When an idea starts to take shape, it's important not to stifle the process. If you're like us, you like to dream in color! Spectacular graphics, with lots of color, fit best on products with a large imprint area. A large imprint area is frequently found with a bag or notebook but requires what's called a "wrap" on drinkware or writing instruments. A wrap imprint is just like the word sounds - it's the ability to wrap content or images around the surface of the object. This extra-large imprint area opens up our one of our favorite opportunities - space for creative marketing. Pens are low cost enough to drop off to your target markets Mugs are another great option! Creative options include: Coupons - add a call to action to visit your location Education tips - demonstrate your expertise Testimonials - convey why your partners rely on you QR codes - directions, video, web tour, menus or application to an open job position Modern version of your business card Add maps Welcome messages & tips for conference attendees Team or family photos with signatures or messages to celebrate milestone moments Self-care tips Our showroom has the products to compare. Our graphic team can make your vision a reality and through collaboration we can craft a plan to keep your brand message inserted into the hands of your target market. Looking for more inspiration? Keep following our blog and check out pens with 3 free imprint areas! Yep 3! Each location can be different with no set up!! Did you miss our super parent post? Since we are woman-owned we went with the mom twist. Our after-all FREE is better post? What's your favorite product and marketing strategy we've shared? We hope you are inspired to create!

June is National Great Outdoors Month, and with June coming to an end, get your feet moving and get outdoors. Fun fact - getting outdoors and letting your body absorb sunlight helps your body generate Vitamin D! Here are some things you can do outdoors: Spend some time at a park Bike with friends or family Enjoy a day at the lake Walk around town Go for a hike These are just a few activities to do outdoors, but there is a huge variety of things you can do. There are a few important things to remember when outside. When you are outdoors in nature there are animals, insects, and plants living there, and it is their home. Keep this in mind when you think about leaving trash outdoors or doing something that could harm the environment. In addition to actions you can do to help protect the environment, there are products that help protect the earth as well. Using a reusable water bottle is perfect for limiting the amount of plastic floating around on Earth, we have a collapsible water bottle that is perfect for spending time outdoors. When doing outdoor activities with friends and family you may want to take some pictures with your phone. This portable charger that uses solar power is perfect to clip onto your bag to ensure you will always have enough charge to take pictures of your favorite memories. When enjoying a picnic outdoors, to prevent any trash from getting loose in nature, fold all your trash up inside your picnic blanket, and dispose of your trash when you get to a trashcan. Spending time outdoors is something many people enjoy, and it is a great source of fun and memories. We all just need to keep in mind that while outdoors it is our job to help keep the environment clean. What do you plan to do during rest of Great Outdoors Month?

These are some of the hottest days of the year, and the best way to quench your thirst while being out in the heat is a cold beverage. There are many ways to carry your cold beverage with you and depending on what you're involved in, you may have different needs for your drinkware. Good thing we sell a wide variety of drinkware to fit your every need! Here are a few drinkware items that are USA Made, perfect for around 4th of July! The Classic Tumbler is perfect for your average day-to-day activities. With its double-wall insulation, as well as being microwave and dishwasher safe, it is the perfect everyday item. The Clear Gripper water bottle is a great option for when you're on the go - its leak-resistant lid keeps your drink inside while you're outside and moving, whether that means biking, hiking, or any other outside activity you enjoy, ensuring your drink won't spill. The Brewmaster Tankard is a great choice for the adults who like to enjoy a nice, cold beer on those humid, summer days. This 16 oz stein is perfect for relaxing in the backyard or having a cookout with friends, all while holding your favorite beer. The Color Changing Tumbler is perfect for when you want to include an aspect of playfulness! This tumbler is great for kids who love bright colors or even those adults that want to sip out of something a little more fun! We love to design all sorts of drinkware for our clients, not to mention it's a perfect item for displaying your own branding! In fact, we love designing drinkware for our clients so much that through the end of August we will be contributing $15 from every drinkware order to our Cares Program, which will be donated to Wake Tech Foundation at the end of this year. We have a history in education and have always been education-focused, so we know they were the perfect nonprofit for us to donate to for our 15th anniversary celebration. We would love to help you find the perfect drinkware for your needs and we have so many options for you to pick from! Swing by our showroom in Downtown Apex and we would love to help you quench you thirst!

This video clip captures why this transformer bag has been renamed the "mom" bag! As soon as Olivia saw this bag, she exclaimed, "Where was this bag when our kids were small!? Do you know how many fairs, amusement parks and nature parks left me carrying discarded coats, water bottles, snacks and treasures picked up during our adventures?" This bag's main feature is its versatility, but below there are more features explained: Transport items from one vehicle to another Instant bag for last-minute needs for the baby Easily folds up to be stored inside a purse, cooler bag or fanny pack Super lightweight material - minimizing bulk on your trip Easy to clean fabric - important for those messy moments A large imprint area - remind parents about your brand Allows the user to determine if they prefer to carry their newfound treasures backpack-style or tote-style! It's so versatile, parents will become an instant Superhero! Mama and Papa Bear, pack up all the baby bears for your next adventure.

Quality products with free set-up fees & free shipping for bags, drinkware and pens are a huge asset to your marketing budget. Given the rising costs for freight and goods, the perks of free never sounded better! We love exploring new products and decoration options that keep the creativity flowing. A recent visit with Goldstar delivered on ideas and opportunities, including free! Check out this behind-the-scenes video recap here. Basics don't have to be boring. Drinkware, bags and writing instruments have been used for branded promotions since 1789, reinforcing the effectiveness & power of tangible touch for growing your brand engagement. We crafted marketing plans that include branded products as a way to reinforce the message behind the event or promotion. Additional benefits? Besides the free shipping on writing instruments, bags and drinkware, all products have free set up! Full color imprint options with superior print quality - put our graphics team to work to generate professional graphics with that wow factor. Ask for marketing strategies that include products Made in the USA or sustainable options. Free, combined with a wide selection of drinkware options adds up to be the perfect partner for our Promotional Partners Cares Program. Until the end of August, $15 from every drinkware order will be donated to our Cares Program. At the end of year, your partnership will allow us to make a donation to the Wake Tech Foundation. Learn more about our program here! In the spirit of education - keep following each blog post this week to learn how combining free opportunities with the power of touch will help build brand engagement.

Yes, domestic products put Americans to work, but besides the economic benefits, there are some key reasons that USA-Made products helps your bottom line. 1. Speed. No waiting on boats or planes, no boxes held up in customs so you can expect days, not weeks, for delivery. 2. Security. No trade wars or tariffs, and a consistency to pricing. 3. Controlled Chaos. Things happen, pandemics, natural disasters, broken equipment, etc., but resilient suppliers forge relationships to help outsource needs in a crisis. Domestic partners can rebound faster in the supply chain because the distance between us may only rely on a different way to transport. We had a supplier a couple of years ago that rented their own trucking company to make sure that an order arrived to us on time for our client's event! 4. Safety. "Boots on the ground" domestic suppliers are held to high standards for safety regulations, certifications, and labor practices. 5. Quality. USA-Made products often are competing against imported products, but choosing premium materials over less durable materials. 6. Affordability. Overseas items might seem cheaper per unit, but once you factor in the product development, spec samples, shipping and inability to market your product due to wait time, unit cost price ceases to be the only factor you should consider. How does buying USA Made align with your brand values?

Vacations are a great way to relieve stress from everyday life and take a break from reality. Summer is a popular travel season. However, if you plan on flying right now, traveling to and from your destination may be anything but stress-free. Flying is already stressful to so many, and when you add in flight cancellations and stolen or misplaced luggage, airports are your barrier to a relaxing getaway. People have started using Apple Airtags while traveling to keep track of their luggage by slipping one in their bags. Using Apple's "Find My Device" feature, Airtags show the exact location of your Airtagged items on your Apple device, so if your luggage is stolen or misplaced, you'll be able to reunite with it shortly! The last thing you want to do is lose the Airtag, but luckily we make amazing keychains to keep them with your items, and we'll even customize them for you! We don't have any tricks to alleviate the stress of flight cancellations or delays, but hopefully this luggage hack helps reduce stress from any vacations you have this summer! What products have changed the way you travel? Let us know!

Promotional Partners adopted the core value words of "creativity, collaboration & certification" with our company re-brand in 2010. Jump forward to 2022 and we find our company turning 15! Reflecting on the journey of our past 15 years, we realized there was another core value word we needed to insert in our print materials: Community. For 15 years our company has been part of the fabric of the community that supports us. Community is also at the heart of collaborative process, offering our clients strategies around authentically plugging into the community. Your marketing efforts should demonstrate your values. Lend a hand. Owners Olivia & Keith commented, "our early years, the recession and being a new business hampered our ability to give back financially at the level that pulled our hearts. Instead, our early years of investment relied heavily on sharing through our service, offering our time & talents. Nothing replaced the joy of paying it forward to another organization & seeing them thrive. The support our clients & community have shown us through the years and specifically during this pandemic has been deeply appreciated." Let's review the 15-year impact by the numbers: Service & Leadership- we stopped counting at over 100,000 hours! Serving on boards, committees, and organizations around Wake County. Shared Our Expertise - as a speaker, panelist, published articles, mentor Financial- in addition to in kind donations & sponsorships we have given back over $55,000 to various organizations. Where have we been a leader or volunteer over the years? Offering our creativity, voice, leadership & service: Apex Rotary Club- President, Past President, Committee Chair Apex Festival Commission- Marketing Apex Downtown Business Association- President, Past President, Marketing Apex Chamber of Commerce- Board of Directors, Ambassador, Committee Chair Apex High Academy of Information & Technology Board Member Apex Friendship Business Alliance Board Member Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors- President, Past President, Committee Chair Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce- Business Alliance Committee Chair What's been happening recently? In 2021 where did we invest? National Fire Safety Council St Jude's Children's Hospital Children's Flight of Hope Apex Cougar Club Sponsorship Apex PD Torch Run Campaign Apex Public School Foundation Apex American Legion Post 124- 911 Commemoration Apex Halle Tree Festival for Western Wake Crisis Ministry The Poe Center Apex Chamber of Commerce Peak Performer which includes: Apex's First Responders Breakfast and the Peak of Hope Golf Tournament Where are we currently committed to invest in 2022? Apex Chamber Peak Performers St Jude’s Children's Hospital Research Apex Cougar Club Local Support for the National Fire Safety Council Apex Public School Foundation NC Torch Run for Special Olympics- Apex & Fuquay-Varina NC Sheild Poe Center Golf Tournament The Annual Halle Tree Festival Along with volunteering with: Apex Rotary Club Apex Festival Commission Together We Can Do More We started our Promotional Partners Cares Campaign in 2020. This program is our annual focus on a local organization doing great work in the community. We pledge to give back profits from our orders to this organization. It's a pretty simple concept – when you purchase items included in the campaign, your profits help us grow & support that organization. Just like your support grows our company, we in turn can invest back into others. In 2020 we focused on the Wake County chapter for Safe Kids and had fun with the So Cool Popsicle Contest for Kids – $250. In 2021, we focused again on kids, with a spotlight on the work of the Poe Center – $1200. We're announcing our 2022 Spotlight & Give tomorrow, so be sure to tune in and hear the news! And if you aren't already following us, what's stopping you!? Community Matters! What's your favorite organization to volunteer at? Let us know in the comments!

Your probably already know it's Pride Month and you associate Pride with rainbows, but what's behind the colorful images? Pride Month is a time for members of the LGBTQ+ community to come together and celebrate being their true selves. Pride began on June 28, 1969 as a result of the Stonewall riots, but Pride as a whole has evolved in many ways over the years. Although Pride began as a political march to fight for the equal treatment of LGTBQ people, it is much more than that today. Now we have parades, festivals, and many other types of celebrations to recognize the Pride community. Pride is represented with the rainbow-striped flag, which means there are a lot of colors and decorations involved in celebrations this month! This is the time for our colorful products to take the spotlight. We have a variety of colorful products from sunglasses to pencils to bags to body flags! There is no better time to bring out the colors than Pride Month and we are here to help. No matter how you are wanting to celebrate, we have the products you'll need. Ask for some case studies of our work! Did you miss our post earlier this week about Cotopaxi? Truly a colorful and unique brand.

You've probably heard of the bands Patagonia and North Face, but have you ever heard of Cotopaxi? Cotopaxi is a brand that makes clothing, bags, and outdoor items just like Patagonia except there is one major thing that makes them stand out. There main priority is their environmental impact. When making items from fabric there are a lot of leftover scraps that are tossed away and end up in landfills. Cotopaxi Founder and CEO Davis Smith recognized this issue and was determined to find a solution. He decided to create the Cotopaxi brand which constructs their products with 94% of the product made from remnants of recycled materials. In addition to reusing fabric that would otherwise be thrown away, they also give a minimum of 1% of all their revenue to charities that have an emphasis on fighting poverty. Due to the fact that they use scraps to make their products no two bags they sell will ever be the exact same, and that's what makes their products so appealing to customers. Each bag from Cotopaxi consists of its own colorful and unique design. We love how that brand message fits themes of diversity and inclusion. While we are all human beings, we each bring our own unique gifts, talents and voice to projects. Whether you need a fanny pack, back pack, or a duffel bag for those fun weekend trips, Cotopaxi has got you covered. Interested in seeing one of their unique bags in person? Swing by our showroom in Downtown Apex. We'd love to introduce you to this brand.

If you read yesterday's blog, you know we were discussing portable chargers. Well did you know there's a more advanced form of portable chargers that has no wires? The question is what makes this better than your average wired device? One of the most convenient ways to charge our portable devices—mobile phones, earbuds, smart watches, tablets, and more—is through wireless charging. Wireless chargers allow you to place your compatible device on a mat, disc or stand. They immediately begin charging the device upon contact, without the need to plug your smartphone or tablet into any cords, cables or connectors. Sometimes, a portable power pack in itself is a wireless charger, meaning that it contains wireless transmission technology and can be charged and recharged on its own as an external battery and then used to power your electronics, offering an ultimate true wireless experience. Wireless chargers have some great features such as accessibility, convenience, portability, and charging speed. With wireless charging you won't have to stop and look for an outlet while on the go when that terrible low-battery alert pops up on your screen. Whether you want a strong charger with a sleek design, a battery that helps bring the fun outdoors, a charger that can do it all, or even an eco-friendly charger for two people (read more here), we have a variety of products for you to pick from and can help guide you on which batteries will be best suited for your needs, as well as customize the product for your brand. If this is something you may be interested in swing by our showroom, and we can give you further details about getting your own wireless chargers. For a more in depth look at wireless chargers, read one of our other blogs here.

Few things induce panic these days more than a low battery warning. As work becomes increasingly remote and on-the-go, it’s important that we can rely on our laptops, smartphones, tablets and other electronics to be ready when we need them—and without us constantly being tethered to a wall or searching for an outlet. Luckily, the growing availability and effectiveness of wireless chargers and power banks is a solution to this issue. Power banks are reusable batteries that are able to charge any of your devices. They are often around the size of your mobile phone or even smaller which makes them great for on the go. Power banks are compatible with many devices which means just carrying one with you has the ability to charge any device. Just grab your cord, plug it in, and you're ready to go. Power banks take away the fear of getting a low battery alert on your devices. When on the hunt for which one works for you, take into account what your day looks like. If you find yourself without an outlet often throughout your average day, you may want to opt for the larger portable battery charger. Whether you want a large or small portable charger, we are able to order it and customize it for your daily needs. In addition to portable battery packs, we also offer wireless charging. To learn more about that, come back tomorrow to see our next blog post, and learn all about wireless charging and the options we have for you. If this blog leaves you wanting more, continue reading about portable chargers here.