Economic Turmoil Provides Unique Opportunities

The news was startling today with prospects of failure at the Big 3 continuing to increase.  Equity markets responded by delivering a sharp downturn of over three percent after a rally that had extended for almost a month.  Oil traded down sharply today on the weak economic data falling below $49.  Overseas Japanese Industrial Output dropped by more than ten percent pointing to continued trouble ahead.

So with all the bad economic news and data where is the opportunity?  Everyone is back on their heals right now waiting for the next shoe to drop or glued to their respective televisions watching the terrible news.  You can use this time to get a jump start on your competition by choosing your promotional and marketing activities wisely.   Your competitors almost certainly have cut back dramatically on their marketing expenditures which means rather than the typical overload of incoming promotional goods anything you send at this point may actually get some attention.  Instead of receiving five or ten promotional gifts a day there are many reports that marketing executives are receiving next to nothing.  In short any effort you make in this regard will carry more weight than it would have a year ago with intense competition in place.

Executives can always use a promotional writing pad.   Whether they use it themselves or pass it off to a family member or coworker it will get used and can be paired with pens such as the Mailer Click which offers a good combination of reasonable price and exceptional value.  If you buy the product from the same manufacturer you can usually get a discount on the pen and also get them inserted for a small fee.  If your budget allows the Cityscape Leather Writing Pad could certainly make a great impression.  Made of pebble grain leather this particular item has the distinct look, feel and smell of leather.  Taking a slight slide down the price scale is the Impulse Writing Pad has the distinctive wrap around which can house an optional pen but also provides a distinct look that is rare in this type of writing pad.  The few that do have this look tend to be extremely expensive so this item provides the option at a fantastic value.  At the lower end of the price scale but still providing fantastic value and appearance is the Gemline Deluxe Writing Pad.  Made from the atypical faux leather it can be combined with a logo pen and provides unprecedented durability and affordability in one package. 

The Promotion Marketing Association has several upcoming events some of which may be in your area.   If your business is slow now is a great time to expand your education and potentially link up with clients and future coworkers.  Many of the regional marketing associations have multiple trade shows in the spring.  Your best bet is to use the various search tools to find these groups and check their schedules for the upcoming weeks.  With attendance down at most shows you should be able to get a ticket even at the door but pre-registration is always best.

Economy Roaring or Whimpering Back to Life?

Depending on which news source you read the economy is either on the precipice to roaring back or is about to stumble into the summer of 2010.   Blogs such as the Paper Economy and the Daily Reckoning paint a remarkably grim picture of the economy but our take on it is slightly different.

In the last month there have been some encouraging signs with durable goods orders increasing, retail activity rising from previous lows and consumer confidence rebounding.  What’s more we are heading into tax refund season which traditionally gives a reasonable boost to the economy.  We will continue to see a sharp downturn in the employment picture which will have negative ramifications but this should all be partially offset by what is happening elsewhere.  Granted it is not going to be a fast recovery and instead more of a flat line to what has been a dramatic fall but the economy has already begun to rebound.  It will take the hard economic data a few months to catch up just like it took twelve months for everyone to figure out we were in a recession.

We are seeing strong signs in the promotional products business of a rebound.  What will be interesting to track is second quarter performance.  With Earth Day approaching we continue to release new products including the Owl 100% Recycled Deluxe Foldable Shopper Tote which folds up into a neat pouch that measures only 5 x 9.  What we really like about this item is it is made from 100% recycled material but is sharp looking and strong.   Two new journals are also available including the Recycled PolyPro Cardboard Journal which is made of both recycled polypropylene and cardboard and includes a recycled paper pad.  The Owl 100% Recycled Deluxe Journal is US Certified and has plenty of room for USB drives, ID and business cards and has a notepad made from recycled paper.  All of these items including the Essence Tuck Journal are available with optional environmentally friendly pens at significant discounted prices.  All include a one color imprint and through June include shipping in the lower 48 States.

Back to the economy, as others have stated January and February were horrific for almost all business owners.  The last quarter of 2008 was terrible for almost all businesses both domestically and abroad.  The GDP numbers clearly illustrate just how bad things were for most with the numbers being as bad or worse than an entire generation has ever seen.   The preliminary numbers from January and February are equally atrocious.  We will probably see from a historical standpoint that the November through February time frame were the low points – so far – of this recession.  So long as there are no other shoes to drop things may continue to stagger forward before beginning to turn back more strongly at year end.  It would appear in talking to vendors, manufacturers and other distributors in the advertising and marketing businesses that interest is way up in March and that is a gigantic change from this time last year when business was steadily falling off the cliff.

These are all encouraging signs as we go forward in 2010.  Remember Earth Day is on the horizon and as we discussed in some of our earlier posts teaching your kids about recycled products and Certified Recycled Items is beneficial to everyone.

Teaching Your Kids To Be Environmentally Friendly

With so much focus on the ecological impact or carbon footprint we leave on the planet it is important to start to teach our youngsters about these matters.   Earth Day provides the perfect opportunity and setting to teach children about the benefits of being environmentally friendly.  Almost everyone has a different position on global warming and what impact humans may or may not have on global climate change but it is important to understand there are things we can and should do on a daily basis no matter what side of the debate you are on.

Kids usually are not all that enthusiastic about recycling in general.  It can be messy and it can also be inconvenient.  Rather than running to the trash bin between commercials of their favorite tv show they may have to run downstairs or into the hallway to find the recycling bins.  Each week they see these recycled goods vanish either in the local recycling truck or at the local recycling center without ever really seeing the rewarding part of what they are doing.  We can tell them that many of the bottles they use are recycled but does it really matter to them?  This is where the use of recycled products in your home can be critical to closing the circle environmental responsibility.  Recycled plastic bags that are also biodegradable have become available in the last few months.  Rather than sitting in the trash dump for centuries they degrade quickly.  Recycled towels and other paper products are available at slightly higher prices but by purchasing them you are helping to create a market that will eventually drive prices down.  Unlike other markets the recycled products market ends up more expensive not because of demand but because the costs of manufacturing are still significant.   We heavily promote the use of recycled goods such as the Recycled Essential Lunch Kit which provides a complete solution including a recycled bag and reusable lunch and water bottles.  In fact for children it can make the perfect lunch bag to carry to school and gives them some understanding of how their efforts pay off.   Instead of using a polyester book bag kids now have the ability to use recycled book bags such as the Gemline Recycled Circuit Cinchpack which is made from 51% recycled fabric.   The benefit of not going with a totally recycled product is that costs tend to be a little lower and at times durability a bit higher.  We like the Gemline brand of products as their reliability continues to be impeccable.  The Recycled Venture Vertical Portfolio has been a top seller this spring.  Unlike a lot of other recycled products it does not suffer from a case of the coyote uglies.  We really like the moss green look which carries a decoration well, hides dirt and grime over time and blends well with the entire Earth Day theme.   For those that like to hike, bike or Rollerblade we have now introduced the imprinted Gemline Recycled Walking Enthusiast Kit which can carry an optional BPA free water bottle on the road.  Again we like to promote all of these products and like to see youngsters in particular using them on a daily basis.

Kids can learn more about Earth Day and recycling in general at the Kids For Saving Earth website which has a large amount of information on environmental concerns.   We do not advocate any particular position but it is hard to argue that in most cases the use of recycled goods, particularly those that are certified and that we know are safe and produced in factories in a safe and responsible manner are helpful.   The more we can recycle domestically the less we have to rely on counter parties overseas which in the end is good for the country.   You can read more about certified recycled promotional items in our earlier articles on certified goods and PolyPro promotional items.

Certified Recycled Promotional Items Hit The Streets

Last year we saw an incredible surge in requests for recycled promotional items. There were very few available early in the year as manufacturers were hesitant to spend a lot of valuable resources producing and promoting products that were not sure to be a hit. Previous attempts at recycled promotional items had been mostly miserable failures and for good reason as most of those items were not of equal or greater value to traditional promotional products. That all changed in 2008 when several ASI manufacturers began producing massive quantities of recycled goods. Quality and sourcing issues remained with there being vast differences in product lots and at times sadly in overall quality.

That changed this spring with the introduction of dozens of new, high quality items that are US Certified. US Certification simply means an overseeing body has checked and verified the goods are recycled as the manufacturers claim. The entire Tempo line offers this superior quality starting with the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Carry-All Tote which along with the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Backpack offer outstanding branding capabilities at an affordable price. Both of these items are made from recycled PET made from post consumer plastic bottles which means by buying them you are helping to support recycling efforts domestically and abroad. The Tempo Recycled Pet Sling offers versatility and durability in a single package and the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Briefoffers those that want to brand a gym related product the same recycled product capabilities office dwellers enjoy. Unlike some other recycled products the Tempo line offers full color imprinting and large print areas. Our favorite out of the line is the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Urban Messenger Bag which has a plethora of pockets and storage area as well as a massive imprinting area on the front. The adjustable shoulder strap is another nice bonus. For those looking to spend less money the Tempo 100% Recycled PET Cinch is available with a one color imprint and delivery for less than $4 at larger quantities.

For those looking for desktop promo items there are two Tempo products, the Tempo Recycled PET Zippered Padfolio which has a huge amount of customization options and is available with the EcoSafe pen for a discounted price. The counterpart to this is the Tempo Recycled PET Jr. Zippered Padfolio which comes with the smaller 5″ x 8″ recycled paper tablet but will also fit the same EcoSafe pen. We also suggest to customers that they consider a recycled USB drive such as the EcoFlash USB Flash Drive which can quickly and easily be packaged into just about any product we sell. The EcoFlash is made from 100% recycled ABS plastic which comes from various sources.

The market for recycled promotional products is down a bit this year as the higher prices are impeding segment growth in this difficult economy. We continue to offer all of our eco friendly promotional products at significant discounts in an effort to continue to promote and expand environmentally responsible goods and services. Although they are still slightly more expensive the quality is now equal to that of non-recycled goods and the dedication to socially responsible purchasing is a message that carries tremendous weight with end-users. By taking it one step further and looking at US Certified items customers show to the end user recipients that they cared not only about buying at a price but also buying goods that are green and Eco Smart.

As we talked about in Rebound Your Business During March Madness the US economy continues to limp along at a slow pace. Friday saw a sharp drop in the markets which makes successful and aggressive marketing all that more important. Using high quality recycled promo items is a great way to get your message and product information out on a tighter budget. With Earth Day on the horizon it is not only a timely purchase, but one that will resonate with your customers.

Rebound Your Business During March Madness

With so much sullen news over the last year regarding the economy the recent stabalization in several key economic indicators is welcome news. Last week the stock market had a robust uptick and although it may be short lived it was much needed to being to turn attitudes towards the positive. Much like the feud between CNBC and Comedy Central over the past week we believe the economy is showing definite signs of a turnaround. We have continued to roll out new products and our business continues to grow strongly through repeat customers and sustained cold calling efforts.
With marketing funds tight we are noticing a strong trend towards lower priced, higher value promotional products. Chief among these are branded items such as the PolyPro Big Grocery Tote which can be purchased with a one color logo for under two dollars in reasonable quantities. This tote is essentially a knock off of more expensive offerings from other brands but sports a large decoration area and a strong weight capacity. We just used them for a self promotion in our own office along with the Leeds PolyPro Convention Tote which although slightly thinner featurers a similar large logo area and heavy weight capacity. Both of these items are fully recyclable which means they can be disposed off at the end of their useful lifes at most major landfills or recycling centers. PolyPro is one of the newer and more fashionable materials as it carries some eco-friendly attributes like being able to recycle the item and most have significant capacity in terms of how much they can carry. In addition to the previously mentioned items we are now also offering the PolyPro Box Deluxe Convention Tote which is a slightly upscale version of our other offerings. Of all our new PolyPro items from Leeds this is probably the best looking with striking lines and availability in two of the more popular colors of red and navy. Rounding out the category is the PolyPro Strong Arm Tote which is available in black only but likewise has become incredibly popular with the price being well under three dollars decorated.

As we discussed a few weeks ago in Growing Through Difficult Economic Times we have extended our marketing efforts and dollars. Instead of cutting our budget we’ve aggressively marketed to new and existing customers using the tried and true email campaigns as well as on site visits and cold calling. In the first three months of the year over 90% of all new business has been the result of direct outbound marketing efforts with web business continuing to decrease. What’s even more striking is that we’ve found repeat business from online customers is significantly lower than offline sales. We will keep tracking the data as the year goes along and will report monthly.

It was interesting to hear Warren Buffet describe the economy as going “off the cliff” a term we used way back on October 24th, 2008 with the article Commerce Goes Off the Cliff. It is a little discouraging to see it take so long for the proverbial experts on CNBC and elsewhere to realize how bad the economy had become. We had highlighted the difficulties we were seeing throughout 2008 in various posts including The Fall and Shrugging Off The Bad Economy among other posts. It does appear we are seeing at least a slowdown in the decrease in economic activity but questions remain and any further surprise bad news could topple the economy. Since our last post Circuit City has gone out of business and with it some thirty thousand employees are jobless. Likely it is one of many retailers to fail in 2009 which makes self promotion all that more important. Use promotional items to your advantage in 2009.