Seasonal Marketing Ideas

Custom Products: Adding Fireworks to Your Brand Strategy this 4th of July

Custom Products: Adding Fireworks to Your Brand Strategy this 4th of July

When major holidays roll around, you probably get caught up in all the excitement of planning parties, vacations, and spending time with friends and family. While that’s certainly fun, at the same time, you could miss out on a huge opportunity—marketing your business.

No matter what type of business you own, the summertime allows you to both reach out to your current audience AND bring in new leads. This doesn’t mean that you have to put your holiday plans on hold. You can still have that fun and help your business simultaneously, without worrying too much about time or expense.

Promotional products will make this a reality. By incorporating them into your marketing strategy, they can seriously help you utilize holidays to your advantage (and help you celebrate in style)!

Connecting

Holidays are all about making connections, whether it’s with friends, loved ones, or even your own customers. Reconnecting with customers whom you haven’t heard from in a while reinforces your interest in being known. Extending your warm wishes to customers by providing them with complimentary promotional gifts serves as a means of expressing gratitude for their support, and as a gentle reminder of your brand. But don’t just customize just any swag – in order to actually make a connection with customers, give them items that they’ll actually appreciate. That way, customers will automatically have a positive association with your brand.

We’re all naturally inclined to connect with brands that have personality, and promo products are perfect ways for you to show YOUR brand personality. For example, in honor of Independence Day, why not give the Window Box of 12 Corporate Oreo® Picture Cookies? Delicious, hand-dipped cookies with your logo on each one, proudly made in the USA will definitely add fireworks to your brand strategy!

Setting Yourself Apart

While you are busily trying to make yourself the star of the holiday, so is your competition, but you can set yourself apart with some creativity. In order to do so, however, you have to remember how essential it is to humanize your brand and make it more personal than just any annoying ad. Custom  gifts show customers that there are real people behind your brand, not just a business entity, and that you have a unique and meaningful message to share.

Customers get tired of seeing the same sort of campaigns over and over, and it has become increasingly challenging to capture their attention. Thus, a promotional swag lets a customer easily interact with your brand on his or her own terms without feeling pressured into a purchase. This time of year, customers are preparing for cookouts, and firing up their grills. Your business can equip them with all the tools they need to be the Grill Master with this set that can be custom branded with your corporate logo.

Tie Up Your Campaign

 During the holidays, a custom promotional gift can wrap your marketing up in a bow – literally. Cohesive messaging is absolutely necessary for your marketing efforts to be successful, and in order for customers to clearly understand who you are, every piece of marketing and advertising that you put out should have the same look and feel. Custom gifts can be the final means of communicating and reinforcing your brand message to customers. It acts as a call-to-action, encouraging customers to further communicate with your business. You could satisfy their sweet tooth and get the energy going at the next holiday party with this delicious Chocolate Dream Caddy gift basket, complete with a branded ribbon.


This Independence Day, and for every holiday moving forward, remember the marketing opportunities that abound, especially when you have promotional products and custom swag on your side.

That way, you can have fun and still help your business flourish creatively and most importantly, memorably. Happy Fourth of July!

Posted by Admin, 0 comments
Are you doing it right? 5 Keys to Gifting

Are you doing it right? 5 Keys to Gifting

This is the time of year that our thoughts turn to gifting. Gifting can mean many things for businesses: either holiday gifts to customers that have done business within the past year, or gifting to recognize employee year-end achievements. Companies are starting to look at purposeful, appropriate gifts for the audience and for the season.

Recognition vs. Year End

Gifting at this time of year falls into two main categories: Recognition and Year-End. Recognition gifting is usually based on merit awards or department/company profitability. Year-end gifting is that gift which is given to employees or customers to thank them for service or loyalty throughout the year. You need to start at the beginning and decide exactly what type of gifting you will be doing this season. And if you are like most people, our guess is that you will be doing both!

Seasonality

The change of seasons affects the type of gifts you might be giving this time of year. It is time to update company uniforms, anyway. You may have already begun the switch from short-sleeved, pastel polo shirts to heather-colored henleys. You may have begun the switch from windbreaker to fleece-lined zippered jacket.

When gift giving, you can use this change in apparel to express your appreciation. This Melange Fleece Jacket is a great seasonal piece that won’t break the bank and makes a functional, attractive vehicle for your logo.

Screen Shot 2014-11-13 at 12.00.10 PM

Relevance

This one might seem obvious, but it is easy to miss the mark on providing relevant gifts for your employees and customers. Your high-travel sales team might not appreciate a tower of chocolate goodies as much as a quality garment bag or travel document holder/wallet. The chocolate tower might be perfect for the supporting office personnel.


Price

The season of awards and gifting can be an expensive one. Not because of the item itself necessarily, but because this is the time of year you are giving in volume. But, don’t let price influence you to not make the best decision possible. You can provide larger quantities of gifts without having to over-extend yourself. Gift for the home or desk accessories are always a nice treat. Our Corporate Gifts category offers a variety of options across several price points. And don’t forget, gifts given in trade or businesses are tax deductible in part or whole.

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Make the right impression™

Lastly, this is the gifting opportunity to help you make the right impression. You might be sending a gift to a customer who only orders from you once a year, and you want to use this gift to encourage repeat and increased business. You might be rewarding that employee who hit their sales goals for the first time ever, and this gift will help you reinforce a spirit of success. Either way, you can make the right impression with your gift initially and then get residual value from that gift all year long based on its usability and visibility in the life of the recipient.

However you plan to gift this year now is the time to start thinking about it. Your budget should include the actual gift, packaging and presentation, and fulfillment (packaging labor, shipping costs, etc.). Take a look at some good-better-best options. And, if you weren’t already thinking about gifting for recognition or year-end…maybe you should.

Tell us: What is one of the favorite year-end gifts you have ever received? What is one of the worst?

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments
8 Must-dos for the Corporate Tailgating Event

8 Must-dos for the Corporate Tailgating Event

Auburn or Alabama?
Bears or Packers?
College football of NFL?
Gas grill or charcoal grill?
Hot dogs or Brats?
Group section seating or corporate suite?

Corporate picnics were good in the summer, but this is football season! And, it is football-tailgating season. So no matter what team your organization roots for, tailgating and attending a fall football game is always a fun corporate event and great for team building…as long as your team wins!

We polled our account teams and some of our customers and here are our picks for the top must-dos for the corporate tailgating event:

1. Keep the drinks cold!
wmcupcooler

2. Clean up after yourself!
Napkin

3. Support your team!
Foam Finger

4. Keep the fans warm!
Blanket

6. Stay connected!
Gloves

7. Stay safe!
tote

8. Be loud!
Cow Bell

We want to see your pictures! If your organization does some tailgating this season, share your pics with us of your team supporting your team! Post them to our Facebook wall.

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 1 comment

FORE: Shoot Low, Win Big!

Does your golf outing planning schedule look like this? Win big with good planning and the perfect products.
Screen shot 2014-05-23 at 12.16.47 PM
For years companies have used the Golf Tournament as a way to socialize and reward their customers. One company we know spends as much as $45,000 on their annual spring event. A Golf Tournament has also been a stalwart fund-raiser for the non-profit segment.

Non-profits have certain challenges, especially when it comes to fund raising events that are reward-return based. They need the perfect promotional products to not only thank donors for past giving, but to also encourage them to donate again and spread their message. Sometimes it takes more than one stress ball or mug to do just that.

Here are some ideas to help non-profits find the perfect promotional products for their next Golf Tournament.

Traditional:

Balls Tube with Tees golfballs

Golf Towel golftowel

Golf Colorblock Polo golfshirt

Creative:

Keep it Cook Golf Kit golfkit

Cutting Board cuttingboard

Divot Tool/Bottle Opener divot

Waayyyyy outside the “tee” box:

Flip Flops w/ Bottle Opener flipflop

Morph Cinch Pack golfcinch

Brew 2 Go Kit dirnkset

Executive Putter Set putter

The right golf promotional products will provide big returns on your outing investment!

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

The Unique Wedding Experience

Screen shot 2014-05-08 at 4.47.36 PMListen up, event planners and hospitality facilities! You already know that there is no longer such a thing as a “traditional wedding.” There are entire reality television programs built around brides (or bridezillas) competing for the most unique, most memorable wedding. You see it every day. Your brides want the unique wedding experience and we are here to help you give it to them!

Two of the biggest contributors to achieving the unique wedding experience: Pinterest and promotional products.

Pinterest: Pinterest burst onto the scene in 2010 hailing itself as a “virtual discovery” tool. At the core, Pinterest is a bookmarking site. In reality, it is a crafters, foodies, and shoppers paradise. Since its inception, Pinterest has become the #1 social networking site based solely on “time spent” statistics. In 2013, Pinterest was valued at $3.8 billion and there is no slow-down in its near future.

For brides and wedding planners, Pinterest is a welcome haven for ideas and support. You can shop for dresses, get alternative venue ideas, and even plan your menu.

Top Wedding Boards on Pinterest from Vogue Magazine.

The Pinnacle Wedding board is one of our most popular boards.

Pinterest Wedding Boards even have their own Buzzfeed list.

Promotional Products: Promotional products can also help make a wedding even more memorable! Here are a few promotional product ideas to help your clients host a totally unique wedding experience:

Wedding-branded flip-flops to help everyone in the bridal party relax.flipflops




Personalized Napkins can be used for everything from brunch to cocktails to the main meal.napkin

Perfect for the sit-down meal AND a nice wedding favor, the Stemless Wine Glasswineglass.

A memorable addition to a beautiful outdoor wedding and a favor guests will want to use over and over: Fiesta Mason Jar Tumbler.masonjar

Event planners, hotels and venues can be ahead of the curve and offer these great ideas to their customers. Set your company apart, overhaul a wedding and help the brides and grooms that you work with create a one-of-a-kind, magical wedding day.

For more wedding ideas, please check out our Pinterest board or our website. Comment below if you know have other good ideas about how to use promotional products for a unique wedding experience.

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

Promotional Products to Save Your Snowmageddonpocalypse

The Pinnacle Promotions office is located in the Atlanta area. In 2014, we survived, along with our friends, family and colleagues, through one of the worst snowstorms in recent memory. Call it what you like: Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, or more accurately Snowmageddonpocalypse. People were stranded in their cars for anywhere from 1 – 20 hours. Children were stranded at schools, and worse on school buses and brave teachers and good Samaritans kept them safe and warm. There are many theories as to why this happened. And as there are many blame theories, there are that many stories or more of miraculous and random acts of kindness and selflessness.

Pinnacle Promotions was uniquely equipped to continue servicing our clients during the storm. Our account teams were able to address our customer’s needs through proprietary tools and resources, and make the necessary adjustments to make sure our clients weren’t left out in the cold.

In talking with many who were stuck or stranded, we heard over and over about the items that they really wished they had with them to weather the storm.

Some of the top comments we heard:

“I wish I had a blanket in the car.” A customized throw or blanket would be the perfect winter item to have in the car at all times and be ready in the summer to host a picnic.

“Wish I had an external phone charger. I didn’t expect my phone to die and not be able to use my car charger.” A branded portable power bank is a price-effective and compact way to come to the rescue of your clients and employees.

“Can’t wait to get home and have a warm cup of coffee.” Many of those who spent hours on the roadways trying to get home were relieved to walk into their homes and grab their favorite custom mug to sit down for a drink to warm them through.

And here at Pinnacle, we grabbed promotional ice scrapers on our way out the door to help us get the snow and ice off our windshields for the drive home.

What items do you think would be most helpful in a snowstorm? Check out our Winter Promotional Items section for some great ideas.

And lastly, a special thanks to all of the emergency service personnel, road crews and good Samaritans who helped those who were waylaid by the storm.

Posted by Lee in Brand Identity and Corporate Logos, Promotions Industry News, Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 1 comment
It’s Not Just Orchid, it’s Radiant Orchid: Pantone 2014 Color of the Year

It’s Not Just Orchid, it’s Radiant Orchid: Pantone 2014 Color of the Year

If you work as a graphic designer or with graphic designers in any capacity, no doubt you are familiar with the Pantone Matching System, which is the standard color matching system across pretty much all industries.

Each year, Pantone chooses a “Color of the Year.” The color is decided upon at a secret Pantone meeting held in a European capital each year. The color is reportedly chosen in conjunction with many of the cultural influences that Pantone believes are relevant in our present lives. The color is meant to capture the spirit of the year.

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid.
main_banner

Last year’s color was green. Lots of things are green. Not all that many things are “radiant orchid.” Our team worked very hard to find promotional or customized marketing products around the office that are orchid. We found these two things that are close.

orchid1orchid2

To help our designers, idea-makers and customers get into the color of the year we created a Pinterest board.

What promotional items do you think will look best in radiant orchid?

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Current Events News, Seasonal Marketing Ideas, Top Trending Topics, 0 comments
Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes

Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes

We here at Pinnacle Promotions are in the branding business. We sell promotional items with your logo on them, branded marketing materials, and corporate gear and uniforms. So, when it comes to Halloween we can’t help but look at it through our “business” glasses. We have polled our team and developed the definitive “Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes” list. See if you agree!

10. Police Officer – Regular or S.W.A.T style.

9. Doctor – Regular or Zombified.

8. Nurse – Regular or Sultry.
Nurses

7. Football player – Extra points for the consistent team branding throughout.

6. Football referee – Last year’s referee uniforms were made extra-special by the addition of black glasses and Hoover canes to represent the blind referee take on the replacement refs used by the NFL during the 2012 strike. The Immaculate Deception still ranks as the #1 Blown Call by a Ref (Replacement Ref) in the history of the NFL.

5. Sons of Anarchy patched-jacket – You want to be in the club, you gotta wear the cut. Is there a better-branded show on TV right now? Everything on that show has a SOA logo on it!
Screen shot 2013-10-30 at 9.19.45 AM

4. Harry Potter school uniform – We particularly love the Hogwarts logo on the chest.
Hogwarts

3. Super Mario Brothers – Always a party favorite and branded with the classic “M.”

2. NASCAR Driver – This ranks pretty high because the excessive branding on NASCAR driver uniforms just speaks to us!

And the #1 “Uniform as Halloween Costume” is…(drumroll please)

1. Superman – Is there better branding in Halloween costumes than the simple, chest-sized “S” on Clark Kent’s uniform for his “other” job?!?!?! “This is a job for Superman!”

Screen shot 2013-10-30 at 9.27.22 AM

Tell us, did we miss anything? What is your favorite uniform as Halloween costume?

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

Ah-choo, Where Are My Promotional Tissues?

April showers bring May flowers. And what do May flowers bring? Allergies! At least if you live in Atlanta, they do.

Atlanta Allergy

[source: Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic]

I’d like to point out that a high pollen count is anywhere from 50-499 while extremely high is 500+. Did you catch the pollen count on April 11th? What??

According to a list compiled by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Atlanta only ranks as number 72 on the list.  71 cities that have more pollen than we do?  I can’t even imagine.  Our cars look like this in the spring…

Melissa's pollen picture

[photo credit: Melissa Rutledge]

And while that’s a pretty cool photo, that’s a LOT of pollen on that car’s windshield. So, since this type of pollen doesn’t even crack the Top 50, you must be wondering what the top ten cities are, right?

1. Jackson, MS
2. Knoxville, TN
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. McAllen, TX
5.  Louisville, KY
6.  Wichita, KS
7.  Dayton, OH
8.  Memphis, TN
9.  Oklahoma City, OK
10.  Baton Rouge, LA

With warmer temperatures come fun outdoor events.  Here in Atlanta, there’s an arts festival almost every weekend.  And while other companies are handing out t-shirts and sunglasses, why not cater toward your more allergic customers and customers-to-be.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a pair of promotional sunglasses as much as the next guy, but if I’m sneezing up a storm, I’m really going to be grateful to the company who provided me with promotional tissues.

Ah-choo!

-Lee
Marketing Coordinator

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

Company Earth Day Events & Celebrations

Earth Day is approaching…  Earth Day is on April 22, 2013 so just about a month away.  Does your company or organization do anything to celebrate this holiday?

Many companies celebrate this holiday by hosting on-site events, creating “green teams”, recognizing and rewarding achievements, and coordinating community service efforts.  As many recognize, Earth Day efforts go beyond just one day but Earth Day or Earth Week can be a great way to recognize your sustainability efforts throughout the year. It is an opportunity to highlight, engage, and drive future involvement in sustainability projects throughout the year.

At Pinnacle we have cleaned up our local parks, signed pledges to live a greener lifestyle, as well as participated in Earth Hour.  Earth Hour this year is March 23rd from 8:30-9:30pm where you switch off your lights for an hour to show your support and concern for the environment.  This event has grown into a full global community of millions of people in 7,001 cities and towns across 152 countries… pretty amazing!


If you are preparing for upcoming Earth Day events or just getting started, I have put together an inspiration board of promotional products that can be incorporated in your events or celebrations.  Check out our EarthSmart pinboard too

The Earth Day Seed Paper Mini-Gift Pack is a 100% recycled info card and letterpress printed plantable seed paper globe, packaged together in a corn-based cello bag. This is an inexpensive way to present a gift at your event or even mail to clients since it’s lightweight and flat.

The Pietra Recycled Stone Paper Notepad is the perfect eco-friendly item to show your company’s commitment to the environment. It features ecological paper that is made from stones, so its manufacturing process does not involve tree cutting.

Priced under $1, Recycled Flyers are a great giveaway item for an outdoor Earth Day event.

Laminated 100% Recycled Grocery Tote is a common product that is associated with being “green” but because it’s so useful (especially with some states plastics bag bans) it is still very popular!  This bag is made from 100% PET recycled fabric and comes in 8 bold colors with stock designs.

 

Let us know what fun and unique things you’re doing to celebrate Earth Day this year…  we’re always looking for fun ways to celebrate Mother Earth!

 

-Heather

Merchandising Manager

Posted by Admin in Marketing Ideas, Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments