The Redbows Promotional Gifts Blog

There are a number of online photo and image websites but the best in my opinion is iStock Photos. If you are ever stuck for an image to use in a promotional campaign, on literature or to apply to a promotional product then this is the website for you. What these guys have done it make it easy for you to buy and download images. Sure there are terms and conditions to comply with but the whole feel and functionality of the website is to be admired. This last week one of our clients looked into using an image from this website on a promotional mug. Just sign up, buy some credits, download and away you go. A great example of how a website should make your life easier.

These logo kites are just wonderful for exhibitions and events. We worked with a company ‘that gives you wings’ last year and they used several thousand of them as part of a branding and awareness exercise. What seems to fascinate people the most is that these promotional kites really do fly - they are known as the World’s Smallest Kites and you can fly them within an office environment. OK, they may not knock the spots of the little helicopters going around our offices at the moment but at a fraction of the price they do allow you to spread your budget across a wider number of gifts.

A must for the new year is the National Trade Only Show at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Not only is it a great place for us to pick up new gift ideas, it also one where we can meet and talk with some of our suppliers, customers and colleagues from across the industry. For many this is the only time for a catch up.

Throughout the rest of the year we only really have time for phone calls or email. Oh how nice it would be to be able to say ‘I don’t do email’ as Ringo Starr did on the Jonathan Ross show last night. I recently read an article in Times Magazine on President Putin who also said that he did not do email but had a very good team of people around him who did.

Now, I am not one of these people who hates the stuff, but I kind of admire their approach because it means you have to pick up a phone or go and see someone - or at least be called for an audience. In the US, some of our colleagues have told us about the latest practice - no email Fridays - which forces everyone in the office to get face time with each other. Another practice I recently came across was to make oneself an ‘email bankrupt’. This is where you have so much email in your inbox unanswered that the only way to solve the problem is to close the email address and start with another one, which you only pass out to a select few. The internet is a fantastic vehicle for a company like Redbows but sometimes I do miss the early morning cuppa at a local cafe followed by a day actually visiting clients for a good natter, catch up and some quality time with them.

This year is going to be the year of the Green Gift, or ECO Gift or to give it a full title the Environmentally Friendly Gift. We are not the only industry being forced to move with the times and take a more responsible approach to our planet.

The other day I picked up a copy of The Big Issue and read with interest an article on Green Weddings. Research on the internet brought up some interesting websites for people who want to move away from the consumerist White Wedding to one with an ECO nature. Green Weddings is one of the first serving this new emerging segment and I am sure that we will see more of these types of websites offering all sorts of advice. What I did notice was a general theme of involving family members and guests in preparing for the weddings. I whole heartedly support anything that brings the family together back to what were once called ‘traditional values’ and a ‘family focus’.

We live in a fascinating world. I just wanted to remind everyone that Easter is early this year (Mar 23rd - see our 2008 Events Calendar) and so if you want to give your clients or colleagues personalised Easter Eggs, then you have got to get your skates on.I searched the internet for some information on Easter and in particular the Easter Bunny. Wikipedia was brilliant - again. I had no idea that the bunny is considered a supernatural-like creature who brings gifts (normally chocolate eggs) at Easter to good boys and girls, and is linked through the festival of Easter itself to the pagan fertility goddess Eostre. So, there you have it. As with most of our modern day festivals and celebrations there is much history and sometimes a little magic to uncover.

Well we finally managed to get over Christmas and complete our new eStore. The Promotional Gifts Store uses the very latest website technologies and is part of an ongoing investment program for Redbows. We now have over 2,000 products on the website and are working on filling the collections with several thousand more of the next few weeks. This is a really exciting development for the company and will tackle a number of data management issues as we expand our product base, supply chain and sales and administration teams over the next year. So far the initial feedback from testers and initial visitors is very positive. If you have any comments that can help us to improve the overall experience for visitors to the new Gift Shop then please let us know.

I just wanted to write my first blog entry for 2008 and say ‘Happy New Year’ to everyone. We are all refreshed from the festive break and raring to go. Everything looks so positive for the new year and we are sure that it is going to be another exciting ride for everyone associated with Redbows. Our new estore is just going live at the Promotional Gifts Store and there are many exciting developments to look forward to. Have a great year everyone and remember to do what we do best at Redbows - Promote Yourself!