All posts by Sherry Tisdale

Promotions & Branding

Why Marketing with Promotional Giveaways Works

Creating a promotional giveaway with custom-branded products is a wonderful way to gain attention. A promotional giveaway is where a business gives away free products featuring its company logo to customers and potential customers to attract new business and build customer loyalty. It’s a way that allows you to connect with your current customers, and attract the attention of potential new customers.

 

Promotional Giveaways are Cost-Effective

Promotional giveaways are a low-cost, yet effective way to leave a lasting impression and keep your brand on the minds of your target audience. It’s cheaper and more effective than standard advertising and allows you to connect with your target audience.

Most people keep a promotional gift for an average of one year or longer depending on the product. Something like stainless steel drinkware or an umbrella will last for years, giving you extended exposure.

 

Creating Brand Recognition

In addition to keeping your name on the minds of your customers, it’s a great way to attract new customers. Others will see your custom product being used, and it will pique their interest and prompt them to reach out to your company to inquire about your business and its services.

 

Customer Appreciation

Promotional giveaways are ideal for showing your customers how much you appreciate them and their business. When people feel appreciated, it will increase their loyalty to your company. Items that people can use every day, like custom drinkware, is a great way to keep your name front and center so your brand is ever present on their mind.

 

Promotional Products that Work

While most custom products are a great way to promote your brand, some products do work better than others. Items such as custom bags, drinkware, pens, lip balm, umbrellas, and hand sanitizer are more effective than a one-use gimmick or gad items such as fidget spinners, stress toys, or other items that wear out or break easily.

When considering the kind of promotional product you want to represent your brand, consider long-lasting and useful items. Almost everyone owns a promotional pen or drinkware product. Why? Because they work. For instance, stainless steel drinkware is something that everyone can use, and use often. Drinkware that is versatile and can be used for both hot and cold beverages will give you more exposure than a plastic cup.

You also need to consider your audience. If you are a sports-related brand you might want to use a sports water bottle that can be used during workouts or while playing sports, or even hiking or biking.

 

The Bottom Line

No matter what type of business you are in, you can benefit from promotional giveaways. Whether you are attending tradeshows, hosting an event, or just looking for a way to show your customers how much you appreciate their business, promotional products are a winning marketing idea.

Promotional products are also a great way to show employee appreciation. And when you give your employees brand merchandise, they will often give it to a friend or family, giving you even more exposure.

Promotions & Branding

Fundraising with Promotional Products

Fundraising is an essential part of running many organizations, especially charities, as they would simply not exist without being able to raise money in order to properly provide their services. Schools, sports teams, and other organizations are also often required to raise funds so they can afford to buy books, sporting equipment, and more.

Custom promotional products are a great way to raise funds for any organization, and there are several ways to go about it. From planning special events to basic fundraising, any business or charity can benefit from a successful fundraiser.

Charities often hold local events, inviting the public to come to learn about what they do. This is a great time to set up booths to sell products featuring your charity’s logo. Custom drinkware, cleaning cloths, bags, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and pens are ideal for events such as this. You can order a large variety of items, and setup up a table or booth at any entrance, so people have a chance to buy your merchandise as they come and go during the event. These same products are wonderful to give to people who donate to your cause or sell in an on-site store.

Schools and sporting clubs can also benefit from fundraising with promotional products. Below are several ways you can quickly and easily raise money for your school or sports team.

Concession Stands and Sporting Events

    • Stadium Cups – fill the cup with the patron’s choice of drink
    • Sports Bottles – great for sports drinks
    • Bottled Water – why sell bottled water with someone else’s logo?
    • Koozies – inexpensive, easy to carry, and a customer favorite
    • Sunglasses and Sunscreen – perfect for daytime sporting events

School and Company Stores

    • Stainless Steel Tumblers – customer favorites, and they last for years
    • Hand Sanitizer – a must for today’s world to stay healthy and virus free
    • Lip Balm – keep lips soft and moist in the dry air of an office
    • Pens – everyone uses them – they might as well be promoting your business while they write
    • Key Tags – perfect for an extra set of keys
    • Tote Bags or Gym Bags – great for carrying
    • Cleaning Cloths – keep your electronic devices free from fingerprints and smudges

There is so much you can do to raise money for your cause. We have a great selection of promotional products to fit every need. And with the lowest prices online, you can easily make a profit on every item you sell.

Every product we sell is customized with your graphics. We offer one, two, three, and full-color imprints, depending on the product. Each product specifies its imprint requirements so you know exactly what you are getting!

Check out all of our stores at PromotionalWebstores.com to order everything you need to raise money for your next event!

Healthy Promotions

The History of Lip Balm

Lip balm was been around for thousands of years! Lip balm was used by Egyptians as far back as 40 BC, including Queen Cleopatra and the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Made with beeswax, olive oil, honey, and animal fat, these same natural ingredients are still used today.

US History

In the 1800s, a woman named Lydia Maria child wrote a book called The American Frugal Housewife. In her book, she wrote “Those who are troubled with cracked lips have found this earwax remedy successful when others have failed. It is one of those sorts of cures, which are very likely to be laughed at; but I know of its having produced very beneficial results.”

While this was not something most people were keen on trying, in 1859 a 22 year-old British chemist named Robert Chesebrough traveled to Titusville, Pennsylvania, where he learned about a natural, waxy ingredient with visible skin-repairing properties that helped to heal and soothe cuts and burns. Inspired, Chesebrough began working with petroleum and in 1865, Chesebrough created petroleum jelly. In 1870, he introduced a new product called “Wonder Jelly”, which was officially changed to Vaseline® Jelly in 1872.

In 1880, a physician named Charles Brown Fleet created the first lip balm, which later became the well-known brand “ChapStick”.

The 1900s

The 1900s brought about some of the most famous lip balm brands still used today.

    • 1937 – Alfred Woelbing creates Carmex to treat cold sores
    • 1947 – Blistex created a medicated lip balm to not only soothe lips but also contained a numbing agent to relieve pain
    • 1969 – Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 is launched
    • 1973 – Bonne Bell creates the first flavored lip balm known as “Lip Smackers”
    • 1991 – The first beeswax-based lip balm was created by Burt’s Bees, and today remains one of the world’s best-selling lip balms

Lip Balm Today

In 2006, EOS (Evolution of Smooth) founder Jonathan Teller, created an egg-shaped lip balm made with 95% organic ingredients. EOS quickly became a best-selling lip balm with its aromatic and tasty lip balm contained in a colorful egg.

Today, there are numerous lip balm companies and products on the market. The most popular natural ingredients include beeswax, cocoa butter, honey, shea butter, and natural oils including coconut, sunflower, peppermint, or canola.

The Benefits of Using Lip Balm

The benefits of using lip balm daily are many. Not just for winter, lip balm is a great product to use every day. It moisturizes, protects, and hydrates, keeping lips soft and supple while providing protection against wind and dry air. It soothes and heals already dry and cracked lips while helping prevent them from getting chapped again. Lip balm is ideal for use at night and helps protect new skin cells while you sleep. It also provides a smooth base and helps lipstick last longer when used as a primer. 

Lip balms containing SPF are a necessity for protection from the sun, providing protection from UVA and UVB rays, and helping prevent sunburn and sun damage, and even cancer. Lip balm also helps prevent aging and reduce wrinkles around the lips.

The popularity of lip balm today is ever-growing. There are many brands, with a myriad of flavors and styles, guaranteeing that there is a lip balm for everyone!

Lip balm is also an effective and affordable way to promote any business or promotional event. Visit the Custom Lip Balm Store today to get started!

Healthy Promotions

Combating Cold and Flu Season with Custom Hand Sanitizer

The fall season has arrived, and with it comes the beginning of Cold and Flu Season. If you run a business, you know the importance of keeping employees and families healthy. A sick employee means production will be down, creating a greater workload on your other employees. And the chances of it spreading throughout the office to other employees is almost guaranteed!

Another concern is the holiday season. Staff during the holiday season is always a concern as many people will want time off to spend with family and for vacation, leaving you with a minimized staff. Add to that the spread of colds and viruses leaves you even more short-handed, you will struggle to keep everything flowing as it normally does. With these thoughts in mind, you will want to do everything you can to ensure your employees stay healthy.

A great way to help keep your employees, as well as customers and clients, as healthy as possible is by providing hand sanitizer for everyone to use in your offices. Strategically placed pump bottled hand sanitizers are an effective way to protect people from the germs and bacteria that will run rampant throughout your entire office.

With one at the reception desk, guests and employees alike can cleanse their hands when they walk into your office. It’s also a good idea to have them in the busier parts of the office where employees tend to gather or spend a lot of time. Placing a bottle of hand sanitizer near the copier, printers, breakroom, and restrooms will severely cut down on illnesses in, and out, of the office.

To take precautions even further, consider providing each employee a smaller bottle or two to keep at their desk or in a briefcase or bag so they can use it throughout the day, even when they are out of the office. Take them to clients, leave them with their receptionist, or give them a bottle when they visit your office. Everyone who enters their office will see your company logo and know that you care about the welfare of your clients and customers. With our hand sanitizer under $1, you can easily afford to give everyone their own bottle.

Tradeshows and company-sponsored events are another wonderful way to showcase your brand on hand sanitizer while helping to stop the spread of cold and flu bacteria. With all the hand-shaking and product touching, you need to add a layer of protection to help keep everyone from getting ill. Custom hand sanitizer makes a wonderful promotional gift and is one that all attendees will appreciate. Keeping a pump bottle at your table so your employees and visitors to your table can freshen up is pretty much a necessity.

The more you can do to prevent colds and viruses from spreading, the healthier your employees, business, and family will be. Be sure to stock up so you have plenty on hand. It’s going to be a long winter!

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.