Are You a Cultural Creative? Check this List:

• love of nature and deep caring about its preservation, and its natural balance.
• strong awareness of the planet-wide issues (i.e. climate change, poverty etc.) and a desire to see more action on them
• being active themselves as well (e.g. cradle2cradle principle)
• willingness to pay higher taxes or spend more money for goods if that money went to improving the environment
• heavy emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining relationships
• heavy emphasis on the importance of helping others and developing their unique gifts
• volunteer with one or more good causes
• intense interest in spiritual and psychological development

• see spirituality as an important aspect of life, but worry about religious fundamentalism
• desire equality for women/men in business, life and politics
• concern and support of the wellbeing of all women and children
• want politics and government to spend more money on education, community programs and the support of a more ecologically sustainable future
• are unhappy with the left and right in politics
• optimism towards the future
• want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life
• are concerned with big business and the means they use to generate profits, including destroying the environment and exploiting poorer countries
• unlikely to overspend or be in heavy debt
• dislike the emphasis of modern cultures on “making it” and “success”, on consuming and making money
• like people, places and things that are different or exotic

Dining Cards are a great way to Reward Your Loyal Customers

Learn more about Restaurant.com Dinner of the Month Club, available in 3, 6, and 12-month options!

Purchase “Aging with Pride” T-Shirt

This shirt is being offered to fans of Sage Metro St. Louis through June.  Questions?  Call Peg or Diane at Get Promoted LLC, 636-688-6240

Sage Pride Shirt Sizes and Prices

S-XL $8.50 2XL $11.00 3XL $11.50 4XL $12.00

Customize Your Laptop and Other Techno-objects

Decorate Your Electronics!

If you want to customize your own laptop and other electronics, Get Promoted would be glad to give you several sources to do so.  This particular blog will address the use of using the customized skins as a marketing vehicle.

You might want your office to have matching customized laptops for increased brand visibility.  You might want to put your logo on electronics that you have sold.  You may be a web designer that wants your logo to be front and center when your customer is using their product.

The skin and calendar duo showed in the photo is a great gift piece.  It is attractively packaged and very colorful.  This is re positional vinyl that will not harm your laptop.  The calendar is a welcome addition with dates right in front of you at your computer…and full branding there, of course.  You have the entire surface to design on and the production time is fast, about a ten day turnaround.  125 units is the minimum order and run less than $3.00 each.  Read more about it here.

That same company has stock shapes in many sizes.  For comparison, we are going to use 3.75″ x 3″ and 5.75″ x 4″.  That way, we can compare them with three other company’s offerings.

On your left, you see a sample that is still re positional vinyl with no adhesive.   The minimum purchase is 50 pieces at $5.00 each.   The cost is higher because you are getting less pieces…this is all a quantity game.

So,   if you could use more pieces, custom make your own design with any shapes and colors.  You can get the price down to about $2.50 each for 125 in this same size range of 3 x 4 or 4 x 6.  The only extras not added in this price are taxes and shipping…the setup is free for this kind of product.  More information on site.

The company with all of these choices also offers a great branding package that would be great for colleges and tradeshow giveaways.  They have a skin package to do the whole laptop, your nano, and cell phone all on one easy to giveaway sheet.  Call me for samples at 636-688-6240 or email at getpromoted@charter.net.  They also have cell phone skins, too in many brands.

Another favorite company handles low tech adhesives skins with the 3″ and 5″ size with the same design situation…no setup costs and full color.  Again, your buy size is the thing that brings the costs down.  The minimum is 500 pieces for .26  (3.25 x 3) or .35 (4×5.75).  So for 150.00 to 200.00 dollars, you can have stock sizes with a low tech adhesive.  See this style here.

Last choice!  I like all three of these manufacturers.  They have a lot to offer in their catalogs, so look through them for other ID IDEAS.  This manufacturer is using low tech adhesive also, but does more stock shapes.   250 pieces at 3.5 x 4  for $1.10 each with lots of good shape ideas. Check out their entire site for unusual name tags, wooden items, light plastics, and the techno skins.

If you want vinyl with adhesive decals or static cling, check out this website...but I did not think it was appropriate for the electronics market.  The price goes down because of the adhesive to $1.50 for 125 stickers at 4 x 4 inches.

I am going to put this in a table for you for comparisons.

Model	Dimensions	Min,	Price
I Podnito Skins	2 piece set   oval and calendar	125		2.80 each, plus tax and shipping	350.00
I Podnito Skins	1 long piece 3” x 8”	50		5.00 each, plus tax and shipping	250.00
I Podnito Skins	4” x 5” stock rectangle	50		4.56 each, plus tax and shipping	228.00
I Podnito Skins	Custom Approx. 4” x 5.75”	125		2.80 each, plus tax and shipping	350.00
Stock Adhesive	3.25” X 3”   rectangle	500		.26  each, plus tax and shipping	130.00
Stock Adhesive	4” x 5.75”   rectangle	500		.35  each, plus tax and shipping	175.00
Re Stick It	3.5” x 4”  many stock shapes	250		1.10 each, plus tax and shipping	275.00
Vinyl decal	4” x 4” adhesive back or front	125		1.66 each, plus tax and shipping	207.50
Static Cling	4” x 4” no adhesive	125		1.38 each, plus tax and shipping	172.50
Marketing  Tech	Get Promoted LLC.com	Peg & Di		getpromoted@charter.net

Please contact us for more details on setups.  Each job is unique and prices vary.  636-688-6240

Designing Snow Shirts During a Blizzard

I recently designed a snow themed shirt for Mary Logan, Creative Memories Consultant for an event she held in January 2011.  She holds this event every year and has about two hundred women that take the weekend to work on their scrapbooks.  It is quite an adventure to see what they do! A crop party is a great way to get some of your pictures in better order and have some fun, too.  You can get new ideas for laying out your pictures, see new products, and make life time friends.  Your family will benefit from the beautiful scrapbooks that will be treasured for generations.  Go see her website.  Are you looking to make $$$$? Mary is always looking for new reps.  She gets many trips and other perks.

People have been overwrought about the storm, so I have collected some of the names of the storm and put them on a t-shirt.  That just started the fun!  I decided to spend the snow day creating shirt designs including a couple for the Groundhog!  Peg said I went too far when I did the Snowglobe one.  You will have to be an avid TV hound to enjoy it.

I put the snowflakes on the back burner and did one that I really like.  It is a picture of a guy….well..just look for yourself.  No words are needed, look at the picture below:

We do screen printing.  Many of these designs are more than one color and would be expensive to do one at a time.  Screen printing is for quantities over 12 pieces. Prices fluctuate depending on the apparel chosen, the amount of ink colors, and the intricacies of the design.

For an inexpensive alternative, we can do full color on cotton shirts with heat transfers.  The prints fade after many washings, but the price is right, somewhere in the 10.00 range.

For an alternative, if there are just a couple of colors, we would suggest a soft fabric transfer.  That is a flexible, long lasting choice…not great for many colors or tiny lines.  But if it is too intricate, we can order digital prints that would be able to do all the color and last longer than heat transfers.  Prices for a shirt would be in the 15.00 range.

The shirts that are pictured here are done with special dyes and heat.  This method is called sublimation printing and is less familiar in a custom decorating shop.  We love it for the speed in which we can take care of our customers.  I can actually sit right down with you at the computer, design a t shirt and often go downstairs to the workshop and print it right then.  That price is around 25.00-30.00 for a shirt.  The imprint must be on light colors as the ink is transparent and won’t show up on black; white places won’t show up either on a design, as there is no white ink..The colors are brilliant and the shirts wear exceptionally well.  A year from now, you will see very little fading.  It’s like our Cadillac printing method.

We also can use our professional embroidery services to do an attractive left chest.  Many of the techniques can be mixed and matched.  Rhinestones, distressed fabrics, flocked ink, sparkle ink are just a few of the choices.  Here is a great website about alternative methods.

I Went Too Far:

So, then, I got a grandiose idea.  Peg says she doesn’t get it.  I thought it was funny.

What if we really don’t live in an open environment??  Perhaps, we are like Truman…we live in a globe.  When the Higher Power shakes the globe, we get all the snow again.  Isn’t that what it feels like right now??

In the ’80s, for four years, many of us enjoyed a quirky TV show called St. Elsewhere.  Many of the hospital employees went on to mega stardom including Denzel Washington, Howie Mandel, and Mark Harmon.  the whole time we watched it, the hospital had lots of drama and some comedy.  It was popular, but the last episode was the clincher.  A young autistic child is playing with a snow globe and we find out the entire story of the hospital is just a figment of the child’s imagination.  That was a busy coffee pot the next day at work as everyone discussed this shocking end.  It was a much better dream sequence that the stupid Bobby Dream on Dallas.  (Just google if you don’t get the references…and yes, I am old).

If you were voting during the 70′s, you will have some frame of reference for this.  Otherwise, I would Google St. Elsewhere.  You can watch the first season on HULU.

Here is two takes on the Beach Shirt Snowman:

So good bye to the winter weather, Groundhog Day is over, and the sun is shining more every day.  Soon it will be Spring!

Pictures from MDA Fund Raiser August 26, 2010

Lanyards 101–What to Look for when Purchasing a Lanyard

Lanyards are a very popular promotional product.  They are prominently used in the business world for identification purposes.  They are often given at tradeshows with barcodes for obtaining your contact information so that you save a lot of time and ink.   And now, companies have improved the tried and true  into “new and hip” by adding carabiners with accessory items that make lanyards have a longer promotional impact.

For an economical solution, you can use a blank lanyard.  But, that is giving you no visibility and after event branding of your company.  But, it does bring up other ways make your presentation pop.  There are all sorts of accessories that can be added to a simple cord to make it unique and useful.  For example, you can add a carabiner that can hold a flash drive, lip balm, or sanitizer.  You can add a custom full  color slide to the cord to make it an item with color and flash.   A cord lanyard should run about .75 -1.25.   The advantage is that you should have easier minimum order standards, faster production, and no design time.

When you add your name and logo to a lanyard, you can get lots of visibility mileage, if the lanyard will be used again.  So really put some thought into it if you are giving it to people that will wear it every day to work.

The least expensive printing method will be screen printed.  You can get your logo woven into the strap material.  You can have different kinds of material such as nylon.  Color is no issue, the lanyards come in a multitude of colors.  We can always find something that will match your color scheme.

A great choice is sublimated lanyards if you have many colors in your logo.  Sublimated stock lanyards can have beautiful backgrounds that make them stand out.  Remember, your job is have people want to keep it and use it.  Take a look here. (Slow to load, will take you right to the page)

Lanyards have many different fittings on the bottom of the cord.  There are usually five different hooks that are standard and should not add to the cost:  D Ring, snap hook, swivel hook, bull dog clip, and split ring.

Other great accessory items include breakaway clips, cell phone holders, water bottle holders, and retractable badge reels.

So, the question is:   What features do you need in a lanyard; what attachments do you need on the end; what would your return on visibility investment be, if you upgraded the purchase you are about to make?  What will make your client hold on to this piece and use it frequently.

Statistics indicate over 50% of people keep a promotional item more than 2 years.  30% give it away if they don’t use it….so your promotional item needs to be perceived as useful, fun, unique, or desirable.

Contact Get Promoted to see samples, get exact figures based on your particular needs.  Prices start at about 1.00 and can go up to 10.00, depending on the accessories added to it.  We have several manufacturers that we like for their price, quality, and speed.  Check out:

www.snugzusa.com

www.marathonprestige.com

www.fieldsmfg.com

You can look at their product lines or online catalogs.  We have hard copies at our office that you are more than welcome to view.  See us for samples and recommendations.

Jan. 8th is National Bubble Bath Day

Looking for a great promotional product that will be appreciated and used?  Bubble Bath!

Saturday, January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day.  So, this is a perfect day to talk about several different products that might add some spice to your marketing plan.

Did you know that giving a promotional product…especially a useful one….can increase your sales.  Over 50% of consumers have a higher opinion of a business that ties their marketing effort with a promotional product.  3 out of 4 are inspired to purchase from a business that makes a promotional product offer.

The bubble bath bottles on the right can all be imprinted with your logo for 45.00 for the run.  The prices start at .98 for minimum order of 250 bottles.  No money down, billing occurs in 30 days.

Here is a cute pail of bath items that would really be a great employee thank you gift or client incentive.  Another very inexpensive item is the individual bubble bath packets that look like colorful confetti in a clear packet.  Not only are they bright and cheerful,  they show off your logo in an attractive way.

How about the Mom that has young kids at home?  Would you make a good impression if you can keep her child in the bathtub longer…and happier!

The most unique bath bubble item I found was the test tube crystals.  Great for a lab of engineering company.  The test tubes keep it in the realm of being a work like item.  Then you throw in a twist…..colorful, quality, baht products!

The most expensive promotional item I found was almost $500.00 each.  The intention was to provide your favorite gardener with every kind of lotion and spa items that could be used.

Some of the information came from here.

Promotional Products Service at Get Promoted LLC

Owners Peg and Diane are aware that a small business owner needs to be able to keep its name in front of the public consistently.  We look for exciting, reasonably priced promotional items that will tie into a complete marketing plan.  You can trust that Peg and Diane will:

• Know about the latest promotional products trends and have access to quality manufacturing facilities
• Know where to find quality products
• Know what manufacturers deliver on time
• Know companies that have lower minimums, reduced art charges, and have new inexpensive items that would enhance a well-planned marketing strategy
• Know how to keep your “Name in the Game”
• Know how to best use promotional products as part of an advertising campaign

Get Promoted offers FREE marketing and product consultations.  Visit our studio in St. Charles or meet us for coffee somewhere.  We promise a great selection, good advice, and lots of laughter as we work with you to find items that will make a long lasting impression.  We keep hundreds of samples and catalogs for you to look through.  There are many web catalogs featured in the links below.   Call us with questions and to set a time for a  “Pick Three”, where we ask questions about your business and suggest three promotional items to add to your marketing mix.

You can search 400 Promotional Products and Apparel books here:  My Promotional Products Library or click on our favorites below

• Crown Great general catalog, lots of pens, reasonable prices, great customer service
• Magnets Largest Magnet manufacturer in U.S.     custom magnets available,
• Gemini Less expensive, many items under a dollar, good for giveaway items
• Hub Great pen company, specialize in pens, laser pens.
• Cedar Crest Great product at a great price
• Ariel Award-winning stress balls and many US made pedometers
• Fields Top provide for healthcare and education institutions
• Clegg Do you need  exciting?  This website makes noise…(
• Admints I love this company!  Tiny little boxes of mints with four color boxes
• Anchor Low price, lots of plastic, all recycled, key chains, fancy Mardi Gras Beads
• Chocolate Yum.  Need I says more.  Small order possible
• Chest Lots of kids items, storage items like gift boxes for a coffee cup and another gift.
• Ap Medicine bottles
• HBC Popular sprays:  air fresheners, sanitizers, sunscreen, moisturizer, etc
• Eyeblack School spirit items including custom under eye patches
• Bond Innovative drinkware design and golf items are a specialty
• illini Low cost, unusual ideals
• imagery Badge programs , name tags, custom lego-logos
• mat Tell your marketing message right when people come in the door
• Lion Circle Low cost , lots of giveaway items
• Maple Ridge 67%  of all corporate gifts at Christmas are food
• Mega Team spririt site
• Media “Credit cards” for ringtones,  all sorts of incentive cards
• quickpoint Green products, lost of kitchen helpers and plastic stuff
• points Crazy items, pens and planters with great designing for notice.
• Stouse Decals, adhesive sheets
• inventor Be on top of a trend, new inventions
• Ap General catalog, lots of journals and notebooks
• Warwick Calendars, notebooks, journals, large variety
• Fresh Yummy cookies and candies for corporate giving

Check out the Vernon Promotional Product Website!  Contact us for even more suggestions

Did you Hang a Stocking for Your Pet This Christmas?

Enjoy this slideshow of Dog Wearables

Here’s a great Look at Promo Dog items

Great Promotional Items for Pet Owners

Cat and dog owners feel strongly about the role of animals in their family.

• Nine in ten pet owners surveyed say they consider their pet a member of the family.

• 63% of dog owners and 58% of cat owners surveyed said they give their pets presents at Christmas.

• Americans spend about $5 billion on holiday presents for their furry friends.

• 40% of dog owners and 37% of cat owners hang Christmas stockings for their pets.

• 36% of dog owners give their pets presents on their birthday, as do 20% of cat owners.

• About one quarter of both dog owners (27%) and cat owners (23%) sign their pet’s name on greeting cards or notes.

• 64% of surveyed pet owners said they include news about their pet, and 36% include a photograph. in their holiday cards.

• About 27% of pet owners claim to have taken their pet to a professional photographer to have a picture taken with family, Santa, or the Easter Bunny.

• About a third (37%) of dog owners and a similar proportion of cat owners (31%) have their pet’s picture prominently displayed in their homes, and 14% and 10%, respectively, display it at their place of work.
  

• About 10% of both dog and cat owners carry their pet’s picture in their wallet or purse.

• In about 20% of both dog and cat households, the TV, radio, or stereo is left on when the animals are left alone, presumably so they don’t get lonely.

• 16% of dog owners and 14% of cat owners claim to have bought a car or home with a pet in mind.
  

  People consider their pets part of the family

Americans treat their pets like family.

• In 70% of feline households, cats are allowed to lie on the furniture. In 40% of canine households, dogs are allowed to do so.

• In 65% of cat-owning households, cats are permitted to sleep at night on some family member’s bed compared with 39% of dogs.

• 45% of pet owners set up a special bed for their pet in the house.

• In 75% of the nation’s dog-owning households, the dog is treated to rides in the family car compared with 8 % of households with cats.

• In one third (34%) of households surveyed, the dog goes along on family vacations, whereas only 11% take the cat along.

• 25% of pet owners surveyed said they blow dry their pet’s hair after a bath.

• When a pet dies, 58% of pet owners bury the pet on their property.

Get Promoted LLC has used every decorating option to celebrate the bond that a pet has to his family.  We have done sublimation shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, ornaments, pet tags, jewelry boxes, and purse hangers.  We have screen printed shirts for several non-profits that support animal rights and welfare.  We even have “rhinestone” apparel that gives the appearance of “Bling” without the danger of loose stones.
We encourage businesses to think about pet items for promotional giveaways that will keep their name in front of their customers and inspire loyalty.  What can we get for you?

Sources include the American Humane Association, American Animal Hospital Association, American Boarding Kennel Association, American Kennel Club, American Veterinary Medical Association, Cat Fanciers’ Association, Pet Food Institute, Pet Sitters International, Gallup Poll on pet ownership, and National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy.

Next Page »