Need some inspiration for your next promotion? Check out Partnership Activation. This is my favorite new marketing website. There are some truly fantastic promotions being done around the world. Notice how branded promotional products play an important roll in many of these be it directly or indirectly. Before your next campaign bring ideavation in for a no obligation brainstorm on how we can help make your next promotion award winning.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
We own the podium!
After an amazing 17 day journey the Olympics have come to an end. Who could ever imagined that these games would have touched so many people from coast to coast. Where do you even begin? From tragedy to triumph to the renewed sense of patriotism and the emotional roller coaster that the athletes journeys took us on...it will be something nobody in this great nation will forget anytime soon.
Globe and Mail columnist Stephen Brunt's Olympic Montage sums up the games wonderfully. I urge you to watch this video if you haven't seen it already.
Scott
My top five favorite moments of the Games:
(1) Sidney Crosby's overtime goal to win the gold medal
(4) Jon Montgomery's gold medal win and his truly Canadian celebration walk through Whistler with beer in hand
(5) Kristi Richards getting up and finishing her run after crashing in the moguls to show her sportsmanship and class
I'd love to hear what memories you have from the games!
Scott
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Innovations Abound At MAGIC Apparel Show
Innovations Abound At MAGIC Apparel Show
Optimism ran high at The MAGIC Marketplace show in Las Vegas last week. But while things were looking up, apparel innovators were setting their sights lower. Specifically, we're referring to the hips and backside, with three companies offering new innovations in comfort and shape for the most neglected of areas:
M'Chic Fashions is on a mission to eliminate the dreaded "muffin top" forever. The company has created designer jeans with a built-in cotton/spandex panel to create a slimmer silhouette for women across their midsection. "A lot of women wear girdles and Spanx, so this is an all-in-one solution for them," says Tracey Kerr, the company's director of sales. The spandex is breathable and comes in either black or nude colors.
One product that certainly is "behind" the times is the Booty Pop, a padded pair of cotton/spandex underwear designed to give women the backside they always wanted. "Women like to have a nice shape," says Shelia Showalter, national sales manager. "For a lot of women, that's where they're lacking. And there are already several padded products for bras out there." The product, which comes in black and nude colors, will be making its way into select retail outlets starting in April.
The guys weren't left out of the underwear innovations. A company called (B)RIEF underneath is touting a 2-in-1 solution for men ??? 100% cotton briefs sewn into boxers, lounge pants and thermals. "Underwear for the consumer today is changing," says company President Eddie Betesh. "You can't go to bed in your tightie-whities anymore!!
Another major trend that emerged from MAGIC was the use of the shoe as a promotional vehicle. One company, RacerTreadz, is capitalizing on the green trend by making flip-flops out of used racing tires. The company has a license with Goodyear (which supplies the tires for NASCAR) and can customize the sandals with the names, numbers and cars of individual NASCAR drivers, making the footwear out of their very own tires. The manufacturer also is making shirts, hats and other items from the material; one tire helps create 500 hats.
For another trend at the MAGIC show, bags have gotten an intriguing technological upgrade thanks to a company called Scratch Tracks. Its Fydelity line features brightly-colored "Stereobags" that include built-in speakers and a jack to plug into an iPod or smart phone. The bags which include coolers, backpacks, fanny packs and tote bags require four AA batteries to play. For those who want to do without the batteries, another line called Neon Green utilizes an attachable solar panel that recharges electronics. The panel can clip on to most bags and will recharge outdoors or indoors. The company offers similar technology to attach to key chains and the backs of phones.
Optimism ran high at The MAGIC Marketplace show in Las Vegas last week. But while things were looking up, apparel innovators were setting their sights lower. Specifically, we're referring to the hips and backside, with three companies offering new innovations in comfort and shape for the most neglected of areas:
M'Chic Fashions is on a mission to eliminate the dreaded "muffin top" forever. The company has created designer jeans with a built-in cotton/spandex panel to create a slimmer silhouette for women across their midsection. "A lot of women wear girdles and Spanx, so this is an all-in-one solution for them," says Tracey Kerr, the company's director of sales. The spandex is breathable and comes in either black or nude colors.
One product that certainly is "behind" the times is the Booty Pop, a padded pair of cotton/spandex underwear designed to give women the backside they always wanted. "Women like to have a nice shape," says Shelia Showalter, national sales manager. "For a lot of women, that's where they're lacking. And there are already several padded products for bras out there." The product, which comes in black and nude colors, will be making its way into select retail outlets starting in April.
The guys weren't left out of the underwear innovations. A company called (B)RIEF underneath is touting a 2-in-1 solution for men ??? 100% cotton briefs sewn into boxers, lounge pants and thermals. "Underwear for the consumer today is changing," says company President Eddie Betesh. "You can't go to bed in your tightie-whities anymore!!
Another major trend that emerged from MAGIC was the use of the shoe as a promotional vehicle. One company, RacerTreadz, is capitalizing on the green trend by making flip-flops out of used racing tires. The company has a license with Goodyear (which supplies the tires for NASCAR) and can customize the sandals with the names, numbers and cars of individual NASCAR drivers, making the footwear out of their very own tires. The manufacturer also is making shirts, hats and other items from the material; one tire helps create 500 hats.
For another trend at the MAGIC show, bags have gotten an intriguing technological upgrade thanks to a company called Scratch Tracks. Its Fydelity line features brightly-colored "Stereobags" that include built-in speakers and a jack to plug into an iPod or smart phone. The bags which include coolers, backpacks, fanny packs and tote bags require four AA batteries to play. For those who want to do without the batteries, another line called Neon Green utilizes an attachable solar panel that recharges electronics. The panel can clip on to most bags and will recharge outdoors or indoors. The company offers similar technology to attach to key chains and the backs of phones.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Look before you Tweet!
Freedom of Speech? Not with the IOC. Athlete bloggers at the upcoming Winter Olympics http://www.vancouver2010.com. Big brother the IOC is watching. Just because you are representing your country don’t think for a second you are allowed to tell the world about it…well you can but you have to watch your words and photos. http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1433.pdf. For starters you can't call it “My Olympic Blog”, the athletes cant be getting paid to post something because that is reporting, the blog can't have advertising. The IOC condsiders blogging “personal expression” but that expression must be restricted to personal experiences. No Olympic symbols, no sounds or moving images, no action photos, no opening or closing ceremony pics and no photos of other people without their permission. What about Facebook and Twitter? I am sure there is another whole list of do’s and don’t’s for those….shouldn't the IOC worry about more important things than athletes promoting the Games and giving more press and attention to an already overhyped event?
Scott
Monday, January 11, 2010
Be seen, Be Heard in 2010
With the 2010 Olympics just around the corner it is interesting to look at the event from the point of view as a promotional marketing specialist. In December I attended the Olympic Torch Relay at Nathan Phillips Square in hopes to see the torch pass through, however I was so overwhelmed by people waiting in line at the Coke trailer and RBC tent to pick up the free goods that I missed the torch altogether.
Having worked in the Promotional Industry for a few years it is always exciting to see the products that marketers select to help build and promote their brand. The tambourines handed out by RBC and the flags and Coke light-up torches were in very high demand that night. The sound of tambourines vibrated through the air and the Coke Torches lit up the sky. I would definitely say a fantastic selection of products for the Olympic Torch Relay.
In case you missed the Olympic Torch Relay check out this You Tube video.
Phenomenal promotional products are not only available to big brands like RBC and Coke. Every day we put our brains together and come up with great ideas to help build brands. Many companies had to scale back their marketing budgets last year, however 2010 is the year to Be Seen, Be Heard. The Olympics has started the year off with a bang now let's keep the excitement going with your companies brand building campaigns.
Here are a few points to consider when thinking about products for your campaign:
1. Share your vision for the campaign with promotional product specialists. There are literally millions of products available. When we know your vision we can help you achieve it.
2. Not 100% sure what your overall vision is? Then, what is the key message you want to deliver? Most promotional product specialists could also add professional brainstormer to their resume as we do a lot of this every day.
3. Give yourself some time. With time on your side the options are more readily available. The Coke Glow Torch was not thought of overnight. An entire campaign was behind it. You have the time to do something custom I would highly recommend it because customization is the key to standing out in a crowd and customization does not mean that it is more expensive.
Fabulous products pass by our desks and our computer monitors every day. For example, today a supplier stopped in and showed us a new umbrella style that is in the shape of a wine bottle! It is a perfect product for a vineyard to sell in their gift shop or a wine company to give away with the purchase of a bottle of their wine.
Whether you are looking for something that is 100% Canadian made, technology based or has the ultimate WOW factor we can help you build an Olympic brand building campaign.
January is tradeshow month so if you do have an idea in mind keep us posted and put our brainstorming skills to work.
Happy 2010.
Having worked in the Promotional Industry for a few years it is always exciting to see the products that marketers select to help build and promote their brand. The tambourines handed out by RBC and the flags and Coke light-up torches were in very high demand that night. The sound of tambourines vibrated through the air and the Coke Torches lit up the sky. I would definitely say a fantastic selection of products for the Olympic Torch Relay.
In case you missed the Olympic Torch Relay check out this You Tube video.
Phenomenal promotional products are not only available to big brands like RBC and Coke. Every day we put our brains together and come up with great ideas to help build brands. Many companies had to scale back their marketing budgets last year, however 2010 is the year to Be Seen, Be Heard. The Olympics has started the year off with a bang now let's keep the excitement going with your companies brand building campaigns.
Here are a few points to consider when thinking about products for your campaign:
1. Share your vision for the campaign with promotional product specialists. There are literally millions of products available. When we know your vision we can help you achieve it.
2. Not 100% sure what your overall vision is? Then, what is the key message you want to deliver? Most promotional product specialists could also add professional brainstormer to their resume as we do a lot of this every day.
3. Give yourself some time. With time on your side the options are more readily available. The Coke Glow Torch was not thought of overnight. An entire campaign was behind it. You have the time to do something custom I would highly recommend it because customization is the key to standing out in a crowd and customization does not mean that it is more expensive.
Fabulous products pass by our desks and our computer monitors every day. For example, today a supplier stopped in and showed us a new umbrella style that is in the shape of a wine bottle! It is a perfect product for a vineyard to sell in their gift shop or a wine company to give away with the purchase of a bottle of their wine.
Whether you are looking for something that is 100% Canadian made, technology based or has the ultimate WOW factor we can help you build an Olympic brand building campaign.
January is tradeshow month so if you do have an idea in mind keep us posted and put our brainstorming skills to work.
Happy 2010.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Attitude Adjustment
Having spent most of my twenties being a professional student I fully understand the concept of being a number. Now here I am at the ripe age of 30 doing everything in my power to not be a number and stand out in a crowd – professionally that is. I am not interested in the paparazzi following me but I am entrepreneurial and am very excited to build business, grow my career and take some risks!
Some of the suppliers I work with who stand out in my mind and will always have my loyalty are what I like to refer to as “just get it done” people. They possess an attitude that make me feel at ease to work with because no matter what I know they will just get it done – no unnecessary questions asked!
This is the attitude I strive to achieve every day. I am a solution provider and will do everything in my power to help my clients achieve success in their job.
As per my last blog I am very intrigued, excited perhaps even a little nervous about what the New Economy will bring.
I think the new economy is going to bring a shift in attitude…for the better. Here are my top 3 predictions of what this shift of attitude will bring. I think the next two years are crucial. It is sink or swim time. It is time to get positive, work together and stop being a victim of the recession. Most of us felt some pain over, but now we have to get over it and learn from the past and do it better than before!
1. Knowledge is Power. More than ever I think many people are realizing how important it is to be in the know, hence the popularity of Social Media. I use Tweetdeck and at any one time I can browse through the updates and see what is going on in the world, from which celebrity is having a baby to the latest traffic problem in Toronto. People don’t trust the world like they once did and why would they when folks like Bernie Madoff are making headlines? In addition, we have an unlimited amount of knowledge (some true and some not so much) at our finger tips called the World Wide Web. The more we know and the more we learn the better we become at who we are and at what we do. Knowledge is power.
2. The demise of the “Me” Attitude. For so long I think many of us would ask the question what can you do for me? Now the question is or should be what can I do for you?
Now more than ever companies need to work as one cohesive unit – lending a helping hand when possible and most importantly being gracious for the help offered. My CV is fairly extensive in regards to the type of companies I have worked at. I have done everything from family business to large corporations to working in a medium sized business internationally to small business to owning my own business and the one commonality in all these settings is the difficulty of getting everyone on the same page to work towards the goals of the company which will lead and should lead to success all around.
From building strategic alliances to a cohesive unit requires a lot of communication and a lot of energy. This now more than ever is what is going to keep companies strong and growing forcefully into the future. Working as a team and adding value as a teammate is key.
3. Where’s the loyalty? Growing up in a business house my father engrained in us that in order to have success you had to have loyalty. I believe a large portion of loyalty died a few years back. Anyone who has been in business twenty plus years will say that times are different – there’s no loyalty. Just wait though; I believe LOYALTY is making a comeback. Loyalty is the new black!
Companies need loyal employees to keep them running strong, they need loyal clients to keep them financially afloat, they need loyal suppliers to help them out when they are in a bind and in return they must reciprocate the loyalty.
So what do my predictions about the shift in attitude for the new economy have to do with ideavation and me PromoGirlTO???
We boldly call ourselves Solution Providers and it is a big title to tackle. Being a young business we have and will continue to experience growing pains. However, we may be small but we are mighty.
As mentioned I spent my twenties being a professional student and also working a lot of random jobs. I know how important it is to be knowledgeable. I also know the work involved to stand out in a crowd. The words “I don’t know” do not exist in my vocabulary. If I don’t know – I quickly find out and this is also the attitude we practice at ideavation. Anyone can answer a question with “I don’t know” but the difference between us and them is if we don’t know – we quickly find out.
We are always seeking out new knowledge. A supplier cannot cross our path without being bombarded with industry questions, we subscribe and read industry publications, we attend tradeshows within our industry as well as related industries, and we are just “out there” learning what we can from what is happening around us.
We are the Promotional Marketing experts and want our clients to benefit from our knowledge. That is what we can do for you! To even further our loyalty to our clients and our business we are in the process of developing educational seminars. Our goal is to educate you – the buyer – to help inform you on smarter buying decisions, new trends as well as provide you an opportunity to ask as many questions as you want. This is our commitment to growing your success within your organization and our commitment to growing our partnerships with our clients.
Till next time.
4ever livin’n UR brand,
PromoGirlTO
(Follow me on twitter)
Some of the suppliers I work with who stand out in my mind and will always have my loyalty are what I like to refer to as “just get it done” people. They possess an attitude that make me feel at ease to work with because no matter what I know they will just get it done – no unnecessary questions asked!
This is the attitude I strive to achieve every day. I am a solution provider and will do everything in my power to help my clients achieve success in their job.
As per my last blog I am very intrigued, excited perhaps even a little nervous about what the New Economy will bring.
I think the new economy is going to bring a shift in attitude…for the better. Here are my top 3 predictions of what this shift of attitude will bring. I think the next two years are crucial. It is sink or swim time. It is time to get positive, work together and stop being a victim of the recession. Most of us felt some pain over, but now we have to get over it and learn from the past and do it better than before!
1. Knowledge is Power. More than ever I think many people are realizing how important it is to be in the know, hence the popularity of Social Media. I use Tweetdeck and at any one time I can browse through the updates and see what is going on in the world, from which celebrity is having a baby to the latest traffic problem in Toronto. People don’t trust the world like they once did and why would they when folks like Bernie Madoff are making headlines? In addition, we have an unlimited amount of knowledge (some true and some not so much) at our finger tips called the World Wide Web. The more we know and the more we learn the better we become at who we are and at what we do. Knowledge is power.
2. The demise of the “Me” Attitude. For so long I think many of us would ask the question what can you do for me? Now the question is or should be what can I do for you?
Now more than ever companies need to work as one cohesive unit – lending a helping hand when possible and most importantly being gracious for the help offered. My CV is fairly extensive in regards to the type of companies I have worked at. I have done everything from family business to large corporations to working in a medium sized business internationally to small business to owning my own business and the one commonality in all these settings is the difficulty of getting everyone on the same page to work towards the goals of the company which will lead and should lead to success all around.
From building strategic alliances to a cohesive unit requires a lot of communication and a lot of energy. This now more than ever is what is going to keep companies strong and growing forcefully into the future. Working as a team and adding value as a teammate is key.
3. Where’s the loyalty? Growing up in a business house my father engrained in us that in order to have success you had to have loyalty. I believe a large portion of loyalty died a few years back. Anyone who has been in business twenty plus years will say that times are different – there’s no loyalty. Just wait though; I believe LOYALTY is making a comeback. Loyalty is the new black!
Companies need loyal employees to keep them running strong, they need loyal clients to keep them financially afloat, they need loyal suppliers to help them out when they are in a bind and in return they must reciprocate the loyalty.
So what do my predictions about the shift in attitude for the new economy have to do with ideavation and me PromoGirlTO???
We boldly call ourselves Solution Providers and it is a big title to tackle. Being a young business we have and will continue to experience growing pains. However, we may be small but we are mighty.
As mentioned I spent my twenties being a professional student and also working a lot of random jobs. I know how important it is to be knowledgeable. I also know the work involved to stand out in a crowd. The words “I don’t know” do not exist in my vocabulary. If I don’t know – I quickly find out and this is also the attitude we practice at ideavation. Anyone can answer a question with “I don’t know” but the difference between us and them is if we don’t know – we quickly find out.
We are always seeking out new knowledge. A supplier cannot cross our path without being bombarded with industry questions, we subscribe and read industry publications, we attend tradeshows within our industry as well as related industries, and we are just “out there” learning what we can from what is happening around us.
We are the Promotional Marketing experts and want our clients to benefit from our knowledge. That is what we can do for you! To even further our loyalty to our clients and our business we are in the process of developing educational seminars. Our goal is to educate you – the buyer – to help inform you on smarter buying decisions, new trends as well as provide you an opportunity to ask as many questions as you want. This is our commitment to growing your success within your organization and our commitment to growing our partnerships with our clients.
Till next time.
4ever livin’n UR brand,
PromoGirlTO
(Follow me on twitter)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Irish Spring Gets It Right!
Once upon a time traditional media - TV, radio, print and outdoor billboard advertising - were regarded as the foundation for any marketing campaign. Promotional Products were simply giveaways tacked on to a media buy as an afterthought - but not any more. In a down economy, the demand for marketing dollars accountability is forcing marketers to explore nontraditional media and mediums. Promotional Products are just the answer. Promotional Products are tangible. Buyers can see what they get for their money. The more you can influence the emotions of a prospect, the better you are positioned. Promotional products do just that! They are more effective than other media because they excite the senses.
Yesterday afternoon I was on my way to the Air Canada Centre to see the Toronto Raptors play the Utah Jazz. Even though it was a Sunday I had my marketing cap on. I have to give accolades to the brand manager at Colgate who is responsible for Irish Spring. On the corner of Bay and Front Street there was an Irish Spring Street Team doing product sampling. The team members were well branded with hats, jackets and sampling bags and were handing out sample sizes of Irish Spring Body Wash.
Now on the surface this seemed like any other traditional sampling opportunity. The difference however is that Irish Spring sponsors the Raptors Dance Pak (http://www.nba.com/raptors/features/dancepak0809.html). By using the sampling opportunity as a first point of contact with the potential consumer and then reinforcing it with their involvement in the Dance Pak it only helped to better position itself in the consumer's mind. I mentioned this experience to a colleague of mine who has been to numerous Raptor games this year and she had no idea that Irish Spring was the sponsor. I bet you that if she got a sample yesterday and then went to the game she would have put two and two together.
It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to stand out in a crowded marketplace. You just have to have a well thought out comprehensive marketing plan. Do you think a billboard outside the ACC that cost 10 x as much as the uniforms and samples would have made a well informed marketer like me take notice? Doubt it...so what do you think the ROI on the billboard for the average consumer would have been??
Let me know what you think!
Scott Hulbert
Managing Director
ideavation
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