All posts by Sherry Tisdale

Tradeshows and Events

How to Create an Awesome Swag Bag for Promotional Giveaways

When planning promotional events, swag bags are a great idea for any business. They not only provide guests with a goodie bag (which everyone loves!), but it’s a wonderful way to promote your brand and keep your name on the minds of customers and potential customers.

Creating a swag bag guests will love isn’t hard. Just make sure you have items that people can use more than once. Don’t waste your money on a one-use gimmick or fad items that will just end up in the trash before they even leave your event.

Start with a custom tote bag, like our Non-Woven Promotional Tote Bag. Pricing starts at 96¢, with an imprint area of 10″ W x 10″ H to showcase your company logo or event theme graphics. It comes in a variety of colors so you can match or complement your theme colors. We have a great selection of tote bags, paper, and plastic bags, and more with prices ranging from 43¢ to $25.00 per piece so you can find the right size and style of bag to hold your swag.

Include useful items that will remind people daily of your company. Small and compact items from our Custom Cleaning Cloth, Lip Balm, Hand Sanitizer, Drinkware, or Pen stores are inexpensive and easy to fit into any size bag. Below are some of our best-selling items from these stores.

Custom Cleaning Cloths

Staring at 57¢, CC-1000HP is a Value Microfiber Cloth in a Printed Pouch that includes a one-color imprint directly on the pouch for an inexpensive gift. Measuring only 4” W x 2-1/4” H, this pouch is easy to carry to easily clean phones, glasses, and more.

Another popular product is CC-2000LP – our 6″ x 6″ Microfiber Cloth with a Zig-Zag Edge that comes with full color, edge-to-edge imprint to make your graphics come alive. Pricing starts at only 65¢ per piece and makes a great and useful giveaway.

Personalized Lip Balm

Our best-selling lip balm, LB-7000TW – is an SPF 15 Lip Balm w/ Vitamin E & Aloe – includes a Full-Color Imprint starting at just 46¢ per piece and comes in 18 delicious flavors.

Another great option is LB-7005TW, an All Natural Beeswax Lip Balm with a Full Color Imprint . Available in 24 flavors, pricing starts at just 39¢ per piece.

You can even opt for several flavors in quantities of 100 by using the coupon code FLAVOR on either of these great lip balms. Most of our lip balm products are available to purchase in multiple flavors. Information regarding quantity requirements are located on each product page.

Promotional Hand Sanitizer

Available with your choice of cap colors, HS-7000TW, our .33 Oz. Hand Sanitizer Pocket Spray starts at 72¢ per piece. The clip cap makes it easy to keep with you in a shirt pocket for a convenient way to keep hands free from germs and bacteria.

Another popular and extremely portable item is HS-7001TW, a .67 Oz. Credit Card Hand Sanitizer Spray. Available in 10 Colors, this sprayer easily fits into a wallet or pocket so you can take it with you everywhere.

Custom Drinkware

We have a great selection of Custom Drinkware to fit any event or promotion. 820DB – our Best Coolie with a 1 Color Screen Print (Printed in the USA) is a very affordable option. This koozie holds standard drink cans, comes in a large selection of colors, and starts at only 48¢ per piece.

For evening events that serve adult beverages, 289DG – our 11 Oz. Executive Old Fashion Glass is a great option. Pricing starts at $3.14 per piece and comes with a one, two, three, or four-color imprint.

We have something for every promotion, including Sports Bottles, Stainless Steel Drinkware, Bottled Water, and more at affordable prices at the Custom Drinkware Store.

Promotional Pens

An extremely affordable, practical, and usable giveaway is a Promotional Pen. Preston B (539PE) – our top-selling pen – is a click pen with a pocket clip that starts at only 21¢. Coming in a close second place is the Belfast Budget Stick Pen. Pricing starts at 18¢ per piece. With a white barrel and black ink, you have a choice of 13 cap colors to match or complement your logo or theme.

For outdoor events, opt for a pair of custom sunglasses from The Custom Sunglass Store or a bottle of Custom Sunscreen.

And of course, if your bag is large enough, we have umbrellas. At the Custom Umbrella Store, we have a great selection of promotional umbrellas, ranging from just under $5.00 to around $25.00.

You don’t have to use all of these items of course. Pick a few that you feel people will use the most, put them in a custom bag with your logo, and people will remember your event and brand long after it is over!

Tradeshows and Events

Creating a Memorable Promotional Event

Many companies use marketing events to engage with their current and potential customers. Creating a fun and memorable event isn’t hard if you follow a few simple rules.

 

Start with a Budget

Before you can even begin to plan your event, the first thing you need is a budget. Not only do you need the total dollar amount that can be spent, but also have it broken down into categories and spend amounts so whoever is in charge of that portion of the event knows exactly how much they have to work with. It’s also a good idea to include some kind of contingency dollars in case a problem arises and you need to spend more than you have in your initial budget. You don’t want to be left scrambling for additional funds should something unexpected happen.

 

Choose a Date that gives Plenty of Notice

You first need to consider planning your event far enough in advance for proper promotion. You need to be able to have plenty of time for promotion and give people enough time to plan to be there. Everyone has a busy schedule, and people need to be able to put your event on their calendars. If you don’t give enough notice, they won’t be able to attend.

Select an Appropriate Venue

Choosing a venue is very important. You want to select somewhere that is suited to accommodate your anticipated turnout while leaving enough room for the various activities you intend to have.

Be sure there is plenty of seating available, especially if it is to be an all-day event. People will get tired of standing, and if you want them to stay to enjoy the entire event you will need places for guests to rest.

 

Create a Unique and Clever Theme

You want people to be interested in your event, so be sure and strategize to come up with a great theme. Pick something that will peak the interests of both current and potential customers. You don’t want anything too ostentatious or outlandish that might put people off. Choose something fun and interesting, without being annoying. Use banners, tents, etc. with your personalized branding to stand out from the crowd to be sure there is no mistake about who you are and what you have to offer.

 

Know Your Target Audience

While you want a lot of people at your event, you don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that it is something it is not. If you are a technology business or company that is targeting a specific sector, stick to contacting current customers and others within your industry. If you are aiming for the general public, ensure that it is clear that everyone is welcome. And if it is an adult-only event, make sure that is stated in your event marketing materials.

 

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!

One of the best ways to entice customers to come to your event is by creating marketing emails and/or mail flyers. At a minimum, your flyers should contain the information needed for people to decide if your event is worth attending. Provide the date, time, location, and details about the event. Be creative! If your flyer or mailout looks lackluster and boring, people will not be interested and your turnout will be minimal.

Use your social media accounts to promote your event. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are always good ways to let people know that you are holding an event. Be sure to include the date, time, and location, as well as a link for registration if needed. You can also include a link to an online page that provides detailed information about the event and what to expect.

You can even create a Facebook page strictly for your event, offering all the information people need to decide if they are interested in attending, including links to your registration site, if applicable.

Make it Easy to Register

Unless you are doing a walk-in event, you will want to make sure that it is easy to register. The simplest way to do that is by having an informational website where people can quickly register to attend. Don’t ask for too much information – just the basics like their name, company name if applicable, email, and phone number. If there is an entry fee, make sure that you have a good system set up to accept payment. Nothing is more frustrating than fighting with a site that won’t accept your credit card information.


One way to entice people to register early is by offering “early bird” discounts. Create a discount code with a dollar or percentage off that can be used up until a certain point – maybe a week or two before the event.

 

Keep It Interesting

Do something to stand out from the competition! Plan fun activities like games, treasure hunts, and other interesting things for guests to participate in. Make them specific to your business if possible. For technology-based events – place QR codes around the events for people to obtain more information or win prizes on their own time. Hold drawings for company swag or other items as it pertains to your business. Events are better when there are interesting booths or activities that guests can participate in.

Serve Food and Drinks

Set up an area with food and drinks so guests will stick around longer. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate catered event, but be sure and offer something so people don’t get hungry and thirsty and leave the event to get a bite to eat. Something as simple as grilling hot dogs and hamburgers if you are outdoors, or a nice spread of sandwiches and fruit. For evening adult-oriented events, set up a bar and offer beer, and wine, and even create a specialty drink that ties in with your theme.

Entertainment

Depending on the size and length of your event, consider hiring a DJ or local band to play throughout the day or night. Create a small dance area so guests can show off their moves! The more enjoyable your event is, the more people will remember your brand and think of your services or products long after it’s over.

Create Swag Bags

Everyone loves free swag! The easiest way to hand out promotional gifts is by creating a “Swag Bag” for each guest. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on each bag and its contents, but include custom promotional items people can actually use, that showcase your company logo or event graphics. Don’t opt for gimmicky or one-use items that won’t hold people’s attention.

Marketing Materials

Include booklets, flyers, and business cards in your swag bags for people to take home with them to review after the event. It’s hard to remember everything you need to know after an event is over, so be sure guests have materials to take home to remind them of your services and/or products. Be sure to include business cards and contact information so they can easily get a hold of someone if they need more information or want to purchase your services or products.

If you decide to use “buzz words” in your marketing materials, don’t use anything that has become a cliché, or overused. Don’t use words like “synergy”, “new normal”, and other words that make people cringe. Come up with unique and interesting phrases to use during your event and marketing. You don’t want to drive people away by using buzzwords that should have been put to bed long ago! You may even want to avoid them altogether, and simply provide the information needed to entice new customers or clients.

The more you can do to make your event interesting and memorable, the longer people will think of your services when they are needed. It’s not just about attracting new customers and clients, but also about retaining your existing ones. The more fun and memorable your event is, the more people will remember your brand!

Healthy Promotions

BPA and its Effects on Plastic Drinkware

Most everyone knows BPA is unsafe for use in drinkware and plastic containers, but do we really know what it is and why it should be avoided? Let’s take a look at exactly what BPA is, its effects, and how to avoid it*.


Let me start by saying that at the Custom Drinkware Store, all of our plastic drinkware is BPA-free, so you don’t have to worry about it when ordering from us. BPA is found only in plastic drinkware, not glass, aluminum, or stainless steel, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing or using any of our products. Everything we sell is BPA-free and safe to use.


What is BPA?

BPA stands for bisphenol A, an industrial chemical which has been used to make certain plastics and resin since the 1950s. BPA is often used to make food containers, water bottles, and other drinkware in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Epoxy resins are used to coat the interior of metal products, such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply lines.


BPA is considered dangerous, as when it is used to make plastic drinkware and containers, there is a possibility that it may leak into the food or beverage being consumed, and can cause potentially life-threatening diseases or unwanted health concerns.


Negative Effects of BPA Exposure

Research shows that BPA can seep into beverages and food from plastic containers, causing unhealthy effects for the user and their children. Health issues include problems associated with the brain, increased blood pressure, and disrupting hormone levels in infants and children. Possible health risks from the use of BPA products are numerous and include breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and miscarriages, just to name a few. It can also cause early puberty, brain and behavioral disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and more in fetuses, infants, and young children.


Information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conflicting, and while they once stated BPA in drinkware was dangerous, have now revised their statement to state that “BPA is safe at the very low levels that occur in some foods. This assessment is based on the review of hundreds of studies.” Many scientists and consumers believe that this may not be the case.


Minimizing your Exposure to BPA

If you are concerned about the negative effects of BPA, you can take some simple steps to reduce exposure:

  • Look for BPA-free products. There are so many products on the market today, that it’s easy to find drinkware and food containers labeled as BPA-free. If you don’t see a label indicating that BPA is not used in a product isn’t labeled, you may want to avoid it. Keep in mind that some plastics marked with a recycle code 3 or 7 may contain BPA. To be on the safe side, only purchase products that are clearly labeled as BPA-free.
  • Don’t Microwave food in plastic containers. If you can’t use BPA-free plastic containers in microwaves and dishwashers, use glass or ceramic containers to prepare your food. Otherwise, the heat may break them down over time, allowing BPA to leak into your food.
  • Don’t use Plastic Drinkware. Instead, opt for glass or stainless-steel drinkware. If you do use plastic, make sure it is labeled BPA-free. Use glass baby bottles if you cannot be sure that they are BPA-free.
  • Check your Children’s Toys. Ensure that your children are not playing with toys made with BPA. Kids are prone to putting pretty much everything they pick up into their mouths, so be sure they are playing safely and their toys are not made with BPA.

 

Conclusion

In the end, it is ultimately a consumer’s belief on whether or not BPA is safe to use, but when purchasing promotional drinkware, it is probably best to err on the side of caution with BPA-free plastic bottles to ensure that ensure customers will be able to use your custom drinkware.


*Please note that I am not an expert and am providing this article solely for informational purposes, and to outline the possible negative effects of human consumption. This information has been gathered from various websites, including the Mayo Clinic, Web MD, and the FDA for research purposes.

Promotions & Branding

Creating the Perfect Halloween Party or Promotional Event

Halloween! Once considered a pagan holiday, October 31st is now one of the coolest days of the year. Loved by children and adults alike, Halloween is a day people can dress up and be someone (or something!) else. It’s a day filled with costumes, cake, candy, and fun. And parties! Halloween parties happen for weeks, not just on the 31st, people love an excuse to dress up and have some fun.


It’s also a great time to promote your business to show off the fun side! Halloween promotions are a wonderful way to attract people to your brand. You can create a memorable event people will talk about for years while bringing in new clients on a fun and positive note.


Below are a few ideas to help you get started:

The Basics

These can be used by anyone for parties of all ages. They are appropriate for children, as well as adults.


Pumpkin Carving Contest

Adult supervised, of course! Have a small stage or area set up where people can come to compete for winning costumes. You can have as many awards as you like, and include the following:

  • Best Overall
  • Scariest
  • Funniest
  • Ugliest
  • Laziest


Trick or Treating

Place candy-filled bowls throughout the event and give guests a bag to collect their goodies as they walk-around


Scavenger Hunt

Place small items around our party and have a group scavenger hunt with a prize at the end for the winner.


Costume Contest

These are always fun and bring your guests together. You can have as many awards as you like, and can include the following:

  • Best Overall
  • Most Creative
  • Funniest
  • Creepiest
  • Scariest


Hayrides

Obviously, you need a big area for this, but everyone enjoys a relaxing hayride – especially if you are out in the country.


Games

  • Apple Bobbing
  • Pin the Tale on the Skeleton
  • Feel Box
  • Candy Corn Relay Race


Fun Food and Drinks

  • Witches Brew – Serve a fun colorful punch in a giant cauldron with some dry ice for a bewitching effect!
  • Eerie Edibles – Halloween food can be fun too! Add a few of these to your table to delight guests of all ages.
    • Witch Fingers – Pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate with black jelly beans as fingernails
    • Blood Splattered Cookies – Splatter sugar cookies with melted white chocolate mixed with red food coloring
    • Mummy Dogs – just add some candy eyes to pigs-in-a-blanket for a fun treat
    • Graveyard Parfait – a kid’s favorite – crushed Oreos (dirt) into a small clear plastic cup, add some chocolate pudding, and gummy worms on top. Or eliminate the pudding and just mix gummy worms and crushed Oreos and later between brownie bites.

    Strictly Adult

    These are better left to the 21 and over crowd!

     

    Adult Drinking Games

    There are so many games that can be played, from the classics like Kiss Marry Kill and Eyeball Beer Pong, to Dare or Drink, any party can be livened up with drinking games.

    • Pick your Poison – Line up samples of different drinks and see how many each guest can get right in a blind tasting (can be anything from lemonade to Coke to milk).
    • Cocktail Making – Pit contestants against one another to see who can come up with the most creative, best tasting cocktail
    • Halloween Bingo – players have to take a shot every time they get a winning number
    • Karoke – set up a Karoke machine and let guests perform for prizes

    Creepy Cocktails

    So many different Halloween drinks can be made, and it’s a fun way to liven up any event featuring a wet bar. A few suggestions:

    • Witches Brew – create a unique Halloween-themed punch for adults containing alcohol and serve in a cauldron with dry ice for a spooky effect
    • Eerie drinks – make any drink spooky by adding a touch of food coloring and tossing in gummy worms or little Halloween-shaped confections!
    • Scary Shooters – easy to create with just a little imagination. You can find a lot to choose from just by searching the internet.

    Promotional Events

    Of course, you can any of these ideas to your marketing event to create a fun and positive experience for guests. Here are just a couple of additional ideas to help set your event apart.

     

    Promotional Scavenger Hunt

    Depending on how big your event is, scavenger hunts can be fun and rewarding if set up properly and it’s a great way to familiarize guests with your product. You can hide promotional items for guests to find and keep, or even hide something with a number on it that would correspond to an item they would win. Another unique idea would be to hide your QR code all around the event, maybe on a small item for guests to find, or even on a sticker. When the code is scanned it can do several things, such as provide company information, offer a free service or consultation, and even win prizes.

     

    Creepy Cocktails

    Create a signature drink and serve it in a custom drinkware glass featuring your company logo, and let guests take the glass home with them.

     

    Trick or Treating

    Provide each guest with a custom bag featuring your graphics when they arrive. Set up a trick or treat stations throughout the event, filled with candy, brochures, business cards, and promotional gifts, and let guests take one as they visit different locations.

    There are so many ways to make your event fun and memorable, and it’s never too early to start planning! Use this time of year to your advantage and capitalize on the fun of the season by promoting your company during Halloween!

Promotions & Branding

Best Promotional Products for Tradeshows

Whether you are a large or small business, creating a presence at a tradeshow can be a cumbersome task. With so many companies promoting their brand, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of booths and displays. In addition to creating an interesting and eye-catching area to draw the attention of tradeshow attendees, you need a way for people to remember your brand after the event is over.


People will spend all day traveling from booth to booth, checking out each vendor to see if what they have to offer may benefit them or their business. After seeing dozens of companies and their offerings, it can be hard at the end of the day to remember which company offered what services. Obviously, you need to have creative and interesting marketing materials on hand for visitors to take with them so they can review your services later. But is that enough?


In addition to printed marketing materials, another way to keep our company on the mind of prospective clients is by giving away promotional items featuring your brand’s logo, so they are reminded of your company each time they use it. Below is a list of some of the most effective promotional products for tradeshows.

 

Lip Balm

Custom lip balm tops our list for several reasons. Lip balm is inexpensive and easy to buy in bulk. You have numerous types to choose from, and a large variety of flavors that can be mixed. Light and portable, it’s easy to carry 1000’s of lip balm into a tradeshow facility ensuring that you have something for everyone who stops by your table. With out Flavor mix option, you can order several different flavors and let people choose the one they like best – meaning there is a good chance they will use it more frequently giving you a lot of repeat exposure.


Hand Sanitizer

Talk about a necessity for tradeshows! With all the hand-shaking and people touching your displays, marketing tables, and everything else around you, hand sanitizer is a must-have for any large gathering. Try placing a couple of large 16 oz. pump bottles on your table so you and anyone else visiting your area can freshen their hands as needed. Additionally, you can get up a display of travel-sized hand sanitizers so guests can take one as the leave to freshen up with throughout the day.


Pens

You must have pens! Pens with your logo on it are just a no-brainer. They are cheap and affordable to buy in bulk, and easy to carry and setup anywhere you are. Promotional pens are great for tradeshows. People will use them throughout the day and see your logo every time. Will they lose them? Undoubtedly! But that’s ok! Because when they drop one, someone else will pick it up and see our name and logo – and it might even entice them to come visit your display!


Drinkware

There are so many ways to go with drinkware! You have many options and can do so much with it depending on how much you have it your budget. Here are a few top sellers for your consideration:

  • Koozies:  Inexpensive and easy to store, Koozies are a great way to advertise your brand, and since they are versatile between bottles and cans, everyone is sure to want one to take home to use with their favorite drink. Talk about repeat exposure!
  • Sports Water Bottles: Sports bottles are a popular promotional item and work for any brand. You could even hand them out with a few other items like lip balm and a pen placed in side for a great little giveaway package!
  • Stainless Steel Drinkware: A customer favorite, stainless steel cups and tumblers make great promotional items for any event. And recipients will see your logo each time they use it, giving you a lot of bang for your buck!
  • Bottled Water: Imagine seeing your logo (instead of a famous water company) on water bottles being used all through the event.


Tote Bags

For the ultimate giveaway, consider a custom tote bag loaded with promotional goodies to hand out to potential clients! You don’t have to give one to everyone who approaches your booth, but instead make them special giveaways to those who really take their time to inquire about your services or products, seem genuinely interested, and are likely to give you a call once the event is over.

Promotions & Branding

Our Top Selling Promotional Pens of all Time

Custom pens are a popular promotional item, and we sell a lot of them! With their extremely low price pens are an cheap and effective way to promote any brand, company, or event. Even our most expensive product comes in at only $4.64 – and that is for a set of 8 fine point markers!


Promotional pens are a great way to advertise your business. Cheaper than most single-use gimmick products, people use pens everyday. This gives your brand the repeated exposure it needs.


Pens are easy to carry, making them ideal to keep in your car for client visits. You can drop off a few at your customer’s offices, to help keep your brand within their view throughout the day.


Our least expensive budget stick pen is only 18¢ per piece for 1000 pieces. That’s only $180.00 for 1000 pieces of promotional items featuring your logo! You can get 500 click pens for as low as $130.00 (500 at 26¢ per piece), or 5000 for $1050.00 (21¢ per piece). That’s a lot of pens for the money! If you are looking for premium pens, we also carry the top-selling BIC (32¢ and up) and Pilot ($1.24 and up) brand pens.


At the Promotional Pen Store, we have a great selection of writing instruments to choose from. In addition to stick and click pens, we also carry Metal, Twist, and Rubber Grip pens, as well as Stylus Pens. While most of our pens come with a one color imprint, we have a selection of Full-Color pens to make your logo pop! We carry Eco and Recycled pens for environmentally conscious companies.


We also offer Mechanical Pencils, Highlighters, Dry Erase Markers, and Coloring Markers. So, no matter what type of writing instrument you are looking for, we are sure to have one that meets your needs!


And, did I forget to mention? All our pens come with FREE GROUND SHIPPING (up to $100), and a FREE SETUP for orders of 500+ pieces with a One-Color Imprint. Additionally, most of our pens come with the option of mixing colors so you can mix and match theme colors. Each product has its own quantity requirements listed on its page.


Now that you have a good idea of what types of pens we sell, let’s take a look at our all-time top 5 best-sellers!

 

The Preston B – 539PE

The sleek design and vibrant colors of the Preston B Ballpoint Click Pen make this pen a great choice for any business. Choose from Black, Blue, Green, Light Blue, Purple, Red, or Yellow, this pen comes with your choice of Blue or Black ink. Pricing starts 500 pieces at 21¢ per piece.

The Dart Pen – 121PHR

The Dart Ballpoint Click Pen is very popular, and it’s no wonder why! This great-looking click pen comes in many color combinations to go with any logo or event theme.

With 40 color combinations, you can choose one to enhance or complement your theme. The pen comes with refillable black, medium-point ink and is perfect for any promotion. Pricing starts 250 pieces at 29¢ per piece.

 

Belfast B – 518PE

The Belfast B Budget Stick Pen is one of the cheapest pens we carry. It comes in 12 bright barrel colors with a matching cap and black ink. Choose from Black, Burgundy, Red, Blue, Dark Green, Light Blue, Green, Lime, Orange, Pink, Teal, or Yellow. The pen writes smooth and is a great choice for tradeshows, and other marketing events. Pricing starts at 500 pieces at 18¢ per piece.

Jetstream W – 538PE

The Jetstream W Ballpoint Click Pen is a great choice for tradeshows and other events. The stark white barrel emphasizes your logo. and you can choose an accent color to enhance or match your logo colors. Choose from Dark Green, Dark Blue, Red, Orange, Pink, Purple, Light Blue, Lime Green, Yellow, or Black trim. The pen comes with Black or Blue ink. Pricing starts at 500 pieces at26¢ per piece.

BIC® Clic Stic® – 314PBIC

The most customizable pen we offer is the BIC® Clic Stic® Retractable Pen. This pen features a Tungsten Carbide ball, lightweight barrel, and break-resistant pocket clip. Bic® pens are < customizable and have over 600 possible color combinations!


You can choose your barrel style, barrel color, trim color, and ink type and color. The barrel and trim come in 25 color choices, and the ink comes in fine or medium ink in black and blue! This pen offers up to 3 imprint colors on the barrel, and an optional one-color imprint on the clip.

 

Promotions & Branding

Promotional Ideas for the Fall Season

The start of the school year signals the impending end of summer, and that fall will soon be here. Everyone will be excited about spending more time outside once the weather cools off a bit, and it’s a great time for outdoor events and activities. Below are just a few ideas to get you started.


School Events

Fall is a great time to hold a fundraiser for your local schools. Outdoor fairs and carnivals are always popular with the children and their families, and it’s a great way to raise money for your school. For the school itself, branding items with the school’s name and selling them at a table to earn money for the school, or even different clubs is a great idea. With all the folks that will be present at the event, you are sure to earn a fair amount of money to help fund your club.


Non-school branded items to giveaway during the event is a great idea too. You can easily offer to help your school by providing items imprinted with your logo to help sponsor the event. You could provide cups to help them serve drinks in, and offer free gifts the school could use in raffles or as prizes. Keytags, sunglasses, and sunscreen are just a few ideas that would make wonderful giveaway items for games and raffles.


Fall Themed Contests

A great way to boost brand reputation is by creating a contest for current and/or potential customers. You can offer a big prize (cash, your services, products, etc.) as well as smaller prizes. Consider tote bags, umbrellas, and drinkware as they make great gifts that will get a lot of repeat exposure.


Sponsor a Chili Cookoff

With the cooler air, fall is a great time to hold an outdoor event, and what’s better than a chili cookoff! You can provide the venue and let people from all around enter the contest to see who can make the best chili! You can provide branded items that participants can use during the event, as well as prizes for the winners and runner-ups, as well as hold smaller guest contests to win other branded items.


Halloween Parties and Events

Of course, we can’t forget Halloween! October is a wonderful month for promotions, and Halloween is a fun time that people of all ages can enjoy. There are so many things you can do for Halloween and it’s a great way to attract the attention of people of all ages. Below are just a few ideas for creating Halloween fun!

  • Hayrides
  • Carnivals
  • Costume Contest
  • Games
  • Pumpkin Carving Contest

Here are few of our favorite promotional items that are ideal for any event. Order several to put together a great bag you can give out as prizes. We even have a cute pumpkin tote you can use to get you started!


Reflective Halloween Pumpkin Non-Woven Tote Bag – the name says it all. It’s a great bag to fill with branded items and candy to pass out to visitors.


4-Color Process Wrap Stainless Steel Drinkware – a great way to create a one-of-a-kind graphic sensation to make your brand stand out from the competition.


Custom KeyTags – we have some fun-shaped keytags that are ideal for any promotion. Pricing starts at just 66¢ per piece, making it an affordable add for any event!

Retro Sunglasses – always add fun to any event, and with price starting at just 68¢ per piece, they make great game and contest prizes.

Promotions & Branding

Custom Novelty Lip Balms for a Fun and Unique Promotion

Custom lip balm is always an effective and economical way to promote any brand. They are customer favorites, easy to transport, and provide you with a way to keep your name in front of the customer for an extended period giving your brand the exposure it needs. They work great for in-person promotions, as well as mailers, tradeshows, and events.

 

If you want to spice up your current promotions, try adding a Novelty Lip Balm to the mix! Custom novelty lip balms help get your name out while giving the recipient a unique gift, which will help them to remember your name more effectively.


These fun little lip balms also make wonderful additions to gift bags for birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, and more! Add the name of the event and the date, and you’ve given your guests a fun reminder of your event.


Lip Moisturizer Balls

Our custom Lip Moisturizer Ball is a popular item. The round shape makes it easier to find in a bag or drawer, and it comes in several fun colors. Vanilla flavored and safety sealed for protection, the great little promotional tool features your logo on a one-color imprint and comes in your choice of Black, Blue, Fuchsia, Lime Green, Orange, Purple, Red, or White.

Looking for something a bit jazzier? Check out our Metallic Lip Moisturizer Ball which comes in Metallic Blue, Copper, Gold, or Silver, or our Metallic Rainbow Lip Moisturizer Ball.

 

Fun Shaped Novelty Lip Balm

If you are looking for something a bit more special, try one of our shaped lip balms! We have lip balm containers that are ideal for themed promotions and events. Our vanilla-flavored Metallic Star Lip Moisturizer would be a wonderful choice for a celebrity or astronomy-themed party. Our Metallic Heart Lip Moisturizer is perfect for weddings, baby showers, engagement parties, and of course, Valentine’s Day. They would also be a cute choice for a cardiologist’s office! Vanilla flavored, It even features a mirror on the lid.


Even More Choices

If these don’t suit your tastes, we have several other custom novelty lip balms that are great for any brand to use as a promotional tool. We have a Mini Lip Balm that measures only 1.5” in height and would even fit in a pocket and comes in your choice of Cherry, Vanilla, and Natural/Unflavored. Our Beeswax Lip Balm Mirror Compact features a shiny lip gloss in a Black, Blue, Green, Pink, or White container with a mirror in the lid. Our Metallic Lip Balm with Keychain is great for everyday use and easily attaches to a keychain so it is always on hand.


We also carry several Round Shaped lip balms, a Metallic Stick, and more! Check out all of our Novelty Lip Balms at the Custom Lip Balm Store.

 

Promotions & Branding

Promotional Ideas to Support your local Football Team and Marching Band

Fall is a popular time for local schools and students involved in sports. Football is a mainstay of any school, which usually also includes the marching band on game night. While these are two separate groups, both are considered a sport, and work together during the football season and get a lot of attention from the students, teachers, parents, and other family members. Each club often sells candy, food, and products branded with its name and logo at the concession stand to raise money.


And while you could also do the same, by selling items with your logo and offering the proceeds to the school, or the club directly, another idea is to provide the members with materials (featuring your branded logo, of course) they can use, and often need.


A great way to promote your brand would be to supply these students with a tote bag filled with promotional products featuring your name or logo. Not only does it show that you care about the kids, but their parents will see your thoughtful gift and remember your business the next time they require your services.


Custom Drawstring Sports Packs

Custom drawstring sports packs are a great idea for both the football team and marching band. They are ideal for holding everything a kid in either club needs, and it’s a great way to keep the materials separate from the rest of their school items, so they can grab it and go when it’s time for practice.


Football players will have clothing, shoes, towels, and maybe even a playbook to bring to practice, while marching band kids always have extra items to carry in addition to their instrument. They have band music and folders, instrument accessories, cleaning kits, gloves, shoes, jackets, and more. And if you fill them with useful items featuring your logo, you are sure to be noticed by their parents and teachers as well!


A sports bag is a great choice for these students. With the drawstring closures that also serve as handles, they can easily wear it – even while marching if needed! Our best-selling Non-Woven Hit Sports Pack sells for as low as $1.19 per piece and offers a large 8″ W x 9″ H imprint area for your logo, so it will be seen even from the bleachers!


Custom SPF Lip Balm

All of these kids will spend a lot of time outdoors, first in the hot sun, then in the bitter cold once the weather turns. There will be a lot of chapped lips! An SPF lip balm (or two) would be a great addition to your bag and greatly appreciated. Starting as low as 33¢ per piece, our These lip balms contain an SPF to help protect young lips from the damaging rays of the sun, and the drying winds of winter.


Personalized Hand Sanitizer and Custom Cleaning Cloths

Having hand sanitizer and a cleaning cloth in their bag is a great idea, especially for the marching band students that share instruments! In today’s world of fast-spreading viruses and your standard cold and flu, keeping your children as healthy as possible is always difficult.


Pair our 1 Oz. Square Hand Sanitizer Gel (64¢ and up) with our Value Microfiber Cloth in Printed Pouch (as low as 57¢) for a useful addition that parents and teachers will also appreciate!

For something unique and memorable, check out our Football Shaped Microfiber Cleaning Cloth. It’s perfect for the football team!


Custom Imprint Sports Water Bottles

Both of these activities are exhausting and can cause severe dehydration if you don’t have water on hand! Our 20 Oz. Surf Bottle (Push Pull Lid) would make a great addition to your bag, and is something every member needs! Starting at only 73¢ a piece, it’s a small price to pay to keep the kids hydrated.

BPA-free, it holds a generous 20 ounces and comes in a wonderful selection of colors for both the bottles and the lids, so you can mix and match to complement school colors or those of your logo. You can also order an assortment if you want to have more than one color combination!


Promotional Pens and Mechanical Pencils

One thing every member needs is a pen or pencil! There are always changes in football plays, as well as the music and choreography for the band throughout the season. Including a promotional pen or mechanical pencil would be appreciated by the football coaches and band director, as well as the students!

Our Click Pens start as low as 21¢ per piece, and are a great option since they don’t have a cap to lose! Or you can opt for a Mechanical Pencil (46¢ and up). If you want to make an even greater impression, opt for one of our Full-color Imprint Custom Click Pens! Starting at only 33¢ per piece, your pen will truly stand out from the others.

If you put this all together, you can create a fantastic gift package for each child for only $3.67 per child! That’s a small price to pay for everything you get: 1) Knowing that you have provided a useful gift that everyone will appreciate, 2) Peace of mind for the parents, 3) and the huge amount of exposure your company will get when other students, teachers, coaches, parents, families, and more when they see your name and logo all over each item!

Promotions & Branding

Celebrate Labor Day with Promotional Products

Labor Day is the last holiday of the season, signifying the end of Summer. There’s no better time to throw a BBQ or party celebrating with family and friends or to have a company picnic showing employees how much you appreciate their efforts. After all, Labor Day was created to honor Americans and their contributions and hard work.

Labor Day Traditions

The first Labor Day was held in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union, which was again celebrated a year later. As other cities and states gained momentum to adopt the holiday, President Grover Cleveland officially signed into law that the first Monday of September each year would be declared a national holiday known as Labor Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics, and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.

While this gives us the basis of the holiday, over the years Labor Day has become a day to celebrate more intimately, with family, friends, and co-workers. And who says you can’t promote your company that hires those workers during your celebration?

Employee Appreciation Gifts

Labor Day is a great time to celebrate your employees by providing them with a day filled with fun, activities, and of course, free stuff! Below we present some of the best promotional products you can use to show employee appreciation, that can also be used during your holiday party.

Let’s start with the basics. You will of course want to provide food! Anything from hot dogs and hamburgers, to ribs and steaks, are ideal for outdoor parties (depending on the size of your guest list)! And of course, you will want to serve drinks!

Custom Drinkware

One of the easiest ways to serve drinks on a large scale is to fill coolers with ice and cans and/or bottles. From soda to beer, a custom koozie is a great way to keep those drinks cold and drinkable! And to keep in the theme of the day, consider our American Flag Full Color Hugger Koozies!

Starting at just 90¢ per piece, these 12 oz. collapsible beverage can holders will give guests a way to keep their drinks cold and makes a great take-home gift.

You can also create your own custom Koozie with your own full-color graphics, or opt for our Bottle Buddy if you don’t plan to serve canned drinks.

If you are serving up drinks made in pitchers (or maybe a keg of beer), consider a Stadium Cup. Perfect for any beverage, these sturdy and reusable handy cups start at just 51¢ per piece and are great for kids and adults alike.

If your event is catered for the adult crowd, consider a Stemless Wine Glass or maybe a Pint Glass.   We have a wonderful selection of Barware including wine, beer, and shot glasses, as well as other types of barware ideal for any party.

Personalized Sunglasses

How about sunglasses? No outdoor party is complete without some fun sunshades! Our Patriotic Malibu Retro Sunglasses featuring a vintage distressed American flag pattern with white temples would be a great choice for this American-made holiday.

If you want something that offers more colors, you could opt for one of our Retro Styled pairs of sunglasses and order them in an assortment of colors so guests can choose their own to match or complement what they are wearing.

And of course, don’t forget the kids! Every child loves to wear sunglasses. We have a nice selection of sunglasses geared towards Pre-School Age children, many of which come in an assortment so you don’t have to worry about ordering different colors – they come packaged that way!

Promotions & Branding

Best Promotional Products for Back to School

It’s that time of year again! Time to wind up vacations and settle back into a daily routine of getting the kids up early and dressed, making school lunches, and getting them to and from school on time.

It’s a day dreaded by parents and kids alike. The massive amount of paperwork for the parents on day one is exhausting. And the list of required school supplies from each class is overwhelming. Every teacher wants something, and they are usually very specific.

One thing that might make the transition easier is helping out the parents by providing a backpack filled with items that the kids can use during the school year, items that are often forgotten when shopping for school supplies.

Providing these items with your company logo is a great way to promote your business while helping parents, and the kids, get organized for the new school year. Below is a list of items that will help everyone out, including you by getting your name in front of parents, teachers, and school administration.

Drawstring Sports Packs

These great backpacks are a wonderful way to promote your brand, and you don’t even have to break the bank doing it!

Our three best-selling custom drawstring bags are the
Non-Woven Hit Sports Pack ($1.19 and up), Small Hit Sports Pack ($1.51 and up), and Ripstop Drawstring Bag ($2.64 and up).

These bags are perfect for use as everyday backpacks, or to carry gym clothing or other sports-related items. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, drawstring sports packs are a favorite of students. It allows them to take the basics from class to class, and school to home and back again, without having to bring everything in their locker home.

Lunch Bags

One thing every child needs is a lunch bag! In these times, most parents don’t want their children eating from the school “buffet”, or using their trays and other supplies to try and keep them from catching Covid and other viruses.

All of our lunch bags are insulated to keep food fresh longer. Our best-selling Budget Cooler Bag ($2.40 and up) is a great selectio, and is plenty large enough to hold a sandwich, juice box, snack, and more.

Our Crosshatch Lunch Bag ($2.06 and up) is another wonderful option. If you want something a bit larger for teachers or administration (yes, they bring their lunch too!), check out our Non-Woven Thrifty Lunch Cooler Bag ($2.81 and up)

Sports Bottles

Another inexpensive way to get your brand recognized are custom sports bottles. They make a great addition to the sports bags, and help keep kids hydrated throughout the day. Not everyone is a fan of drinking from water fountains, and it would give parents peace of mind knowing their child is using a bottle and not sharing a public fountain, especially considering today’s world of Covid.

Our top two selling sports bottles are the 20 Oz. Surf Bottle (Push Pull Lid) (73¢ and up) and 20 Oz. Hydration Water Bottle (78¢ and up. The Metro Collapsible Water Bottle (96¢ and up) is also a great choice, and is easy to store in once empty.

Hand Sanitizer

Now more than ever it’s important to keep our kids healthy, and one of the best ways we can protect them when they are not with us is by arming them with an antibacterial hand sanitizer.

Our .5 Oz. Hand Sanitizer Gel (56¢ and up) is our top seller, and for good reason! The portable size makes it easy to store in a backpack, desk, or even a pocket. The citrus scent is sure to please all, and the full color label will make your logo will stand out!

Double your exposure with a 1 Oz. Square Hand Sanitizer Gel (64¢ and up), or opt for our 1 Oz. Tutti Fruity Hand Sanitizer Gel (75¢ and up) with a Blue/Berry, Clear/Citrus or Green/Green Apple color/scented hand sanitizer that the kids will love!

Promotional Pens and Mechanical Pencils

Let’s not forget one of the basics of any education – writing! While Mechanical Pencils are best for younger school age kids, Stick and Click Pens are geared toward the older kids. Both are an essential and will be appreciated by the recipients and teachers alike.

Our Budget Stick pens start at only 17¢ per piece, and our Click Pens start at 21¢ per piece. We also have Bic pens as low as 32¢ per piece.

Any of these options are a great choice and make a wonderful addition to your promotional campaign. Place your online order today and be ready to help out your local schools and parents.

Be a hero and supply the school with one drawstring sports pack per child, filled with useful items to get the school year started off right!

Promotions & Branding

Back to School with Custom Lip Balm

We’re mid-way through the Summer and while it might seem like it is too early to think about back-to-school promotions, parents and kids are already preparing for a new school year! From shopping for clothes and school supplies to prepare the kids with pre-school work, the season is already underway. Depending on where you live, school can start as early as the first week of August making it a great time to promote your business with custom lip balm.

The schools have been closed all summer, and the air is often stuffy and dry upon returning, leaving the lips of students and teachers parched, cracked, and yearning for moisture. A soothing lip balm would help restore and nourish lips while drawing attention to your business and its services.

Providing a custom lip balm with your brand’s logo to local schools to hand out to children is a great way to get your company noticed. Many elementary schools provide “back-to-school” backpacks they give to new and returning pupils filled with the supplies they need most.

A custom lip balm featuring your company name and phone number would be a wonderful addition to these gifts and a great way to promote your business! While it will typically be the children receiving the lip balm, it will be used by teachers as well, and parents are sure to see it when they check out their child’s book bag while filling out pages and pages of school papers required on the first day!

Another idea is to provide the school with a fish bowl or two filled with lip balms to keep on their reception desk and in the nurse’s office. That way anyone who enters the school is sure to see your full-color logo and graphics and call attention to your business.

Lip balm is an affordable way to promote any business on any budget. Perfect for children’s dentists and doctors, it’s a great way to gain new patients! Create a colorful and fun label that will attract the attention of both students and parents, and they are sure you call you at some point during the year when the child becomes ill or needs a checkup.

Not just for school-age children, lip balm makes a wonderful gift for college-age students as well. Many students are from out of state and are unfamiliar with local businesses. Promoting your brand to these young adults is a great way to grab their attention and gain new clients.

Custom lip balm is an economical and effective way to promote any business, any time of year. Get the jump on your competition and kick off the school year by getting your name in front of both repeat and potential customers! At the Custom Lip Balm Store, we even offer several lip balms that come with special packaging so you can promote your brand in a way that garners even more attention.

We offer fish bowl type tubs that hold 50 or 100 pieces of lip balm, as well as blister cards and Tekbooks that you customize with your full-color graphics, business information, website, and even a QR code and coupon!

Be prepared for that first day of school! Visit us today at customlipbalmstore.com to place your order!