Search Results

Age is just a number, like a driver that sees driving 55 as a suggestion. Our owner Olivia is not about to slow down in her mid 50's! In fact, you might say she's always been a "peddle to the metal gal"; with a long history of running between client meetings & community service. It's a good thing that there is plenty of gas left in her tank, because slowing down is not part of her personal brand. Baby Boomers are active in the workforce and the community. Professionally they are often starting new careers later in life. As a woman-owned business, Olivia is in good company. A 2016 study of the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area, found of the 25,000 businesses in the area, 5,000 of those businesses were owned by women. September 21st was National Senior Citizen's Day. Instead of playing bingo, Olivia was mentoring again. Over the years she's spoken to middle school & high school students at education events across Wake County, to college students at Wake Tech and for business professionals for several local Chambers of Commerce. Always a rule breaker, her flashy red shoes add not only a pop of color to her black & white attire, but signify bold, fearless choices made starting a business in her 40's, changing career pathways and building a successful brand. Lifestyle branding requires knowing who you are and what you stand for - before you can market your brand, you must be comfortable telling your brand story. Marketing stories with tangible advertising is her passion. As a speaker, years of classroom presentations make her comfortable sharing relatable stories, laughing at herself and making analogies that click. Education has been a core value of Promotional Partners from the start. Our blog features cause marketing stories to help provide some concrete ways to showcase what makes your brand pop from the competition. Live your brand in the fast lane; keep learning, keep moving, keep sharing. Paying it forward, always finds a way to give back.

Happy National Wine Day! Capitalize on this day by offering wine enthusiasts a way to celebrate their love of wine and "indulge" in the health benefits of drinking wine. While wine has many positive benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease and adding flavor to food - you should know we are interested in how a savvy marketing campaign can align with your brand message. Let's start with an easy way to integrate the love of wine with brand engagement. Do you have an achievement, charity fundraiser or work anniversary coming up?   A custom wine bottle or commemorative etched glass enriches the memory at your event.  A stemless wine glass will be easier to transport to events and stack for display than one with a stem. There are many ways to decorate your glassware pieces such as jet directt, custom glow ; all of these options are in our showroom. Maybe you need a special gift for a client or employee? Consider inserting tickets to an outdoor concert paired with a favorite bottle of wine. Your gift instantly becomes part of an employee engagement or customer loyalty or referral program. A functional, quality bottle opener like this name brand one from Laguiole is both a gift and an opportunity for your brand to be a topic of conversation during social gatherings. Building customer loyalty and engagement with your brand using wine; well it's one of the many reasons we love our job, cheers!

We've created a unique Promotional Partners Give Back Program for 2020. Our program will kick off with budget friendly, versatile products - flavored lip balm and digital tags for your shoes or zippers. When you purchase these products we will be making donations to Safe Kids Wake County! How are donations used? Donations gathered are used various of ways. Donations are primarily used to fund the general efforts and programs put in place by Safe Kids Wake County that : Call attention to the problem, through media and public awareness activities Advocate for improvements and enhanced safety legislation and enforcement Provide educational programs for children and families Distribute lifesaving safety devices to families in need Why Safe Kids Wake County? Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids between the ages of 1-19 in the United States. The mission of Safe Kids Wake County is "to reduce preventable injuries and death in Wake County children ages 19 and under from: Motor Vehicle Incidents Distracted Driving and Walking Incidents Bicycle Crashes Fire and Scald Burns Falls Sports Injuries Drownings Poisonings TV Tipovers Button Battery Ingestion" We believe in the mission of Safe Kids Wake County and wish to give back in a larger way. When a child dies, the whole community is affected, not just their families. We hope that through the amazing work of Safe Kids Wake County, that child deaths can be prevented and these children have a chance to accomplish great things in their lives. If you would like more information on Safe Kids Wake County, feel free to reach out to us or email injuryprevention@wakemed.org

Yep - it's that easy to set up strong visual communications. For doubters, we even have videos to show how to set up your next display. Cohesive branding takes shape when you layer products and images across all your marketing distribution & touch points. Tangible marketing delivers results when products are distributed and used, not sitting on the shelf. Your brand will never connect with your vertical markets sitting on a shelf. What are our favorite new visual communication products for 2020? Value Line - Laser edge - perfect for organization that needs to look sharp but has a limited budget. After all, the hem is on the floor- is anyone looking at the hem? Create your own mini showroom Light up products - grab attention and hold it Table top to wall signs for sponsors - such a simple full color way to add impact to events, provide a gift for sponsors to display and save money with a strategic, yet economical item. Stain resistant table covers for networking events where food is served or tailgating with key clients. Elite Tent- Lifetime Warranty - If you do outdoor events throughout the year, the new elite tent might be better for your needs. Searching for more? These products give us a blank canvas to capture your message with strong visual communication!

Become the "it factor" could be as simple as adding a USA & NC Made tag to your shoes or your zipper! Lightweight, full color tags that are cut to shape are an interesting way to add some fun to your next event. How and why would you use this type of product. In our continuing series just quirky enough to work, this product is a must share. Often racers receive their race packet in the mail or at a pick up point. Inserting a custom shoe tag that can attach to their shoes could serve as both access to the race checkpoint and add some spirit during and after the event. Since many local races are tied to a charity, after the race the tag can be worn on the zipper pull of your jacket, gym bag, backpack or purse to continue to raise awareness. Many runners keep their bibs, ribbons or medals - this type of product is easy to display at home or at your work station. Looking for more ways to use this type of product? Student book-bags for spirit Add a promotional code to the back to bring shoppers & diners back to your location after a event. Keepsake from festival with dates of other upcoming events Autograph booth, with space for TV or radio personalities to sign with station insignia or images of popular programming Entry ticket into concert venue Add a QR code to scan for more information about upcoming events Mini uniform - municipalities could use at community events for information from public works on the shape of a trash bin or recycling bin, lighting bolt for storm tips or to report outages, fire and police might make the public aware of shred dates, medicine drop locations or even personal safety tips. Tag, your it! Looking for another reason to consider this promotion? It's part of Promotional Partners 2020 Give Back Program. Ask us to share the details with you!

In 1994 Bill Gates famously said, “banks are dinosaurs”, yet despite his prediction of doom, banks operating revenue continues to rise. In 2018, finance & insurance represented 7.4 % of the US gross domestic product. While clearly financial services are thriving, consumers are going digital. Reviews on financial institutions reinforce that less American are carrying cash and consumer loyalty is down; where’s the best “deal”. Switching banks years ago was tough, rectifying the checkbook and closing one account, wasn't an easy task. Now consumers have immediate information about their purchases. Financial markets need to adapt to the modern consumer. How can a branded product assist financial markets? A digital footprint relies on visual engagement and ease of use. There are many print rich products that are useful to consumers that can easily point out your key benefits, map out what sets you apart from your competition and demonstrate how easy your package of services can be for consumers with a preview to your benefits; like a movie trailer. Considering layering your message with by embedding a video link in a QR code like a microfiber cleaning cloth. Speaking of banking, wallets have changed over the years. Gone are the huge checkbooks. We often carry cards more than actual currency, making access to our information more accessible to criminals. RFID products help to safe guard our money, while integrated into our own personal style. Modern wallets keep us moving from the office to the gym, without missing a step.

February is the month associated with romance and heart health. Giving back to others is a way to show some heart in your community. Olivia is a member of the Apex Rotary Club and Rotarian's believe in "service above self". Besides helping others, did you realize that service is beneficial to yourself? While giving is about others, it is helpful to you! How? Connection to others - solving someone else's problem feels good and builds a genuine bond of respect, friendship and trust Adding meaning & purpose to your life - fulfillment that things can't buy Attitude Adjustment - you'll feel better and perhaps even boost your confidence giving back to others. Longevity - health experts often tie a long healthy life to personal development. Our goal for 2020 is for others to be absorbed by your brand story. Our blog is constantly adding ways to use national dates or give back on a larger scale. In addition to those posts, Promotional Partners has added 2 featured products as part of a year long Give Back Program. Ask us to share those details with you!

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." The journey of owning a business adds an exclamation mark to that message, because wishes don't turn into dollars. Besides having a reference and framework to your dreams, a plan offers a way to map out your timeline. While I’ve always been a planner, much of sales requires being accessible which pokes holes quickly in even a task master’s schedule. Strategic planning can be overwhelming to business partners without a dedicated marketing team. Our newsletters and blog posts are designed not just for inspiration but also to provide updates relevant to your decisions. What insights do we have for 2020? We continue to navigate the impact of tariffs - we will continue to see price increases during the year because of regulations, uncertainty and replenishing stock. Right now the Cornonavirus is making supply chains from overseas uncertain, as factories reopen from Chinese New Year, there may be less workforce able to produce orders, adding lead time to projects. Another significant change you need to note are changes to set up fees. In previous years, many suppliers waived the setup fee on reorders if the order was within 12-18 months of a previous order. An increasing number of suppliers are charging a “re-set up” fee and reducing the amount of time they are holding on to plates or screens internally. Why? Image for a moment you are a drone cruising the huge footprint of one of the mega supplier locations. Often customer service, the production floor, the warehouse and shipping & receiving are in numerous buildings on a sprawling campus. Know your boundaries for use of protected acronyms, logos and names. Social media makes it easy for us to share, but that’s the downfall too - very quickly an image can be shared, or larger companies even pay to troll sights looking for information. The new year is a great time to review your branding & marketing efforts, as well as to have our team create a brand guide. A little work now, saves headaches when you are trying to survive your daily calendar. Our current clients will appreciate our new VIP Access toolkit this year to set their brand on a path for success. Harness our energy and talents to make your wishes turn into reality.

If you are like me, rainy days often seem to dampen my spirits! Making someone smile on a rainy day is simple with inversion umbrellas, which shed the rain away from you as they open and close; pretty smart right? Due to the longevity of use, numerous colors, styles and price points umbrellas make a useful promotion. From a marketing standpoint, umbrellas are perfect for associating your brand with coverage, safety, innovation, protection and comfort. Looking for more reasons to consider an umbrella? Let's shower you with some compelling facts. In our recent rainy weather and high winds, a windproof umbrella would have been an ideal gift for an employee, business partner or to keep on hand to escort shoppers to their car. Take a look at one of our favorite large arc styles.

What gets hairy if you have a dog or a cat? Everything! Pets shed and unwanted hair is an issue for every pet owner. Connecting to consumers within their home reminding them of mortgage solutions, home renovation projects, home services or an upcoming desire to move pets might be the purrrfect fit! Do you offer vacation rental that include furry friends? Pet containers that store both food and water in the same container make road trips, hikes or the commute to doggie daycare easier. Products that solve challenges for your target markets doesn't have to be difficult. Planning ahead for pet related promotions might include selecting a community event to sponsor, such as pet day in the park or building a promotion around one of these coming 2020 calendar dates: February Pet Dental Health Month Dog Training Education Month National Cat Health Month Responsible Pet Owners Month February 22: National Walk Your Dog Day February 23: International Dog Biscuit Day March Poison Prevention Awareness Month March 1-8: Professional Pet Sitters Week March 13: K9 Veterans Day March 23: National Puppy Day March 23: Cuddly Kitten Day March 28: Respect Your Cat Day Ask us to send you a complete list of pet related dates for your yearly planning!

The first Friday of February, every year, is National Wear Red Day. Created by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of the number one killer among women of all ages - cardiovascular disease. There is a common misconception that this only occurs in "older" women, when in fact it is on the rise in younger women as well. As a result, it is important for all women to take charge of their heart health (source: American Heart Association) February is also American Heart Month. How can your brand message connect with the effort to reduce heart disease? Heart Shaped Reminders Show your audience you care by giving them a heart shaped stress reliever they can squeeze, or a heart shaped magnetic clip, or even a heart shaped hot/cold gel pack. Include your logo and a reminder message to get their heart checked regularly. Wellness Programs Encourage employees to be active during the week! 150 minutes a week is recommended for a healthy heart; that is 30 minutes a day for 5 days. A walking meeting is an easy way to take a break and get some exercise or even a walk during lunch. Gift employees with a set of wireless earbuds, an activity tracker or a pedometer to encourage participation! Red Ribbon A simple way to show support as a group for awareness days is to purchase assorted stock ribbon colors of instant embroidery ribbons. NC manufacturer, Suntex has a huge collection of colors and will create custom ribbons; be ready for any awareness date this year. Peel and stick for the day on your apparel and then apply to another surface in your work space for the remainder of the year to serve as a reminder to love your heart!

Thank you. Saying thanks with a special customer gift keeps you top of mind and lets them know that you not only value their business, but also your relationship. Customer appreciation is also good for the bottom line. A recent LinkedIn study estimates that acquiring a new customer can be up to 10 times more expensive than keeping a current one. Do your customers feel the love? February has a traditional focus on love. While some individuals may be focused only on romance, showing some love to your customer base is likely to be appreciated and inspire loyalty. Don't be stuck in a rut for gifting, there are numerous ways to show appreciation. Watch Trends, Mix It Up Food is the perfect shareable for a crowd, but do you pick the same basket or box every year? Step away from the status quo, we can help you select something trendy with your recipient's taste in mind. How about the gift of high-quality apparel? Just make sure it's something they'll actually want to wear. Look for something current, and stylish. Replace the plain cotton tee with a cozy, tri-blend fabric. Tees are also a great way to combine healthcare messages, as February has many heart related dates to tie into your business message. The tee will keep you remembered while they're wearing your gift to the gym, to walk the dog or hike in the park all year long. Be Thoughtful, Make Life Easier How well do you know your customers? While you might not be connected on social media or gathering socially, conversations with them have likely yielded some valuable information that you can apply when selecting gifts. Look for thoughtful gifts that makes their day-to-day lives a little easier or a little more fun. For example, if your customers are road warriors, consider some gifts that make living out of a suitcase or running through airports a little easier. A compact, folding Bluetooth keyboard can make answering emails a breeze without having to take your laptop out of your bag. An new underseat suitcase that helps you avoid baggage claim area and overhead bins is a lifesaver. If their company allows employees to bring dogs to the office a large canopy umbrellas that sheds the rain away from them when it's closed would be nice to own. Give Back, Share A Story Consider making your gift about more than a product with your logo. We often advise you consider reducing the size of your logo, placing your logo in a unique location or tone on tone if it's embroidered. A gift with a positive story is also a great way to add impact to your message. Products that are eco-friendly or socially-conscious products have become seriously popular gifts. There are tons of options when looking for a a gift that gives back. A Welly Copper Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, is more than an awesome bottle. Welly sales support efforts to build wells in areas without clean water. In addition, the EcoSmart program has everything from backpacks made with recycled water bottles, to recycled cotton totes that make perfect gift bags. The Bottom Line No matter what gift you choose, if it's on-trend, thoughtful and useful, it's sure to deliver the thanks and appreciation your customer deserves. How can products become part of your strategic marketing plan? Take a look at these upcoming dates for inspiration. We have ideas for how to use each of these dates to show appreciation and add personality to your brand. Ask us! February American Heart Month National Embroidery Month 7th – Send a Card to a Friend Day (print material-any industry) 10th – Umbrella Day 11th – White T-shirt Day 18th – National Battery Day 20th – Love Your Pet Day 22nd – Walking The Dog Day 28th – Skip the Straw Day March National Nutrition Month 6th – Employee Appreciation Day 8th – International (Working) Women's Day 12th – Plant a Flower Day 20th – International Earth Day 30th – National Pencil Day