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Have you ever heard the saying, we are killing trees with all this paper and cringed? If you answered yes, then you'll love this partnership. For every wood product or recycled cork project we produce, we are able to plant a tree to help restore forests with the partnership created with ONETREEPLANTED.ORG. What makes wood and cork a popular choice for custom branded projects? Adaptable - cut to any shape or size The fire branding can be stained numerous colors Both sides can be decorated to add an area for a special quote to recipients, outline the progress of an organization or list key sponsors for an event Easy to do low quantities It's hardy WakeMed used commemorative ornaments as a keepsake for donors. The ornaments were lightweight to mail and travel to their destination without breaking. Cork is light weight plus: Buoyant Resilient Resistant to moisture and liquid penetration Absorbs vibrations Creating a memorable moment with this type of product is fun & impactful.

With social distancing guidelines affecting so many events, lots of organizers have decided to move the experiences online. Conferences, job fairs, commencement ceremonies, and campus visits have all gone virtual. Whether the virtual race is being staged as a fundraiser or for pure competition, we can help you build a swag bag runners will love. Ready, Set, Go! Ideas For Your Virtual Race Swag Bag First things first – the bag. The Oriole Drawstring Bag comes in more than 15 colors, from basic black to pink, orange, and purple – there's even a reflective style, which is always popular with runners. And inventory's key when you've got a big event, which is why we keep deep stock on this versatile top-selling cinch. Can't have a swag bag without an official race t-shirt. The Omi Tech Tee is made with a moisture-wicking micro-polyester, perfect for staying cool and comfortable during training runs. There are also long sleeve and layer quarter zips out of this comfy fabric. Next up: a water bottle. The Marley 32oz Sports Bottle or the Fruit Infuser 25oz Sports Bottle, to add some natural flavors to your water and both Made in the USA! Cooling towels, that give back to environmental issues or items that add some elements of fun & safety make nice inserts- light-up shoelaces or wristbands. Even calm those aches and pains after the race with some spa treatment packs! As you can see, there is virtually anything we can add to a custom pack!

It's a popular concept to "flip your perspective". Maybe it's time to look at your personal living spaces for some inspiration for fun. Backyard spaces have evolved from the charcoal grill & 70's woven lawn chairs to gathering places, with fire pits, pizza ovens, pools and bars; your own slice of paradise at home. (A DIY interactive video app calendar makes a cool gift) Instead of packing up for a road trip, backing up to your back door might be all that is necessary for a day trip. So, Back UP for more fun this July! What do outdoor moments have to do with branding? By now you've heard the phrase, live-work-play, keep this in mind your brand will work for you if it lives in spaces where your ideal consumer likes to play. July is National Grilling Month and putting your brand front and center in backyards does not have to be hard; only strategic. Reward engagement on social media with monthly prizes, perhaps for new followers, those that comment the most, leave recommendations, or share how your service is the best! What can you offer in return? As always, it depends on your budget and your distribution plan. If you'd like to reward more people consider value-priced items like the spatula. Inside the house, sauces will be constructed using rubber spatulas or whisks, but once the meat or veggies hit the grill, stainless spatulas will be preferred. Does your business have entertainment value or provide a service to families? Get families connecting in their backyard with a game of corn hole, dicey lawn games, or paddle ball to add some family fun in grassy areas. Folding mesh back chairs and tables will be appreciated for additional guests or when they do pack up for the beach or mountain day trip. Take a look at this testimonial for inspiration.

Adults use the term connect the dots as a metaphor for explaining how a sequence of events now makes sense to a larger "picture". Events that seemed random, now complete the puzzle. As the world began shutting down in March because of COVID-19, a lot of people wondered how parents would manage to work from home and help their children with schoolwork – but there still is not as much being said about how to help children understand the situation. One of our creative, go to NC partners, JournalBooks, manufactures custom journals; they solved this issue with an interactive journal. As part of the PCNA Cares program, JournalBooks created activity books to keep children entertained and teach them how to stay healthy. The book was constructed around the ValueColor NotePad for both its compact size and customizable full-color cover. The custom filler features activities and tips about social distancing, hand-washing and preventing the spreading of germs. It also includes games to keep kids occupied while they were stuck in the house, including classics like Tic Tac Toe and Dots. The remainder of the filler is Dot Grid, allowing them to use their imagination and draw, write or scribble til their hearts' content. Our artistic side appreciates how this book is entertaining and educational!

Freshman orientation and back to school shopping lists for college students are going to look a little different this year! Focus on products that promote healthy habits and preventing the spread of germs, will be top of mind. Modern classics like power banks and phone & tech sanitizing products are a must! Aside from students, the staff will appreciate efforts to promote safety. Let's take a look at some options! Masks & Gaiters These have been our favorite out of all the options, not to mention they provide the opportunity for full color. A great way to maximum school spirit! Touch-Free Keys Reduce hands-on contact with high-traffic surfaces like door handles, ATM buttons, and touchscreens. It's even got a retractable ID holder for students, faculty, and staff. Phone & Electronic Sanitizers Our cell phones are dirtier than we think. A phone sanitizer and/or keyboard sanitizer will be much appreciated. upload the sell sheets I put in the VIP section, Hirsch gift has some too. See-through style is security-friendly, plus the PVC material is easy to wipe clean of dirt and germs. Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottle 17oz Vacuum insulated bottles are already popular for staying hydrated – and with people avoiding water fountains and vending machines, they're great for filling up at home. Color Pop Earbuds With Microphone It's always nice to have an extra pair of earbuds for walking around campus or working out at the rec center for hands-free communication. Dip Trip For those late-night food runs, plus they're just plain fun! No one likes sauceless nuggets. The Dip Trip lets you no longer worry about holding and dipping. Power Bank A pocket-size pick-me-up for your phone! Welcome planner Planners are get to help students and instructors with their retention of information and provide them with a central hub for thoughts. Pro Tip: add a QR Code to scan for quick directions, maps, etc.

As the American workforce changes to working from home, changes are required. While some enjoy no commute and saving money, not all workers are used to creating an environment that will help with their productivity and focus. What are some ways to increase your focus? 1. Create a break time Apparently it's true, all work and no play might make you dull. Ease your mind with a desktop toss game. Take regular breaks away from your desk with a fun and relaxing “breakout” zone where you can go to clear your minds. It doesn’t have to be big – it could be the comfiest seat in the house, dipping your toes in the pool or playing a quick game to refresh your mind. 2. Celebrate wins According to Teresa M. Amabile, a leading researcher on the organizational study says, “Of all the events that occur on best days, one stood out well above the rest – simply making progress on meaningful work. We call this the “progress principle.” Even if you aren’t face-to-face with your colleagues, let them know when you’re proud of your work, and recognize their successes via virtual communication like email, chat or on social media. 3. Accessorize with color The colors around us can truly impact our physical and emotional response as well as mood. Be sure to choose workspace accessories that positively impact output. Our top choice? Blue hues have been shown to boost productivity by stimulating the mind. From blue light glasses to desk organizer kits; ask for items in blue! 4. Get moving! Incorporating physical activity into your day can increase concentration, improve memory, encourage faster learning, enhance creativity, and lower stress. Try a walk & talk conference call, step outside or do a small fitness activity like planks or sit-ups every hour or so with some fun music to keep you motivated and pump you up before returning to work. Maybe even gift someone with a fitness set like this one. 5. Add a simple pleasures As biological creatures, people want access to the natural world, even if they are sitting at a desk most of the day. Keep shades open, install nature pictures as screen savers, and put plants on your desk. Research shows live plants make people more productive, happier, and less stressed while working. Add comforts like HoMedic brand products to your life. 6. Display photos Simply displaying photos of family members, vacations, friends, and pets can help establish positive feelings while working. Studies have even shown that looking at cute animal pictures at work can actually make people more industrious- so no need for haters on those fun furry photos! What methods do you use to focus and relax?

Does your business offer gift cards, ship products directly to consumers, or have a loyalty program? Traditional low-cost mailers, door hangers, and even labels can have tips & graphics added to add value to recipients. When you ship packages or provide the gift card, slip an extra perk inside; everyone loves FREE! Healthy habits are not just a good idea for healthcare providers. Home-related service providers need to be top of mind for the next home remodel project. Besides interior decorating trends, many homeowners seek to organize their life to save time or make the living environment safe or kids and pets. Custom packing tape is a unique place to add a QR code. If you generated an electronic list of the contents of the box, then the QR code would help you to remember what's inside.

Before you go on a trip, most of us map out destinations we'd like to see and pack essentials that will make our trip easier or more enjoyable. Unfortunately, vacations aren't as frequent as business days. What are some products that can easily cross over from your leisure time to the work week? Let's explore, grab some paper or a tablet, you're going to want to take notes. How about this Matador brand antimicrobial towel, that keeps everything else in your bag dry? Gym enthusiasts, campers and even healthcare workers or other types of industries that may shower and change at work will love this product. Matador is a brand that "designed to get you there", "high-quality gear for the traveler who knows where they are going." We've all heard healthcare professionals remind us to take care of our self too- but do you listen? Maybe you know a busy professional or perhaps you are guilty of forgetting to take care of yourself. This personal hydration reminder fits on water bottles or drinkware to help remind you to get enough fluids in your day. Did you know that drinking water each day helps to maintain a balance of body fluids, which help with digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature? Take a look at this product. Speaking of hydration and the rigors of your day, whether you've been climbing rocks or feel like you've been moving mountains a whiskey wedge might be the perfect end to the day. Local distilleries are popular because of the craft and often the story behind their brand. What makes the Corkcicle Wedge a perfect pairing? If your travels ever take you to Nashville, Tennessee, check out this location. Besides the good whiskey our family enjoyed the journey of entrepreneurs & brothers retracing their families roots. In that back story was the pivotal part, wife & mother, Louisa played in becoming a business woman in the early 1900's. Get on the map with prospects by staying top of mind with your referral partners. A 2019 consumer study ranked travel, health & beauty and food & beverage products among the top 5 most appreciated products to receive. What were the other 2? Keep reading our blog!

Today we are featuring a guest blogger from our industry- this post caught my attention. After being part of several Zoom meetings - remote access turns out not to be my favorite way to communicate. I doubt I am alone. PPAI Blogger, Audrey Sellers, for Promotional Consultant Today shared this blog. "Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden In the past few weeks, many businesses have shifted to working remotely in response to mandatory stay-at-home orders. Some organizations may not have had time to prepare their employees to effectively work from home. If you find yourself suddenly working remotely and you didn't have time to plan, read on. Arif Noori, founder of the State of the Planet blog, has researched several tools that can help your team continue to run smoothly, despite an abrupt move to a remote location. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we highlight Noori's recommended tech tools that make it easy to collaborate with remote teams. Google Drive: Your team members can use up to 15GB of free space via Google Drive. Noori says that to enable backups to Google Drive, you must download Backup and Sync. Promotional Partners is using this tool to track your orders and share them with the team. Dropbox Basic: You can get up to 2 GB of free space. Be sure to download the desktop app to enable automatic backups. Promotional Partners is using this to gather videos from suppliers for our virtual showcase. Microsoft OneDrive: With this tool, your team members can use up to 5GB of free space. Slack: Through Slack, you can create several different channels and organize your conversations by topics or teams. Noori notes that Slack offers up to 5GB of free storage in the total workspace. He says this should be fine if you just use text. However, if your team shares many files, you'll probably reach the limit relatively quickly. To optimize storage space, Noori recommends connecting Slack to the file storage services listed above. Slack integrates with all three. Facebook Workplace: If you use Facebook, you'll already be familiar with the interface. Noori says that Workplace is a separate platform, which means it's not tied to your Facebook account in any way. Workplace features a standalone app just for a chat, so you can have it running the background similar to Slack. Workplace also offers integration with third-party tools, just like Slack. What's App: If you're not familiar with this popular group-messaging tool, it's a mobile app that's connected to a phone number and has no storage limits. You can also get the desktop app and leave it running on your computer or sync it with your mobile device, notes Noori. Google Hangouts Meet: If you're using Google Drive under the G-Suite umbrella, then you have access to Google Hangouts Meet. And because of the impact of COVID-19, Google is offering free access (until July 1, 2020) to the advanced features of Hangouts Meet, such as hosting video meetings with up to 250 participants, live streaming with up to 100,000 viewers, as well as recording and saving meetings to Google Drive, says Noori. Zoom: One of the more popular video conferencing tools, Zoom is also one of the most intuitive and easiest to use. Because of its popularity and with organizations working remotely, there may be a strain on Zoom's servers, so it's good to have a backup plan with Google and Microsoft within your organization, recommends Noori. Under the free tier, you have access to run video meetings for up to 40 minutes with up to 100 participants. Yep. Olivia's been in several of those meetings for the Chamber of Commerce networking events and board meetings! If your company has mandated remote work, try using the tech tools above to help your team connect, collaborate, and stay organized. What forms of communication are you using to stay connected? Since there are only a few of us- we've been using Facetime on our phones. Is your home office set up for work? Do you need some ways to engage the kids in learning from home? Check out some selections here we can drop ship to your team to make your virtual meetings more productive. Source: Arif Noori is the founder of the State of the Planet blog. He is also the associate director of web communications for The Earth Institute at Columbia University.

In May our company will celebrate 13 years in business. Helping you connect with your vertical markets starts by selecting products that travel with your consumers. Just like packing your bags for a trip, dashing off to the gym or commuting from work & back creates choices. The question becomes what are the products you can't live without on your journey? Our company's focus is always on you! Your brand, your growth and your success! What some product trends that consumers will want in hand? It depends on where they plan to travel. Here are some interesting ways to insert your brand. Frequent traveler's on planes or other public transportation would appreciate their own personal face towel. For others, hiking to the summit for the best view or the sports enthusiast that wants to be closer to the action will appreciate binoculars. While campers or folks that just sitting on their patio at night in the summer will appreciate a bug zapper-lantern, maybe even play a game of checkers! What about a Segway Scooter to get you around town - come on, indulge your inner child. Save all your travel memories in a digital photo frame. Forget the souvenir shop - next time create your own custom creation to hand out to brand enthusiasts! Can't decide if you want hot coffee, homemade lemonade, hard lemonade in a bottle or cold beer in a can? You'll never have to worry about looking for the right beverage container, this 3-in-1 container keeps hot liquids warm for hours, cold liquids with ice-chilled for hours and you can slide in your favorite energy drink can or soda pop bottle before you recycle! Even a globetrotter needs a pen - for a gratitude journal entry, a crossword puzzle or just to sign a receipt. A fluid writing pen will always be kept close at hand! Our new favorite is the EnerGel Ice by Pentel, who is also committed to environmental efforts. Their Recycology™ line of pens and mechanical pencils are made from at least 50% recycled material and their Hi-Polymer lead comes in 100% recycled plastic containers. Did you know that 80,000 trees a year are cut down to make pencils? A mechanical pencil has refillable lead and helps save forests. Plus, Pentel has partnered with Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees! Each of the items featured in this blog are items that our partners attending the virtual show carry in their lines! Make sure you're signed up travel with us May 6-8th, you won't want to miss the fun!

Brand storytelling is what we have done and continue to do daily. Branding matters because buyers care about it – particularly millennials, who are becoming an increasingly potent buying demographic. A recent study by Edelman, the world’s largest public relations company, revealed that millennials consider brand identification almost as important as religious preference and ethnic background when defining themselves online. Brands aren’t simply what people like – it helps identify who they are. Sturdy brands have devoted followers who are fiercely loyal and repeatedly praise them to others. Know Yourself A brand is so much more than a sum of parts. Give careful thought to who your brand truly is and what it stands for - if you don't know your brand, how can you expect your audience to know? Once you know your brand from the inside out, that knowledge will guide every future decision made. You have to know what makes what you offer valuable and different. Stand Out The marketplace is crowded, meaning consumers are constantly being bombarded with marketing. When you and your competitors are all saying pretty much the same thing, the trick is to stand out. What do you do better? What is your differentiator? The key is to create a message that is "sticky" - your message has to stick with the audience even after they move on from your site, social profiles, or advertisement. Figure out what your brand does best and create a creative, yet thoughtful message from there that's sure to make an emotional connection. Be Authentic People want to make a real connection with the brands they interact with. Become a brand that matches their values, interests, or a brand that makes them feel cool by association and you've got instant brand ambassadors. Develop such a strong connection with your audience and they'll defend it to the end. Think about it, have you ever been a part of or witnessed a debate of Apple v. Android or Starbucks v. Dunkin'. Honor Your Core Audience Possibly the most important aspect to remember is to nurture and respect your relationships. You never want to disappoint your core audience who has always been there cheering you on. Once you lose that trust, it is nearly impossible to get it back. Be Consistent Once you establish your brand identity, keep is consistent among all channels you are present on. What does your brand consist of? Your logo, your name, fonts and colors used, even the tone you use when answering the phone. Consistency is key, make sure that no matter what marketing material your audience interacts with, it will automatically click with them that it is your brand - even without the logo. Tell A Story What is the journey behind your brand? Why was it created? This is your chance to create an emotional bond with your audience, make your brand story come to life in the eyes of the reader. Just like a story that has been passed down through the generations, a brand has its own story to be told. What will yours say years from now? We have always been brand storytellers. Let us help bring your story to life! Source: ASI Central - January Stitches - Brand Commandments- Theresa Hegel

We love stories that echo our own - small businesses that deliver more value and forging strong partnerships! As small business owners, we know communities are created by people that care about each other, support one another, and appreciate innovative ways to share resources. Our friends in food service could use our help, like many industries that are struggling and juggling bills. Innovative ways to assist a local restaurant with disposable product costs would be to offer supply products to defray costs to their operations. Products in a business district might feature community stories, inspirational quotes or business tips on take out products. What else can you do with "disposable" products? Consider these ideas: Become an event sponsor for a local Chamber of Commerce. Brand or co-brand the space on glasses, plates, and trays that will be used for a special event. We did some for a local Zaxby's to showcase their 2 locations on a tasting tray that held the stem of a glass, making handshakes easier! Create a local fan base. Local businesses in a thriving business district can donate a branded tote full disposable food service products to the local hospital as a gift for new parents. Besides being helpful, the bag would feature the logo from the local shopping district, branded paper products from local businesses and of course coupons, print materials and functional items such as bibs, medicine spoons, nightlights, and rubber duckies to remind them that businesses that care about families are right around the corner. Create games that encourage social media posts. If the local coffee shop launches a new flavor and creates a visual poll of the favorite flavor of the month- that's fun for social media. Local businesses that would like to connect to coffee drinkers could offer to have their logo with an incentive on sampler cups, coffee sleeves or to brand stir sticks. Since stir sticks come in different colors, collect a complete set, then earn a free flavor in your next brew. Drive business to you during peak events. Are there events that happen in your business district? In the time leading up to events, offer to provide placements, printed napkins, beverage coasters, cups, and table tents with your special incentive to create a call to action to consumers to stop by your location during the event. Seeking new customers. Are your businesses located near large office buildings or dotted with service businesses around your location? Drop off napkins, coasters or cups for the break room that create a call to action and send out a positive message to attract new consumers to your location. Create a memory. A baker might have signature copper wrapping or labels to distribute samples during a local festival reminding attendees to stop back by the store another day. Is there an art festival in your area? Challenge local artists to create a sketch of your downtown on a napkin and select the crowd favorite for the day. Print that image on napkins to promote the festival for the following year- reminding patrons at the coffee shop, bakery or restaurant about what's coming downtown in the coming weeks or use them in a retail shop with a pop-up artist of the month, reminding consumers that something unique is always happening in your downtown. Before discounting paper & plastic as not being earth-friendly, did you know we have partners that offer up to 30% recycled content in the construction of products or quick decomposition for their plastic products? How's that for Eco-conscious? Disposable products are also USA Made; employing many Americans in small businesses!