The Redbows Promotional Gifts Blog

Year End Budget Squeezers

Rob — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:24:17 +0000

Summer is almost over and in world of promotional gifts this means that what lies ahead is the busiest time for companies like Redbows. With VAT set to rise to 20% at the end of the year we anticipate many clients will look to bring their Q1 2011 promotional gift spends into 2010 – allowing them to save 2.5% in terms of cash at least. We are also always on the look out for the best possible pricing and supplies for our clients and this autumn will see us increase our stocks of express delivery gifts, allowing us to respond to even shorter lead times. With autumn approaching its always worth noting that those seasonable items that will see a flurry of activity – notably advent calendars. Pricing is now available for our 2010 advent calendars to allow us to meet the tight timescales of end of October production runs. Other developments this summer have included the launch of our new ECO Gifts Store and we anticipate that 2011 will be the year of the ECO promotional gifts company. So will our predictions and forecasts hold true? We’ll just have to see in 2011.

Working Client Purchases Into Pool Stocks

Rob — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:15:28 +0000

We were with a client this week who runs the marketing operation across several company divisions. They are looking at pooling all their corporate gifts purchases into one large buying lot to get the prices down, plan logistics better and improve the use of promotional merchandise throughout the group. This is a great idea as it also helps to simplify the logistics process for a promotional gifts company life Redbows. We use our warehouse facilities to stock and then distribute the branded gifts, to depots and sites around the UK. The whole ethos is one of delivering better customer service across the supply chain. It just takes a little planning in the set up stage but once complete can cover any type of corporate gift, from pens and mugs to clothing and document wallets – everything a business would need to market itself.

Promotional Bags Nicely Branded

Rob — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:45:31 +0000

This month we have focused on increasing our range of promotional bags. These make great wonderful gifts because they can be reused and have a long life expectancy, as well offering a very large area for a customised imprint. In terms of leisure bags one of my new favourites is the Backpack with Cord Ties – the number of times I needed one of these with the kids with all their clubs and after school activities. They are great for summer and winter time promotions and their low cost, even with branding means that they can be squeezed into most budgets. On the new ECO Gifts Store we have also been working on our environmentally friendly bags collection for shoppes and general leisure use. The Jute Multipurpose Shopper is a firm favourite here and I am getting quite attached to mine.

In The Mood For Office Gardening

Rob — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:46:02 +0000

Not everyone is into gardening but these ECO Plants and Seed packs are wonderful for office and home based promotions. Available from our new ECO Gifts Store, they are a great way to promote ECO friendly activities within an office or home environment. The desktop gardens could be real winners from a Feng Shui point of view within an office and help to remind staff that Spring is not that far round the corner – allowing plenty of inference opportunities to energise activities. The ‘Thank You’ Terracottas are a personal favourite – well ‘thank you’ is one of the most powerful phrases in any language.

ECO Promotional Gifts Store

Rob — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:46:54 +0000

We’re working hard to launch our new ECO Gifts Store. Taking an eco environmentally friendly view to promotional gifts is like looking at your industry from another dimension. There is so much to consider and yet somehow it feels right to bring carbon footprints, CO2 emissions, sustainability, material recycling and reclaimation into our field of scope. We know that we are going to have a lot of fun with our new ECO gifts website and are looking forward to client feedback as we drive forward to populate it.

Free Artwork Redraw Service

Rob — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:41:33 +0000

We’re always investing at Redbows in our IT and customer care systems. They’re what separate us from the rest of the crowd within the promotional gifts industry. This month we have just released our Free Artwork Redraw service. Most promotional gifts companies charge for this but we feel that our latest Mac systems make this task one of the simplest to perform for clients. Its great when you know that you are adding value for clients and constantly striving push the boundaries on customer care.

Calendars and Diaries for 2011

Rob — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:15:43 +0000

In the office the other day I heard one of our promotional gifts consultants talking to clients about advent calendars but then it is ‘hot’ summer. Seriously though the autumn promotional season is not far away and now is the time to think about your autumn/winter campaigns. Other items that you need to get on your gifts radar are promotional calendars and diaries. We’ve heard that there could be a paper shortage towards the end of this year which could impact on the supply of promotional calendars and diaries. If you want to learn more about the Redbows Promotional Calendars and Diaries collection then let us know. As these tend to be slightly more expensive promotional gifts the selection process can take slightly longer, than say promotional pens. So start to think about your calendars, diaries and wall planners now and book your order with Redbows early to get the best possible price and delivery.

How Green are ECO Gifts?

Rob — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:48:17 +0000

Everywhere you look people are jumping on the green bandwagon. Promotional Gifts suppliers are no exception but how green are the gifts they supply? The issue is not whether their gifts are made from recycled materials but the costs of doing this. Think of a pyramid with ECO gifts at the top. Supporting them are factories, suppliers, transportation systems, materials, processes and systems. There are now many products made from recycled and reclaimed materials available within the promotional gifts arena but how ECO friendly are the processes and organisations that deliver them? At the very least factories should have a environmental management system accredited to ISO14001. When you consider transportation, it is easy to find ECO stamped gifts made in China and India but then you have the costs of transportation which in themselves can have a significant impact on the carbon footprints of your promotional flashdrives, mugs and mousemats. The management team at Redbows has challenged itself to gain its ISO14001 certification over the next year. What’s as important is to ensure we work with suppliers who also share this ethos and think wider in terms of their Corporate Social Responsibility. For more information on our ECO gifts see our Environmentally Friendly Gifts collection.

Promotional Stress Footballs

Rob — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:36:51 +0000

With the World Cup just over a week away, the UK seems to have run out of promotional stress footballs. Lets hope the England team get to the final. I wonder what the next hot promotional gifts will be when they win?

Promotional Pens – Size and Feel

Rob — Wed, 19 May 2010 06:47:26 +0000

The Promotional Pens you use say a lot about your company and also about the person or people involved in selecting them. Choosing the right promotional pens for any promotion involves a number of factors. Budget is obviously a key factor to consider and once a certain style of promotional pen is chosen, other factors come into play such as its colour and imprint area. These days our clients are also considering whether to opt for an ECO friendly pen i.e. one made from recycled materials. However the most important thing that needs to be considered is the end user. Will they want to use then pen? How does it feel to them? Some people prefer a chunky pen and some people prefer slim barrels. Some like black ink and some blue ink. Some ballpens and some rollerballs. When it comes to promotional gifts and especially promotional pens there are a few more factors to consider than just budget, colour and imprint area. Alternative gift solutions are another area to consider. At Redbows we have also seen a rise in demand for promotional wooden pencils. These can be supplied with or without an eraser and the most popular are the matt black finished pencils. The best advice is to check out the types of promotional gifts and promotional pens found in your client’s offices. Conduct your a mini market survey to ensure you hit the mark when it comes to your own promotional pens.