When developing your company’s promotional programs, it is always important to consider just how they will be implemented, who will do the implementing, and what the benefits of each of your options option would be. Of course, each organization is differently structured, has different specializations, and has a different infrastructure; but in general, it usually ends up being far better for an organization to partner with a quality promotional marketing company than to try to build it on their own. This is due to the three primary benefits that a qualified promotional marketing company can bring to the table: more competitive pricing, higher efficiencies due to optimized infrastructure, and greater flexibility.

Promotional partners use volume to leverage pricing.

More Competitive Pricing – One thing your promotional products company brings to the table right away is something critical to providing the highest value possible; volume. A high-end promotional partner will typically push hundreds of times the volume annually through its supplier when compared against an individual company. The promotional company is then able to leverage that volume to negotiate much better pricing than an outside organization could ever hope to. A good supplier will also have developed long-term relationships with worldwide sourcing partners in order to provide high quality goods at extremely competitive rates. Overseas and domestic relationships can be hard to develop, and even harder to maintain for an individual organization.

One of the reasons our organization has been so successful over the years is that we have been able to offer full scale self-supporting, or even profitable, value-added programs for far cheaper than our clients can. This is simply because our organization has both the volume and the advantage of being able to maximize our economies of scale in regards to our extra value-added services. The bottom line is, due to our highly specialized service platform, we can typically offer higher quality services for less when compared with going it alone.

Your promotional partner should have an optimized program infrastructure.

Higher Efficiencies Due to Optimized Infrastructure – Most companies are good at what they do, but then again most companies aren’t promotional products companies either. With a qualified promotional partner, you can rely on their finely-honed suite of value-added services and the infrastructure that goes along with that. From product sourcing to design, to warehousing and fulfillment, most companies simply aren’t equipped to cost-effectively build the infrastructure necessary to manage a large scale program. The complexities increase even further when you include other high-end services such as custom e-commerce, program marketing, and customer support. Chances are, to build the program from scratch and fund it; you will spend more than it is worth.

In addition to the costs of building a program, there is the cost of managing a program. A good promotional program will be able to offer dedicated in-house support staff to handle things like customer service, program accounting, and technical support for all of your programs. Your partner should also be able to offer tools that make your part easier and more efficient: specialized reports, online program management, custom program support systems, etc… The daily cost of managing and supporting your promotional program can quickly spiral out of control if you are not careful. A quality promotional marketing partner can help absorb or even eliminate those costs.

Your promotional program partners will provide more options for your programs.

Greater Flexibility – Promotional needs change over time, and your promotional programs will need to adapt as well. In other words, what works well today may need to reverse course tomorrow. Your organization will need to change with the times, and you can avoid throwing away your carefully earned investment dollars by going with a partner who has the flexibility to adapt to you needs in a cost-effective way. Chances are, if you have a promotional program need, your promotional partner has ideas and solutions ready to implement to help you reach your goals. Typically they can have these solutions ready to deploy quicker and more efficiently than by starting from scratch.

It should also be noted that the promotional product industry itself changes rapidly as well. Something that was impossible yesterday may be a simple matter today. Most organizations don’t have the time to follow new developments as they arrive. For organizations like Powertex Group, keeping current on promotional trends is not only helpful, but vital to our ability to remain competitive in our market. With a solid promotional partner, you can be sure to get feedback on new program ideas, new products, as well as new business-enhancing techniques involving promotional marketing.

It is important to consider that there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, at Powertex Group, we have several trucking companies that we service. Distribution is what they do, and they can definitely do it competitively. In these cases, Powertex Group provides a whole range of value-added services while working with these partners to utilize their pre-existing distribution channels. The most important part to remember is that your organization is unique; your solutions should be as well. That is why you need a partner who is able to maximize promotional program value while working within your specific environment.

For more information on how a quality promotional supplier can help you, please call us at: (800) 588-7111 (and talk to your sales rep), or email us at: customerservice@powertexgroup.com.

Avoiding a one-size-fits-all mentality is key to reaching your different audiences.

One of the most challenging aspects of designing and implementing promotional marketing programs is accommodating each of your primary audiences. It can be easy to slip into a one-size-fits-all mentality, which is often a sure recipe for failure. The truth is, each audience is different, and in order to effectively sell to them, their solutions should be different as well. Being aware of the important differences between your primary audiences segments is one thing, being able to design programs that accommodate each audiences’ need is another.

In this article, we will look at some of the more common high-level audience segments, and look at what drivers typically motivate them, as well as some quick tips on how best to reach them.

Retail Audiences – This segment can typically be broken down into many sub-segments, each with their own habits and/or motivation. In reaching out to your retail market, it is often helpful to keep that in mind. Always be aware of who your audience is, what your end goal is, and most importantly, what value your products and/or services bring to your clients. In order to effectively reach your clients with promotional marketing programs, you may have to strategically separate out your audiences and fine tune your message and/or offerings to suit each segment.

Retail audiences can often be segmented into a number of different sub-sections

A perfect example of this is in a recent promotion we designed with one client; we had a large incentive program that consisted of an online signup promotion with a subsequent visit to the nearest dealer location to redeem their signup form for a custom-branded cap. During the design process we identified that, for this particular client, a large portion of their potential customer base would be considered either light internet users or loyal to another competing brand. In order to effectively reach this segment, we designed a complimentary walk-in program component that functioned completely independently of the online portion. It was deigned complete with point-of-purchase displays, and physical signup forms that would allow retail/dealer locations an incentive to entice that potential customer segment with the same promotional benefits as the online users.

Dealer Networks/Retail Locations – Dealer networks and retail locations differ from retail audience segments generally in the fact that you are not as much marketing to them as giving them the tools they need to effectively market to their audiences. Consequently, program such as promotional product kitting, dealer promotion discount purchase programs, dealer custom-branded merchandise catalogs, and even employee uniform and incentive programs work well for Dealers and Retail location segments.

Customized name-dropped merchandise is an excellent tool for retail locations

One of the most important things about creating promotional marketing programs aimed at this group is to consider how it helps to build on the clients’ relationship with their dealer or retail location. Every promotion should be designed either to help your retail locations make the sales conversion or to get customers to know your brand through your dealer or retail location.

Another thing, when creating promotions aimed directly at the retail customer, you want to make sure that you are not alienating or bypassing your dealer or retail location base. It might make sense, in many cases, to modify your promotion to drive sales and conversions through these locations rather than a central website or catalog. This will help to add value to your retail network while simultaneously driving sales.

Corporate Members/Employees – Corporate Members and Employee promotions look very different from retail or dealer/retail location promotions in that they are generally aimed at promoting the brand from within and improving employee morale. This can be more difficult that it seems, since often times it is hard to gauge what will work and what will not within each organization. Each organization typically has an extremely large range of workers, from retail workers, mechanics, and manual workers to executives, sales persons, and technical workers. This tends to make it much more difficult to find a one-size-fits- all promotional incentive solution, and often requires a delicate hand in making sure you are properly incenting each group while making sure you are not appearing as favoring one group over the other.

Employee uniform and incentive programs can have a great effect on employee morale.

More than any other market segment, employee and corporate incentives can easily backfire if not applied correctly. They can easily engender feelings of inequality or favoritism, or they can sometimes be seen as insincere gestures. This is why we recommend, more than for any other type of promotion, consulting an experienced promotional partner before implementing any sort of employee incentive program. You will want someone who can ask the right questions about your organization’s internal structure and your particular corporate culture. Be wary of programs that don’t take into account these things as each organization is vastly different. Their employee incentive and corporate programs need to be designed around that.

When properly implemented, corporate and employee incentive programs can vastly improve employee morale, increase sales, decrease costs, reduce accidents, or any of a whole number of possible goals. They can help you get your organization where it needs to go, and should be considered a valuable part of any organizations’ promotional plan.

When designing your promotional marketing programs, it is always important to consider who you are marketing to in relation to what your end goals is. This article discusses only a very small fraction of the possibilities relating to only a few of the more common market segments. These subjects become incrementally more complex as you divide them down further, add more potential audiences in to the equation, and take into consideration each brand’s individual audiences and culture. With the right tools, the right knowledge, and the right partner, it becomes much simpler to design, implement and deploy programs that help you and your individual audience segments reach their goals. For more information on how you can design effective programs ofr your audience segments, please call us at: (800) 588-7111 (and talk to your sales rep), or email us at: customerservice@powertexgroup.com.

Alpha Shirts; Wide Product Line, Available Inventory, Great Value

Alpha Shirts; a key Powertex Group promotional product partner

Most people don’t realize it, but they have likely worn or at least seen one garment provided by Alpha Shirt Company at some point in their life. With the largest in-stock shirt selection anywhere, and their suite of high-quality brands, Powertex’s partnership with Alpha gives us a leg-up on the competition. This month, we are going to take a look at what separates Alpha from the competition, and why they are on Powertex Group’s preferred vendor list.

History:

American Apparel is just one of the many brands offered by Alpha

Alpha was founded in 1931 as a wholesaler of mens dress shirts, hosiery, and undergarments in the New England area. The organization, at that time, provided products to accessory and sportswear outlets. It wasn’t until the 70’s that Alpha began to radically evolve as into the organization we know today. It was at that time the imprintable t-shirt industry was really taking shape, and Alpha aggressively hitched their businesses model to this rising trend to much success.

Fast forward through incorporation in the 1990’s and rapid expansion that continues even today, and we have the industry leader you see today.

The Alpha Advantage:

The numbers are impressive: 2.5 million square feet of warehousing space, 35 different product lines, 18 distribution centers nation-wide and expanded 1-day delivery service. It is easy to be impressed with the scale of Alpha’s organization. However, what really separates Alpha from their competition are the unquantifiable aspects of their business.

Alpha Shirts is a provider of high-end brands such as Devon & Jones

Despite their immense size, Alpha has never lost sight of their commitment to customer service and customer satisfaction.  As a promotional partner, Alpha Shirts has consistently delivered on goods and within time lines that many other vendors won’t or can’t. Their organization understands their customer’s needs, and will go out of their way to ensure our clients get the products they need, when they need them, and at a fair price.

Casting a wide net:

Alpha offers over 800 unique products spread across 35 brand names. Their offerings include: t-shirts, fleece wear, sport shirts, wovens, outerwear, hats, bags, and accessories. Alpha’s items are featured under several partner brands including names such as Dickies, Champion, and Adidas Golf. Factor in their own various private labels, Devon & Jones, Hyp, and Authentic Pigment, for an incredibly wide catalog of quality products. From ultra-trendy garments to business wear, you’ll likely find what you are looking for with Alpha.

Delivering when it counts:

One of the major contributors to Alpha’s success is their expertise in strategically positioning their distribution centers across the U.S. for quick fulfillment. Alpha Shirts features 18 distribution centers nation-wide with 8 of them labeled as Express Centers. These Express centers are stocked with only the most popular styles for quick shipment. This leaves Alpha strategically positioned to get their most popular items to almost anywhere nation-wide within a day. Their distribution network ships thousands of shipments to hundreds of locations each day. With over 2.5million square feet of warehousing space, their ample inventories drastically increase the odds that Powertex, in partnership with Alpha, can get your items to you for your next tight deadline.

Alpha has a number of strategically positioned distribution centers around the U.S. for quick turnaround times.

Business and promotions move fast. You need not only committed partners, but strategically positioned partners to get you the products you need. That is why Powertex depends on Alpha Shirts as one of our preferred core vendors. They are one of several keys in providing our customers the highest service levels available. To learn more about our key partners and how we can impact your organization, give us a call at (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com.

The holiday season is almost here. Now is the time to start planning for
your promotional or employee gifts. We have put together a list of great gift ideas for your holiday promotions:

Holiday Ornaments :

A simple, low-cost gift, holiday ornaments are a great way to show your holiday spirit. One of the best things about ornaments, besides the low cost, is the sheer amount of options and customizability available.

Candies and Confections:

Everyone loves candies and confections. People will take these home to their families and friends, and share them around the office. Year after year, candies and confections remain one of the most universally enjoyable holiday gifts around.

Calendars/Schedules:

The holiday season means that the New Year is just around the corner. Sports teams and clubs can take the holiday opportunity to get their schedules out. Almost everyone has a calendar in their office next years, make it yours…

Cheese/Meat Trays :

It’s been said that the quickest way to the heart is through the stomach. We believe that to be true, and that there is no quicker way to get to your employee’s or business partner’s stomachs than through a customized gourmet meat or cheese tray. Your gift will be shared and savored by many with one of these.

Car Safety Kit:

Show you care with one of these. They can come in handy when someone has hard times in cold weather. Featuring a flashlight, first aid kit, foil thermal blanket, and multi-tool, these kits are a great way to symbolize your commitment to the well-being of those you care about.

Contest entry details below.

Become a Powertex Group Fan on Facebook, or a Follower on Twitter, and become eligible to win $500 in custom goods and apparel.

Follow Powertex Group on Facebook or Twitter and get two chances to win $500 in customized promotional products for you or your organization! Powertex Group stepped into the world of social media in 2009, and we have seen serious growth in our ability to communicate with our client base, and in our ability to let our customers know about new developments. To celebrate our social media success, we have decided to give away $1000 in total prizes to our social media followers. If you are already a follower, do not fret. Current followers are automatically eligible for this contest.

Entry is simple. Everyone has two chances to win! We will be giving away one $500 prize to our Twitter audience, and one $500 prize to our Facebook fans. Simply become a follower of us on Twitter, or become a fan of our Facebook fan page, and you’ve entered for the contest. Enter on both to double your odds!

How to enter:

Register on Twitter here.

Twitter – Visit http://twitter.com/powertexgroup. Make sure you are logged in with your Twitter account. Once logged in, click on the “Follow” button to complete your entry.

Register on Facebook here.

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Powertex-Group/101986105635. Make sure you are logged in with your Facebook account. Once logged in, click on the “Become a Fan” button to complete your entry.

Share with Your Friends - If you are reading the contest details on http://blog.powertexgroup.com, then sharing is easy. Simply scroll down right side of the page, and roll over the “+ more ways to share” button. Once the menu appears, you can share this special offer via email, Twitter, Facebook, or any of 50 other platforms. There is a simple user interface that will guide you through each.

Winners will be announced on October 31^st, 2009. Winners will be required to complete a short verification process to ensure their identity. The contest rules and regulations are as follows:

Contest Rules, Terms and Conditions:

• You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. An individual may register on BOTH Twitter and Facebook, but the contest rules only allow for two entries per person (once on Twitter, and once on Facebook). Companies and organizations may register multiple persons.
• A total of two winners (one from Facebook, and one from Twitter) will be chosen randomly from the list of registered subscribers on Oct 31^st, 2009. Winner chosen randomly from all followers (previously subscribed individuals automatically eligible for contest).
• Two winners will select customized promotional products up to $500 in value from the entirety of Powertex Group’s catalog. $500 Prize level includes all art time, production time, shipping and customization charges for merchandise. In the event that the winner’s order should exceed $500, due to cost of customizations or item minimum quantities, the client will be responsible for the balance beyond $500.
• Prize must be collected by Jan 1^st, 2010 or will be considered void.
• Odds of winning depend on the number of entries collected throughout the contest.
• The winners will be announced on Twitter and Facebook, and will be contacted individually as each platform allows. The contest winners will have to contact Powertex Group either via email or telephone to claim their prize (instructions will be provided at contest close). To prevent contest fraud, there will be a simple verification process each winner will have to follow to confirm their identities as the true account holders. Please provide a working phone number or email in order to be contacted (please do not post this information directly on Facebook and/or Twitter, as this information is public) when claiming your prize. Entrant named on winning entry will be considered winner. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission to use winner’s name and supplied photo/image on marketing materials.
• Prizes are non-transferable, must (where applicable) be used on the dates specified and may not be redeemed for cash
• Winners are responsible for any applicable state, local, and federal taxes.
• Contest valid only within the United States (Including Hawaii and Alaska) and Canada.
• All contestants release from, and indemnify Powertex Group against, all liability, cost, loss or expense arising out of acceptance of any prize/s or participation in this contest including (but not limited to) personal injury and damage to property, and whether direct of consequential, foreseeable, due to some negligent act or omission or otherwise.
• We reserve the right to cancel, modify or suspend this contest at any time without notice.
• In an effort to keep the contest fair, we reserve the right to immediately disqualify any individuals suspected of employing methods to tamper with, or otherwise manipulate the contest results.
• Contest value not applicable to previous, already completed or in-process orders.
• Employees of promotional product distributors, promotional product consultants, or suppliers of ASI products and all ASI Affiliates are not eligible to participate in this contest.
• Only one prize per individual. Individuals not eligible to win twice.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Streamline Your Promotional Products Ordering System and Reduce Costs:

Getting promotional products to members, sales representatives and different locations can be logistically difficult at times. Plus, the need to dedicate more people within your organization sort out the logistics, coordinate deliveries, and place orders can be time consuming and costly. Factor in the paperwork, time involved with consolidating orders and putting everything together for accounting, and you can have a process that is more involved than it needs to be.

Simplify the process:

Powertex has devised a simple solution for our clients to simplify and streamline this process. Through utilizing an online order process, Powertex has helped several of our clients more effectively order, organize and distribute the promotional items where and when they need them.

The premise is simple: set up a digital order form where all information is submitted to one central location, where all sides can see pending orders, make modifications, approve/deny orders, and check the status of the order fulfillment process. By entering the information in one location, the risk of entry errors is significantly reduced due to the lack of data re-entry necessary.

Promotional Products Order Form Example

The order form can be accessed from any location by any approved member of your staff who can place an order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The form can be customized to gather any important data you may need; including sales representative’s numbers, coupon codes, territory numbers, etc. The team member simply signs up online, enters their information, and orders the promotional products they need. The data, along with the order information and delivery location information, is passed to the database. An order confirmation email is sent, and then (if necessary) the electronic approvals are made. After the approval process, the order is sent directly to production. If a custom imprint is necessary, the artwork order is produced, and the fulfillment process started.

During each step of the production and delivery process, the individual order status is updated and visible in the back end through each stage; pending orders, batched, art complete, produced, shipped. Inventory reports and orders per customer can be run as well at any point in time, thus giving the whole fulfillment process accountability, and making customer service requests easier by providing order status reports at a glance.

Invoicing and billing is simplified as well. Once the order has been placed, produced and fulfilled, the billing information can be either consolidated, or separated based on what your needs may be. The billing information is then sent to the proper location.

Powertex Promotional Item Distribution

Though the use of an online ordering system, the process of managing, ordering, and fulfilling promotional items can be significantly streamlined. Take the labor and cost out of managing your promotional products program with a centralized ordering and tracking solution from Powertex. We can build your organization a customized solution that fits your needs and gives you the information you need to ensure a smooth workflow, thus ensuring savings in both time and money. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us at
customerservice@powertexgroup.com. To learn more visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Presenting five great products to enhance your outdoor summer adventures.

Things are heating up outside, which means it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy your summer. We’ve put together a list of five great customized cooler suggestions for almost any type of outdoor activity. Whether you are planning a picnic on the beach, or going on a long mountain hike, we’ve got you covered:

California Innovations® Beverage Holder With Clip:

Take one beverage with you wherever you go. This attachable beverage holder fits a can or bottle, and features an Ultra Safe™ PEVA lining to keep your drink cool. The reinforced clip means that you can hang your drink from a belt loop or backpack. The item includes a one color, one location imprint, and is available in Charcoal Gray and Royal Blue.

Excel II 18-Can Duffel Cooler

Perfect for family picnics or for lugging beverages to the ball game, this comfortable and well balanced duffle-style cooler features a fully insulated main compartment with an easy pull double zipper. It also features unique styling, an insulated leak proof PEVA lining, and a durable mesh outer pocket. Available in black, it includes a one color, one location custom imprint.

Montserrat Backpack Cooler

Build up a base of new customers with this super mobile cooler by offering it as a raffle prize at a trade show or fundraiser. The rugged outdoor design is perfect for day hikers and campers. It features a large insulated, leak proof main compartment with PEVA lining and an adjustable bungee on top for carrying gear and clothing. Comfortable adjustable backpack straps along with a heavy duty grab handle make this item a must have for outdoor adventurers. Available in orange, it includes a one color, one location custom imprint.

Picnic Basket Cooler

Have your picnic and keep it cool too! This unique picnic basket design has a 24 twelve oz. can capacity, and features an external accessories pocket. The dual snap closure will keep your items secure and safe, while remaining accessible via the dual swivel access doors. With an insulated, leak proof PEVA lining you can be sure that your picnic will go off without a hitch. Available in green and khaki, it includes a one color, one location custom imprint.

Encore Rolling Speaker Music Cooler

Featuring a large, zippered, insulated, leak proof main compartment with exterior zippered side pocket for accessory storage, this cooler is both functional and fun. It sports a removable speaker compartment with high quality water resistant speakers compatible with iPod, MP3 or CD players for music on the go. Adjustable shoulder strap and heavy-duty trolley with all terrain wheels allow you to take your beach party anywhere you want to go. Speakers are water resistant Please note it is not recommended to use loose ice inside Leeds soft sided coolers. Available in silver, it includes a one color, one location custom imprint.

We have literally thousands of items in our promotional item catalog to choose from. No matter what the activity or what the season, our sourcing and production experts can find the customized product for you. To learn more about these summer promotional items, or to inquire about other summer promos, give us a call today at (800) 588-7111. Email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com or visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Capture Client Information to Maximize Your Sales Potential.

We all know the value of promotional marketing.

Or do we?

Sample BRP customer satisfaction survey

Think back to the last promotional marketing campaign you ran. Can you say with certainty how your organization benefited from that campaign? Do you know how much your return on investment was, how many leads you gained, or how your customer retention rate was affected? If the answer to these questions is no, then you may be missing out on a huge opportunity to get much more from your promotional marketing campaigns.

Much of the secret to realizing success in the promotional marketing world is to design your promotions to have a measurable end result. Without an expected end result, and a legitimate to track the results, you can never be sure of a campaign’s success or failure. The examples below are a perfect illustration of why measurable results matter:

A. Salesman A attends the trade show every year. Between travel, fees and promotional items, he invests a significant amount of money into the trade show. He always orders some high-priced pens to take with him, so he has something nice to give his potential customers. Throughout the day, he talks to hundreds of people, handing out almost all of his promotional items, and at the end, he goes home to await the phone calls that inevitably come after the trade show. He knows that he gets more business, but has no idea how much, or what kind.

B. Salesman B attends the same trade show, brings the same pens, and has essentially the same booth, but instead of just handing out the promotional items, he politely asks for a business card in exchange. Once he arrives back at his office, he enters his stack of contact information into his computer – along with notes on who the potential hot leads may be. Throughout the next year, he tracks what sorts of customers he has gained from the trade show, and he can follow up with his hot leads immediately. He knows exactly how much income his trade show appearance is responsible for. Next year, he can make an informed decision whether the investment is worth it. He also has a gauge by which to determine the next year’s relative success or failure.

Mathews Special Offer Example

There are so many ways to gather information on your promotional marketing campaigns. If you run a store front, you could offer a promotional item as an incentive with a purchase of a particular item. You can then track your sales throughout the promotion, and compare it to recent sales data to determine the relative profitability of the promotion. If it is successful, run it again at a later date. If not, scrap the idea and try something new.

Reward your customers for completing a survey. You will get more respondents, plus you’ll get valuable data about how you are perceived by your customers. You’ll also get feedback on how to better serve your clients and improve retention rates.

Getting more from your promotional marketing initiatives isn’t difficult, it just takes a little more planning on the front end. Plan for some way to achieve a measurable result, and set goals for the promotion. When it comes time to make a decision on what sort of promotion to run next, you’ll have reliable data to help you create a more successful campaign. To learn more about capturing customer data during your next promotion, contact Powertex. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us a customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Keep up on new technology trends or risk being left behind.

Powertex Group Home Page

Business and technology move quickly, which is why it is important to occasionally take a moment to gain perspective how far things have come, and where they are going. The last several years have seen a drastic shift in available mainstream technologies as well as applications for those technologies. We have seen advances in a variety of areas such as cell phones, social networking, miniaturization, and internet technology amongst other converging technologies. This has led us to a point where we are set to leap into a new generation of marketing techniques and delivery platforms.

Where we’ve been:

Youtube Powertex Page

In the mid-late 1990’s we saw websites and, more importantly, e-commerce websites emerge as a necessity for retail businesses. This caused innovations in search engine technologies, web marketing, web advertising, and affiliate programs that added an extra dimension to business promotion. From the year 2000 to around 2006, there were a few major innovations that changed the marketing game, such as more targeted advertising abilities, better visitor analysis, better e-commerce features, better usability and online merchandising. Blogs also rose to prominence during this period, along with content aggregators (such as Digg and Reddit), pod-casting, online pay-for Mp3 services (such as iTunes), RSS news feeds were popularized, Youtube pioneered user-submitted video, and more ample online news platforms evolved as well. Each of these innovations was game-changing in the sense that they each created massive opportunities for those that were willing and able to integrate those new platforms into their business and marketing model.

Recent developments:

It wasn’t until the last 2 years, however, that we saw the biggest and arguably most important technological innovations since the late 1990’s. There are 5 things that have recently converged to change how we look at not only marketing, but business in general:

1. Cell phones - One of the most immediately impacting developments, the cell phone has yet to reach its full potential. The ubiquity of the Smart phone has made it possible for not only the road warrior, but the average user to be connected 24/7 via email, text message, GPS, and internet browsing. Through recent (and continued) innovations in processors, batteries, motion-gesture technology, touch screens, 3G wireless access, and new interface technologies, the smart phone is set to possibly replace the computer as the primary source of internet access. The smaller screens and unique limitations as well as opportunities that smart phones provide will continue to drive a whole new marketing methodology in the near future.

2. Social Media - Probably the single most important development with regards to marketing, social media has changed how people interact with the web. No longer is the web a place where

Facebook Powertex Group Page

only tech-savvy people can participate,but it is something where everyone can share their thoughts. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter are critical new platforms to watch, as they are incredibly successful, and have not yet even matured as market delivery platforms. Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t already, get involved with these platforms, and at least be sure you understand how they work. People are getting networked and connected like never before, and you can’t afford to be left behind.

3. GPS - GPS has been around for a long time already, but has never really been a major market factor until the last couple years. GPS usage in driving and navigation has jumped in the last few years, and has become more of a factor in where people go for dinner, where they stop for gas, and which routes they take to get there. Not only that, but GPS mapping has become more and more tied into the internet, and social media in particular. In the near future we will begin to see the real capabilities of GPS from being able to geo-tag photos of people you know, to being able to provide a visitor coupon based on their geo-position in relation to their nearest restaurant.

4. Search Technology - We have yet to see the full impact of this convergent marketing technology, but there are new developments in the Search Engine world that will revolutionize t

Wolphram Alpha Search Engine

his area by finally realizing the dream of a more “semantic” web. These technologies will take human-style queries and return useable information. The recent release of a project code-named “Wolfram Alpha” has demonstrated just how far these technologies have advanced. For instance, in the Wolfram Engine, should you ask it for “Champaign, IL county retail sales” it won’t return a page with links to web pages, rather it will scour the web for raw data. It will then pull that data together, repackage it, and put it into a human-useable format. In this instance, it will tell you a dollar amount, generate a chart with last year’s retail sale in the county by month, show you the 1-year maximum sales for the county as well as the minimum, display various currency conversions for the amount provided, as well as provide the breakdown of those sales by wholesale, retail, service, and manufacturing. Never before have such capabilities been available, and it will be in the next few years that we will finally be able to realize the full potential of these new web search advances.

5. Computers and the Web as a Total Media Delivery Platform -

Hulu Media Delivery Platform

For the first time in its history, the web, through services like Netflix’s video-on-demand service, Hulu.com, Joost, and MTV.com, has become a total media delivery platform. More and more computers are making their way to the living room, and the line between a computer and an entertainment center is becoming more and more blurred. This is causing the death of traditional media such as cable and news media outlets. Look for more and more opportunities for aggressive marketing in these areas as these technologies mature.

What it means for you:

What this all means for you is that, for better or for worse, there is a marketing and technology revolution going on that, once finished, will see major changes in not only how your business approaches promotional marketing, but in how it operates. There will be big winners, and there will be big losers by the time this all shakes out, and it will be up to your organization how well it adapts to these new opportunities. No one knows exactly where each of the above technologies will end up as of yet, but one thing is for sure: the future is happing now.

As an industry leader in promotional marketing, Powertex Group is dedicated to ensuring that we are always on the cutting edge of developing technologies. We strive to make ourselves leaders in all aspects of marketing, which is why we have such value to our promotional partners. To learn more about how these upcoming technologies can impact your promotional marketing efforts, give us a call today at (800) 588-7111. Email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Trade Show Promotional Item

It’s coming up on that time of year again. It’s time to start planning out your trade shows. It’s hard to imagine showing up to a trade show without some sort of giveaway, but what should you give? This can sometimes be a very difficult question, and it can be hard to choose the right promotional giveaway.

In order to determine what type of giveaway will be most effective, you first need to identify your goals. Is it prospects you are after? Do you want to make a big splash with a new product or service? Do you want to just strengthen your brand, and get out in front of people? Whatever your goal is, your promotional item should be one designed to help you accomplish it.

A few examples:

If you are at a trade show to introduce a high dollar product, it makes sense to offer something of a little more perceived value. A stylish roller-ball pen with a nice cushy grip could be an excellent high-perceived-value reminder of your visit with them.

If you are at a show trying to promote your brand name, you would want to make sure that the gift has something to do with your brand. For instance if you were an office supply company, you would want to go with a nice letter opener or mini stapler. It also makes sense, in this case especially, to not only brand the item, but to put a brand-reaffirming slogan on it as well.

Trade Show Gift Items

Companies that go to trade shows primarily in order to get contacts can benefit from having a slightly higher premium giveaway that prospects would sign up for. That information would then be captured for use after the show to follow up with the contact.

Contests also work well for capturing contact information as well. For instance, you could offer a customized gift card that would allow access to an online incentive store where the lucky winner could buy everything from $1000 watches to accent lamps to plasma TV’s.

Just match your giveaway to your target audience and your brand for success. Above all, don’t just hand them out, say thanks, and walk away. Use the item to open a dialogue, and move on to capturing lead information. If you don’t have some sort of plan that allows you to follow up with your leads, then being there is pointless.

You have to remember that the people who walk around these shows see possibly hundreds of booths in a single day. There is no reason to assume they will remember yours. The proper promotional item can go a long ways towards helping to jog their memories, and bridging the gap towards a long business relationship.

Powertex’s knowledgeable and helpful sales representatives can help you find the proper promotional items to accomplish your trade show goals. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.or visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Promtional Items

Promotional gifts can help to cement long term business relationships, show appreciation, and close deals. However, not all promotional items will generate the same response. You want to tailor your offering to the specific persons or organization you are giving it to. Take a look at some general guidelines below (taken from the Advertising Specialty Institute’s (ASI) website) of things to think about when giving gifts to customers and colleagues:

“Think you’ve got the perfect gift? You just might. But it helps to keep the following gift giving rules in mind when picking out the ideal present for valued clients.

Practically Speaking.
Want your client to remember you every day? Then give him a gift that he’ll pull out on a daily basis, whether it’s a great pen or a USB port that he can use regularly.

Make It Personal.
No, that doesn’t mean a Victoria’s Secret nightie. But it does mean sending gifts that reflect your client’s personal interests. Leisman Insurance Agency sends baby presents whenever one of their clients has a child.

Watch the Budget.
Some companies still put limits on how expensive a gift their employees can receive ($25 is a common cap). If your client works at one of those firms, you’ll need to watch your gifting budget, but some of the most clever gifts come in way under $30.

Gifts Aren’t Billboards.

Sample Promotional Products

Yes, you want to get the message across that your company is valuable to your client, but plastering your logo all over a gift to do so may not be the smartest move. Rather than put off your customer with glaring marketing messages, place the decoration subtly.

Give Gifts Year Round.
Giving gifts during the holidays is nice, but your company might stand out more if you give gifts at other times of the year, such as Valentine’s day or the Fourth of July. Send out corporate gifts in the middle of December and your otherwise memorable item may get lost in the mad gifting shuffle.”

Just remember that if you are going to give a gift, you want it to be one that they will remember, and even better, use often. Gift giving is more than just self promotion, it is creating daily top-of-mind presence that can go a long ways towards building and maintaining relationships. If you are interested in starting an employee incentive program, please call call (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.