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)