The Pinnacle Blog

In case you were not aware, March is National Women’s Month. So in honor of Women’s Month and, well, women, I have decided to dedicate this blog post to the influence of women in today’s consumer market and emphasize the fact that if you are not already directing part of your marketing efforts and promotional products toward this demographic, you should. For instance, American women spend about $6 trillion annually – that’s a huge market.

Read on for some more statistics regarding women’s impact on today’s economy care of she-conomy.com.

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Today I’m a little sad. One of the most useful promotional products that I own – strike that – owned has gone missing. My little lip balm sleeve has gone MIA. I don’t know how I lost it. But I have.

While this inexpensive little gem may not seem like much. To a lip-balm-aholic like myself, keeping a tube in reach is a necessity for my sanity. You can ask just about anyone in my family. I have a tube on my desk, a few extras in a desk drawer, one next to my bed, one in the end table at my parent’s house – okay you get the picture.

So when I got this nifty caddy that I could secure to my keychain, I was one happy girl.

Continue reading…

How do these images make you feel? from brandtags.net

WNYC’s Radiolab — a fantastic podcast — had a fascinating short this week called “Do I Know You?” about people with a delusional disorder called Capgras.

A woman suffering from Capgras comes home to find a man sitting in her living room, wearing her husband’s clothes and containing all his physical features, but who, to her, simply is not her husband. In actuality, he is. But she can’t shake the feeling he’s an impostor.

Click to find out about how our brains manage recognition, and how promotional products enter in…

Everybody has one. As kids, we count the days until they arrive. As we grow older, we begin to anticipate them less and less. You know what I’m talking about… BIRTHDAYS! Today happens to be mine (I’m the big 2-3!), and I am still young enough to actually enjoy the festivities that accompany this special day.

“Birthday marketing” is a clever marketing ploy adopted by many companies because – no surprise here- it works! According to a 2008 study, 75% of participants stated that receiving a special occasion card, like a business birthday card, with a discount would increase the likelihood that they would conduct business with the company. Everyone wants to feel special and loved on his or her birthday, and letting customers know that you value their loyalty is a great way to ensure their continued support. Gestures as small and simple as sending a direct mail piece with a coupon, brief note, and maybe even a compact promotional product will achieve the desired effect and encourage repeat business.

More promotional marketing ideas and chatter below the fold…

On Monday night’s episode of “The Bachelor: The Women Tell All,”* Southern Belle and single mother Ella commented on the behavior of fellow bachelorette (and also the instigator of much of this season’s drama), Vienna, by saying:

“She would do and say things she would not think about before she did them. She may be sorry for them later, but then if you continue that after ‘I’m sorrys,’ it’s not going to fly.”

At the time, I paused and pondered Ella’s statement. Although perhaps not the most eloquently put version of a value that I have been taught from a young age, her honesty and simple interpretation of why Vienna lost her credibility were refreshing. “I’m sorry” can be a powerful phrase, but overusing it may cause the listener to become skeptical of the apologetic individual or party’s sincerity.

A recent BrandWeek article about Millward Brown’s list of “most trusted and recommended brands” brought to light a shining example of the impact of apologies in the corporate world. The list is based on the survey responses of over 20,000 U.S. consumers at the end of 2009. Tylenol, ranked 6^th on the list, happens to have had numerous recalls over the years, including one in 2009, the year in which the data for this study was collected. Eileen Campbell, global CEO of Millward Brown, explained the company’s high ranking by saying, “Doing well in a crisis actually builds trust.”

Toyota, number 7 on the list, only began facing scrutiny in early 2010 regarding the safety of their vehicles, so I am curious to see how the established car manufacturer’s trust rating will fare among consumers in the future. Personally, I think Toyota’s crisis recovery efforts have been outstanding, and by admitting their lapses in quality assurance and promising to improve, they have already begun to regain the respect of many consumers. Think about how you react after you make a mistake: I know that I am overly cautious because of fear of repeating the same error. I guess only time will tell if Toyota will exhibit the same staying power as Tylenol.

As for Vienna, I think her actions have alienated the vast majority of Bachelor viewers, but hey, she still has a chance to get the guy! Maybe he will be more receptive to her apologies than Ella and the rest of her former housemates; if all else fails, she could try imprinting the words “I’m sorry” on promotional products as tokens of her on-going remorse instead of just saying them time and again. :)

* As many of my coworkers know, I tune into a variety of reality shows, from “Say Yes to the Dress,” to “The Real Housewives of ____” (you could fill in practically any city name/season and chances are I have seen the majority of the episodes), to, I’m almost ashamed to admit, “The Bachelor.” Although not the most mentally stimulating, hopefully this blog has proven reality tv’s capacity to teach valuable life lessons to unassuming viewers like myself.

Dana
Team Lead – Social Media
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After I saw Disney’s Up, I left the theater inspired by the touching story, but also curious about its message. More specifically, I noted that the little boy was chubby and adorable and how that association perpetuated our society’s growing problem with obesity. What did his extra pounds add to his character or even the story line as a whole? Nothing.

I shared my ramblings with my mother as we walked out of the theater. Her response? “You’re such a soc major!” And, she’s right. I chose to study sociology in college because I have always been fascinated by people’s stories and moreover, how those stories relate to society.

Thus, there’s no better field for me than marketing; I get to spend a lot of my day thinking about social media and learning about the constantly evolving industry tools. Last week, as I was reading through articles from some of my favorite marketing sources, I happened upon the so-called “Mommy Blogs.” These blogs, mostly written by mothers working from home, range from reviews of promotional products to intimate stories about children and marriages. And, no matter what the topic, I am hooked. Ask anyone in the office and they’ll readily agree that my fondness for Mommy Blogs is bordering on obsession.

Partly I love reading the stories, yet I am also intrigued by the fact that these women share personal details of their lives so readily on the Internet. These blogs are social commentaries about how we share information in today’s digital age and they relate to Acree’s discussion about consumers’ trust and whether or not it’s on the decline. Personally, I don’t think that trust is declining but rather it’s changing forms. I’m not only listening to my friends or to well-respected news sources, I am also checking resources such as Mommy Bloggers. Although they may be complete strangers, their online openness and transparency encourages trust in an increasingly global world.

I encourage you to set aside your marketing or human resources “hat” and think about your consumer instincts for a minute. Do you make purchasing decisions based on a brand’s transparency? I know I do. (When you’re done reflecting, please take a moment and enjoy a clip from Disney’s Up :) )

Sarah
Marketing Coordinator
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/extraketchup/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat – yes many of us know all too well the symptoms that correspond with acute viral rhinopharyngitis, or a “cold.” In fact, the common cold is indeed so common that it is the number one cause of lost work time (about 150 million workdays), followed closely by diarrhea – but that’s a remedy for another day. Of course there are several ways to avoid being stricken with the cold virus, and if you do happen to catch it, ways to make yourself better. And surprise – there’s a whole bunch of promotional products out there that can help you feel and get better too!

Promotional Hand Sanitizer – Avoid getting sick to begin with by using hand sanitizer. Available as a gel, spray, or even a wet wipe, you can promote your business while encouraging recipients to keep their hands clean and stop spreading germs.

Promotional Tissue Packs – Okay so maybe your hand sanitizer recipients didn’t really use the product as often as they should have, and indeed they have a cold. Well then they are certainly going to make use of plenty of tissues and promotional tissue packs make it easy to have them handy at all times.

Promotional Sports Bottle – Make sure to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water – and remind yourself to do so by keeping a promotional sports bottle at hand! Water helps loosen congestion and combat dehydration that is a common side effect of over-the-counter medications that can dry you out.

Well I am off to blow my nose in my promotional tissues, drink some water from my promotional sports bottle, and clean my hands with my promotional hand sanitizer. Here’s to a healthier tomorrow!

Jaime
Team Lead – Multimedia
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So today’s blog is inspired by the upcoming new release, The Crazies.

If you know me, you know that I have a slight fascination with all things zombies. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many people that take this a little bit further than me… but I won’t name names here.

I’m not sure what causes this morbid interest in all things undead. Is it the staggered walk? The violent nature? Or the trigger that causes these bodies to rise from the grave? Whatever it is, it’s pretty darn intriguing to me.

So with that said, my colleague, Acree, politely addressed an issue that I have that intrigues her, not unlike my curiosity regarding the walking dead. The issue that arouse during conversation yesterday was my undying, love for promotional products.

The typical day here at Pinnacle naturally involves working with a large number of promotional products from a variety of product categories. Yesterday, Acree came across a tumbler during her daily duties that raised a question. Being relatively new to the industry, she wondered about one of the features of the Spirit Promotional Tumbler.

Being one of my favorite pieces of promotional drinkware (on my continuously growing list of favs), I have an intimate knowledge of this peppy little piece. I answered her question in a snap, followed with a chuckle-inspiring tale involving my husband, dancing, the term “lifesaver” and the Spirit Promotional Tumbler.

This story was followed by her question, “just how many promotional products do you have?!”

Ummm. This my friends, was an eye-opener.

I think I might just enjoy promotional products a teensy bit too much. But then, I’m not really ashamed. I have a case of the promotional product crazies. And I’m okay with it. I might never know why. I might never get over it. I just fancy some products, and I’ll keep on saying it!

With that said, if you ever need to know about a promotional product found on our site, I might just be able to help. And you might just get a little story along with it too :).

Now for your viewing pleasure, here’s The Crazies trailer. Watch at your own risk. It’s a creepy one!

Kim
Marketing Coordinator
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Friends, marketers, raving fans: As of 6:00 pm today we’ll be on hiatus from blog writing as our friends in Tech launch our new promotional products website. They’ve told us we are not under any circumstances to make any changes to the site, so that means no blogging.

We’ll see you back here on Wednesday with our regularly scheduled programming. In the meantime, leave us love in the comments, on Twitter and Facebook. And have a great weekend!

Ahhh, love.

Can you feel it in the air?

It’s unavoidable today at Pinnacle Promotions. And I mean that in the best possible way.

Our mailboxes are overflowing with Valentine’s Day wishes, sweets and chocolaty goodies.

Oh, and I do mean mailboxes. Not our inboxes. But the good ol’ fashioned type. Our fabulous bringer of cheer, Deidre, fancied up mailboxes akin to those used in elementary schools across the nation every February. Just the perfect size to hold an abundance of happiness in candy and Valentine card form.

As you can probably tell from the Fun Stuff section of our website, as well as all of our Facebook shenanigans, we here at Pinnacle love to have a good time. No matter how big, or how small, we can make a party revolve around just about anything. While the immediate satisfaction you receive from a fun-size candy bar may only last a minute or two, the impact of this small gesture lasts.

Keeping the atmosphere of your office energized and positive can often be challenging. The hustle and bustle of the workweek can at times be stressful and even disheartening for your employees. Keeping the attitudes on the up and up your workplace should always be an “A” priority on your ever-growing list of to-dos.

Consider implementing an awards program or distributing promotional products to your team on a regular basis. Even the smallest gesture can make a difference. We all know that smiles are contagious. Whenever you get a chance to make someone’s day a little better – just a little bit more positive – you not only spread the positive energy, but your efforts can actually be life changing.

Now I’m not saying you have to exchange store bought Valentines to do this. A simple “thank you” for a job well done will often do the trick. Just remember to keep it up. Spread the love at Valentine’s Day and throughout the year. You’ll help make the world (or at least your office) a brighter place.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Kim
Marketing Coordinator
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