What Do your Company T-Shirts Say About You?

Everyone's heard the old adage, "you are what you eat." But in today's age, are you what you wear? Valerie Andrews, at the Loyola School of Mass Communications, mulled over this question in an interesting blog post earlier this morning. After being mistaken for a Texan, thanks to her "Keep Austin Weird" t-shirt, she was surprised by how many people identify others based on their apparel.

Here in the promotional products industry, we know that t-shirts are like billboards, but with an added advantage of providing a personal endorsement; however, as Andrews discusses, rarely do people consider themselves a form of advertisement when they put on a t-shirt. And that's why company t-shirts are a cost-efficient and functional means of promoting a brand. Through her post, Andrews enforces why it is necessary to put a lot of thought into your giveaways and select company t-shirts that are intriguing and eye-catching while still consistent with your brand guidelines. So, the next time you buy branded apparel, be sure to think about the message that you want to communicate.

A Promotional Flashlight Saves the Day

This morning, there was an unusual occurrence in the Pinnacle Promotion's office that inspired me to write about a very handy promotional product…promotional flashlights!

Just as Pinnacle's hard working employees were settling in to their normal routines- e-mailing, making calls, and more, the power in the entire facility went out. Helplessly we all cautiously (because it was dark) convened, awaiting for the power to restart. And there we sat waiting…until out of the darkness came a glimmer of light.

It grew brighter and brighter until we realized our COO, Dave had come to save the day with one of our promotional flashlight samples. With the bright light guiding him through the many switches and wires, our fearless leader had us back and running in no time. The moral of this story…for safety and efficiency every office should have promotional flashlights. You never know when the lights will go!

Promotional Ice Scrapers to the Rescue!

Last week, Atlanta, Georgia saw up to 6 inches of snow accumulation that left the city in a state of emergency with roads coated in sheets of ice, grocery store aisles scarcely stocked and schools closed for a full week. And it left me, with a newfound appreciation for promotional ice scrapers. As a citizen of the state of Georgia for almost twenty years now – nine of which where I had reached the legal driving age – I have experienced very few occasions that necessitated the use of promotional ice scrapers, but this past week certainly was one. Thanks to a dear friend, I was able to make use of the Ice Scraper Hand Mitten – a 4 ½ inch heavy duty ice scraper blade connected to a mitten to keep your hands warm and dry – it did and they were.

Get Out Your Promotional Radios, Here Comes Ted Williams

Ted Williams, a homeless man from Ohio, made national headlines last week after The Columbus Dispatch broke news of his "golden" voice. Within a matter of a week, Williams went from living on the street to something of a pop culture icon, making appearances on the Today Show and CBS' Early Show, to name a few. He also lent his voice to a Kraft Mac & Cheese ad, which aired Sunday night, and was offered an announcer position with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former radio host hopes to return to the airwaves soon, so tune in on your promotional radios and listen to the voice that propelled Williams to fame.

Everyone Loves Promotional Coffee Mugs

Everyone has a favorite mug, and much of the time those favorites are promotional coffee mugs we've received one way or another – as gifts or giveaways, usually, but sometimes they just randomly appear in our cupboards (at least, they do in mine). There are a number of factors that typically determine someone's favorite mug:

• Capacity: Do you drink a lot of coffee? To save trips back and forth to the coffee pot, you're likely to prefer a larger mug. Or if you're a slow sipper, your preference may lie on the smaller end of the mug spectrum – drinking slowly out of a large cup means you're more likely to end up with half a mug of lukewarm coffee after awhile.
• Design: Some like them tall, some like them short, some like them round, and some like them rectangular. Promotional coffee mugs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes – and to each his own.
• Surface/material: Glossy or matte? Plastic or ceramic? The feeling of your favorite mug against your lips is a beautiful thing, and the surface and material are what make it that way.
  

Take these factors into consideration when choosing which promotional coffee mugs to imprint with your custom logo or message – but make sure you don't keep them all to yourself.

Ignite the Olfactory Scent with Promotional Products

We all know that people form associations with certain smells and those smells can trigger people's memories – so advertisers are trying to take advantage of that connection by using promotional products that appeal to the sense of smell, and hoping recipients form a positive affinity with their brand.

The Promotional Product International blog just posted an article last week by Maya Case that cites a study about pairing products with smells and their effects on memory. She writes that the research, “was lead by Aradhna Krishna, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan, and published in the Journal of Consumer Research. The study used about 150 university students, and these students were asked to analyze both a set of pencils with a scent and a set without a scent. The researchers found that the students could remember specific points about the pencils with the scent, but could remember only very little, if anything, about the pencils that had no smell. The theory behind Krishna's research at the University of Michigan is that the scent triggered an enhanced memory for the pencils, which was displayed during a test of the participants' long-term memories. In fact, the researchers state that the scent of a product can affect a person's recall of that product even two weeks later.”

With this in mind, consider the Scent-Sational Grip pens for your next promotional products purchase. With a choice of enticing ink aromas like fresh n clean, latte, vanilla, spiced cider, mint, coconut lime and cherry recipients will be sure to form positive associations with your brand.

Pinnacle Promotions and Oxfam Working Together for a Better World

As the Holidays are steadily approaching, many of us are hustling and bustling to get last minute gifts. This Holiday season, however, please take a moment to help those less fortunate around the world. Pinnacle Promotions is partnering with Harvard students and Oxfam International to raise awareness for their cause. Oxfam International is a non-profit organization that is fighting the war against poverty. Oxfam educates underdeveloped nations on many crucial issues such as citizenship, agriculture, health, trade, HIV/AIDS and much more. Pinnacle is proud to team up with this organization and hope through our efforts we can make a difference in many communities around the world. For more information and to donate please visit the Oxfam site.