The Redbows Promotional Gifts Blog » Personal Gifts

Promotional Gifts Solve Marketing Issues

Rob — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:37:30 +0000

Today is polling day. Suppose that tomorrow we have a new government or coalition. How will they promote themselves? This is a marketing issue faced by any new start up and one that can be solved using promotional gifts. Let’s take this a little further. When a new company forms it has to create an identity and branding style. The organisation may then develop a strapline that encompasses its ethos and unique selling proposition. With these aspects in place the new entity is ready to start advertising and promoting itself. So what are the best promotional products for start-ups? Well with fairly limited budgets low-cost promotional gifts are always popular. Merchandise such as promotional pens, mousemats and promotional mugs are readily available, easy to brand and customise and always go down well with both clients and recipients. So just imagine that tomorrow is a fresh start. Imagine the first cabinet meeting taking place early next week and on the table at Number 10 are newly supplied promotional gifts from Redbows. It could happen.

Redbows PSI Membership Approved

Rob — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:42:11 +0000

Redbows continues to grow its international reputation and reach. The company has just been accepted for full membership by the Promotional Product Service Institute (PSI) in Germany. Being elected to this society gives Redbows greater access to global promotional gifts manufacturers. This latest membership also in some way acts as a further endorsement that Redbows is a company of some standing within the gifts industry. Alongside BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) and Promota memberships, and the number of satisified comments that Redbows regularly receives, customers can rest assured that they have found a gifts supplier committed to service excellence. In this day and age success is all about positive differentation.

Face To Face With A Gifts Consultant

Rob — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:57:14 +0000

Well the other day I actually had a field visit from one of our international promotional gifts suppliers. It was actually great to be face-to-face with someone from a global manufacturer and merchandise supplier – a company with whom we normally only correspond and communicate through voice comms (mobile and telephone) and email. When you strip any relationship down, it always distills to the basic of how much you ‘connect’ with that person. We live in a world where all too often the inputs we require to ‘connect’ are missing. Even with video conference calls, video cams and software packages such as Skype, nothing makes up for meeting face-to-face. At Redbows we also try our hardest to have some ‘banter’ with all our stakeholders and clients, and try to establish a meaningful rapport. Not because we are sales people but because we just ‘love to be loved’ and connect. After all even a promotional gifts consultant is human. Nothing can digitize that. And what about the supplier? Well, I am now inspired to push more promotional pens and paper pads business their way – their rep or road warrior or whatever is the most politically correct term these days – was lovely! She also loved her Blackberry and was keen to let me know how it saved her time and helped to de-stress her day. I can see that iPhone getting that little bit closer.

Femtrepreneurs Unite!

Rob — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:12:28 +0000

As a female entrepreneur I am very proud to be associated with Network She. Ruth Lloyd-Williams started this novel approach to networking when she found that the only meetings available for business people were generally breakfast briefings and meetings. Great for blokes but not so hot for mamas with kids to get ready for school etc. So Ruth founded this new organisation which meets generally in the evening. She has done an excellent job promoting her organisation and running out fun packed networking events at a host of venues. Also she has made it open to men to join and my other half loves attending when he can drag himself away from his two passions: Tae Kwon Do and his beloved Apple Macs. Sure it is a different type of promotional marketing but one Redbows is very actively involved with – we just started our first space advertising with them. I am not a great fan of space advertising and much more prefer the quantified approach offered by internet PPC advertising. However, Network She offers us the chance to engage with a specific target market witin a geographic area. We will see what happens. Perhaps it will change my view of space advertising.

Everyone Loves A Free Pen

Rob — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:32:01 +0000

What is it about promotional pens that makes them so collectable? For me printed pens are one of the best promotional ideas you can use because everyone writes (well almost nearly everyone) and so a pen is useful inside and outside work. How many of us keep a pen to hand almost without thinking. Now the trick is to pick a pen that will really promote your brand and as one of the largest suppliers in the UK we offer quite a range. My top tips are to make sure your imprint area and the logo and text you want printed within it are equally matched. Sometimes less is more, so make sure everything is visible. Also remember that your background material and colour – from the pen itself – can affect how your imprint will appear. If in doubt ask for a sample and make a print to scale on a piece of paper to stick on and test. Promotional pencils are also another great idea – especially within office and engineering environments.

Business Startup Opportunities

Rob — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:13:49 +0000

We have seen a huge increase in enquiries from business start-ups so far this year. Two things we notice: more people are turning to the internet as a technology that allows them to quickly reach a large audience – either through Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising or good search marketing, and secondly that more women are looking to enter the business world. ‘Mumtrepreneurs’ is the new in vogue term. But what does this mean for our industry? Well from the enquiries we are seeing more clients are looking to purchase start up sets and small quantity/low cost promotional items like pens, mugs and mousemats. This is great news for companies like us and we are doing all we can to help these new start-ups and ventures, with special offers on selected items including small quantity run printed pens and free origination on promotional items like stress shapes and balls. There is no doubt that there is a general levelling going on in the business world but we hope that in our way we can help new companies take that first step into promoting themselves and getting their names and contact details out there.

Spring Tradeshows and Exhibition Giveaways

Rob — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:34:57 +0000

Well this time of year is one the busiest for tradeshows and exhibitions and it is a good time to just step back and think through just what makes great gifts and promotional products at this type of event. Let’s reduce this problem down and focus on seminars. When we hold a seminar for clients they are generally talking about having a captive audience for a period of time. During this time they want the clients to become totally absorbed with a brand and use branded promotional items to reinforce and support activities during the seminar. So, for example, at the start of the day clients may receive name badges and welcome packs using conference boxes or bags packed with information that will be used during the day, a branded paper pad for notes and personalised pen. It is also likely that key information such as company presentations, datasheets and price lists may also be included on a personalised flashdrive. On the tables in front of the clients may be bottled water – branded off course, along with some personalised sweets and mint tins. Attendees may also receive some corporate clothing which will be embroidered with the company logo and there may well be surprise gifts during the day for a seminar related competition. So looking a the basics we have to start with a budget and our focus for the event. Then we simply find the best possible way to deliver the objectives for the promotional products including getting a client’s attention and leaving them with a favourable, lasting impression. The same is true of exhibitions and tradeshows but the amount of time you get a client for is more limited. What we recommend is that you put low-cost, low-bulk items on the front of stands to use as giveaways like pens, bugs and badges. Also if your budget covers it include some branded bags and carriers – this will become ‘free advertising’ around the event. Keep your more expensive gifts for key clients and only pass these out if they sit down with you or request a sales follow up after the show. Promotional products are very effective items and especially at tradeshows and exhibitions but you have to remember that when your visitor gets home they may well have a bag stuffed with goodies and your gifts have to be ones that stand out from that crowd.

How ECO Friendly Are Promo Product Catalogues?

Rob — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:11:17 +0000

The internet is proving to have another major effect and this is on the environment. As websites like the Promotional Gifts Store become more sophisticated they offer visitors an electronic catalogue which can be browsed anywhere in the world. Apart from great content all the website needs is superb navigation and search facilities – something we trust our Gifts website is becoming known for. The effect on the environment is massive in terms of CO2 emmissions and deforestation. So what will we do in 2009? Is the end of the paper-based Redbows Promotional Gifts Catalogue as we know it in sight? Probably is the simple answer. Another factor affecting the decision on when to end the catalogue is its ‘updateability’. With over 6,000 products to manage (and many more we could add) we probably update around 20% of our items on a regular rolling basis. No printed catalogue could expect to keep pace with such changes and removing them will help us all move towards becoming Carbon Neutral.

Make A Date In Your Promo Calendar

Rob — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:38:49 +0000

Well we are now believe it or not over half way through the year and it is almost time to start thinking about calendars and diaries for 2009. It is quite surprising how commonly used a desk diary is now considering that almost everyone drives Outlook these days on their desktop PC and PDAs. Calendars have always been a firm favourite in the promotional gifts field thanks to their guaranteed place on a wall or desk right within the ‘client space’ – 365 days a year. We have a very wide range on the Promotional Gifts Store and can supply a host of options include packaging and bespoke designs. Glamour calendars still make up a large percentage of those sold but you can still expect to see a wide range of traditional types.

Bumblebee’s Sure To Dominate Gifts Lists

Rob — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:29:13 +0000

With two male kids in our house – my son (5) and husband (42 going on 5) you can be sure that this Christmas is going to be dominated by Transformers. My two fellas went off to see this film during the summer holidays for some of that ‘special male bonding’ time and have not stopped raving about it. In fact somehow I got notification from Amazon the other day that the film is on ‘confirmed order’ when it is released. I just hope that those two have got my Christmas gifts as organised.