Absolute Promotions Ecofriendly Promotional Products, Corporate Gifts, Printed Logo Items

Texting gloves with a logo?

I remember last year how psyched I was when I learned there were gloves made that I could text with.  This year I was even more psyched to learn that I can customize them.  Check out the pair of touch screen gloves we just Branded. 
I did two location embroidery, so I could fit our little lizard guy on them.  They're made of acrylic and spandex with little PVC dots on the palms so you can grip things easier.  The tops of the first three fingers are tipped with conductive fibers.  They're not treated, they are woven in. 

These gloves have all my favorite promotional characteristics:  New - so they get the wow factor, Useful - they make the recipients life easier, Innovative - keeping up with trends, Quality - well you know what I mean here

They take embroidery well, nice clean lines. I can't wait to wear them. They give off that nice warm fuzzy Brand feeling.

These would rock at CES this year for a technology giveaway. Vegas in January is colder than people think. But the heck with Vegas, these gloves just plain rock.  Colleges? Sporting events?  Tailgating?  Volunteers? Tech companies? They come in black, brown, grey, navy, royal, and white.  They work with all touch screens, minimum is 72 pieces and they're about $10 each + set-up.

We have an extra pair of AbsolutePromo text gloves to share.  If you'd like a shot, send me an email or sign up in the upper left corner with your email address for updates.  We'll randomly select a winner next week.

Thanks for reading friends, hope you have a nice weekend.  Brand on

Transform Body Perspiration into a Promotion (Yup, you read right)

Smart phones, Smart cars, Smart T's?  Ooooh we have another good idea for unique Branding.  I know it sounds crazy but it's cool - especially for branding at the gym. 

Picture this, we customize a shirt where the fabric has the ability to offer double Branding by reacting to your body's temperature.   The shirt is branded twice.  One message will appear at all times.  When you're working out, as you intensify the burn, heating up your body, working up a sweat.... BANG... the t shirt speaks again and your second message pops out.    

You have the opportunity to motivate, inspire, educate, but most of all create a buzz about your business. It's like a sweat activated technology that's made in the USA.  You can transform body perspiration into a promotion.

Could have a lot of fun coming up with some snarky branding ideas for your Tribe at a Corporate Challenge.

Colleges would be good.  Have the University name as the full-time message and then when it heats up the mascot would appear. 

Or how about for a music promo?  Been to many a hot concert in my day -

 

Not into the sweat factor?  We have custom tech pullover rain jackets too.  We can decorate them so that your message reacts to the rainy weather rather than body temp.

 

It's Veteran's Day here in the United States.  I wanted to share this story, and to all our Soldiers and Veterans say  Thank you for your service, very much. 

Crap Holiday Ideas -

 - Warning  -  I'm about to get all Andy Rooney on you.

It gets me mad (Or maybe I should say sad, so I don't sound so negative) I keep getting all these emails from promotional manufacturers with misleading subject lines like: "The BEST new holiday idea"  "Here it is - NEW Corporate Gift that Rocks". I'm shaking my head, yeah right.  I finally break down and open a few of them, hoping of all hopes that somewhere - someone has a new cool thought but alas - more crap ideas.

Vinyl business card holder anyone?

I can't even bring myself to post this as a full size image.  Sure there can be a need for these in the world, but not as a "Killer New Custom Holiday Gift".  Maybe Inexpensive Gift for Insurance Industry would be better. Companies should really make their subject lines match their message.

No wonder we're closing our minds to the messages all around us.  I know that I'm just hitting Delete Delete Delete. I mean, c'mon man...give me something good.  Give me anything worthy.  So it's not the hottest new item on the market at least take some time and do some research to show me something worthy and label it correctly. Current styling, up-to-date colors, retro hip - I'm beggin' you.  

Every business has a unique message for its audience, I get that.  We all have our budgets to shop within, okay. Maybe try something useful, like for the same price range a company could send out something like this - no big deal but full color -full coverage decoration capability for a Brand and useful.  People have sun glasses or prescription glasses or cheaters.  Could even put a personal message inside too if you mail them.

Here is another one that kills me "Hottest" new USB Flash Drive Shape:

Uuhm, okay,...for the same price I could get any of these below.  You can totally produce a more business specific or fun shape to go with your message:

"ALL New Items for the Holidays" - This was the subject line this morning and these were the products they advertised.  Seriously. 

These conference totes are older than me. 

 

There are so many different new styles, up-to-date materials, trendsetting colors now that this just wastes everybody's time.  I'll stop now...just really bothered me this morning.

 

New York International Gift Fair 2010

NYIGF is the leading trade show in the United States and presents over 2,800 exhibitors, 6,000 product lines in 650,000 square feet of space.  It's primarily for the global gift industry, but I like to go to get ideas for new trends, new products, and mostly inspiration.

 
One of the trends I see, is allowing people to create their own look, from jewelry to sandals.  You know those bracelets that are popular right now, where you can add charms that express your individuality?

I see this trend growing with rings, flip flops or they are called switchflops, sling sandals and even ballet flats, which they call snap shoes.  You can change the straps, the decorations up and down the straps, switch out toe decorations, etc.    

 

I'm not quite sure how this works for the promotional industry.  I was thinking of all the events that are held on beaches, for shared branding. Say "I'm a Heineken" or "I'm a Heineken Light".  Provide many different inexpensive custom sandal charms that would allow the individuals to express themselves and your Brand's fun. Get people talking, meeting each other, discussing your products.  These events are usually for the younger singles target market . Great ice breaker, still wearing them out at night, more talking. I think they could work in a number of ways for positive Branding. 

I never thought about a customized fish bowl.  I'd like this more than a box of doughnuts when "that sales guy" comes by.

The bottom is solid.  It looks like loose gravel and the ocean floor, but it is all fitted and glued for easy shipping and cleaning. The background of this glass box, that holds a gold fish, is a beach scene.  It can be a four color process background with your logo or a standard scene of your choice including your Brand.  I thought this was pretty neat.

I guess my fave was the ability to do custom keyboards.  I thought this would be a great branding opportunity with a cool design.  The Superbowl is upon us, I'm sure football fans would put their team logos on their keyboards.  They are inexpensive, easy to mail, peel and restick easily, so you won't get in trouble at work...like deisgner stickers or skins for your keyboard.

Another product I found that I think would be a very cool new promotional item is a little gizmo that finds your keys.  (Or for me this morning...find my cell phone that I let the battery run down.  Ugh)  So there is a credit card size transmitter (that would be branded with your logo) and a small little plastic piece that would go on your key tag.  When you misplace your keys - pull the little card out of your wallet, push the bottom and a little alarm goes off signaling where your keys are.
You can customize the little key chain attachment too.  Useful, inexpensive and a new cool logo product that no one else at this time is giving out.  Sometimes a successful promotion is just being one of the first out of the gate with a new cool promotional giveaway. You know? 

I saw this sign and liked it's message about having a Big Life, thought you may too. Brand Big ~

New promotional Ideas that follow trends

I got my first pair of fingerless gloves in New York City at a flea market about two years ago.  They're fun, they're striped... I love 'em 

 

I have a new pair for this winter, thanks to Louis from the Rosebud Casino in Nebraska.  Louis wanted to do a giveaway for the bikers attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 2009. He did customized fingerless gloves. They came out great and he took the time to send me a few photos and a nice note.  That's Louis on the right.

 

"The gloves look great.  I'm fighting off our staff with a stick so that we can make sure we have enough for our promotion.  Great work.

The gloves are a hit, our promo ends this week.  The Rally ended the 9th, but we started a week before and are ending a week after because most of the traveling is done in that period. 

 

This was the first time we had done something like this.  And it was a success.   

The good deal is that we know they are wearing them when they leave.  A few us ride motorcycles (myself included) and we've spotted the gloves on the interstate and at gas stations. 

Good work. "

This is the part of my job that I get high on.  Producing a cool product that enhances a Brand. Promotional items don't have to be stick pens and white 11 oz coffee mugs.   

I have a motorcycle.  When I started riding, I found out there is like a secret motorcycle hand shake.  I'm not sure how to describe it, kind of like a low hand wave.  Whenever you're cruising up the road on your bike and you come upon a fellow biker you both give each other a slow, low sweeping hand to acknowledge each other. It's cool.  I remember the first time I got one.  I felt like I was part of a secret club.  Makes me smile to think of the Rosebud Casino custom fingerless gloves.  It makes them doubly cool.  So now with the wave, they're not only fellow bikers but they shared a rockin good time at Sturgis at the Rosebud Casino.  Memorable. 

See you next year at the Rosebud, thanks Louis.

  

Viral Photo Campaign

Drive traffic, collect data, increase awareness, measure return, maximize your profits, extend the life of your promotion, create a viral campaign...everybody wishes for the Holy Grail answers to all these needed marketing measurements.

Have you heard of this new type of RFID Logo Dog Tag?  I think I found a candidate, in the line of promotional items, that lets us do it all.  They're made in the USA, patented, full color and very cool.

Check them out, logo dog tags, but they can also be tickets, V.I.P. passes, memberships, music downloads, phone minute downloads, online activities, and more.  

The dog tags are customized, then passed out at targeted events.  It could be a concert, an airport, a product launch, a book signing, a dance club, a political rally, you think of something you need branded and we'll tell you how to play it.  A good way to figure out who your audience really is, or can be, how they think, what they like.  You can target the appeal directly to your choice segment.

Drink Tag ~ It can deliver up to 6000 cocktail recipes to mobile phones.  This would've been good for the Trump vodka "Name a martini contest" our friends at Overit Media created.

Point of Sale Tag ~ It can be scanned and used as a web based tool for redemption of discounts, prizes and rewards.  A three-panel tag is also available.  It has a built in closure clip giving you even more room for branding "Real estate".

Digital Tags ~ It gives bands the power to create the tag as a part of their collectible merchandise, it brings awareness to bands music and/or video.  It's a pin-based online program that offers downloads and the ability to purchase their custom merchandise.  Would be great to hand out on tour, capture the heartbeat of each city you played.

Photo Tag ~ This one is my favorites.  This is an entire program for turning visitors into clients.  It begins with the event strategy.  Designing the website, creating the tags, booking the brand ambassadors for each scheduled event and starting the buzz. (Love that part)

  The brand ambassadors are armed with special cameras touring through the crowd taking random shots of guest and giving them the logo RFID dog tags.  The participants get home, log on to the specially created website showcasing your brand, driving the message home.  They answer a few strategic questions in a short survey then ~Bang they get to see their photo. Remembering their funny selves and your brand, did I mention your brand?  They even get to send the branded photo to their buds. Here is the viral campaign I was talking about. There is your brand front and center in their Blog/Myspace/Facebook world. This marketing strategy has a proven 70% success rate. You now know where they live, what they enjoyed or remembered about the event, your marketing interests are answered and you get to see who they forwarded the photo too as well.

You have options to attach the tags too:  Beads, chains, lanyards, key rings, etc...  They not only show off your brand but you can capture your segment, begin a database and learn how best to make your clients happy by reading their feedback left on your site. Brilliant.