The Redbows Promotional Gifts Blog » Promotional Coasters

Promotional Pens

Rob — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:27:30 +0000

Going through some financial paperwork the other day I realised what a great opportunity any supplier misses when they send out their post, invoices, statements, brochures and circulars. Let’s talk financial institutions for example. These organisations send out masses of paperwork and booklets with their proposals and statements. Most of the supporting evidence you will never read. It simpy gets shreaded or shelved. The companies are focused quite rightly on giving you as much information as they need to, to comply with regulatory body requirements and any specific statutes. However, what they all miss out on is sending really useful free cheap promotional gifts with their packs such as promotional pens or promotional coasters. More often than not these companies want you to sign and return a document – so you have to scramble around for a pen to use. Secondly the packs they send through are often weighty and a promotional pen or coaster would hardly add anything to the cost of postage or distribution. So our advice to anyone sending out circulars, invoices or statements is to think wider than the specifics of the mailing. More often than not your post will probably get inside an area of the company that was not your first point of call, but someone whom you could do with influencing and promoting to. Your statements and invoices go directly into an accounts office, so take the opportunity to sell your brand to them. Circulars and literature may go to sales teams and marketing people. Treat sending circulars as mini marketing events and include gifts like promotional pens, pencils and promotional coasters to promote your organisation.

Advertising and Promotional Coasters

Rob — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:11:25 +0000

When it comes to promotional items few have the durability of promotional coasters. This is especially true around this time of year as we approach the autumn and winter months when people turn to their favourite promotional mugs and automatically place them on the nearest coaster. You see the point is that on your desk you probably have just one coaster. It is always there and you see it everday. You probably don’t even have to be using a mug to use it. Sometimes you may simply have a bottle of water or well known brand of energy drink and place it on your coaster. Now the trick with coasters is not to buy too cheap. Sure you can get cheap promotional coasters made from condensed card or paper but what you really want is one that can take a hot mug or cup and not buckle. This means that you almost certainly opt for plastic coasters. Plastic coasters also give other options over say leather coasters. Firstly they can take a very vivid imprint, especially on a solid background colour. Plastic coasters are also generally available in an environmentally friendly, recycled ECO plastic material. So if you want low-cost, cheap promotional items think about promotional coasters. Their unit price is volume dependent and this means that you can get a very inexpensive promotional item to mail and hand out to all your clients and prospects. What’s more you get to purchase for a few pence a very valuable advertising space on their desks.

Acting Global But Going Local

Rob — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:48:48 +0000

How often do we act global but go local? The internet provides everyone with a global information search facility but how often do we then search out a local supplier? The point is we like (and possibly still want) local service and that personal touch when it comes to even commodity purchases. This was all brought home to me the other evening whilst watching Pretty Woman. Remember the scene when she fails to get service in a high class boutique, then returns the next day saying ‘you work on commission right? Big mistake, big, huge….sorry I have to go now, I’ve got shopping to do.’ So what has this got to do with promotional gifts? Well people still buy from people. When it comes to promotional gifts it does not matter how much we automate the quotation and buying process. People like to speak to a professional gifts consultant and make sure that they are going to get the service they want, with a dedicated project manager looking after their every need and making sure their promotional products arrive to time, and as intended. Part of the issue for a company like Redbows is the size of the ranges we supply. Take our pens, coasters and mousemats. Your’re talking 1000 plus products, all within a similar price range, with similar specifications. This can be daunting for a client and the main reason why they want to talk to someone who knows the ranges inside out and can guide them to the right product for their need and budget. I am pretty sure other industries are very much the same. Yes, we are turning into a world that will purchase on-line without seeing a physical product or sales person but for some products and merchandise I can see full automation will be a way off, if ever.

How Green Are ECO Products?

Rob — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:21:05 +0000

We live in a world that wants environmentally friendly ECO gifts but is there a price premium for such promotional products? A couple of years ago when ECO products were just emerging as a promotional merchandise alternative, ECO gifts did carry a price premium. However the pricing of all promotional items no matter whether it is a promotional pen made from recycled plastics or corn maize, is volume related. No only have the volumes of this type of promotional product increased but the manufacturing processes have become more efficient enabling lower manufacturing process costs. The real question therefore is not just is there a price premium but which ECO gifts are the most environmentally friendly? To answer this you need to look at the materials used in their manufacture, how they are reclaimed and perhaps also start to question the carbon footprints generated to bring them to market. For example, take promotional coasters using recycled plastics or reclaimed rubber tyres, where are they actually made? If UK sourced for a UK gifts supplier then they could be more ECO friendly than those shipped in half-way round the world from China. However, even with shipping costs the Chinese alternatives could be cheaper due to their lower manufacturing and labour costs. So when it comes to such ECO promotional products you have to balance price against the true ECO nature of the material reclaiming, manufacturing and shipping processes.

Coasting Desktops With Free Advertising

Rob — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:09:54 +0000

Promotional coasters are one of the lowest coast and most effective promotional items available. Why? Well imagine how many desks there are in the world that have been saved from coffee and tea mug stains thanks to the humble promotional coaster. Seriously, nearly every desk has one and get the design and material right and you will enjoy free desktop advertising for months if not years on the desks of your clients. Is there a trick when it comes to using coasters in promotions? Well as with any promo gifts you have to make sure you get maximum impact by using a more visual image rather than a written one. So go for a high-impact visual design with just your logo and contact details. Also make sure your coaster materials are up to the job. You can choose from plastic, leather, metal, wood and even compressed paper card with a plastic coating. A personal favourite of mine is the ‘heat and reveal’ type which can present two images to a client – one when not in use and one that appears after a hot mug has been placed on it.