotional products give you an edge that other traditional advertising cannot, that is going into a person's home, and creating a personal connection. Be it a towel or key chain, the usefulness of a promotional product is realized.  You cannot say the same for any other type of advertising. Best Promotions has a wide variety of promotional items for a variety of uses, in every price point.  Visit their website today for ideas.  http://www.bestpromotions.com.

Story, Louise. "Anywhere the Eye Can See, It's Likely to See an Ad ." New York Times [New York] 15 01 2007, n. pag. Print. .

Comscore press release.

Posted by: Jamie Mlinarcik
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Topic: Promotional Products
Tags: promotional items , advertising , small businesses