Corporate Gift of the Week: Gourmet Hot Cocoa

With the New Year here you can start a loyalty gift program. This is a great way to thank your dedicated customers for their business over the past year. With this New Year you probably have reached milestones with many of your clients. In order to thank them you can send them imprinted gourmet hot cocoa.

With the cold weather on top of us promotional gourmet hot cocoa is just the thing to hit warm up your clients.

Whether your clients have been working with you for 1, 5, or even 50 years, sending them promotional hot cocoa will continue to strengthen the ties between you and your customers. It truly is a hot idea!

Loyalty gift programs help build relationships between you and your client. Having your loyalty gift items customized with your company name and logo helps put your business directly into the hands of your customers.

Corporate Gift Tip of the Week: Milestone Gifts

Celebrating milestones is another effective gifting strategy that would benefit from incorporating continuity. Things like new hire welcome gifts, first year anniversaries, 5th year, 10th year, 25th year etc. can all benefit from staying consistent and building on the product as you build the relationship. Likewise, milestone gifts, like the ones found in the Futura collection, can celebrate significant points in a client relationship such as the start or completion of a major project. Having a matching set of desktop gifts that can be given individually allows you to literally build on a relationship, with each new item serving as a reminder of previous gifts and more importantly, the long term relationship.

Why make milestone awards continuity gifts? Because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Your relationship with the client or employee becomes more meaningful as you hand out gifts over time and builds a relationship of consistency from one gift to the next. Your recipient will love the thought you put into each gift and begin to anticipate what your company will do next.

Case Study of the Week: Blinds.com

Gifting Loyal Customers Increases Word-of-Mouth Referrals for Blinds.com

Challenge: How to drive business growth by increasing the word-of-mouth referrals of existing customers

It’s no wonder that word of mouth is a key strategy in many specialty industries where competition is fierce and the struggle to differentiate is fiercer: a recent Jupiter Media Metrix survey revealed that 45% of online shoppers choose their e-commerce vendors based on word-of-mouth recommendations. In another study, Baylor University found that customers who receive promotional gifts are 14% more likely to provide leads; salespeople who give promotional gifts receive 22% more referrals than those who do not.

Blinds.com, America’s favorite blinds, shades and shutter store, wanted to tap into those truths by using promotions to encourage its base of satisfied clients to spread the word about the Blinds.com family of products and services.

Solution: Say “thank you” to customers with a big, bold imprinted gift that boosts loyalty and encourages referrals

Since people are more likely to recommend a company they feel truly values their business, ePromos recommended gifting the Blinds.com customers most likely to tell their friends about Blinds.com—those who had provided positive feedback about their experience with the company. The gift also had to be substantial enough for customers to want to share with their friends and family, as well as tie into the Blinds.com product line. Our choice—promotional car shades—worked well:

• Being lightweight, they’re easy and cost-effective to mail
• Car shades are useful; who doesn’t like to keep the sun’s heat out of their car?
• And because they block out the sun, just like blinds, the shades fit hand-and-glove with the Blinds.com brand
• Car shades double as highly visible advertisements; when displayed in a car windshield, the Blinds.com name and Web site are in full view of passersby
• They’re big and bold, gifts customers want to show off and tell their friends about!

Result: Blinds.com gets a surge of new business as existing customers refer others to the Blinds.com Web site

To make the gifting as easy as possible for Blinds.com, ePromos also provided fulfillment services—Blinds.com gave us the customer list…we took care of the rest. The Blinds.com staff tells us that customers really appreciated the promotion and felt like the company really cared. Blinds.com also has proof that their small token of appreciation truly impacted word of mouth: shortly afterward, the company reported a marked increase in word-of-mouth referrals to the Blinds.com Web site.

Find Promotional Car Shades
Gear up with Automotive Products

(Via: The Promo Know-How Zone)

Corporate Gift Tip of the Week: Using Up Your Budget

As we near the end of the year, many companies find themselves scrambling to spend the leftover money they have on their budget. If this applies to you, know that there are plenty of good reasons to make sure you go through each and every dollar you have.

First of all, the money is yours to spend; you should take advantage of the various promotional products you can purchase. Money in your budget is almost never carried over into the next year, so don't let it go to waste. Even worse, if you don't spend it all now, your budget might actually get reduced next year.

If you can't figure out what to buy, don't fret. Regardless of the department you work in, there are a number of ways to spend your remaining budget that can benefit you! Promotional desktop items give you the chance to reach out to your recipients where they work, while as promotional apparel products can help them suit up and be prepared for the cooler winter months.

As you consider which products to invest the last of your budget into, consider what would benefit your company the most. With the right amount of planning, you can reap the rewards from your promotion.

Case Study: J-Date.com

Picture Frames Encourage Word-of-Mouth Referrals for Online Dating Service

Challenge: How to boost offline word-of-mouth referrals for an online dating site

The dating game has long been online—and dating Web sites continue to prosper. Many of today's dating Web sites serve niche markets: enter J-Date, a online dating site that brings Jewish singles together. J-Date, recognizing the power of word-of-mouth referrals, turned to ePromos for help in finding a cost-effective way to increase Web traffic using word of mouth.

Solution: One promotion—a logo'd magnetic photo frame—to serve two purposes

The company's promotion tactic was twofold: 1) generate more testimonials for use on the Web by encouraging successful customers—happy couples—to share their stories and photos on the J-Date site, and 2) boost visibility and traffic based on word-of-mouth referrals from these same happy couples.

To fulfill both of those objectives, the J-Date team selected an attractive, magnetic photo holder imprinted with the J-Date logo. Targeting successful customers was a smart move: since the happy couples already felt indebted to J-Date, a free gift would only enhance positive perceptions and encourage them to share their stories with others. In addition, the frame is a high-visibility item; happy couples proudly display photos of their newfound loved ones in prominent, visibile locations—thus prompting them to tell family, friends and coworkers to visit J-Date for themselves.

Result: J-Date gathers hundreds of new testimonials; boosts Web traffic

Since the frame giveaway began, J-Date has collected hundreds of new success stories for its Web site, providing uplifting, motivational testimonies to others who are still searching for their special someone. Web traffic has increased as well. But the true sign of the promotion's success is J-Date's determination to continue to use the logo'd frames for a long time to come.

Corporate Gift Tip: Using Up Your Budget with Promotional Awards

At the end of the year using up your budget can be extremely important. Many times if you do not use your full budget it will not carry over into the next quarter. One of the ways you can use up your budget before the year is out is to use it towards corporate gifts you will need next year.

Many people retire at the beginning of a new year. So why not be prepared with promotional retirement gifts, or milestone gifts?

Customized awards are the best way to send off your employees, especially after so many years of dedication to your company. This is the kindest and most effective ways to use up your end of the year budget.

Corporate Gift Tip: USB Items

USB products have soared in popularity in recent years. As more and more individuals and businesses get "wired," there is an increasing need for products that work functionally with computers. There's a number of quality personal and business-related items available for your promotions

Business
Workers are no longer bound by their office walls. People work both remotely and on the go more than ever, and USB products help make that process as convenient as possible. From wireless mice, to laptop lights, and webcams, these devices all help professionals stay connected wherever they may be.

Pleasure
There are also a number of USB products designed for personal recreation. With MP3 docking stations, alarm clocks, digital cameras, mug warmers, and digital photo frames, among many others, you can be sure to find a fun item that will appeal to anyone.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Hats & Scarves

For the colder winter months, it's a good idea to invest in promotional winter hats and scarves. These two items are highly affordable, which makes them great choices for tight budgets. They are also one of the few apparel items that you can buy without having to concern yourself with sizing issues. This should conveniently shave off time from the order process.

Imprinting on items like hats and scarves is advantageous to your campaign, since these items carry an implicit message of coverage and protection. If you're an industry that provides care or support in some way, like an insurance company, then these would be good choices for a promotion.

Your recipients are bound to use a hat or scarf, so incorporating them into your corporate gift campaign will ensure you get the most out of your investment.

Case Study: Improving Customer Satisfaction

Real Estate Agent Rewards Home Buyers With Promotional Gifts

Challenge: Find a gift for new home buyers that would promote business and improve customer satisfaction.

A real estate agent always gave new home owners information about local utility companies including phone, cable, and electric. In addition, he also have his company business card with his picture and office information on it. The agent wanted to find a promotional gift that could include all of this information in one convenient spot that the homeowner would appreciate, display openly, and use often.

Solution: A large promotional magnet featuring important contact information.

The real estate agent chose a large promotional magnet to fit all important numbers and addresses as well as his company and contact information. By combining the two pieces of information onto one advertising product, the company info would stay in front of the new homeowner longer than a regular business card would. If the homeowner needed to contact the agent, the information was readily accessible. Because the agent was able to consolidate his marketing projects, he also saved money in the long-run.

Result: Customers were pleased with the product and referred new business.

The magnets were a big hit with home buyers. Many of them talked about the practicality of the item and appreciated the thought and effort behind it. The agent was pleased with this positive response and is considering similar promotional campaigns in the future.



(Via: The Promo Know-How Zone)

Corporate Gift Tip: Technology

Let technology bring your corporate clients into the New Year. Technology makes living life easier and more fun. It is admired and its capabilities appreciated. With your company's logo on the products of your choice, your clients will be sure to remember who has it going on for the upcoming year.

Promotional digital photo frames are one of the hottest pieces of technology around. They display digital images from your camera's memory card or DVD and can also play music and videos. Promotional solar powered flashlights will ensure that the light will always shine brightly on your best clients. Promotional MP3 Players will also sound like music to your client's ears.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Etched Wine Bottle - Montrey Cristal Cabernet

High quality wine is a tasteful, classic corporate gift for the holiday season. It makes the perfect gift and is great because it can be given to people of different religious faiths without being considered out of context.

Promotion Etched Wine Bottles offer a unique way to present this timeless gift. Each promotional bottle is hand-etched with a design of your choice, which can include your company's name and logo.

The wine type is Montrey Cristal Cabernet, a popular label wine sourced from outstanding vineyards in California, although non-alcoholic wines are also available. They are truly high end corporate gifts which will accompany many of your promotional needs.

Case Study of the Week

Football Team Wows Supporters With Promotional Gift Packages

Challenge: To find creative ways to thank the board of directors and VIP members of a professional football team, as well as members of a professional association, sports celebrities, and the media.

A professional sports team needed ways to thank two distinct groups of people. The first group, board members and VIPs, would receive a different gift than the second group, which was made up of members of a professional football association, celebrities, and the media. The gifts were intended to thank these people for the work they had done for the team and for their continued support in general.

Solution: A selection of unique promotional gifts that would impress recipients and thank them for their contributions.

For the VIPs and team board members, management decided on a promotional gift package that included a miniature football helmet that featured the team's logo. Along with the helmet came an oak stand that could be used to mount the memorabilia. Recipients could display this handsome item on their desks easily without sacrificing space.

The second group received a promotional package that included a football-shaped sausage (complete with laces), placed atop an imprinted cutting board that proudly displayed the team's logo. Surrounding the sausage was a collection of cheese, crackers, and promotional mints.

Result: Well-received gift packages that created a buzz about the team, and let recipients know that their hard work did not go unnoticed.

A team spokesman said that the gift packages were well-received, and called them "winners" among the recipients. The promotional gifts were able to thank deserving parties and encourage them to keep up the good work in the future. Recipients were happy to do so, and were pleased that their support was being adequately rewarded by the team.




(Via: The Promo Know-How Zone)

Corporate Gift Tip: Make Your Employees/Customers Feel Special

A great gift will be greatly appreciated and make your employee feel special. A gift that lets the reciever know that you care and are paying attention to who they are, will turn out to be a great success and be remebered for years to come.

A perfect example would be a promotional waterfall business card and pen holders. This desktop item features a waterfall with rainbow effect lighting and also holds pens and business cards. This gift will make the receiver feel important and respected by showing how much your company cares about individual workers and how much value it places on their hard work.

Another example would be a promotional golf ball paperweight. Made of pure optical glass, this paperweight looks like an authentic golf ball with life-like golf ball dimples engraved in the glass. There is a reverse style etching where your company can engrave its name, logo, and unique message. This grand gift is sure to make a co-worker who is a golf fan feel extra special.

Corporate Holiday Gift of the Week: Sweets

Everyone loves to receive and enjoy gourmet candy and treats in fancy holiday wrapping. Holiday candy is part of what makes the holidays what they are; festive and glamorous. A box of high quality candy and treats is sure to be appreciated by your corporate clients. It's simply too irresistible to forget.

Promotional Prestige Collection Gift Towers are a perfect example. Every layer contains a different assortment of treats. The bottom tier has an assortment of Candy Almonds, Pistachios and Butter Shortbread Cookies. The second tier contains Gourmet Apple Cinnamon Popcorn and the top tier contains Chocolate Truffles. All the boxes are of a festive color, either Scarlet Red or Gold, whichever you choose, and you can also imprint your company’s name and logo on the ribbon.

Case Study of the Week

Golf Tournament Goodie Bags Thank Generous Donors, Enhance Charity Event

Challenge: The ERS Foundation Seeks to Express a Warm, Hearty "Thank you" to Charity Golf Tournament Participants

If you're charged with raising funds for a non-profit, then you know what's involved in the planning and hosting of fundraising events—and that many times the success or failure of those efforts directly impact your organization's ability to secure the funds it needs to accomplish its goals. You also likely know that when you uncover fundraising success, it's important to maintain it for as long as you can!

ePromos is a close ally and friend of the Emmory Reagan Shapses (ERS) Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the research, treatment and ultimate cure of tuberous sclerosis, a rare genetic disease that often causes sufferers and their families to live under the daily threat of seizures, tumors, organ failure, mental disability or worse.

The Foundation's premier annual charity golf tournament is considered fundraising gold: the event, with its $500 to $10,000 dinner and player sponsorships, has so far contributed more than $3 million towards the research and treatment of tuberous sclerosis. The all-day affair includes breakfast, 18 holes, cocktails and a lavish dinner, as well as auctions, raffles and contests—like the chance for participants to win a luxury car or $1 million for a hole-in-one. Because the event is so important to the ERS Foundation, its members decided this year to give something memorable back to participants to thank them for their generosity.

Solution: "Welcome" Backpacks Stuffed with Branded Golf Goodies Start the Day Off Right

The Foundation drew upon its ties with ePromos to help conceive just the right tournament gift—a "welcome" drawstring backpack jam-packed with golf-themed items guests could use during the day’s activities. Among the goodies: sun block, golf balls, binoculars, a water bottle and a cap—all branded with the foundation’s logo to build a sense of community among participants during the day while reminding them of the event—and the foundation—for many tomorrows.

Result: This Year's Tournament and Promotion Score Big; Plans for Next Year Are Underway

Tournament participants raised $900,000 during this year's tournament, all for the research, treatment and eventual cure of tuberous sclerosis. We're told that the goody bags were a big hit with the golfers; and the ERS Foundation is already dreaming of ways to top this year's success.



Looking for great golf-themed items? Check out our Promotional Golf Products.
Browse our Non-Profit category.

(Via: The Promo Know-How Zone)

Corporate Gift of the Week: Texas Hold 'em Poker Set

As the rain and snow season rolls around and people are spending more and more time indoors, they will need ways to entertain themselves when the beach, park, or soccer field are no longer an option. Since pressure is high and the tempurature is low during the holiday season, clients or recipients will appreciate the light-hearted gesture of a promotional Texas Hold 'em Poker Set.

Poker is an extrememly popular card game and it inspires healthy and fun competition between players. Promotional Texas hold 'em poker sets will not only resonate your recipients, but your company will make a unique and dynamic statement with your company name imprinted on a poker set. Since poker is a collective activity, you can count on your recipient to share the poker experience with friends or family, providing effortless brand exposure.

Corporate Gift Tip: The Gift of Time

The best kind of corporate gifts are classic, but timeless. They also offer a high quality product at a reasonable price. And the most timeless gift of all is the gift of time.

There are a number of high quality clock variations that are sure to be appreciated. Promotional Brass Desk Clock/Ballpoint Pen gift sets combine two timeless pieces, a clock and a matching pen. Promotional Travel World Time Travel Alarm Clocks or promotional Travel Metal Desk Clocks with frames are two other solid gift ideas that combine the gift of time and will fit right in on your client's or employee's desk.

Case Study of the Week

Unique "Internal Scavenger Hunt" Dramatically Boosts Online Store Traffic



Challenge: The One team needs to wrap up a year-long re-branding program with a BIG EVENT
A merger may look good on the books, but they're not always pretty inside a company: the move often creates stress, confusion and lots of internal infighting and disloyalty. When One Communications merged with three different companies, there was a distinct possibility for three times the headache—something company leaders wanted to avoid by making the transition as painless as possible. To do so, the One Communications team implemented a slow but steady year-long initiative that included a new, unified company store. To cap-off the merger year—and to help the next year begin with employees excited about what their new company had become—the One team launched a BIG EVENT – an internal scavenger hunt!

Solution: With scratch-off tickets, employees win "cash" redeemable in the One online store
For the hunt, employees would exchange an object with the company's old branding for a scratch-off ticket. Initially, the idea was that each ticket would give an employee a chance to win a prize from the One Communications online store. ePromos' Account Executive Steven Loftice had a better idea: why not let the prize be redeemable money that employees could spend in the online store? The One team was all over Steven's idea: not only would it encourage people to browse through the store but, it, being unique and creative, would keep the promotion in tune with One Communications' unique and creative brand image.

Result: Scavenger hunt successfully helps clear out old branded materials
from across the country—and encourages the purchase of new
Out with the old, in with the new! That was the battle-cry heard in 40 different One Communications' offices around the country as employees eagerly traded in their old branded items for new. Even better, employees visited the online store in droves to redeem their "cash"; while there, they purchased lots of other branded merchandise as well. Today, with the merger firmly behind them, One Communications presses forward with one united brand and voice, moving toward ever-increasing business success.



Planning to put together a promotional game of your own? Check out the Promotional Games category.
Take a look at more products for the Telecommunications Industry.

(Via: The Promo Know-How Zone)

Corporate Gift of the Week: Stress Balls - Keeping it Fresh

Stress balls are the most widely used and most popular promotional item. They are versatile and can be used for anything, including corporate gifts.

So how do you distinguish your personalized stress balls from the tens of thousands of stress relieving balls out there? The answer is simple. Do something different with them. Change their shape, their size, their color.

Stress ball shapes are perhaps the easiest to find. Name any industry and you are sure to find a stress ball to match it.

Have your custom stress balls match your corporate colors. Or have them imprinted with your unique company name, logo, or message.

Their are hundreds of different items, in a whole collection of stress balls. The idea is to make your stress balls stand out. Don't let your promotional item be the average everyday stress ball that thousands of people have already seen. Standout from the crowd, get noticed, and give the gift of stress relief as a corporate gift that can be used over and over again

Corporate Gift Tip: Holiday Raffles

If you're looking for a way to really bring your company together around the holiday season, a corporate raffle is the perfect way to motivate interaction between all members of your company while recognizing the holidays!

Not every giveaway in the raffle has to be expensive and luxurious. In fact, if you start by giving away smaller products, such as fun and original promotional ornaments, you can build the anticipation and excitement for the most wanted raffle giveaways. A great middle range raffle giveaway would be promotional holiday food gifts, such as colorful candy dispensers and delicious chocolates tin containers. Finally, a great idea for the really lucky participants could be the ultimate prize of a promotional wine set of the finest quality! You are sure to wow employees with this generous giveaway! Make sure that the raffle is a fun and lively event for everyone by supplying the actual raffle event with snacks such as promotional nuts and promotional hot chocolate. All of the delicious offerings are sure to put a smile on everyone's faces!

Case Study of the Week

Complimentary Cosmetic Bags Help to Make Max Factor a High Fashion Name




Challenge: How to successfully reposition a well known brand in an industry where competition is fierce

Brand differentiation is a challenge in the cosmetics industry: competition is fierce and almost every brand positions itself as the pick of the glitterati. Max Factor is one such company. Although it is a well known name in cosmetics, what is not often known is that the company was created by a man named Max Factor, one of the first professional makeup artists credited with launching the retail makeup industry. Max not only coined the term ‘makeup’; he also gave ‘face’ to beauties such as Katharine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth and Bette Davis. Today, Max Factor the company seeks to honor its founder and heritage, and reposition its brand as the makeup choice of professional makeup artists.

Solution: Enlist a rising star of the fashion industry and professional makeup artists to give away complimentary cosmetic bags stuffed with Max Factor makeup

To begin the transformation, Max Factor collaborated with the up-and-coming fashion designer Alice Roi. Together, the two launched a trendy ‘pop up’ shop in New York’s SoHo for four days of glitz, glamour and—you guessed it—complimentary Max Factor makeup. ePromos sourced and customized just the right bag for the occasion in terms of cost, practicality and style: a modern black mesh to complement Roi’s metropolitan look and to tie Max Factor to fashion. And because ePromos is a full-service promotional products distributor offering complete fulfillment services, we stuffed the makeup kits with Max Factor makeup and delivered them to the pop-up store in time for this unique event.

Results: The Max Factor image shines brighter as the choice of high fashion

The Max Factor-Roi combination proved intoxicating: there is now a huge demand for Roi to open her own permanent retail store. The event also successfully positioned Max Factor as the choice of those in the fashion-know: during the event, professional makeup artists distributed the Max Factor cosmetic bags as ‘thank you’ gifts to customers purchasing Roi’s designs, and offered complimentary makeovers, with Max Factor makeup, of course, on the final day of the event.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Cards, Music & Ornaments

The holiday season will soon be on top of us all. You wouldn't want to get caught out in the cold without corporate gifts for all your employees and clients would you? Holiday cards, Music and Ornaments would surely make the right holiday impression.

Promotional cards, music and ornaments make great direct mail pieces for all your clients. You can even hand them out at your holiday party.

This is a great time to get into the holiday spirit. Try "Smooth Jazz Christmas" Music CD's in Jewel Cases or Greeting Cards as a great Christmas Gift. Perfect when you have lots of gifts to give.

Corporate Gift Tip: Gifts that Matter

The best way to inspire an employee to work harder is to let him know that you care. The best way to show this is by letting the employee know that you are paying attention to his work and are also trying to make him more comfortable on the job. It's about respecting your workers as people first that matters.

Promotional gifts are great tools that can be used to do just that. A meaningful and functional gift will let your employee know that you are listening. For example, if you know that one of your employees absolutely loves golf, promotional books with golf tips would show that your company cares about the interests of their employees and tries to make them happier, even if it's something outside the sphere of work.

Case Study of the Week

Branded Promo Items Extend the Brand Post-Sale for LifePath Unlimited




Challenge: How to use branding to enhance a retreat experience

Your brand, like a single thread, should be woven throughout the customer experience. From the moment customers first become aware to the purchase and touches post-sale, your brand should be there: communicating, reassuring, reminding customers of the brand promise.

This is true for all companies, and especially so for those in the self-improvement industry. LifePath Unlimited, a new firm with the stars of global reach in its eyes, is one such firm; the company offers self-development communities, programs, tools and retreats to individuals who seek to peak performance in every area of life. The LifePath staff, wanting to indelibly imprint its brand in customers’ minds during the retreat experience, turned to ePromos for help in selecting and branding promotional items that would enhance the retreat experience and continue to motivate retreat participants for months and years to come.

Solution: Give out a self-improvement kit full of branded items to retreat participants

Their choices? The LifePath staff developed a series of retreat handouts imprinted with the company logo. But they took their brand farther than that: they also extended it to several other exclusive retreat items packaged and sold as a kit, including cases to hold special retreat DVDs and CDs, mp3 players loaded the audio portion of the retreat program, and mousepads for everyday recollections and use. The overall effect would provide retreat participants with a beautiful, long-lasting rendition of the LifePath promise and brand.

Solution: Brisk kit pre-sales and customer kudos means a larger order is on the way

Even before we completed the initial order of 1,000 LifePath kits, the company pre-sold more than 300 units. The LifePath staff tells us that retreat participants love the materials: participants feel that the branded kits make their personal journey to self improvement more enjoyable. And LifePath, hoping to touch more and ever greater numbers of people with its unique program and message, plans to manufacture another 9,000 units once the initial 1,000 have sold.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Bosque Wood Finish Mugs

Promotional products made from natural materials such as wood, marble, and stainless steel are becoming more and more popular in corporate gift giving. These items are appreciated for their sturdiness and functionality. They also have a classic, professional look about them that make them stand out and give a great impression.

Promotional Bosque wood finish mugs are a perfect example and make a great gift for employees and customers. It is made of stainless steel and has a glossy wood finish that makes it look professional. This mug looks sturdy and sophisticated, which makes it have a high perceived value. Any employee or customer would be proud to have it on their desk.

A mug is also very convenient. Everyone uses coffee mugs either in the office or to carry their drink while traveling. This ensures that this promotional gift will be used often and your company’s logo will be remembered because it will always be seen.

Holiday Corporate Gift Ideas

If you want to spread the warmth of the season but don't know which item to pick, don't despair! There's still plenty of time to put together a high quality, well designed promotional program that everyone will appreciate. Apparel is always a welcome gift and because it's something people can actually use, it's a perfect way of displaying your message. For example, when customized with your logo, the Pack-N-Go Pullover Jacket by Charles River ® is an affordable and practical way to say "thank you" or to encourage team spirit. Made from Soft-Tex polyester for comfort and warmth; it's lightweight, water-resistant, and folds up into its own pouch for easy packing.

For those looking for something a little heartier to keep those winter winds at bay, there's the Matrix Fleece Jacket by Charles River ®. Inspired by the kind of jackets loved by hikers, skiers and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere, the Matrix Jacket is made from plush Evolux fleece with a unique anti-pill finish. It's available in a wide range of colors that will coordinate beautifully with your embroidered logo, and because it's available to ship in five days it's the perfect solution to your last minute corporate gift giving troubles.

These are just two examples of the hundreds of rush items we have available, for more ideas to fill out your holiday wish list, for more items, vist http://www.epromos.com/.

Case Study of the Week

Norwich University Develops a Memorable Graduation Give-Away

Challenge: Give your graduates a going-away gift they’re going to cherish
If you’re a college, it’s important for you to build strong connections with your graduating students. Making sure the upcoming alumni leave with a favorable impression of you can impact future alumni donations and word-of-mouth promotion for your establishment. The Norwich University Graduate School set out to design a graduation souvenir that would rival the previous year’s gift. That graduating class had received a specially-made plaque with their name and the school’s official coin inserted beneath. It was well received, but the school wanted to make sure that this year’s class got an even better item

Solution: Pick an attractive and stylish award to praise their accomplishments
Norwich contacted us, and with our help they were able to design a quality give-away. The circular award we ultimately decided on displayed the much-loved school coin and the graduate’s name, school, and year emblazoned across the bottom. The school decided on this item because it was both cost-efficient and highly attractive. It was also small enough to conveniently be used as a desktop item, where it could display the Norwich name. The award’s stately look tied in nicely with the military history of the school, and since many of the graduates earned their degrees remotely, the awards could be easily shipped off to them.

Result: The awards are a success and give the graduates an added sense of achievement
Norwich loved the way the awards came out. They received loads of positive feedback from the graduating recipients. They reported that the awards were a great compliment to their diplomas and helped make their time of hard work, study, and sacrifice seem more rewarding. The school loved the outcome so much that they plan on coming to us for their next graduation gift.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Polycarbonate Bottles

Sometimes the best corporate gifts aren't particularly flashy or expensive. In some instance, functionality and convenience win out over style and priciness.

Polycarbonate bottles made famous by Nalgene (R) have been all the rage for a while now. But at a price hovering around $4.00 and up, they are usually too expensive for modest budgets. We are proud to have found a product with all the same features at half the price. Just like their Lexan counterparts, these promotional Polyclean sports bottles have no odor, are shatterproof, and won't change the taste of your beverage. The difference? Unlike the rock hard nature of Lexan Polycarbonate, these have a slightly less crystal clear appearance, but are lighter in weight and flexible. You can choose from a variety of colors and save big.

Corporate Gift Tip: Outer Wear

As the weather progressively becomes cooler, it might be wise to consider investing in promotionally branded outerwear for your gift recipients. Due to its functionality and convenience, apparel of any kind is always an ideal gift for your recipients. An apparel item that will keep people nice and toasty during the cold winter months is bound to win you praise and admiration.

Jackets, fleeces, and coats make great items to order around this time of year, since they can be easily incorporated into a holiday gift program. The wide variety of designs, colors, and name brands available to you ensure that you can find the perfect item for your employees or customers.

Whichever item you ultimately decide on, remember that buying any kind of apparel item can get a bit tricky. There are a variety of factors to keep in mind, including sizing issues, quantity, and whether or not your recipients will actually use the gift. Be sure to find out all the facts and get all your bases covered, and your promotional apparel outer wear will be a surefire success!

Case Study of the Week

High Perceived Value for a High-Profile Event

Challenge: How to use a promotional product to thank participants in a high-profile company golf tournament.

The marketing department for a large communications company needed to present a gift to the participants in their corporate golf tournament. Since the tournament participants were clients of the company (including some of the Oakland Raiders football players and their coach), the company needed a gift that was not only memorable, but had high perceived value and appeal to the tournament participants. The budget for the gift was $20.00.

Solution: A picture frame with a high perceived value is chosen.

To commemorate the golf tournament, the company decided that they would take pictures of each of the golf tournament players, insert their photo into a 5"x7" frame, and then send each player the frame with their picture inserted in it after the tournament.
The distributor presented the company with a metal picture frame that fit their budget. The marketing department chose the frame because its brushed aluminum finish with shiny silver raised detail worked well with company's color scheme. In addition, the frame had incredible perceived value, and its price was well below the $20.00 budget.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Electronic Sudoku

Sudoku has taken the country by storm in a relatively short amount of time. This immensely popular puzzle game can easily provide hours upon hours of mental stimulation by allowing people to flex their mental powers to solve the deceptively easy number grid.

Using an electronic sudoku game as a corporate gift is a great choice for those that are passionate about the puzzle. With thousands upon thousands of different puzzles in each of the five difficulty levels, your recipients will have hours upon hours of intense mental stimulation.

Before deciding on the electronic sudoku, gauge whether or not your recipients will actually like and use the game. You want to get the most promotional bang for your buck, so giving non-sudoku fans this gift will be a waste of money.

However, the afficionados are bound to remember you whenever they pick up the puzzle--allowing you to maxmize your logo's visibility.

Corporate Gift Tip: Travel Items

Travel items have always been used as business gifts or promotional items, particularly targeting business travelers or trade show attendees. The opportunity to make the travel experience a little bit better is a great way to earn some goodwill for your brand, which makes travel items and gift sets particularly appealing.

With rapidly changing air travel safety guidelines, travel promos have had to keep up. Now, new travel gifts not only make being on the road a little easier, they can also help your clients get through security and keep up with current baggage and carry on requirements.

Some highly useful items to think about during the holiday gift season are the Air Safe Toiletry Kit and TSA approved luggage locks. These two items are TSA approved and will give your recipients a hassle- free trip to the gate.

Case Study of the Week

Drawstring Backpacks Serve As A Functional Gift for Company Employees

Challenge: How to provide a reward for employees.

A large manufacturing company sought to provide its employees with a promotional gift. They figured the best place to distribute the gifts would be the company's annual picnic.

Solution: A drawstring backpack is chosen as the ideal gift.

A gusseted cinchpack was chosen as a gift for employees for two main reasons. One, the large imprint area allowed the company to use the bag as an effective promotional product. Second, it was light weight and high quality, which was a great way to show employees appreciation.

Result: The bags are a hit, and go into use immediately!

The bags were extremely functional, especially for the company picnic, as employees could use them to carry home wet bathing suits and towels.

Corporate Gift Tip: Messenger Bags

Imprinted messenger bags and briefs are great gift choices because they appeal to a wide number of people.

These bags come in a variety of styles, from conservative designs that fit a professional image, to contemporary fashions that appeal to a younger demographic. Nowadays, the bags come in a wide array colors that can appeal to many different tastes.

For many of our clients, budget is an important factor. ePromos features messenger bags at a variety of price points including some quality choices available under ten dollars.

For brand conscious buyers, we have a great selection of popular brands. Some names include Ogio, Dockers, Patagonia, and Victorinox Swiss Army.

Although we offer many choices, choosing the right messenger bag doesn't have to be confusing. Our experienced Promotions Specialists can help you find the right bag for your needs

Corporate Gift of the Week: Insulated Travel Mugs

The perfect choice for commuters or anyone on the go, promotional travel mugs are one of the top promotional products of all time. They are the perfect way to guarantee your logo and message is visible during the morning commute and throughout the day. Available in a variety of styles and price points they are perfect for promotions, branded in store merchandise or as gifts for clients or employees.

Peak travel mug season started last month with back to school promotions, and will continue through the fall into the holiday gift season. Consider these attractive items as a choice for your corporate gift program this holiday season.

Case Study of the Week

Stylish Promotional Gift Wins the Hearts of Travel + Leisure Magazine’s Advertisers

Challenge: To cost-effectively promote and convey the essence of a brand to savvy, seasoned buyers

One of the most crucial groups major publications aim to please is advertisers. Travel + Leisure (T+L), the world’s leading travel magazine, is no exception. Wanting to impress ad buyers at the World’s Fast Party, an event showcasing choice hotels, the professionals at T+L sought an appropriate, classy and useful promotional give-away—something that wouldn’t break the bank, but that would promote the discerning T+L brand over the long term while reminding buyers where to invest ad dollars.

Solution: Bright and bold lime-green leather luggage tags combine style with substance

The staff at T+L contacted us to help solve the dilemma. After a bit of back and forth brainstorming, ePromos’ travel industry Account Executive and the T+L staff hit upon the ideal promotion: lime green leather luggage tags. The tags were perfect:

They fit well with the travel-related World’s Fast event theme
Ad buyers, many of whom travel extensively, would use them for years to come
With a bold, bright lime-green color, they attracted attention and looked incredibly stylish; the tags also promoted T+L’s bold desire to be the authority for the discerning traveler

Result: Custom luggage tags are a hit with T&L execs and advertisers; same style to be used in future promotions

T&L’s editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod raved about how attractive and convenient the luggage tags were; they were also an affordable way to promote the brand and show appreciation to advertisers. The lime green color and style were such a hit that T&L plans the same for an upcoming umbrella promotion. Party attendees loved the tags as well; T&L reported that advertisers appreciated a promotional gift they could take home with them and use—all the while reminding them to think of Travel + Leisure when planning upcoming ad purchases.

Corporate Gift Tip: Sports-Related Items

With autumn soon approaching, an excellent choice of gift for your employees can be a sports-themed item branded with your company name. Though not everyone enjoys sports, for those that do, these gifts are highly appealing. They offer the recipient the chance to show their team spirit while demonstrating their company pride.

There are a number of these items available, including pennants, pom-poms, stadium cushions, and stadium cups. Their functionality, along with their fun-nature, ensures that your recipient will re-use these items as much as possible. As they bring these items with them to crowded stadiums and courts, you can be sure that your company's name and logo will receive maxmium exposure. People will also take them home as mementos or display them in lockers where the products serve as a spirit reminder long after the game.

Sports-themed items not only increase spirit at games, but also boost morale in the workplace. Happier, more vibrant workers means more productivity, so don't delay, give your employees a sports gift they'll really love.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Leather Card Wallet

Leather items are great selections for your corporate gift program due to their durability and high perceived value. Your recipients will be impressed by the inherent elegance in a leather item and will appreciate the effort.

A particularly useful leather gift you may want to consider purchasing is the Leather Card Wallet by Wegner Swiss Army®. This item can really come in handy when it comes time to network. It comes outfitted with four pockets and a mesh ID window that keeps business cards, money, and IDs organized and within easy reach.

Branded with your company's logo, the wallet can serve as a great promotional tool. Whenever your recipient removes the wallet to place something in it or pull something out, they'll expose your name to everyone around them. Because of its functionality, it's also a great way to reinforce the relationship between your company and your recipients. As they look at their wallet, they'll see your name and remember your genorisity. This can either lead to more business in the case of a client, or increased productivity in the case of an employee.

Case Study of the Week

Gifting Loyal Customers Increases Word-of-Mouth Referrals for Blinds.com

Challenge: How to drive business growth by increasing the word-of-mouth referrals of existing customers
It’s no wonder that word of mouth is a key strategy in many specialty industries where competition is fierce and the struggle to differentiate is fiercer: a recent Jupiter Media Metrix survey revealed that 45% of online shoppers choose their e-commerce vendors based on word-of-mouth recommendations. In another study, Baylor University found that customers who receive promotional gifts are 14% more likely to provide leads; salespeople who give promotional gifts receive 22% more referrals than those who do not.

Blinds.com, America’s favorite blinds, shades and shutter store, wanted to tap into those truths by using promotions to encourage its base of satisfied clients to spread the word about the Blinds.com family of products and services.


Solution: Say “thank you” to customers with a big, bold imprinted gift that boosts loyalty and encourages referrals
Since people are more likely to recommend a company they feel truly values their business, ePromos recommended gifting the Blinds.com customers most likely to tell their friends about Blinds.com—those who had provided positive feedback about their experience with the company. The gift also had to be substantial enough for customers to want to share with their friends and family, as well as tie into the Blinds.com product line. Our choice—promotional car shades—worked well:

Being lightweight, they’re easy and cost-effective to mail

Car shades are useful; who doesn’t like to keep the sun’s heat out of their car?

And because they block out the sun, just like blinds, the shades fit hand-and-glove with the Blinds.com brand

Car shades double as highly visible advertisements; when displayed in a car windshield, the Blinds.com name and Web site are in full view of passersby
They’re big and bold, gifts customers want to show off and tell their friends about!

Result: Blinds.com gets a surge of new business as existing customers refer others to the Blinds.com Web site
To make the gifting as easy as possible for Blinds.com, ePromos also provided fulfillment services—Blinds.com gave us the customer list…we took care of the rest. The Blinds.com staff tells us that customers really appreciated the promotion and felt like the company really cared. Blinds.com also has proof that their small token of appreciation truly impacted word of mouth: shortly afterward, the company reported a marked increase in word-of-mouth referrals to the Blinds.com Web site.

Corporate Gift of the Week: Metropolitan Leather Photo Album & Picture Frame

If you're looking for a gift that your employees can really cherish, consider buying the Metropolitan Leather Photo Album & Picture Frame. The product comes with two miniature photo albums that hold up to 12 photos. It also allows for easy and convenient changing of the displayed picture.



Photo albums are a wise choice of corporate gift because they allow the recipient to fill it with pictures of whatever makes them happy--be it a family members, pets, or scenic landscapes. With objects of their affection in the album, they're bound to feel happy whenever they look through it. If your logo is conveniently placed right on the outside of the album, then they're likely to transfer the warm feelings onto you and your company.



Along this same route, picture frames are usually put on public display, and a branded one can really give your company high visibility as people walk by it all day long. All in all, because this product combines the benefits of both a frame and an album, it really is a wise gift choice

Corporate Gift Solutions

Buying corporate gifts shouldn't be difficult. In fact, a lot people work very hard to make buying corporate gifts easy. That being said, there are plenty of potential pitfalls that can make buying corporate gifts harder than expected. Let's take a look at one of the most common problems people experience when it comes to buying corporate gifts.

Problem: Not Planning Ahead

There is an easy solution to this common problem, and that is to allow enough time. For some reason, many people don't realize that they need to plan ahead if they want to find a unique and successful corporate gift. When you buy a corporate gift during a non peak time, you should plan at least one month in advance. This will allow you enough time to pick a product, order the product, and then wait for the actual production and shipping. If you want your corporate gift during a peak time such as the holidays, you should allow even more time. During the holidays, there is a huge increase in orders--especially for seasonal gifts. With that huge increase comes a delay in production and shipping. You also have to consider that many factories close for the holidays. When you add all of these factors together, you should probably start thinking about your corporate gift during the summer so that you can order early in the fall and manage to beat the rush.

While it may seem crazy to order your corporate gift so far in advance, it's extremely wise when you consider how embarrassing it would be not to have any gift at all, or settling for a gift that you don't really want. In short, the corporate gift solution is to plan ahead. You'll be glad you did when you have that perfect gift ready and waiting.

How Much Should I Spend?

When it comes to corporate gift giving, it can be difficult to decide how much money is appropriate to spend on each employee. We have already discussed using a tiered system to distribute gifts, but there are some other viable options to choose from. Here are some general guidelines any organization can follow to ensure a successful corporate gift giving program:

According to a Lands' End survey of 600 employees-
32% expect their employers to spend nothing on corporate gifts
17% expect them to spend less than $25 per person
18% expect them to spend between $25 and $45 per person
31% expect them to spend more than $45 on a gift

While it is not always feasible for some companies to spend a lot of money on gifts, the most important factor in corporate gift giving is to be sure all gifts appear to be of comparable value. Cynthia Yates, author of The Complete Guide to Creative Gift-Giving says, "The number one guideline is the importance of equality. Sooner or later everyone knows what the boss gave everyone else; and a smart manager will keep the playing field level."

But for those employers who cannot afford to give expensive gifts, fear not. The cost of a gift is much less important than its emotional value. If you take the time to search for items that have a lasting impact on your employees, spending a lot of money is not necessary.

To save money without seeming cheap, the best thing to do is plan ahead. Looking for gifts long before you plan on distributing them allows for comparison shopping and avoiding priority shipping charges (which can get very expensive if you're in a rush). Bulk discounts are also a great way to ensure equality in all your gifts and a low cost to you.

Finally, working with a corporate gift professional is the best way to determine how you can purchase high quality appearing gifts without necessarily breaking the bank. Companies like ePromos who specialize in corporate gift giving can help you save time, provide great gift ideas, and tell you when your desired items are most likely to go on sale.

Case Study Of The Week

Challenge: Finding the perfect gift
A women's business association was throwing its yearly celebration and wanted a gift to give to attendees who were celebrating membership anniversaries with the organization. The group also wanted to make sure that the gifts reflected their organization's culture .

Solution: High quality and practical gifts
The organizers realized that they needed gifts that the women would actually want to receive. They contemplated various ideas, but they finally decided that they wanted their gifts to fit the association's business image. The business association decided on a leather bag that could double as a computer case and business briefcase. They debossed their logo on the front flap for a clean, impressive look. To compliment this gift, the organization picked a quality women's watch with a laser engraving that marked the conference's name and date.

Result: A great conference
The organizers received countless compliments on their great choice, and many women who did not attend the conference inquired if it would be possible to still receive the giveaways. The organizers were very pleased with their use of corporate gifts, and they plan to use more high quality gifts at their next conference.

Corporate Gift Of The Week: Mahogany Wine Set

If you are looking for a classic gift that is perfect all year round, the Mahogany Wine Set may be the right choice for that wine connoisseur in your company. Its high quality nature is sure to impress, and when we say that it comes with everything but the wine, we weren't kidding. Included in this box set are: a collar, bottle stopper, corkscrew, bottle pourer with stopper, thermometer, and a black flock gift pouch. Basically, it comes with everything necessary to enjoy a great tasting bottle of wine.

If you want to add a personal touch to this great gift, your custom designed imprint can be laser engraved on an aluminum plate centered on the box top. This provides a classic look for your corporate logo and company name that is in keeping with the prestige of your business.

Without a doubt, if you are looking for a gift that projects elegance, this is the right choice. Everyone will be able to appreciate the quality craftsmanship and simple beauty of this sturdy and long lasting gift. Simply put, this great gift is destined to become a long lasting classic that will remind its recipient of your business for years to come.

Great Corporate Gifts: Be Prepared!

This September is National Preparedness Month. During this month, the government pairs with other organizations to educate the public about how to be prepared for natural disasters. They try to inform people of local help lines they can call or tell them what they need if disaster strikes.

You may be wondering what this event has to do with corporate gifts. During August and September, giving a corporate gift that helps people prepare for a natural disaster - or any disastrous situation for that matter – is a great way to show that your company cares about the people that keep it strong. For example, you can give out anything from promotional flashlights to emergency kits, all of which are items that will keep your recipients safe in any event. They can use these items in their homes, at the office, or when their car breaks down. Safety products can work well as corporate gifts, as many of them are available in sophisticated cases and classic colors.You can support National Preparedness Month and the people important to your buisness with any variety of useful custom safety products.

Case Study of the Week: Kick Up Your Heels

Challenge: How to build buzz around a new service, drive traffic to a new Web site and get as many people as possible to attend a launch party—all within a limited budget

Unless you’ve got a huge buzz-building budget, your promotional dollars need to work double—and sometimes triple—time. That’s what Arlington Transportation Partners was up against during the launch of Rides in the City, an informational Web site that promotes public transportation alternatives for trendy, young commuters.

Solution: Send “t-shirt” party invitations to put walking billboards out on the street
To build buzz, drive traffic to the site and ensure a good party turn-out called for the kind of promotional materials that work harder for the dollar. Enter the t-shirt “invitation.” The t-shirt, imprinted by us with the company’s signature pink pump graphic, was not the invitation itself; but it was a unique way of delivering it: when recipients unfolded the t-shirt, they found a die-cut, pump-shaped invite complete with the “who-what-why-when-and-where” party details. We also created branded party favors and promotional giveaways for attendees, including pens, cocktail napkins and matchbook-shaped notepads.

Result: Launch party turnout is “huge”; Web hits quadruple post-launch
Arlington Transportation Partners reported a “huge” response to their unique invitation; many attendees wore their new t-shirt to the launch party. The immediate bump in Web traffic pleased the company as well: the promotion brought four times as many hits as before.