unique promotional products

May

2014

FORE: Shoot Low, Win Big!

Does your golf outing planning schedule look like this? Win big with good planning and the perfect products.

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

Golf Towel

Golf Colorblock Polo

Creative:

Keep it Cook Golf Kit

Cutting Board

Divot Tool/Bottle Opener

Waayyyyy outside the “tee” box:

Flip Flops w/ Bottle Opener

Morph Cinch Pack

Brew 2 Go Kit

Executive Putter Set

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

Pinnacle Promotions

FORE! Big wins from golf outings for non-profits! New blog post by @PinnaclePromos

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09

May

2014

The Unique Wedding Experience
Listen 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.

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

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

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

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

Don’t plan your wedding without reading this! New blog post by @PinnaclePromos

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Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

02

Apr

2014

Trends for 2014: More, more, more
We have had numerous vendors stop by our offices in Atlanta. We’ve seen a few things stand out as trends for 2014.

Overall, the trend we have seen in every category is the ability for a product to be more than one thing! The keys for products to be more than one thing can be boiled down to three main themes: Security, Versatility and Stress-down.

Security: From bags to tech gear, the thing we hear over and over is “security.” The NFL Bag policy has not gone unnoticed by manufacturers. They are creating more and more clear bags. The requests for customized clear bags have come in every shape and size, and at various price points.

Security is not limited to bags. The iWallet is a perfect example of a branded product designed with “identity theft prevention” in mind. Not only are the cards protected from deactivation from the phone, but also the grip prevents card slippage or loss.

Versatility: The key to versatility is for a product to be more than one thing. The Gwee button iPhone screen cleaner is a phone stand and a cleaner. This mouse pad is also a screen cleaner. The In-Pillow travel pillow converts from a small pillow, (with a pocket!) to a basic tablet holder to a stand-alone screen mount!

Stress-down: The stress ball has been a hallmark of the promotional products industry as long as we can remember. However, the sheer volume of options in “anti-stress” promotional products has increased. You can now put your logo on everything from the traditional stress ball to Office Spa kits complete with lavender “stress relief” hand lotion.

Pinnacle Promotions takes the stress out of ordering your promotional products with our Rocketship 24-hour Rush Service. There are thousands of products that can be ordered with rush service and no rush charge. If there is anything that will take the stress out of your life, it is getting the right product at the right time the right way to help you Make the right impression.™

Pinnacle Promotions

New blog post by @PinnaclePromos – Trends for 2014: More, more, more

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Posted by Lee in Top Trending Topics, 1 comment

02

Apr

2014

Technology: RFID Changing Promotional Products
21st century technology is making a big impact on the promotional products industry. The need for RFID security is changing the internal workings of promotional products. RFID, Radio-frequency Identification, is the wireless use of radio frequency to access information and transfer data. If you have stayed in a hotel recently and used your card to “tap” into your room rather than sliding your card, you are using RFID technology.

RFID has launched a whole new type of crime in the form of hacking. Wired Magazine has covered the increase and ease of theft numerous times since this technology emerged into the market. “They can steal your smartcard, lift your passport, jack your car, even clone the chip in your arm. And you won’t feel a thing.” Now, RFID technology, and the ability to block the RFID signal, is making its way into customizable products as varied as wearables, gear and promotional bags.

Promotional product manufacturers and suppliers have worked together to provide marketing professionals with quality and RFID-safe products. Here are a few examples:

You can customize the Travelpro Travelsmart Passport Wallet with your corporate logo. Developed with the airline travelers and professionals in mind, special RFID Technology encases belongings to protect them from ID theft. This deluxe Passport Wallet contains a flip up boarding pass holder, quick access passport pocket, three credit card slots, and a privacy mesh ID holder.

Not only does the Zebra Convertible Computer Messenger Bag come with padded, scratch-resistant 10″ and 15″ tablet pockets for protecting your technology, but it also has a zippered pocket with RFID-blocking technology preventing unauthorized access to personal information.

Soon enough, RFID technology will be in wearables and gear. The ability to host a QR code on a branded tote bag has been around for a while. We’ll soon be able to insert an RFID patch into a customized reusable bag for a conference taking your swag bag to a whole new level by making it an entry ticket, attendance recorder, and participation tracker.

The possibilities are endless for the marriage of technology and promotional products!

Pinnacle Promotions

New blog post by @PinnaclePromos: RFID changing the world of #promotionalproducts.

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Posted by Lee in Promotions Industry News, 0 comments

13

Mar

2014

Don’t Underestimate the Value of a Good Bag!
By Elizabeth Fenlon
Merchandising Specialist

The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas is the trade show of trade shows. Literally. It is the biggest trade show in the promotional products industry, spanning two full floors at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. With close to 3,250 booths and 11,500 industry attendees, you can imagine that this might be a tad overwhelming if you were a tradeshow newbie, like myself.

As a Merchandising Specialist for Pinnacle Promotions, it is my job to stay on top of industry trends and be ahead of the curve as new products launch into the market. Attending the PPAI Expo is a must. So, I packed my comfortable shoes and headed to Las Vegas for 4 days of nothing but talking about promo products.

Our team met at the airport at 6AM the day of the trip. I’d been packed for days, terrified of being late or of being the one to hold us up with my lack of business travel experience. Luckily, I’d recently gotten a Zoom DayTripper 15″ Computer Backpack and it turned out to be my most prized possession on the trip. Seriously, this bag has it all.

My backpack has a dedicated computer pocket, which made getting my chunky, old, Toshiba laptop through security a breeze. It also has a separate pocket to store an iPad. Want more pockets? This bag has them. There are two zippered pockets that are perfect for sunglasses, and two side pockets that also have zippers. Best of all, the back panel of the bag is designed to slip over the handles of my rollerbag.

Upon arriving we were able to check in, get a feel of the layout, view the exhibitor list and map and come up with a game plan to tackle all those booths over the next few days. If you’ve never been to a trade show, especially one of this magnitude, there are a few essentials you HAVE to have on you at all times:

• Comfortable Shoes – 8-10 hour days of walking and standing

• Refillable Water Bottle– Las Vegas is a dry climate. It is important to stay hydrated. They’ll price gouge you for bottled water at the show. So, being able to refill from the water fountain is a must.

• Pen/Notebook – Because you will NEVER remember everything.

• Camera Phone – There is no way you will get 2 floors and 3,250 booths of samples on the plane. Take pictures.

• Business Cards/ Business Card Holder – Again, you will never remember everyone’s name.

• Snacks – ok, maybe this is just me? Avoid getting cranky when it’s 5 o’clock and you realize you still haven’t eaten lunch.

Everything on my tradeshow essential list had a perfect spot in my bag, allowing me to be hands free and focus on the real reason I was there, to scout out the newest and most effective products to help your brand Make the right impression™.

Posted by Admin in Tradeshow Giveaways & Swag, 0 comments

26

Feb

2014

The Fuller Brush Man’s Necessities
The Fuller Brush salesman is a legend in the outside sales community. The Fuller Brush man was the original traveling salesman. He went door-to-door, cold calling from city to city, state to state across the country. Movies have been made about him, from The Fuller Brush Man to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. He is a part of pop culture, and the ideal that salespeople strive to be.

While the Fuller Brush man-model has changed over the years, the role of the “traveling” or outside salesperson still exists. Whether a local person or across states or countries, the role of the salesperson has changed over the decades but there are some business essentials that every outside salesperson needs.

See if you agree with our list:

Business Cards: A must for any salesperson, inside or out. You can order online, or even print your own these days. Business cards are also moving out of the traditional-size mold and branching out into more creative shapes and designs.

Business Card Holders: Don’t keep your cards in your wallet. Instead, pull your business card from a classy holder.

Luggage Tag: Easily spot your luggage on the baggage carousel. Luggage tags make life easier for the seasoned traveler!

Messenger Bag: Many of our messenger bags have a handy laptop compartment.

Seat beads: A must-have for the salesperson who spends most of their life in the car!

Good Shoes: Enough said.

Sleep Mask: This Napoleon Dynamite sleep mask will keep other flyers from bothering you because they know you mean business.

A Good Book: Goodreads will help you find your next good book, and tell you what your friends are reading, too!

Hand Sanitizer: Stay germ free and safe while you travel.

Fun Giveaways: What a better way to make the right impression than to give your clients and potential customers something to remember you by. And if you can make them smile in the process, even better! Our clients loved their poppers! VIDEO

Stress-headache Medication: And lastly, do not leave home without relief for those long travel days, weather delays, or cancellations!

To be successful, you must always be prepared. So, make sure you don’t leave the office without these sales necessities!

Posted by Lee in Cool Promotional Products We Love, Giveaway Games, Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

24

Jan

2014

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.

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.

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

Pinnacle’s new blog post is RADIANT!

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Posted by Lee in Current Events News, Seasonal Marketing Ideas, Top Trending Topics, 0 comments

10

Jan

2014

Promotional Product Hacks to Save Your Trade Show
We know how difficult it is to plan, prepare, and execute a trade show and that you’re looking for tips and tricks to make it easier. Storage is in short supply at trade shows. So, how can you make the most of it? We suggest doubling up the uses of your promotional items so that you don’t have to remember quite so many things. Some people call these hacks. We call them “imaginative repurposing.”

1. Silicone wristbands make handy rubber bands when you’re overwhelmed with loose pens or pencils and short on bundling methods.

Not only are these handy customized wristbands going to be utilized over and over by tradeshow attendees (because you just gave them a new idea) but will also allow you to be organized at the same time.

2. Reduce the number of office supplies that you need to take by leveraging your promotional items for your booth staff.

These will be handy for your staff to jot down notes to hand to attendees. Branding and personal contact reminder all rolled up in one.

3. Got a tablet or iPad to display but can’t get a new case or stand?

Order the Windsor Reflections Promotional Jotter and use it to double as a display stand.

4. Cups are a great tradeshow promotional item because they are likely to be used again; they have a long “shelf life.” However, cups use up a lot of space, but really most of it is just air.

So, how do you take advantage of this? If you will be shipping your giveaway cups, use the cups for storage or stuff them full with other essentials that need to go to your trade show. This will reduce the number of boxes that you would need to ship and reduces clutter at the actual booth. In addition, many booths will use music to create the ambiance within the booth. Think you need to take along extra speakers to be heard? Think again. If playing music from your phone, place your phone’s speaker inside one of those snazzy promotional cups to amplify the sound.

5. Traveling with fragile tradeshow items and need cushioning to pack your valuables in? Have you ever thought of using a 1/4’ mouse pad, imprinted with your logo to cushion your precious delivery?

Mouse pads come in all shapes, sizes, and thicknesses and can be used not only to ensure your mouse works correctly, but can be used to take up extra space in the box and absorb any shock that your shipping boxes may incur.

So, when you get ready to pack up your trade show tables, displays, and promotional items, recall these tips to save space, time, energy, and keep you organized. Well, at least make you look smart by knowing the hacks.

Got any good hacks of your own? Let us know!

Posted by Admin in Marketing Ideas, Tradeshow Giveaways & Swag, 1 comment

10

Dec

2013

The best gift I ever received was…
The best gift I ever received was…

Pinnacle Promotions is hosting a contest to give away our top picks for Holiday Thank You Gifts. I am ineligible to enter.

However, I still want to have the chance to tell everyone about the best present I ever received.

I am a life-long Houston Oiler fan, who has converted into a Houston Texans fan. Three years ago, my husband gave me tickets to the Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans football game in Nashville, only a few hours from where I live. I had never before been to an Oilers or Texans football game, home or away.

My husband purchased amazing seats to the December game. He booked a beautiful hotel in the heart of Nashville. Who just happened to be staying at the hotel? Why, the Houston Texans team, staff and flight crew were all staying at the hotel. By chance, we became fast friends with the flight crew before we even knew who they were. That friendship led to player introductions, too-numerous-to-count photos, sideline passes and life-long friendships.

While Pinnacle Promotions is not giving away tickets to the Texans-Titans football game, we are giving away a fabulous gift pack of items from our top picks of promotional, customized Thank You Gifts for end of the year giving.

What is the best gift you ever received?

Posted by Lee in Contests and Promotions, 0 comments

26

Nov

2013

Are You a Promo Hoarder?
According to the European Promotional Products Association, a whopping 91% of consumers keep a promotional product in their kitchen. This was surprising to me, until I realized that the EPPA was talking about me. Not only do I do this, but also I might be a promotional product hoarder.

The best burger place in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is called Scotty P’s. There are six locations. The menu items are the same at each location, but are named specific to that location. For example, the BBQ burger is called the Watson Burger at the Allen location, and the Warren Burger at the Frisco location based on prominent members of those communities.

It’s not just the food that draws you to Scotty P’s. For years, they gave a plastic cup with each drink purchase. There was no upsell attached to the cup. You bought a drink; you got a cup with their logo imprinted on it. As loyal customers, we have more than one Scotty P’s cup. The Pink cup during October was especially sought after. Some restaurants maintain arrangements with their drink brand to provide promotional cups. These cups are usually co-branded with the restaurant logo and the drink brand logo. The Scotty P’s cups are just branded with their corporate logo.

Inspired by the EPPA statistics, I decided to take a look around the kitchen. After further review, I decided I might be a promo hoarder. I own more than 30+ Scotty P’s cups. And, I don’t even live in Texas any longer.

Are you one of the 55% of people who keep a promotional product in your bedroom? Are you one of the 25% of people who use a promotional pen in the home or office? Tell us: Are you a promotional products hoarder?

Pinnacle Promotions

Are you a “promo hoarder?” #promoitems

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Posted by Lee in Brand Identity and Corporate Logos, Cool Promotional Products We Love, 0 comments

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