T-Shirts Help Brand Revival

"Was that Kim Kardashian in a Boone’s Farm T-shirt? Yes, it was. The socialite and reality show star is just one of many trendsetters to sport a T-shirt touting the quirky brand. Boone’s Farm, the fruit-flavored, inexpensive wine launched in the 1960s, is in the midst of a revival. Three years ago it launched its “Bring Boone’s Back” marketing effort. The goal was to make the brand relevant among influencers. Its marketing tool of choice: T-shirts. Style-conscious celebrities, deejays and members of the press were seeded with a high-end logoed shirt, which is also available at upscale retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue. “The branded Boone’s Farm T-shirts are an effective marketing tool because they serve as walking billboards for our brand,” says Kammy Dosanjh Chahal, assistant marketing manager of E&J Gallo Winery, which owns Boone’s. “Simply using posters and serving product is great, but that’s easily ignored by consumers.” Looking to broaden its tongue-in-cheek outreach, the brand partnered with the ’80s-inspired Tony-award-winning Broadway musical Rock of Ages. As a sponsor, Boone’s was integrated into pre- and post-show activities. Boone’s Farm also struck a sponsorship deal with the 2009 Air Guitar Championship. The tour traveled throughout U.S. cities in search of the person who can “rock out the hardest on an invisible guitar.” Samplers clad in hot-pink Boone’s Farm shirts handed out drink cards promoting Boone’s Farm and its newest flavor, Sunshine Pink. The “Boone’s Farm Girls” also swept balloons, confetti and other debris from the stage in-between acts. Contestants received the shirts as well as samples of the product, which they were seen chugging on stage, backstage and on the tour bus. “The presence of the samplers moving through the crowd in bright pink T-shirts was impossible to ignore, and it helped to have the hosts, a focal point of every show, wear the shirts as well,” says Chahal. “Air guitar talent wore the T-shirts on TV appearances, which extended the Boone’s Farm presence. It created a common theme and made our presence and co-branding undeniable.” -Article By Kenneth Hein  So what are some Kreative ways that your business could use t-shirts? Recently KPINC.co has provided t-shirts as uniforms for Pre-Shools, Restaurants, Youth Groups and many others looking for a way to promote their brand indebty.  Custom printed apparel can be a Kreative and cost effective way to get your companies name and message out to the masses. A well placed, perfectly timed marketing campaign utilizing custom printed apparel can create buzz, stir up conversation and even help increase sales. Their are several options to choose from when deciding how you will utilize custom printed t-shirts. I will highlight a few below in no particular order. #1. Custom Screen Print is the most commonly used form of custom printed t-shirts.  -The advantages Using this method is that when placing a larger order your cost per/piece is genuinely affordable and will even allow for the possibility making a profit if you plan to resell the product.  -Basics Printing can be done a variety of material and color options with rare exception. Each separate color requires a separate screen (thus the name screen print). The more colors in your design, the more screens. Most decorators will charge an additional set-up fee per screen. Low minimum quantities and a variety of options allow for a cost effective and Kreative way to help promote your brand. -Art When choosing this method your art must be provided in what is an .Eps (or Vector Art) file format. It is important to discuss with you Kreative Consultant as re creating certain art files may incur additional art charges. #2 Dye Sublmation a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye onto medium materials such as a plastic card, paper, or fabric. The sublimation name is applied because the dye transitions between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid stage. Many consumer and professional dye-sublimation printers are designed and used for producing photographic prints. -Basics Printing is limited to certain types of non-cotton material. Light colored (typically white) garments are also preferably when choosing this method however an experienced decorate can offer Kreative solutions that will enable you to reach your desired look. The minimum quanitu order for this process is usually high and is something that should be discussed prior to choosing this method.

#3 Direct To Garment (DTG)

a process of printing on textiles and garments using specialized or modified inkjet technology. The two key requirements of a DTG printer are a transport mechanism for the garment and specialty inks (inkjet textile inks) that are applied to the textile directly and are absorbed by the fibers.

-Basics

As with Dye Sublimaton, Light Colroed garments are preferable, however, in teh case DTG the materail must be 100% coton for best overal image. Extreamly low miniumums make this a Kreative way to showcase your special event or even tell that special somone how you feel on valetines day. 

 

-Art

With DTG a high quality .Jpg or .Pdf file is uslayy acceptable. One advantage that DTG provides is that you are not limited to teh number of colors your graphic can have however, the images will never be as crisp as when you choose screen printing or dye sublimation.

Apple iPad 3

So are the rumors true? Will Apple in fact unveil a 3rd Generation Apple iPad? I’m not certain about all of that, however, as a current IPad 2 user I have personally come to rely on its durability and ease of use for running daily business apps. My iPad 2 enables us to display our Kreative suite of over 350,000 Promotional Products to our clients as well as accept credit card transactions, remote into my office desktop, create new PO’s and invoices, watch movies, listen to music,  and of course the bible study and reading applications are 2^nd to none. 

So what does this have to do with the Promotions Products Industry and why am I choosing to make this my first official blog? Well, in 2011 the Promotional Products industry was all-the-buzz with imprinted IPad 2 accessories. These were Kreative corporate gifts and also allowed companies of all sizes to promote their brand on every presentation. The stylus devices were a cost effective and Kreative Solution to help keep our clients name and services Top of Mind with their clients and prospects. 

‘Some people are electing to buy an iPad rather than a Mac. A materially larger number are electing to buy an iPad instead of a Windows-based PC.’ “Recognized revenue from the iPad segment was $6.9 billion for the quarter (as of October 2011). Apple tallied $2.8 billion in recognized iPad revenue last year.” (Click Here for Source)

Whether you’re an IPad fan or not, one this is absolutely certain, the power of this tablet is undeniable. The Promotional Products industry is a $19.4 billion a year industry. Why? Only one reason… Promotional Products Work! Apples iOS (Apple operations system) device accessories are able to be personally branded with your company’s logo and often times, a call to action. 

As your Kreative consultation firm we want to be among the first to make you aware that the next generation of Apple device accessories will be available very soon. I am eagerly anticipating the release of the new devices which is expected to take place later this afternoon, and look forward to helping you keep your company or organizations name at the top of client/prospects mind. Ultimately leading to an increase in your bottom line revenue and promoting your brand recognition above your direct competition. 

Call us today to schedule you Kreative consultation.  Whether it’s a branded Apple accessory, the right promotional tote bag or custom screen printed apparel, with over 350,000 Kreative Solutions we are certain to find the perfect Promotional Marketing solution to promote your brand (try saying that 3 times fast). Keep tuning in as I plan to update the blogosphere with our thoughts on the best Apple accessories and other Kreative ways to Promote your Brand.

Redefining CRM: Expanding Its Reach in a Mobile World

American Express developed its advertising slogan, "Don't leave home without
it," in the 1970s. What we won't leave home without has changed dramatically
since then. For me, it's a very short list: my keys, my wallet, and, of
course, my smartphone. And I doubt I'm alone.
This burgeoning landscape of mobile devices begs the question: Isn't it time to
redefine customer relationship management to include mobile relationship
management?

Why should it be limited to corporate use? For too long, CRM solutions have
really only catered to the enterprise and small-to-midsize-business (SMB)
world. One of the largest sectors of any economy, the individual consumer,
which includes the sub-SMB realm, has been virtually overlooked. This untargeted
and therefore untapped market opportunity stands to gain possibly
more than any other from the best aspects that traditional CRM provides its
users.

To reach these previously overlooked consumers, we must redefine CRM by
focusing on the fundamental components of relationship management. At its
core, CRM exists to effect higher sales and profits for its users. Even the recent
surge of social media reinforces its primary goal of developing personal relationships
from which to create more loyal customers. And just as our best relationships
imply an element of closeness, both social and mobile solutions
provide further means with which to maintain and expand that condition.

According to Forrester, 1.5 billion people are using smartphones and tablets.
Many of them are self-employed individuals or employees of small organizations
who, because of mobile devices, are able to work how they want, where
they want. As independent users, their professional success depends even
more heavily on their ability to develop and maintain business relationships.
As smartphone and tablet users, they require mobile business solutions to
manage those relationships.

While fewer than 20 million people currently use enterprise CRM/CM solutions,
the remaining mobile device users who are unlikely to use existing
CRM systems now have access to relationship management solutions. Given
the power, ubiquity, and convenience of the smartphone, who couldn't use it
for mobile relationship management? After all, most people in business are
relationship-centric in one way or another.
People are becoming more and more dependent on their mobile devices. Over
time, as the functionality and utility of these devices increase, their dependency
on PCs and notebooks will decrease. Mobile should provide more flexibility,
not less.

To many mobile device users, traditional relationship management options
are too complex, pricey, and cumbersome. These mobile device users are
looking for truly convenient, desktop-like, full-featured applications for their
devices and will create greater demand for consumer-priced solutions, including
CRM. And, at the risk of sounding heretical, there is actually a place
for an individual to use both an established CRM system for corporate purposes,
as well as one for outside-of-corporate reasons for those whose companies
mandate CRM use but have no place to manage their other relationship
knowledge.

To better meet the needs of the CRM veteran entrenched in an enterprise system
and using mobile as an adjunct, personal, database manager, as well as
the individual user new to the benefits of relationship management for business,
CRM must be redefined. It must go beyond merely recognizing the exishtence
of mobile users to fully capitalizing on the opportunities of the new mobile landscape.

As Mark Roberge, VP of sales for HubSpot, recently said to me, "If it doesn't
run on my smartphone, then I won't use it." Now there's an interesting followup
story...

This guest blog post is by CRM industry veteran and expert, Mike
Muhney. He's the cofounder and cocreator of ACT!, and the CEO and
cofounder of VIPorbit Software, which focuses on mobile relationship
management solutions for users of smartphones and tablets. http://blog.sellingpower.com/gg/2011/11/redefining-crm-expanding-its-reach-in-a-mobile-world.html

How to Use Advertising Specialties and Premiums in Direct Mail Campaigns

Incentives work.
They work to get results to your direct mail, your space ad, your exhibit stand at a trade show, off a television commercial - in the hands of your sales reps. Because human beings are "people", advertising specialties and premiums get our attention. They are "things" we see, touch, taste, smell, hear. They are colorful or interesting or attractive or fascinating. Someone else has this "thing" - we want one too. Specialties and premiums should be considered as you build your direct marketing program. They can work for you. Let's talk about what these tools are - and how to use them.
Every day we are bombarded with dozens, scores, literally hundreds of advertising, marketing, sales promotion, merchandising and sales messages. Something like 560 a day. We may see 80, remember 12, and have strong opinions about only 3.

Although this was not the case in 1845 when the earliest recorded use of an advertising specialty occurred, the reason then was the same as now: offering recognition and being remembered.
An insurance agent in upstate New York asked a number of his business friends to display his announcement in their offices. They all refused. WII-FM went into play: What's In It For Me.
So this ingenious gentleman purchased a handful of blank calendar pads, attached his business message and presented them as gifts to those same friends. They promptly placed them on their wall, thus pleasing everyone. There was something in it for me. I had gained a useful item. This simple start was the beginning of advertising specialties as a business and marketing tool.

Let's define the terms. What IS an "advertising specialty"? What IS a "premium?

Advertising specialties have these characteristics:

• They are useful ideas for the office or home, car or boat, for traveling, for fun and games - and they are usually of nominal value,
• They bring with them some message - usually very specific as part of a total marketing program,
• They include the name and logo of the distributing company or association,
• They are rarely personalized to the receiver,
• They are offered with absolutely no strings attached - you get them because you are who you are or where you are - you don't have to do a thing, just be present.

You use a specialty prior to getting a piece of business ... or in conjunction with contact with your prospect or customer. For example, I've given away non-personalized post-it note pads or pens at many of my seminars. Each a simple tool the receivers can use. All with absolutely no strings. They attend the seminar - they receive the small "gift". Period.
Advertising specialties are used to open a door, to increase interest or awareness or your company, its' products and services. Maybe when you launch something new, move into new territory - introduce a new person - you give away a specialty to get attention.

Premiums are a little different:

• They are useful, usually of higher quality and value than specialties,
• Sometimes they come with a message and as part of a total marketing program - not necessarily as a part of the premium itself. Instead they are offered by virtue of close association with the product or service being promoted,
• Frequently, not always, these items are personalized by name, company or some other way to the receiver,
• They most definitely come with strings attached - strings that say: "when you take this hardware demonstration we'll give you this software package", or "buy this product by this date and we'll give you this bonus gift absolutely FREE".

Most often you use a premium following contact, or a sale, a presentation, a meeting. The premium is used to cement the relationship you started, to build on your position. You offer the premium to look good in the eyes of your customer and to encourage repeat business.
My use of premiums is as a small gift I give sponsors of my seminars. There are always 2 or 3 people who are key to the success of each presentation. Those that coordinate everything, reach out with extra service - do something to make my visit pleasant, the experience enjoyable.
To these people I present a "small piece of Arizona" - a gift from where I live. This has varied over the years. A truly unique design paper weight or tile, useful on their desk or in their office, has been well received by my hosts.

What makes both advertising specialties and premiums different from other forms of advertising and marketing is they are useful. You can do something with them, and usually gain a benefit by doing so. They are not only a message - they are an item with a message.

Specialty advertising and premiums offer 4 key strengths:

• They target a very specific marketplace, the audience you want to talk to, and no one else,
• They are of lasting value, because they are useful,
• They can serve a motivational tool, as well as reminder, and "thank-you", and
• They communicate the specific message you wish to communicate.

Because they offer long life (they hang around a while), and because they get multiple exposures (hanging around gets them seen and used), they rightly fit one of the key ingredients of a successful marketing and advertising campaign; they reach the right audience with a message, and they do it over and over again and again.

Advertising specialties and premiums offer more than dimensions. Length, height and width are a part of each item - you can hold it in your hand or set it on a table or hang it on the wall - it is physical.
These length, height and width factors also give a very direct and personal touch ... that extra dimension ... FEELING. Which translates to "emotion". An extremely important and active part of just about every sales activity. Feeling is rarely available in any other marketing or advertising tool. It is with specialties and premiums.

There are just 5 specialty/premium product categories. Every one of the more than 25,000 items that have been used as a specialty or premium falls into one of these 5 categories:

Calendars - wall or desk, watch, wallet or purse, large, small, pop-up, by the month, quarter year or longer, multi-page with beautiful pictures or art, or on a single page with a simple message, printed on paper, plastic, cloth, wood, film and just about everything in between. Businesses use calendars in countless ways ... the average home has 4.
Writing Tools - pencils and pens of all types, shapes, sizes, styles, colors and descriptions, singles and in sets, by the dozen or gross, available in a wide variety of quality and value, from a few pennies to hundreds of dollars or pounds. There isn't a business or person alive, at home or in the office, that cannot make use of another pen or pencil.
Business Gifts & Awards - usually upscale ideas worth a little more, things of "keep" value. Includes functional desk sets and award/wall plaques. It may or may not carry the advertisers name/logo, design or sales message. Used as a reward, for good will, as a "thank-you, as a gift. Available as a serious business tool, and as recognition for volunteers.
Wearables - clothing covers everything from head to toe. Hats and caps to shoes and socks ... and literally everything in between. T-shirts and dress shirts, neckties and scarves, boxer shorts and dress shorts, sports coats and team jackets, belts and buckles, sweaters, sweat suits and sweat bands ... plus dozens more. Used by businesses for team building - used by teams to build rapport.
Catch All - All other ideas - a wide variety of products - fall into this "catch-all" category. Such as beer and coffee mugs, rulers and tape measures, luggage, brief cases and baggage tags, key-chains, notebooks, watches, calculators, radios, televisions, telephones, sports equipment of every dimension, beach and swimming pool toys - literally thousands of ideas. All used to meet the objectives of recognition for the individual - and of being remembered.

Advertising specialties and premiums, to be successful, must be IDEA oriented. Versus "thing".
Yes, you may use the item, the "thing", to get the idea. And to get your message across to your audience. To make that favorable impression. To get attention. To say "thank-you". To create a good image. To increase your awareness. To position your product/service in the eye of your marketplace. To be remembered. To help you achieve an objective.

Specialties and premiums can be passive ... or active. Sometimes they may be both - such as a pen and pencil desk set. You can "look" at it - you can also "use" it.

They build an impression of you, your company, your product and service. They have high retention value, and thus high recall value. They help you be remembered when you're not around. And most often at a reasonable cost per contact.

You may find them useful to generate a lead - and then close that lead into a sale. An advertising specialty may be offered as an incentive to gain a response. Allowing your sales rep to make a presentation. A premium may be used as a closer.

And to create "people" traffic at your store, shop, restaurant or exhibit both at a trade show.
Or to gather more donations for a cause - "when you give "X" you'll earn a FREE "Y" thank-you gift".
Plus, as a bonus "extra" when you make a mail-order purchase from a catalog, off a television commercial or web site promotion.

Advertising specialties and premiums - the medium that "remains to be seen". Think how you can use this marketing concept in your next DM campaign.

Marketers jump into Osama bin Laden death biz

Looks like Osama bin Laden is worth more dead than alive.

That is, at least, in the make-a-buck marketing world of souvenirs, collectibles and tchotchkes.

Within hours of bin Laden's announced death, a wide swath of marketers already had latched onto the leader's sudden demise at the hands of U.S. special forces. Most see it as a chance to cash in with T-shirts, pins, coffee mugs and even risqué thongs that — for $10 to $25 — memorialize or even celebrate the May 1 death of the man who was widely regarded as the world's most-wanted criminal.

Between midnight Sunday and 2 p.m. ET on Monday, thousands of consumer-created souvenirs already had popped up for sale on the websites Zazzle.com and CafePress.com, where royalty-seeking consumers go with original ideas for souvenir-like products that are ulitmately produced by the companies.

"Outside of an election year, this is about as fast a pickup as we've seen in our history," says Joe Schmidt, senior vice president of retail at CafePress.

Executives at its competitor, Zazzle, agree. "We haven't had a moment like this in some time," says Michael Karns, director of marketing at Zazzle. "It wasn't this big when Saddam Hussein was captured."

Observers of popular culture are not the least bit surprised. "People wear these things or buy these things in order to inflict the final indignity on bin Laden," says Grant McCracken, a cultural anthropologist and author of Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation. "And $25 isn't a lot to pay to gain entry in the national act of ridicule."

The tone of most items, Schmidt says, generally falls in one of four categories: patriotism, military support, celebration and a category that he calls "justice is served." But isn't the merchandising of bin Laden's death in poor taste? "We've always viewed ourselves as being a mirror to the culture," Schmidt responds. "What's more important than personal expression?"

Among the items for sale:

•T-shirts.

Already, there are hundreds of designs. The website Tshirthell.com, has sold hundreds of $20 T-shirts that show a stick figure version of a victorious, flag-carrying American standing over the dead stick figure (complete with scraggly beard) of bin Laden. "We made a batch of them and already need to make a bunch more," says Mika Larson, executive director.

A $21.35 T-shirt on Zazzle.com simply says: "Obama killed Osama."

•Buttons.

In making a marketable joke of bin Laden's burial at sea, a $5 button sold on CafePress.com shows a photo of bin Laden under the line "Fish Food."

•Coffee mugs.

A coffee mug shows bin Laden in a gun sight under these words: Death by U.S. Navy Seals, May 1, 2011. It sells for $15 at CafePress.com.

•Caps.

A $15 cap on CafePress.com treats the event like the collegiate basketball tournament that Obama likes to follow by listing the final two brackets as "Obama" and "Osama;" then showing the final bracket winner as "Obama."

•Bumper stickers.

 A $3.95 bumper sticker at Zazzle.com shows pictures of bin Laden and Saddam Hussein with the question: Who's Next?

•Neckties.

It shows bin Laden in a gun sight under the line, "Justice: May 1, 2011" goes for $31.75 on Zazzle.com

•Phone case.

At $51.40, an iPhone case shows a photo of bin Laden with these words stamped across his face: "Mission Accomplished." It's sold at Zazzle.com

•Dog T-shirts.

 For $18, even your dog can wear a T-shirt that commemorates the day. The shirt, which says "Osama's Dead," is Facebook friendly with the familiar thumbs-up "Like" logo.

Staying Ahead of the Technology Curve

QR Codes: the next generation of COOL!

 
Have you seen these funny looking boxes in magazines, newspapers, or supplier catalogs? They are called QR Codes, and are the next great "cool techie tool" for marketing your business. A QR Code, or the abbreviation for Quick Response, is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, website or other data. Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are now used in a much broader context. QR codes can be used to display text, to add a vCard contact, to open a website, an email, or text message. Users can also generate and print their own QR codes for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR code generating sites like qrcode.kaywa.com. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser. Recently, QR codes have become more prevalent in marketing circles and have been integrated into both traditional and interactive campaigns. Media where QR codes have been deployed include: billboard ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, trade-show management, business cards, print ads, contests, direct mail campaigns, websites, email marketing, and couponing. QR Codes can direct an otherwise passive viewer to take immediate action: make a purchase, visit your website, register for an event, or take a survey. Instead of posting a long website address that your audience is likely to forget by the time they get to their computer, place a QR Code on your printed piece or even in your store window. Whether it's an advertisement, direct mail, business card, flyer, or exterior street sign, your potential consumer can immediately gain access to what your company is about, what you're promoting, and you can nudge them to act now instead of the dreaded "maybe later." And to top it off, you can track and analyze the results of your printed pieces.



Tip: Need a recommendation on a QR Reader app? For iPhones, try Red Laser or Tap Reader. For Android phones, try QR Droid or Barcode scanner. You can also download a free QR Reader for any phone by visiting http://get.neoreader.com from your smart phones internet browser. These are all free and available in your "apps".

Online Breach Highlights Data Security Needs!

A massive security breach this week at an online marketing firm placed millions of people at increased risk of e-mail scams and amplified concerns about the safety of data that businesses store. The infiltration at Epsilon exposed the names and e-mail addresses of customers of major companies, including JPMorganChase, Verizon, Citibank, Victoria’s Secret, Target and Walgreens. The scope of the breach at Epsilon, which manages customer databases and e-mail marketing lists for about 2,500 clients, became clear earlier this week as banks, retailers and others began warning customers they could soon be targeted by phishing attacks – e-mail fraud attempts in which scammers purport to be from legitimate businesses in an effort to steal information like account numbers or businesses.
Epsilon says the breach was limited to names and e-mail addresses, and that other sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, were not exposed. Still, “any time you have an organization that loses the contact information of customers for some of the biggest banks in the world, that’s a big deal,” Brian Krebs, editor of Krebs on Security, a website that specializes in online security and crime, told The New York Times. “You’ve just given the bad guys a road map between the banks and their customers.”
The breach is particularly alarming in the wake of a recent AVG survey that found six out of seven small businesses in the United States and United Kingdom have no Internet security measures in place. This lack of security means credit card numbers, confidential reports, e-mails and other information a business would never want made public or destroyed could be vulnerable to attacks. To protect sensitive data, distributors large and small need to put security measures in place. Those efforts start with knowing where data is stored and who has access to it, says Michael Kleeman, a network security expert at the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, companies should consider encrypting data. “If the data is grabbed, you want to make it difficult to utilize,” says Kleeman.
To better protect their data and systems, here are some steps 'companies' should take:

1. Install and update anti-virus software on all company computers and perform all hardware and software updates on time.
2. Institute written policies that govern employee computer use. These policies can include prohibiting personal e-mail use, allowing only routine attachments to be downloaded and requiring employees who download a virus or detect something suspicious to report the problem immediately.
3. Set up a company firewall and business class router.
4. Regularly create back-up files of all important data and store them in a safe or other secure location offsite.