Promotional Products and Corporate Gifts Blog | Brandconnect

Brandconnect Blog

The Subscription Box Revolution: Personalized Merchandise Delivered to Your Door

In recent years, subscription-based merchandise services have swept across the retail landscape, captivating consumers with their convenience and personalization. Let’s delve into the ascent of subscription boxes and why consumers are eagerly embracing this trend for a tailored merchandise experience.

Unrivaled Convenience: Subscription boxes are a modern shopping marvel, delivering a curated selection of merchandise directly to your doorstep on a regular basis. These services eliminate the need for time-consuming trips to brick-and-mortar stores, providing subscribers with a hassle-free shopping experience.

Tailored to Your Tastes: What distinguishes subscription boxes is the personalized touch they offer. Consumers can select boxes that align with their unique preferences and interests. Whether it’s stylish clothing, high-quality gadgets, or collectible items, these boxes can be customized to cater to individual tastes. This level of personalization elevates the excitement of each delivery.

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, subscription boxes simplify merchandise shopping while adding an element of surprise to the experience. Whether you’re exploring new interests or indulging in existing passions, there’s a subscription box ready to deliver personalized merchandise to your doorstep.

Read more

The Art of Creating Promotional Coffee Mugs

Promotional products have long been used as a popular marketing strategy, and coffee mugs have emerged as one of the most versatile and effective promotional items. Companies in Australia have recognized the power of promotional coffee mugs as a tangible representation of their brand that serves as a constant reminder to the user. In this blog post, we will delve into why they are popular, the production process of promotional coffee mugs and explore how they are used in various marketing campaigns across Australia.

What Makes Coffee Mugs So Popular?

Custom coffee mugs are popular for many reasons. One key factor is their ability to generate a significant number of impressions. According to The Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, promotional mugs generate over 1,400 impressions throughout their lifetime. This high impression count can be attributed to the practicality and visibility of coffee mugs. As recipients use them regularly in their homes, offices, or public spaces, the brand and message imprinted on them are constantly on display, reaching a wide audience.

Coffee mugs just keep on going, as they are designed to withstand regular use and provide extended brand exposure. The fact that people love their favourite coffee mug adds to their appeal. This combination of practicality, visibility, longevity, and emotional attachment makes promotional coffee mugs a highly effective and popular marketing tool for businesses seeking long-lasting brand exposure.

The Production Process

Understanding the production process of promotional mugs can empower you to make informed decisions when selecting products that align with your marketing budget and overall branding strategy. In this blog, we aim to provide you with valuable insights into the manufacturing of custom printed mugs. By gaining this knowledge, you will be better equipped to make strategic and effective promotional product purchasing decisions that support your marketing goals.

Design and Conceptualization

Read more

Merchandise That Stands the Test of Time: Nostalgia, Practicality, and Effective Campaigns

Promotional merchandise has long been a powerful marketing tool for businesses to increase brand visibility and create lasting impressions. While trends come and go, certain promotional items have demonstrated their ability to transcend time, remaining relevant and effective even years after their initial release. In this blog, we will explore some examples of promotional merchandise from the 90s and 2000s that have stood the test of time, examining why their campaigns worked and what made them memorable.

1. Classic Logo T-Shirts

The humble logo t-shirt. remains one of the most enduring forms of promotional merchandise. Its simplicity and versatility make it an effective marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. Band t-shirts, in particular, have been successful in building loyal fan bases and creating a sense of identity. Examples like the iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo t-shirt or the Nirvana smiley face design continue to be worn by fans and fashion enthusiasts today, keeping the brands alive and relevant.

2. Branded Caps and Hats

Caps and hats. are practical items that offer protection from the sun while showcasing a brand’s logo or message. During the late 90s and early 2000s, several sports teams and lifestyle brands capitalised on this trend by creating high-quality headwear. The New York Yankees’ baseball cap, with its timeless design and association with a legendary sports franchise, remains a popular choice even decades later. The Nike swoosh logo on caps has also stood the test of time, becoming a symbol of both style and sports.

3. Collectible Pins and Badges

Pins and badges. have been used as promotional merchandise since the 90s and continue to be highly collectible items. These small, affordable accessories are often associated with nostalgia, representing events, pop culture references, or brand affiliations. Disney, for example, has released countless collectible pins over the years, evoking fond memories and creating a sense of community among enthusiasts. Their limited edition releases have become sought-after items, fueling a thriving secondary market.

Read more

Put an End to Nuisance Phone Calls: Effective Ways to Block Them in Australia

Brandconnect will never make unsolicited nuisance calls to you. We have had reports that a company has been calling & pestering people in Australia saying they are from Brand Connect. This is NOT us! There are several overseas businesses with similar names and it could be one of them. Here are some ideas below on how to deal with them, and if you have any concerns please call us on 1300 567 565 or 08 9328 6400.

Nuisance phone calls can be frustrating and disruptive to our daily lives. From unsolicited sales pitches to scam attempts, these intrusive calls can waste our time and invade our privacy. Fortunately, there are various measures you can take to block and minimize nuisance phone calls in Australia. In this article, we will explore some effective strategies to reclaim your phone’s peace and tranquility.

Register for the Do Not Call Register:

The first step in combating nuisance phone calls is to register your phone number with the Australian government’s Do Not Call Register. This free service allows you to opt out of receiving telemarketing calls. Visit the official website (www.donotcall.gov.au) or call 1300 792 958 to register your number. While this won’t stop all calls, it will significantly reduce the number of legitimate telemarketing calls you receive.

Utilize Call Blocking Features:

Most modern phones, both landlines and mobiles, have built-in call blocking features that allow you to block specific phone numbers or types of calls. Consult your phone’s user manual or contact your service provider to learn how to enable these features. By blocking unwanted numbers, you can prevent them from reaching your phone altogether.

Install Call Blocking Apps:

Read more

Enhance Promotional Products with ChatGPT

Promotional products have been a popular marketing tool for many years, but the landscape is changing with the advent of ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI that has the ability to understand human language and respond accordingly. This technology is being leveraged by companies to help with their marketing and even business operations.

In the world of promotional products, ChatGPT can be used to create customised experiences that are tailored to the brand’s specific demographics and needs, making them more effective than ever before.

Find out how you can create better branded merchandise with ChatGPT.

1. Find the best promo products for your target audience

Businesses can use Chat GPT during initial brainstorming and market research of their next promotional campaign. Typically, market research involves a lot of surveys and business and competitive analysis to derive information. Meanwhile, Chat GPT gathers aggregated information online in a fast manner, reshapes the data to meet your condition, and delivers the information in layman’s terms. What used to take hours of research, now takes just a few seconds.

To get custom promo product recommendations for your target audience, share as much information as you can, such as what type of business you have and the purpose of your promotion. Even better, you can even set your budget so that you only get recommendations that meet your budget.

Read more

3 Invaluable Lessons to Learn from Influencers about Promo Merchandise

In today’s digital age, the power of branding has never been more crucial. With a multitude of businesses vying for consumer attention, it’s crucial to find unique ways to connect with customers and stand out from the crowd. One of the most effective ways to do this is through branded merchandise.

Influencers have become a driving force in the world of marketing, especially when it comes to merchandise. Branded merchandise is not only a valuable source of income for influencers but also a powerful tool to strengthen their brand image. Corporate businesses can benefit from influencers’ strategies by adopting their tactics to enhance their own merchandising tactics. Here are three invaluable lessons that brands can learn from influencers when it comes to branded merchandise.

1. Know Your Audience

As with any promotional campaign, the first step is to get to know your audience. Influencers are not afraid to connect with their audience and ask them questions. Don’t be afraid to ask yours directly about their preferences, interests, and age by sending out a survey.

By doing so, they can create promotional items that their audience will actually use and appreciate. Brands can also adopt this strategy by surveying their customers and gathering insights about their audience. This information can then be used to create promotional items that align with the customer’s preferences and lifestyle.

Example: Charli D’Amelio is one of the biggest TikTok influencers known for her dance routines. As such, her merchandise offerings consist of comfy hoodies and shirts that feature messaging about dancing.

2. Design is Crucial

Read more

7 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Brand: Promote and Build Your Business with These Effective Methods

In today’s competitive business landscape, branding is more important than ever to help companies stand out. Whether you have a small business, corporation, or agency that caters to different brands, building a strong brand presence can make all the difference in attracting and retaining customers. A brand is not just a logo or a tagline, but it represents your company’s identity, values, and reputation. It sets you apart from your competitors and helps you connect with your target audience. In this blog, we’ll explore effective ways to promote your brand and build visibility.

1. Utilize Social Media

Most, if not all, brands employ social media to build their brand and visibility. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow them to attract new customers, connect with their followers, share their brand story, and showcase their products or services.

When using social media, it’s essential to create engaging content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage and share your posts. The aim is to create viral content. Here’s some iconic viral social media content that you can take inspiration from:

Dumb Ways to Die by MetroTrains (2012)

It reached the Top 10 in the iTunes chart in 24 hours and earned 267M views on Youtube to date.

#2022Wrapped by Spotify

Read more

Guide to Running a Successful Gift with Purchase (GWP) Campaign

Gift-with-purchase campaigns can be an excellent way to increase sales and customer loyalty. Offering a free promotional product with a purchase can incentivise customers to make a purchase and increase the perceived value of the products you are selling. In this blog post, we will discuss how to run a successful gift-with-purchase campaign using promotional products.

It is a tried-and-tested strategy that has been around for years. But will it be effective for any brand, including yours? Just like with any sales and marketing campaign, it requires good planning and implementation to achieve success. Here are ways to organise a successful GWP campaign for your business.

What is a Gift with Purchase (GWP) Campaign?

Simply put, a GWP campaign incentivises consumers to purchase from you with a promise of a gift. Typically, the freebie is of equal or lesser value to the item to increase the brand’s value.

This strategy is usually employed by beauty brands. It was pioneered by Estée Lauder in the ‘40s to increase the sales of their products in Saks Fifth Avenue (a major department store in the US) by offering a free sky blue powder compact with every purchase. Their inventory sold out in just two days.

These days, GWP campaigns are still being run by many companies with many of them beyond the beauty industry. Most campaigns either offer gifts of a free item, branded merchandise, or a service or experience of some kind. Here are recent examples of GWP campaigns from various industries.

The GWP campaign for both InStyle and Vogue magazines also involved a price increase due to the value of the premium gifts, such as a full makeup kit and designer nail polish, respectively. However, this did not affect the sales of the magazines and instead was viewed as an incentive to buy the magazine.

Read more

5 Must-Have Elements of an Effective Promo Item

As experts in the field of promotional merchandise, we at Brandconnect know that designing a promotional item is not enough to guarantee its success and effectiveness. A number of key elements come into play when it comes to creating an impactful promo item.

At Brandconnect, we have been helping brands of all sizes across various industries for over two decades. Through our experience, we have identified the 5 crucial elements that will ensure the success of your promotional products.

1. Aesthetically pleasing branding and design

The top priority for promotional items is to catch people’s attention. The more eye-catching your promo item is, the more recognition and recall your brand will receive. As a business, this is crucial as you want to be the first brand that comes to mind when people are considering a service or product.

Tip: To ensure your branding looks clear and sharp, make sure to provide high-resolution files of your artwork (logo or design).

2. Usability

The usability of a promo item is another factor that determines its success. The more your item is used, the more marketing benefits your brand will receive. This increases brand awareness and builds the user’s brand loyalty.

Read more

5 Reasons why you should take advantage of our free samples plan

Who doesn’t love free samples? Even better when there are no strings attached. Unfortunately, we find that some of our existing and potential clients don’t take advantage of this service. We’re not sure whether they’re just not aware, but we’re here to let you know that we want you to request them from us. We love it when you do!

If getting free samples is not enough to convince you, here are 5 other reasons why you should order free trial versions of promotional products from us ASAP!

1. Discover the power of promotional products

We’re not just here to sell products, we’re passionate about building brands and strengthening connections using promotional merchandise. So we consider it a win if new businesses come to us and benefit from the value of promotional marketing.

The promotional items industry is worth a billion dollars and there’s a reason for that. Custom products are not just for giveaways, they are also used for internal and external branding purposes, such as staff uniforms, corporate gifts, employee incentives, fundraising, trade show and event merchandise, office supplies, and more. They can be used for practically anything while also delivering widespread branding opportunities regardless of what they’re used for.

2. Try before you buy

Samples allow you to physically examine the product and determine if it meets your standards for quality. If you are very particular about the way you want your brand to be perceived, it is a good idea to order sample products for the items you are interested in. This will help you check quality, colours, sizing and see how your logo will be presented. We mostly supply unbranded products, but for a small cost we are able to provide samples printed with your logo. This can be important if you are purchasing a large volume.

Read more

Attract more consumers with retail branded items!

Buying retail brands for promotional products has become a popular trend in the industry because they offer brand recognition, quality and durability, a wide range of products, perceived value, and cost-effective options and increased brand visibility.

Retail brands that are used as promotional products are already well-established and recognizable, which can make them an effective way to promote a company or message. When a customer or client sees a retail promo item that they are already familiar with, they may be more likely to pay attention to the message or branding associated with the product. This can help to increase the effectiveness of the promotional campaign and help to build trust and credibility with the customer or client.

Many retail brands have experience and expertise in creating a wide range of products that are high-quality and durable, which can help to ensure that the promotional products will be well-received by the recipients and last a long time. Using a well-known retail brand in the promotional products industry can add perceived value to the product, people might see it as a premium or high-quality item, which in turn reflects positively on the company that gave it away.

If you want your brand to be associated with good brand loyalty and reputation that more popular retail brands have built, here are the best retail brands for your next promotional campaign.

1. SkullCandy

Dubbed the creator of “the world’s coolest ear bud,” SkullCandy is now among the top audio brands in the world. Its products were initially geared towards the outdoor action sports demographic and general consumer market. It has now expanded into the premium audio market. Aside from being sold through retailers, SkullCandy products are commonly used by businesses as part of their employee incentive programmes

2. Moleskine

Read more

The Pros and Cons of Pad Printing for your Promo Merchandise

Pad printing is a printing process that uses a silicone pad to transfer ink from a printing plate to a product or substrate. It is commonly used to print on promotional merchandise, such as pens, keychains, and other small items. Here are some pros and cons of using pad printing for your promotional merchandise:

Pros:

Can print on irregularly shaped items: Pad printing is particularly well-suited for printing on items that have complex shapes or curves, as the silicone pad can conform to the contours of the product.

Can print on a wide range of materials: Pad printing can be used to print on a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, wood, and glass.

Can print small, detailed images: The silicone pad used in pad printing is able to pick up and transfer very fine details, making it suitable for printing small, intricate designs.

Cost-effective: Pad printing is generally a cost-effective printing method, especially for large orders.

Cons:

Read more

Reasons to Only Order from APPA-Accredited Distributors

When shopping for branded merchandise for the first time, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect promotional products partner. It’s easy to be influenced by pricing and find someone who sells the items at the lowest price point. However, it might end up costing you:

Source: ASI

This is not an isolated incident. There is plenty of news like this online with different tactics to lure victims. But one thing that these scammers have in common is that they weren’t accredited by their country’s or region’s trade association for promo marketing items.

Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) is the trade association responsible for all promo-related companies in Australia and New Zealand. According to their website, “APPA promotes ethical and mutually beneficial commercial relationships across the supply chain for the benefit of the industry and brands.” Here are the benefits why you should consider buying promotional merchandise from APPA-accredited distributors:

1. Consumer Protection

Since APPA-accredited distributors are based in Australia and New Zealand, your consumer rights are applicable. However, they may or may not apply when buying from overseas distributors. If they do, it would be more difficult and time-consuming to ask for a refund or return of the items if they’re of subpar quality.

2. Quality Products

Read more

Make an Impact with Full-Colour Rotary Printing on Drinkware

Looking for a new decoration method for your next drinkware order? If you want to make a splash with your next promotional effort with a seamless vibrant wrap-around decoration, try Full-Colour Rotary Printing on drinkware!

One of the key advantages of full colour rotary printing is that it allows for the creation of vibrant, full-colour designs that are sure to grab the attention of potential customers. It’s a decoration that wraps around the drinkware with any image or design you like without the joint wrap prints.

Learn more about full-colour rotary printing below.

The Process of Digital Full-Colour Rotary Printing

Unlike other printing options, full-colour rotary printing has a simple and speedy process. This printing method is able to handle high volumes of drinkware quickly and effectively, making it a great option for businesses looking to produce large quantities of promotional drinkware.

This is because the printing process uses a dedicated digital rotary UV printer, which applies the ink via a series of rotating cylinders, allowing for the creation of highly detailed and complex designs.

Differences between Digital Full-Colour Rotary Printing vs other traditional methods

Read more

Take a journey through the evolution of promotional products

Promotional merchandise has come a long way. As a veteran in the industry for 20+ years, we are marvelling at the evolution of promotional products: from the printers’ side business to a billion-dollar industry in Australia and New Zealand. Let’s take a look back at the journey of promotional products.

1. Promotional products got their start as political campaign materials

The first ever known promotional products are commemorative buttons for the 1789 political campaign of George Washington in the US. The items made the campaign a success which then resulted in the use of other branded items for promotional purposes, such as wood items and rulers.

2. The rise of promotional products was brought on by tote bags

One of the most popular promotional items today is also what made the industry boom. The “Father of Promotional Products,” Jasper Meek decided to partner with a local shoe brand, Cantwell Shoes, to advertise the latter’s brand with logoed burlap book bags which were printed by Meek’s printing press. They distributed these to local schools with the promise that the schoolchildren will serve as the walking billboards for Cantwell. The idea was so successful that many companies followed suit.

Thus, the practice grew and grew until, in the early 1900s, several manufacturers of promo items banded together to form the first industry trade of promotional products, the Advertising Manufacturers Association. It is now known as the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI). Trade shows also became one of the most crucial activities within the industry with its first happening in 1914.

3. Promo items used to be shown in showrooms

Read more

Why Custom Socks Should Be Your Brand’s Next Promo Giveaway

Custom socks are more important to your brand than you think. This comfy pair may not be the first thing that companies think of as a promotional powerhouse, however, they sure pack a punch when it comes to boosting brand awareness and building a stronger following.

Find out why they make effective promotional tools and how you can use them to your brand’s advantage.

1. Personalised socks are cost-effective

Socks are affordable and companies will get more than their value in terms of branding opportunities. They are the perfect choice if your company is looking for affordable and effective promotional giveaways or corporate gifts that will deliver an impressive ROI.

2. Branded socks are essential

Branded merchandise should be a necessity in order for it to become beneficial for the brand. The more that an item gets used, the more that the brand is promoted.

Everyone needs socks whether they realise it or not. They are worn almost everywhere a person goes, on their workouts or runs, running errands, going to work, and even lounging at home (especially on cold nights). This constant use is what makes them an effective marketing tool as they are guaranteed to be worn frequently, therefore, exposing many people to your brand.

Read more

4 Advantages of Having Promotional Campaigns with Eco Products

At this point, being an eco conscious brand is becoming a necessity. Sustainable practices are not only helpful to the planet but also beneficial to the brand.

Implementing sustainability within your company will help your company and the environment in the long run. Whatever your reasons for getting into sustainability, here are the advantages that your brand will get when your business becomes sustainable.

1. Sustainable promotions improve brand image

Brands that have eco-friendly and sustainable practices always get a positive reception from people. And why wouldn’t they? There are so many problems plaguing our planet, from pollution, global warming, and natural resource depletion that every little help counts.

Brands that choose to go down this route are more likely to attract more consumers. Almost 50% of consumers favour eco-friendly brands and promotional products, according to the Advertising Specialty Institute. This also makes a company more attractive to potential employees and investors.

2. Brand sustainability improves productivity and spending

If there’s one thing that should convince you to convert to sustainability, it’s the productivity and savings boost. This will improve how systems and processes are carried out within the company, thus, promoting efficiency and productivity. The operational costs will go down and this will give you more savings.

Read more

5 Ways to Get Maximum Benefits from Promotional Products

Promotional products have come a long way from being used for direct mail campaigns and promotional giveaways. While they are still being used for such, there are also new ways that brands have been utilising promotional products to boost their visibility and achieve other business goals.

If you are looking for new ways to promote your brand, here are new ways to do it with promotional products.

1. New Hire Welcome Kits

With the Great Resignation looming, it is important now more than ever to show appreciation to employees. One way to build a strong connection and work culture with incoming new hires is to give them new hire welcome kits.

New hire welcome kits are an introduction of the company to the employees. They give a glimpse of the company’s culture and identity to the incoming staff, setting their expectations for their employers.

Examples of New Hire Welcome Kits

2. Work from Home Office Care Packages

Read more

Celebrate Australia Day with locally-made promo giveaways and corporate gifts!

Australia Day is a great way to unite the different cultures and celebrate the differences. And what better way for brands to celebrate it than with Australian-made promo giveaways and corporate gifts. If you’re looking for cool Australian-made giveaways and gifts for Australia Day 2022, here are our top picks.

1. Drinkware

Since Australia Day is usually at the peak of summer, it makes sense to give away drinkware on this occasion. Brandconnect has a wide range of Australian-made drinkware to suit your needs and preferences. If you want to go the eco-conscious route, you can also choose this reusable bamboo coffee cup made from sustainable materials.

2. Cheese Boards

As a cheese-loving country, cheese boards are a must for any private celebrations at home. Therefore, cheese boards and other accessories are a must for any promotional campaigns for the real estate, construction, hospitality, and food & beverage industries.

3. Sunscreen

Brands shouldn’t forget to give away sunscreen for those who will be celebrating outdoors on Australia Day. Australian-made sunscreen is specially designed to protect against the rays of the Australian sun and meets ARTG guidelines.

Read more

Top Spring 2019 Trends for Promotional Products Strategy

Spring is upon us.

The cold and dreariness of winter is behind us. The sun is out and the flowers are in bloom, which marks the start of spring 2019. With the new season comes new requirements. In the colder months, people prefer being bundled up in thick coats and staying indoors while drinking a cup of tea or coffee in their mugs or vacuum flasks. This season, people will prefer spending time outdoors and working out. Hence, winter’s promotional giveaways will not be used this season.

If you want to make a big impact with your promotional products, here are the most effective promotional products for Spring 2019.

BBQ Sets

Winter may have kept people from getting together over the flames of a barbie, but spring is about to change all that. This season is the perfect time for a BBQ down the beach, at the local park, and even just in the backyard. Here are a range of promotional BBQ sets that will prove popular during the next few months.

BBQ tools

The star of the BBQ, these tools make it possible to get the meats and veggies cooking. They last for a long time so they will be used for years to come, giving your brand a long exposure.

Read more

A Business Planning Checklist for the Post-Coronavirus World

Reopening a business for the Phase 3 and 4 restrictions is like going into battle. You need to plan and prepare in order to win it. However, it can be easy to neglect important back-end things with so many things that need to be done when reopening a business, especially on the front end. To help you get on top of things, here’s a complete business planning checklist for reopening your business for the post-Coronavirus world.

1. Review your finances

Reopening can incur costs which can be a struggle for businesses after income loss due to the lockdown the past couple of months. Find out how your business is doing financially and if you need to cut corners or get additional funding in order to reopen and operate in the coming months.

2. Plot out your strategy

With tough times to come, a new in business strategy is needed to accommodate the changes in the economy. Iron out your plans for the coming months. Create new goals, deadlines, events, and projects in order to support your business growth. Reschedule the events that were canceled due to the pandemic or a plan B in case it’s not possible to reschedule in the near future.

3. Prep your staff

Whether your staff has been working from home the past couple of months or furloughed, you will need to prepare them for the reopening. We are coming upon a new world, so there’ll be plenty of operational changes that the staff needs to know due to the new health and safety regulations. If they need to wear uniforms, order them appropriate company winter workwear to protect them from the cold.

Read more

2019 Consumer Guide to Promo Drink Bottles: Brand Benefits & What To Buy

If you have to invest in one staple promotional item that will carry your brand the whole year round, let it be promotional drink bottles. Why, you ask? Here are some reasons why you should.

Promotional drink bottles never go out of style and are a useful product all year round. People from all demographics use promotional drink bottles, whether for daily use or outdoor activities.

As a country that thrives on health and wellness, promotional drink bottles are also the perfect marketing tools to reach out to the fitness and health conscious community. They are the perfect accessory to accompany them to their workouts due to their usefulness and eye-popping colours and styles.

Still not convinced? Here are statistics for promotional drinkware, according to the latest Global Ad Impressions Study 2019 by the Advertising Specialty Institute.

Almost everyone has a promotional drink bottle.

Seventy-eight percent of consumers own promotional drinkware.

Promotional drink bottles are a hit with Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers

Read more

The hottest and most innovative promotional products for Fall 2019

Autumn is about to begin, which means it’s time to store away the swimsuits, coolers, and thongs. Now that the winds are starting to become chilly, it is time to change up your promotional marketing plan to reflect the chilly winds and more laidback vibe of autumn. If you want to watch your brand profile rise this Fall, read as we unveil that trendiest promotional Autumn products that will put your brand right on the map. Check out our offer at the end to get a chance to get the latest and most cutting-edge promotional items that are tailor-made for your industry.

Energising Custom-Printed Health and Fitness Products

Recommended products: Promotional Yoga Mat, Jewel Sports Towel, and Yoga Stretch Band

Most companies would go for cosy promo blankets or socks to promote their brands this season. However, fitness still remains a top priority for Australians despite the sometimes downcast days of Autumn. You can expect that most people would still stay active and work out even while at home. Give away promotional health and fitness products, such as yoga mats, sports towels, and pedometers for optimal brand visibility that lasts even beyond the season.

Festive Eco-Friendly Drinkware

Recommended products: Silicone Reusable Drinking Straw, New Wave Ecco Kuppa 350ml, and Hera Wine Glass

Autumn is filled with food and wine festivals, and fashion week and racing events, such as Melbourne’s Grand Prix, making this season abound with plenty of marketing opportunities for brands. You can expect that there’ll be plenty of brands that will be using branded plates and drinkware in these gatherings. Traverse the road less traveled and stand out from the competition by using promotional eco-friendly drinkware! According to an ASI Impressions study, more than half of the consumers surveyed under the age of 34 years have a more favorable opinion of a brand for giving away promo environmentally friendly items.

Read more

Discover the latest 2019 Promotional Product Trends and Facts

The promotional product industry is constantly evolving. What was popular a couple of years ago or even just last year may no longer be the hottest product this year. Take for example the fidget spinner craze from a couple of years ago. It was so popular that you almost every brand has imprinted their logo on one. Yet you can barely even see one these days.

It is for this reason why it is important that you constantly keep yourself updated with the latest trends and news about promotional products to make the maximum impact with your branding and advertising campaigns. Here are the latest promotional product updates, according to the Global Ad Impressions Study 2019 Edition by Advertising Specialty Institute.

Writing instruments are the most popular promotional products

Writing instruments have always been part of the top 5 promotional products, but this year they have emerged as the most popular due to its effectivity and affordability. Drinkware comes a close second while the former crown holder, promotional T-shirts are still part of the top three. On the other hand, umbrellas and mobile power banks are still the least popular, but they have a niche crowd that they can satisfy.

Promotional bags have been dethroned as the highest generator of brand impressions

If you want to generate the maximum brand visibility using promotional products, choose branded outerwear. Branded outerwear generates a whopping 6,100 impressions since they are usually worn in public places. Other high impression producers include headwear, t-shirts (both at 3,400 impressions), bags (3,300 impressions), and writing instruments (3,000 impressions).

Outerwear has the longest shelf life out of all the promotional products

Read more

4 Working-From-Home Essentials to Boost Productivity

Remote working is a concept that has been around for several years now but it has become the new normal since the pandemic hit. Since this work setup is here to stay, employers need to make sure that the shift from office to remote working is seamless and that not only includes providing the staff with everything they need to work smoothly and efficiently but to also keep their morale up. Here are the top branded 4 things that your remote staff can’t work without.

Headphones & Earbuds

Headphones and earbuds have become necessities while working for most people. Since the emergence of open-plan offices, headphones have helped employees drown out the noises of their coworkers to help them focus on their work. Now that most employees have transitioned to working from home, headphones are mostly used for Zoom meetings, listening to music to help their focus, and drowning out the noise, this time from pets and children.

Branding tip: Branded headphones are not just used at home. People also use it when they go out, whether they are grocery shopping, walking, jogging, or cycling, so make sure to make your branding easily noticeable to get the maximum promotional benefits.

Powerbanks

We all rely heavily on our phones in all aspects of our lives. We are practically obsessed with it already as we spend hours staring at our screens all day. Therefore, it is important to keep our smartphones juiced up with power banks. This is especially important for employees who rely on their smartphones for work, such as those who make or take calls or manage social media accounts.

Branding tip: Same as headphones, power banks can also be used when people are out and about, so make sure that your branding can easily be seen to maximise impact.

Read more

Best Promo Back-to-School Products to Raise the School Spirit!

This is not just any new school term but it is the dawn of new hope for our children. This is the first sign that things are going back to normal after the horrible events brought on by the pandemic in the past quarter. However, new measures must be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our children. However, we should still maintain a sense of normalcy for the children to allow them to focus on their studies. To start this new school term, here are the 7 must-have back-to-school products.

1. Hand Sanitisers

Proper hand hygiene prevents a host of various diseases, including Coronavirus, so it is important that students have easy access to sanitisers whether they’re in the classrooms, cafeteria, or gym. Aside from placing large bottles of hand sanitisers in strategic places, students should also have a small one in their backpack for personal use once they step out of the school (in the school bus or during commute).

Recommended sanitisers: 30ml Hand Sanitiser Gel, 60ml Hand Sanitiser Gel, and Antibacterial Wet Wipes

2. Face Masks

Together with sanitisers, face masks are non-negotiables in the post-COVID world. Make sure that the students never forget to wear their face masks by giving them reusable face masks with adorable prints. They are not only cute, but they are also eco-friendly.

Recommended face masks: Cotton Face Mask, Reusable Face Mask Full Colour – Small, and Reusable Face Mask Full Colour – Large

Read more

7 Truths about Promotional Products in the New Normal

The pandemic has completely changed the face of promotional marketing. Since there has been a complete change in habits and behaviours of consumers, brands can’t rely on their old formula anymore. Innovation and keen consumer listening are required to formulate a new strategy that will work with consumers. To guide you, here are key findings from the 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study by the Advertising Specialty Institute.

1. It’s the golden age for face masks

Before the pandemic, face masks can only be seen in hospitals and clinics. Since it has become a necessity in curbing the spread of the virus, wearing face masks is part of our new normal. According to Sharon Lewin, director of the Doherty Institute, 99.9% of people are wearing masks in Melbourne. So it comes as no surprise that face masks present a huge marketing opportunity for brands. Here are the latest branded face mask statistics:

2. People are now keeping promotional products for more than a year

2019’s Global Ad Impressions Study reported that consumers keep their promotional products for an average of one year. This year, promo items are kept longer with 57% keeping theirs for over 5 years and 40% for more than a decade. The longer promotional products are kept, the more that people will be exposed to your brand, therefore improving brand recall and the likelihood of doing business with your brand.

3. Baby boomers & millennials are pack rats

Baby boomers and millennials tend to hang on to their promotional products longer than other generations. 65% of Baby boomers tend to keep their branded merchandise for more than 5 years, while 45% of them use the items for well over a decade.

Read more

How big brands did their promotional marketing campaigns in 2020

This year has been a big year for promotional marketing. Since everyone was affected by the pandemic, brands have cut back on marketing campaigns for the sake of generating revenue and focussed more on building brand awareness and longevity. This is where promotional products come in since they provide more long-term branding benefits and last longer than any type of advertising. Below are ways how brands have been doing their promotional marketing throughout 2020.

1. For doing some good

The pandemic has left many victims in its wake. As such, brands and celebrities have been partnering up with not-for-profit organisations to raise funds for those affected by COVID-19.

Chandler branded apparel for WHO

Matthew Perry, who played Chandler in the classic TV show Friends, has released limited-edition branded apparel to benefit the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 relief efforts.

Chipotle’s voter registration shirt

To promote voter registration in the US election last November, popular US fast-food brand Chipotle launched the CHI-VOTE-LE T-shirt. It featured a scannable QR code on the sleeve that directs users to register to the organization’s TurboVote platform.

Read more

2021 Back-to-School Must-Haves that can be used for remote & in-person classes

It is the start of the new school term! A new term means new promotional campaigns to attract new students and welcome current students back to school. However, there may be a change in the usual promotional items that you give away due to the remote learning setup. With the way things are going with the recent vaccine developments, who knows how the rest of the term or even the school year will turn out? If you’re looking for ideas for back-to-school promotions, here are versatile promo school items that are good for both remote and in-person classes.

1. Promo Headphones

Headphones have become a symbol for remote learning, together with laptops. It allows households with multiple students and parents who are remote working to co-exist harmoniously while classes and work are going on. Once the face-to-face classes are reinstated, students can still use their headphones during their downtime or while studying in the library.

2. Promo Lanyards

Lanyards are commonly used for identification cards and badges, but did you know that they can also be used to hold face masks? Children can easily lose things, lanyards can secure their face masks safely without getting lost.

If you’ve still got stocks of lanyards from the previous school terms, you can now put them to good use. Once things go back to normal, lanyards can be used again for ID cards and badges.

3. Branded Backpacks

Read more

Unique Christmas Gift Ideas that will WOW Clients, Customers and Staff

If you have no idea what to give to your target audience this year, here are the perfect Christmas corporate gift & giveaway ideas for all budgets that will help your brand finish the year with a bang!

For budgets under $10

It’s been tough for so many businesses the past few months and gift-giving is the last thing on their minds and budgets. However, they can reap plenty of long-term and short-term benefits with corporate gifts and giveaways this season, such as improved brand awareness and recall, client relations, and customer loyalty. Luckily, companies don’t have to spend a lot to gain these benefits. Here are affordable gift & giveaway ideas for under $10:

Drinkware : Anyone will be happy to receive drinkware this holiday season, whether as a gift or giveaway. You can order in bulk this holiday season and just use the leftovers for your upcoming campaigns and gifting initiatives.

Earphones, Wireless Chargers & USB: Anyone who’s technologically adept will enjoy tech gadgets. These are guaranteed to get used at work, home, or while running errands, therefore improving brand recognition and recall.

Notebooks: Notebooks are affordable and useful gifts that can also be used throughout the year. They are ideal for recipients of all ages, from kids at school up to retirees.

Wine Accessories: As the holidays are coming up, it calls for a bottle of spirits or several. And what better way to show off your brand than giving away branded wine accessories. These items have a long shelf life so they and your brand will be part of many celebrations for years to come.

Read more

Check out the Best Australian-Made Promotional Products of 2022

With this year’s Australian-Made Week, it’s time to shine the spotlight on our Australian-made promotional products. We have discussed before how beneficial Australian-made items are, from boosting the local economy to being the more eco-friendly option.

Celebrating Australian-made products shouldn’t just be for this week but all year round. Consumers have also shown a stronger preference for locally made items:

93% of consumers prefer to buy Australian-made products more.

Almost 90% believe that more items should be manufactured in Australia

70% increase in consumers who buy Australian-made products since last Australian-Made Week

Australian-made promotional products are not only better for your brand but also for the country and the world we live in. Here are 2022’s best Australian-made promotional products for your upcoming promotional campaigns.

1. Australian-Made Promotional Clothing

Read more

3 Trade Show Giveaways to Increase Foot Traffic to Your Booth

It’s not easy standing out at trade shows. While they are good venues to drum up interest in your brand and acquire new leads and clients, your company is competing against many other companies offering similar products and services at the same event.

If you are lucky to get a good spot for your booth, good positioning does half the job for you. However, if you are not so fortunate to get the best location or you simply can’t afford it, you have to work extra hard to get noticed, especially if you’re situated at the far back of the venue. If you want to maximise your company’s visibility and income-generating potential at trade shows and conferences, here are promotional giveaways that will drive people to your booth in droves.

Tote bags

Perfect for: Generating brand impressions in and outside the trade show

Want your brand to be remembered long after the trade show has ended? Don’t forget to give away tote bags. They may be popular items at trade shows, but the results they deliver are impressive. First, they serve as mobile billboards for your brand as the attendees mill about carrying your branded tote bags. Second, they are reusable and can be used for carrying groceries, work items, workout clothes, or beach items. As an exhibitor, you can also use them to bundle up your brochures, pamphlets, and other giveaways.

Mandela Big Shopper Bag, Velocity Tote Bag, and Civic Shopper Heather Tote Bag

Attention-Grabbing Tip: Get tote bags that are roomy and sturdier so that people will choose to put in all their hauls and even other tote bags into your bag instead. Not only will your bag be a coveted item in the trade show but also give your brand more visibility.

Read more

Popular Myths about Promotional Products — Debunked!

Time and time again, businesses have underestimated the power of promotional products. According to the 2018 Promotional Products Fact Sheet of PPAI, the promotional products industry was worth more than $23.3 billion in 2017, a 9.3% increase from the previous year. The industry has also been growing consistently year after year.

Promotional products certainly aren’t a fad. They work and are here to stay. Let Brandconnect convince you to incorporate promotional products into your marketing strategy by disproving the common beliefs about them below.

Myth 1: People just chuck promotional products into the bin.

Reality: Many people believe that promotional products are corny and low-quality. However, there are plenty of high-quality and beautiful promotional products that range from cute and funny promotional products to designer ones. Therefore, promotional products are kept by most people for more than a year, based on the same fact sheet by PPAI. Among the people surveyed, 81% percent of recipients have shared that they still use the promotional products that they received even past 11 years. Among the reasons that people keep them are their usefulness, attractiveness, and fun factor.

Another thing, even if the recipients have no use for the promotional products, it is still unlikely that they would throw them away. In Australia, 64% would rather pass on the item to a family member, friend or colleague rather than get rid of it or put it on storage. It’s a win-win situation for the recipient and the brand. The recipients get to maintain relationships with their loved ones through the gifted item while the brand gets a fresh breath of exposure with the regifting.

Myth 2: Promotional products are not as effective as traditional advertisements

Reality: Just because something is expensive does not always mean that it is effective or impactful. Traditional advertisements in broadcast, print, or radio can cost businesses up to hundreds or even millions of dollars in expenses. Not so with promotional products. They only cost a fraction of that.

Read more

3 Attention-Grabbing & Creative Trade Show Booth Ideas to Amp Foot Traffic

Standing out in a sea of trade show booths is difficult. Some booths have the advantage of securing a strategic location that has heavy foot traffic. Unfortunately, these locations tend to be more costly. For those that can’t afford this premium trade show real estate, you have to find other ways to drum up buzz and interest to get people to come to your booth. Whether your worry is to stand out or to increase the foot traffic to your booth, here are 3 creative booth ideas for trade shows.

Promote your booth before the trade show itself

You may have the worst booth location in the trade show but you can still get guaranteed visitors if you announce your trade show booth on EDMs, social media, blogs, and your website beforehand. Give your clients or customers a glimpse of what you have in store when they visit your booth. You can also announce a giveaway or discount voucher that they can claim if they drop by your booth.

Make your booth eye-catching and interesting

To stand out, your booth must look the part. Get people to notice your booth through attention-grabbing trade show decorations and setup. If your booth is located at the very rear of the trade show, put in high visual installations or displays (e.g. overhead hangings or tall posts) that tower over other booths so that people can see your booth even from afar.

Having an interactive booth setup also helps in enticing people to approach and even stay in your booth. If you sell consumer products, make sure they are on display and that they can touch and use them. You can also schedule demos so that you can showcase what your products/services can do. Another thing you can do is to reserve a small lounge in your booth where your clients can get comfortable and possibly discuss with you about your offerings.

Give away freebies

Read more

3 New Logo Printing Options for Eye-Catching Branded Merchandise

Promotional products are not as powerful without the right branding.

While we have espoused time and again about the benefits of using promotional products for your branding campaigns, they simply would not be as effective without a clear and impactful logo or messaging. The printing is just as essential as the promotional products. After all, how could you promote your brand if the logo is blurred or easily erased?

These days, logos and messaging can be printed using various methods that make it pop out and last longer. Read below to learn more about these new printing technologies and what they can bring onto the table.

Supacolor

Gone are the days of limited colour printing methods, such as RGB and CMYK printing. Supacolor makes it possible to identically reproduce logos regardless of how intricate it is. Named as one of the world’s best heat transfer technologies, it prints vibrant logos and designs on garment items with quick turnaround time.

Supacolor capabilities:

Limitless colours

Read more

3 Personalised Gift Ideas to Keep Corporate Branding Alive

Promo marketing is a powerful tool to get your branding and message across to people in a memorable and long-lasting way. It has been a common practice among different industries and organisations throughout the years. As with anything that has been around for a long time, it can get stale after a while, which is why marketers need to constantly innovate and think of new gimmicks and strategies in order to pique the consumers’ interests.

One such innovation is personalised marketing. If you’re not familiar with it, here’s an example: when you search for a product or service, do you notice that you start seeing more related ads on social media and suggestions from your favourite eCommerce sites? That’s the power of personalised marketing. For a stronger brand and customer/client relationship, here are 3 personalised gift ideas for your promotional & advertising campaigns, employee engagement programmes, advertising giveaways, and other marketing programmes.

Drinkware

Instead of casting a wide net to target customers, personalised marketing targets each customer individually, according to habits, data, and other pertinent information. With branded drinkware, you can target different people depending on the nature of your business and their habits. For example, gyms and stadiums can give away individualised drink bottles to keep their customers hydrated during their workouts while also preventing people from grabbing the wrong bottle by mistake. When given as corporate gifts, drinkware can also be personalised with a custom message or image for the recipient (e.g., their photo).

Notebooks

Notebooks are popular gifts and giveaways and they can be quite personal items for the recipients. It is where they can write down their plans, hopes, dreams, and even thoughts. Therefore, there is no better way than to establish a personal connection to your customers than to give them personalised notebooks. It could be as simple as imprinting their names on the cover or adding a simple yet specific dedication for them to humanise your brand and improve customer retention.

Bags

Read more

3 Rainy Day Promotional Strategies for Brand Awareness Campaigns

The rainy season presents challenges for advertising and marketing. It is the perfect season for people to stay indoors, therefore limiting the exposure and impressions that a brand might get with outdoor advertisements and marketing campaigns. How do you establish and maintain brand visibility during this chilly weather?

Target consumers’ homes

If the consumers will not come outside then you must come to the consumers. This does not necessarily mean go door to door and shill your product. Rather, give them your logo printed merchandise that they will be able to use at home. Since consumers will be spending most of their time indoors during the cold and rainy season, promotional homeware products will serve as the perfect advertising tool to build brand exposure and recall.

Top 3 Recommended Promotional Homeware Products:

(l-r) Coasters, Clocks, Pillows, and Blankets

Clothe consumers with your brand

The sure way to making sure that you stay on the consumers’ minds all day is by making them wear your branded outerwear. You will be exposing them and the people around them to your brand the whole day, therefore, strengthening your brand profile and expanding awareness. Since it is a chilly season, you’ll be sure that they’ll be wearing your logo printed outerwear wherever they go. Basically, you have people serving as mobile advertisements for your brand at no charge. Need further convincing? Here are promotional outerwear statistics to blow your mind (data from ASI):

Read more

Employee Retention Rates: The 3 Ways Promotional Products Help Make Employees Stay

Even with the competitive job market these days, employee retention is still something that many companies struggle with. Getting a huge paycheck is no longer the endgame of employees. It will take so much more for them to stay, such as career growth opportunities, great company culture, and work-life balance.

If something’s wrong with the company, many people would not hesitate to leave immediately. Employers are now alarmed with the rise of the 90-day employees or new hires that resign within the first 90 days of a new job. This is an expensive trend for companies as it is reported that the cost to hire an employee now costs $23,860, rising from $10,500 in 2020, according to the 2022 HR Industry Benchmark Report.

A company’s brand is also strengthened by good employee retention rates. Employees make the best brand spokespersons, according to the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer. Consumers look to the employees when forming opinions about a brand.

There is one secret to improving overall employee retention rate: giving away branded merchandise. Don’t believe us? Here are the latest findings from PPAI’s study, The Truth Is Always Trending.

Promotional products improve employee confidence in the company

Companies that utilize promotional products during their external and internal marketing strategies tend to have employees who “know what their employer stands for and what makes the brand different from competitors,” based on the 2018 Consumer Study of PPAI.

The employee confidence increases depending on the marketing strategy utilised by the company, according to the study. External marketing strategies reached 85% of votes, internal marketing strategies reached 90%, and employing both strategies at the same time gained a whopping 98% of votes.

Read more

3 Employee Reward Ideas during the Pandemic

It has been several weeks since the lockdown began. Many businesses have more or less adjusted to the new way of operations while most employees have transitioned to working from home. However, working from home is not always idyllic. Work-from-home employees are more at risk for burnout, especially combined with self-isolation. It is important for employers to show their appreciation and reward the efforts of their employees.

It is this appreciation and rewards that keep the people going, but you don’t have to go big as not all companies can afford to spend a lot right now due to the unstable economy. Here are 3 employee reward ideas that are within budget and won’t break the bank.

1. Company merchandise

A strong company culture leads to an improved turnover rate and builds employee satisfaction. One way to continue that, while working at home is to give your staff branded company merchandise. Not only will they feel appreciated for a job well done, but these branded items will also give them a stronger sense of belongingness within your organisation.

Recommended company merchandise ideas:

CROXTON HOODIE Adult Unisex, Work From Home Pack A, and Home Office Pack

2. Food & drinks hampers

Read more

Welcome your staff to the new frontier with these 3 tips!

With many more establishments reopening this week, many employees are about to come back for work. Employers’ mantra should be “welcome forward” instead of “welcome back,” according to the top Queensland HR professionals in a virtual boardroom gathering by QBM and BDO.

There are now many health and safety regulations and social distancing restrictions in place that can affect the way people work. We have reached a watershed moment, things are never going back to the way they were. Prepare your employees for this new era with these 3 tips to welcome forward your staff.

1. Workplace flexibility

As the danger of the virus still looms, the safest option is still allowing your employees to work remotely, especially if their job doesn’t require them to come into the office. In fact, some of the biggest companies have allowed most of their staff to work at home indefinitely, including Twitter, Facebook, and Shopify.

Working remotely has its challenges, however, there have been little to no findings of this work arrangement affecting productivity and efficiency. A recent study has determined that working from home increases productivity as remote staff work 1.4 more days than their office counterparts. There are now plenty of ways for teams to collaborate and communicate seamlessly, such as Slack, Zoom, Asana, to name a few. However, this productivity boost also leads to more burnouts, so it is the responsibility of the employers to ensure work-life balance among staff. To make sure that your staff can work smoothly at home, provide them with everything they need for their work, such as branded office supplies, gadgets, software programs, and even the snacks that they could enjoy during breaks.

2. Keeping employees safe and healthy

The responsibility of keeping employees safe and healthy is on the employer. Preparing them for the new regulations include monitoring and educating them about proper hygiene and social distancing guidelines and a contingency plan should someone test positive for the virus.

Read more

See How These Not-for-Profit Organisations Use Branded Merchandise

Branded merchandise is an integral part of a not-for-profit organisation’s marketing strategy. Not-for-profit organisations greatly benefit from branded merchandise, helping to raise awareness of the cause and organisation, solidify donor and community relationships, and reward donors.

For your upcoming fundraising campaigns, be inspired by how these not-for-profit organisations are doing their branded merchandise fundraising.

1. Cause Marketing

There is nothing new with cause marketing. In fact, you’ll be surprised to know that this partnership between a business and a not-for-profit organisation has been around since the ‘80s.

The first known example of this is the collaboration between US credit card company, American Express and New York City’s project of restoring the Statue of Liberty. They donated a penny for every use of their credit cards, which amounted to $1.7M in funds raised.

Source: Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Today, many brands and not-for-profits are working together to benefit each other mutually. Brands do it as a part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives while not-for-profit organisations tap on the brands’ visibility to increase awareness while also raising funds.

Read more

How Promotional Products Can Transform Not-for-Profit Organisations

Not-for-profit and charity organisations may find it hard to justify shelling out money for promotional products when they are supposed to collect as much money as they can to raise funds for their cause. What they don’t know is that promotional products can help them meet their targets easier and faster.

How can promotional products help not-for-profit organisations? Promotional products are a more affordable and cost-effective way to promote your not-for-profit organisations. They can generate more impressions than traditional advertisements and digital ads with a more lasting power. They are also more popular with people as they serve useful to their recipients, unlike with ads which people do their best to avoid.

If you need further convincing, here are ways that promotional products can help your not-for-profit organisation reach its goals.

Promotional products generate exposure

Promotional products can increase brand awareness and reach multiple times over. They are typically useful items that people regularly use. By imprinting a logo or messaging on these items, you’ll be constantly exposing the user and the people around them to your branding unobtrusively. They don’t disrupt people’s lives, yet they are unavoidable unlike traditional advertisements. People would have to live like hermits to avoid being exposed to promotional products!

People donate more when given promotional products in return

The truth is most people won’t easily let go of their hard-earned money even if your organisation has the most world-changing causes. You may be able to persuade a few people but it certainly won’t be easy. Want to make the donors come to you instead? By giving them something in return, like free promotional merchandise. Promotional products when given as freebies make donors feel appreciated. No one ever turns down a good freebie, especially if they are in exchange for donating to causes.

Read more

Reinvigorate Promotional Pens with these 4 Creative Ways

Promotional pens are everywhere. Every company from any industry has used them for their marketing campaigns at one point. For some companies such as financial institutions, healthcare brands, and real estate companies, these promo pens are necessities, serving as their promotional tools and business cards to their clients.

Unsurprisingly, branded pens are some of the most popular items for a business. But are they also popular with their end users? If people keep receiving them, there’s bound to be a saturation point for these items. To bring new life to pens, here are creative ways companies can promote with them.

1. Choose eco-friendly promo pens

Sustainability and eco-consciousness are some of the top concerns for both brands and consumers in recent years. Sustainable practices are not just beneficial for brands but also for the environment. What better way to cement your stance as an eco-conscious brand than by using eco-friendly pens in your promotional and marketing campaigns?

Being an environmentally friendly brand makes almost 50% of consumers favour you more than your competitors. Giving away pens made of sustainable materials is guaranteed to make people use your giveaways and gifts more.

2. Find the perfect promotional pens for your target

Brands typically utilise pens without thinking of the recipients that will be using them. Not all promotional pens are made equally. Ensuring that your custom pens fit the lifestyles of the recipients will make them indispensable and more likely to be used frequently.

Read more

Fun Ideas for a Successful Orientation Week for Universities

Student orientation week is a way to make a good first impression on new students as it helps them get familiar with their new environment.

For a successful orientation, students need to have a smooth transition into university life. Integrating and transitioning are crucial factors in making students stay at university, as it is reported that students are less likely to stay if they do not become socially integrated within the first few weeks.

Here are four easy strategies to organise an effective Orientation Week that will keep your students engaged while also promoting your brand.

Decorate like you mean it!

Decorations make a world of difference when it comes to fostering school pride. Spruce up your premises with banners, flags and bunting. There will also be plenty of registration tables for various upcoming school activities and clubs so make sure that they are topped with branded table covers.

Get the students involved

Increase the students’ sense of belonging by getting them to sign up to organisations and extracurricular activities. Make the registration tables stand out by giving them custom-printed table covers with their organisation’s logo.

Read more

Keep the Sustainability Efforts Going with these 4 Inflation-Proof Tips

The inflation rate is at an all-time high affecting the economy and so many companies. Companies need to cut costs to survive, including laying off employees, shutting down facilities, and doing away with sustainability efforts. However, reducing your corporate sustainability efforts can end up doing more harm than good for your brand. Here are ways you can still maintain sustainability in your promotional campaigns despite these trying times.

1. Reusability is key

Reusable promotional products do not only help your company save money, but they also reduce waste. It is the most practical and cost-efficient sustainability effort as you don’t have to keep buying to replenish stocks. People can keep using them for a long time, therefore providing the most bang for your buck.

For example, dining and drinks establishments will find it easy to switch to reusables as there are plenty of eco-friendlier alternatives to the usual items in your business, such as reusable drinkware, tote bags, straws, cutlery, food containers, and more. You can also encourage customers to use their containers for food and drink takeaways.

2. Attract more consumers in the younger generations by retaining sustainability initiatives

If you think that cutting your sustainability program will save money, then you are wrong. Sustainability efforts attract more consumers, particularly from younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z). In fact, 46% of consumers favour brands that give away eco-friendly promotional products. Women are also more receptive to them. Not only will you be saving the planet but you will also be endearing your brand to more consumers when you stick with sustainable branded items.

3. Going local can never go wrong

Read more

Make an impact this 2022 with these 4 Trending Promotional Products

The business landscape is getting tougher and tougher each year. No matter what industry you’re in, there’s always going to be another brand that dominates and casts a huge shadow upon its competitors. How will you get your brand noticed to level the playing field?

Endearing people to your brand by giving them valuable promotional items is one way to do it. Promotional products are an effective form of advertising and a channel to inspire brand loyalty, making them the most preferred advertising tool by consumers.

As they are typically used frequently and kept for a minimum of a year , they also provide more brand exposure than traditional and social media ads. Hence, over 80% of consumers are more likely to research the brand they see on promo items and do business with them , according to PPAI.

Get the most out of your branded merchandise by choosing the trending promotional products of 2022. Here are the top promo giveaways and corporate gifts that will set your brand apart.

1. Eco-Friendly Products

Eco-friendly promotional products have always been around. However, it is only now that they’re gaining traction as there are more options and styles available. There are now so many kinds of eco-friendly items that you can replace all your usual work supplies and giveaways with them.

There are so many ways you can use environmentally friendly branded merchandise to make an impact with your brand this 2022. Here are some ideas:

Read more

4 School & University Promotion Ideas for the New School Year

The start of a new academic year is just around the corner, so you should be deciding on events for the upcoming term now, before the summer holidays.

If you want to attract new students and improve brand awareness, here are promotional marketing ideas to grow the popularity of your school or university.

Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail marketing is effective in getting your educational institution’s name out there. Make more impact by targeting recipients that meet your target demographics like households that have young families. People tend to throw away junk mail but you can prevent them from doing the same with yours by enclosing a promotional item with your mailout. It could be something simple such as branded pens, custom USB drives (with a brochure about your school’s or university’s offerings), and keychains.

Direct mail marketing is a useful tool when inviting people to an upcoming promotional event, such as open day and sponsored educational and sports events (more on them below).

Orientation Week

Orientation week is an opportunity to make a good first impression on the students. Organise games and stalls for the students, distribute drinks and snacks, and give them a soft copy of the schools information brochure pre-downloaded in a branded USB drive. You can also give them a back-to-school starter pack before the day ends. Ideal contents in the pack are branded pens, t-shirts, custom printed notebooks, and other stationery items

Read more

Do Your Christmas Shopping in July to Prevent Delays!

Christmas shopping in July is about to become the norm. Ordering at a later date may cost your business, especially in these precarious times. Here are reasons why Christmas shopping in July is now the most logical step you’ll ever do for your brand and business.

1. Supply chain issues are driving up the cost

Since the start of the pandemic, we have been riddled with supply chain disruptions worldwide. There is no one root cause of this problem, it’s caused by a confluence of issues worldwide, not limited to production shutdowns due to COVID-19 restrictions, cargo container shortages, port congestions, and more.

While it’s estimated to be getting better this year, all the above issues still have been driving up the cost as days, weeks, and months go by.

2. Shipping congestions are delaying orders

While shopping for Australian-made products guarantees less shipping time, most products are imported overseas. There are so many things going on all over the world that are delaying your orders, from port labour union issues and the Ukrainian-Russian war in Europe to the insufficient capacity of ports to handle the influx of shipments. This results in more time for your orders to get to their destination and it also affects the stock levels.

3. Low or no Stock

Read more

Learn why corporate gifts will help your brand grow in 2023!

There are so many things that you can do to grow your brand in 2023 with varied results. But one thing that consistently works is corporate gifting. They don’t just serve as goodwill gestures to spread cheer and appreciation among clients, customers, and employees. They are also effective marketing tools when promoting your brand.

Here are the top reasons why giving away corporate gifts can help grow your brand in 2023.

1. Corporate gifts are the least invasive and annoying marketing tool

We probably come across thousands of ads each day just by browsing our phones, watching TV, reading the paper, and taking a walk outside. But how many stick to our minds? Advertisers can keep flinging their ads at us but only a few will stick. Many people even go out of their way to avoid seeing ads!

With gifts, you get to promote your brand without the risk of being thrown into the bin or annoying your recipients. According to a 2021 Consumer Study by the Promotional Products Association International, 94% enjoy receiving promotional products. Meanwhile, 86.5 agree that business gifts are the best way to learn about a new business. So if you’re worried that gifting might be a waste of money and effort, worry not.

2. Gifting helps brands achieve brand recall and retention

If you see something for too long, whether it’s a logo, tagline, or image, doesn’t it make a mark on your memory for months and even years afterwards? It’s the same with branded gifts.

Read more

Promo Tech Items that Make for Excellent Employee Rewards

Employee recognition and rewards are keys to an organisation’s success. They do a lot in improving the staff’s morale and productivity, in turn, making it easier for businesses to achieve their goals. If you’re looking for employee rewards ideas, why not try promotional tech products? Why is that, you ask? Here are the 4 reasons you should use promotional tech items for your employee recognition and reward programmes.

Promo tech items appeal to the majority of the workforce

The workforce is predominantly made up of Generation X and Millennials. These are driven and fast-living people who are drawn to promo tech items. They treat items such as power banks, USBs, headphones, wireless chargers, and Bluetooth speakers as necessities since they rely on them in their day-to-day lives. They will certainly be happy to be rewarded with these items.

Promo tech items enhance the working experience

Promotional tech items such as USBs, power banks, and headphones can be easily used by your staff while working. These items can also help and enhance their experience while working. They also constantly expose your staff to your brand and messaging, thus, strengthening company morale and pride.

Promo tech items serve as advertisements

When used outside the office, promo tech items serve as mobile billboards for your brand. It improves brand awareness and recognition since your logo and messaging will be exposed to people who otherwise would not know anything about your brand.

Read more

Make the most of your promotional products with these best ROI-boosting tips!

In this recession, every spending counts. And merchandise is no exception. While they are necessary expenditures, they are still not easy for the company pursestrings. How do you ensure you get the most out of your promotional products? Here are ways to generate the maximum ROI for your branded merchandise.

1. Know your Target Audience

To ensure maximum usage and visibility, target specific industries and give them inexpensive items that they’ll be using the most. For example, you can give logoed tape measures and carpenter pencils to your clients in the construction industry or multi-tools and torches for the automotive industry.

Why shell out for expensive items when you can get the job done with affordable ones? The items we mentioned above only cost less than $5 a piece and will get you plenty of ad impressions and brand recognition.

It goes without saying that to identify your target audience, you need to get to know your clients: who they are, where they are from, and how they found you.

2. Make promotional merchandise your business card

Instead of giving away business cards (which people might lose or toss away eventually), you can give away promo merchandise that recipients can use while also containing your contact information and offerings so that you’ll be the first company they think of whenever they need your products or services.

Read more

4 Ways Promotional Products Can Help Your Holiday Campaigns

Christmas is a great time to thank your clients for their business and your staff for their hard work. Take a look at our promotional Christmas products ideas below, and get your campaign off the ground this Christmas.

Corporate gifts to clients and customers

The continued patronage of your clients and customers is the bloodline of your business. Make sure that you establish goodwill and express your gratitude through year-end corporate gifts. Your clients will surely appreciate the gesture. Branded gifts can also serve as a promotional tool that will help improve brand recall, increasing the likelihood of them doing business with you again and referring your brand to other people.

Recommended products: Picnic Blankets, BBQ Sets, Champagne/Wine encased in a Branded Wine Carrier

Employee appreciation programmes

Employees are crucial to the success of any company and showing your gratitude by giving them a little token of appreciation that will help them in their day-to-day lives or enhance the way they work will go down a treat.

Recommended products: Cooler Bags, Beer Tasting Paddles, Wireless Chargers

Read more

5 Eye-Catching Promotional Golf Products and Accessories

Golf tournaments present a great opportunity for brands to maximize their visibility. Whether they’re for fundraising, networking or competition, there are plenty of ways that companies can advertise their logo and messaging. The best way is to distribute promotional products that are both relevant to the event. Here are the best promotional golf products and accessories you can stamp your logo on to make an impact on the game and the attendees.

Golf Genie

Golf Genie is a nifty multi-purpose stainless steel golf tool that contains everything you’ll ever need for behind-the-scenes maintenance and upkeep. It has a club head cleaning brush to maintain your beloved club’s blinding sheen, divot repairer to flatten the grass, and a ball marker. It also comes with a spike tightener for your golf shoes and a knife for various purposes. Due to its usefulness and durability, your logo is guaranteed to generate exposure for years to come.

Deluxe 30" Auto Golf Umbrella

Umbrellas are one of the most ubiquitous objects in the golf course. This massive Deluxe 30-inch Auto Golf Umbrella boasts of an 8-panel huge canopy that will ensure that your logo will be seen from miles away. It also has an automatic open function and vented canopy to revert it to its original form easily after being blown over by the wind.

Golf Ball Drink Bottle

Although it may not look like it, golf is just as strenuous and dehydrating just like any other sport. Increase the likelihood of people doing business with your brand by giving away these useful promotional golf products and accessories, the Golf Ball Drink Bottles. These drink bottles have a 750-ml capacity. It has an insulated bag to keep water cold or your tea hot. Its cap has a golf ball holder atop the lip so that one can easily find a ball whenever, wherever. It also has tee holders on the bag for fast and easy set-up after taking a swig of water. What’s better is that it comes with the ball and tees as well. It’s like hitting several birds with one stone!

Read more

Best USB Promotional Products in Australia for Branding & Promo Giveaways

If you are looking to give away USB promotional products in Australia , you’re in luck! There are more to these custom printed USBs than meet the eye. Aside from storing large files and being able to bring anywhere, they also do wonders for a brand’s potential.

According to ASI research, personalised USBs influence consumers the most. Consumers of all genders also love receiving these, with 91% of them keeping these USB promotional products for a very long time due to its usefulness. To take advantage of these benefits, here are the best USB promotional products in Australia.

Credit Card Flash Drive on Custom Backing Card

The Credit Card Flash Drive on Custom Backing Card is small enough to fit wallets and the back pocket of your pants. It is capable of storing up to 4GB and will record and play HD and Full HD videos, ranging from 720p to 1080p/1080i. The custom backing card can be printed in any design you choose. When ordered in bulk, these are individually packed in a clear cello bag.

Silicone Watch Flash Drive

Technology is permeating every aspect of our lives, including fashion. Wearable technologies are gadgets worn as accessories or implants. What better way to flaunt technology than wearing it on your wrist? Having a watch to go with it. This Silicone Watch Flash Drive is available in a wide array of memory capacities, from 4 GB and up.

Gold Bar Flash Drive

Read more

5 Buzz-Worthy Promotional Products to Spend Your Remaining Budget On

If you find yourself with an extra budget this EOFY, getting promotional products is the best way to spend it! Whether you’re looking to get a headstart for the new financial year, throwing a last-minute EOFY promotion, or optimising your tax deductions, promo items will make for good investments which will generate plenty of ROI.

Here are the best promotional products in Australia to give your brand and business finances a buzz this EOFY.

1. Promotional Notebooks

Promotional notebooks are still popular branded items everywhere. Whether you choose them as office supplies or giveaways, they generate plenty of brand awareness. No matter what your target market is, they make for desirable items due to their universal appeal and reasonable prices. Promotional notebooks are also highly customisable with its wide range of design options and styles to choose from.

2. Branded Reusable Coffee Cups

Coffee addiction is at an all-time high so it comes as no surprise that reusable coffee cups are one of the most popular and useful promotional items this EOFY season. Your brand will be sure to get the ubiquitous visibility it deserves due to the guaranteed frequency of use by people.

Promotional Straws and Drink Bottles

Read more

The 5 Most Attention-Grabbing Promotional Pens

Promotional pens are the second most popular promotional products worldwide and one of the best-selling products here in BrandConnect. They also give the best value for your money’s worth as they are generally cheap and give the most impressions on people.

Since promotional pens are one of the most popular promotional products, just imagine how many custom-printed pens an average person will receive within a year. So, it can be hard for your giveaway and your brand to make the impact that you were expecting. In order to prevent this from happening, you have to cook up creative ways to innovate the traditional promotional pens. In the list below, we will be sharing five innovative pens (including promotional pens with stylus and flashlight!) that your clients or business partners won’t resist using regularly.

Eco-Friendly Promotional Pens

A typical pen will only give you a few years of use before it runs out of ink. Once they do, people wouldn’t think twice to discard it. If you are the type who cares about the environment and waste footprint, these eco-friendly promotional pens will make the perfect promotional pens for your company. These eco-friendly promotional pens are made from sustainable or recycled materials such as cardboard barrel and cornstarch plastic trim.

Promotional Pens with Stylus and Flashlight

In a world that is growing ever-reliant on touchscreen phones and gadgets, stylus pens are starting to become one of the most searched writing instruments according to ASI. But why go for regular ones when you can give away promotional pens with stylus and flashlight Powered by super-bright LED lights, these promotional pens light up the logo to help find lost keys inside bags or illuminate dark roads.

Logo-Projector Pens

Read more

Unforgettable Corporate Gifts for Christmas Season 2019

The holiday season is rolling around and it’s time for companies to start shopping for the corporate gifts they’ll give to their clients, customers, and employees. While it’s the thought that counts, brands should put a lot more thought into holiday gifting. After all, this is their way to make a lasting impact on their audience and expand their reach well until the next year.

If you want to make your corporate gifts last this year, make sure you stick to what works. Here are the 5 trending corporate gifts for Christmas 2019.

Gift Sets

Sure, giving a coffee cup as a gift on its own may be cheap but it’s not exactly as memorable as bundling it up in a set with other related items. Gift sets are popular for a reason. They offer the total gift experience and make any item have a high-perceived value.

You can create your own DIY gift set or you can choose from any pre-packaged gift sets we have on offer.

Recommended products: Zephyr Tool Kit, Quantum Gift Set, Kafe Double Walled Glass Set

Food & Drinks

Read more

5 Ways to Harness the Power of Company Branded Notebooks

The strategy of using company branded notebooks to boost brand visibility and image has been around in Australia since time immemorial. And there’s a reason for the popularity of these promotional products. Not only do they deliver a lot of marketing benefits for the brand, but they also prove useful for the recipients in their day-to-day lives.

Did you know that giving away these company branded notebooks can do more harm than good sometimes? It takes a carefully planned promotional product strategy to make them work for you. Read our tips how to harness the power of these printed notebooks.

They are millennial magnets

If your target audience is millennials, you’re in luck! According to a 2016 ASI study, millennial people are the most likely to use company branded notebooks out of all the age groups, with interest waning as the recipient gets older. It is important to determine whether your promotional product giveaways will be appreciated by the recipient or else it might fail to make an impact and go straight to the trash.

Remote Work Branded Notebooks

Special occasions call for promo notebooks

Schedule the distribution of the company branded notebooks during special events or promotions. You don’t just give them away without an occasion. Promotional company branded notebooks are best leveraged when you have something to promote, such as a trade show and conference appearance, store/product launch, sale, event, and other opportunities.

Read more

5 Successful Fundraising Ideas for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is a dreaded illness that is estimated to affect more than 13,000 people this year. It is also the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Australia and the second cause of death from cancer for women. Our mums, aunts, grandmums, friends, colleagues, cousins, sisters, and daughters have a high risk of contracting this disease.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2019, let’s do our part in joining the cause and raising funds for its prevention, diagnosis, research, treatment, and awareness. If your brand or not-for-profit organisation wants to get involved, here are 5 Successful Fundraising Ideas for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2019.

Charity walkathons

Charity walkathons are a great way to engage everyone through exercise. They also do a lot of things for the cause. One, people can show their support for their loved ones who are affected by the disease by joining. Two, these walkathons raise breast cancer awareness, thanks to its wide reach. Lastly, they can generate a lot of revenue by selling branded merchandise, pledges, and sponsorships.

Recommended promotional products for walkathons:

(l-r): Sports T-shirts, Sports Bottles, and Baseball Caps

Hair donation drives

Read more

Innovative Promotional Products to Help Your Business Stand Out

Sometimes, distributing promotional products is not enough. Yes, promotional products can do a lot to improve your brand’s relationship with its stakeholders and image to the consumers. However, you can’t just dole out products and expect people to take notice of you. While people appreciate free stuff, you have to make sure that you give away innovative promotional products to catch their attention.

Kick Your Marketing Up a Notch With Our Innovative Promotional Products

If you want to reap all the benefits of promotional product marketing while making an impact, here are five innovative promotional products to get your brand noticed.

Swiss Peak 4-in-1 Speaker

The Swiss Peak 4-in-1 Speaker is a powerful 3W Bluetooth speaker that can blast music for 18 hours with its 4500mAh rechargeable battery. Due to its capacity, it is perfect for hunting, boating, camping, and outdoor events where electrical outlets to charge in are scarce. Once your phone has run out of juice from playing music, you can also use the Swiss Peak 4-in-1 Speaker to charge your electronic gadgets.

Made to withstand the harsh elements of weather, this Bluetooth speaker is resistant against rain and dust. It is also equipped with a bright 250-lumen LED lantern and four-function flashlight to illuminate your way during the cold, dark night outside.

Electronic Jump Rope

Read more

Give Interesting Corporate Gifts to Attain Brand Recall

Sometimes, you don’t need a special occasion to give interesting corporate gifts . There are times that you want to appreciate your clients, sponsors, or suppliers for helping with your company’s success. Or you just want to reward your hard working staff for delivering exceptional results day in, day out. Whatever the cause may be, here are interesting corporate gifts you can give them for every budget.

$10 and under

Interesting corporate gifts don’t have to be expensive to be appreciated. Make sure that your business partners and staff value your gesture by giving them these Printed Notebook Water Bottles. Made from PS, this drinkware is compact and can be easily slid into the bag to be used anytime the recipient feels thirst.

$20 and under

This amount is enough to give multifunctional corporate gifts that exude class and value. Our Bradford Zip Portfolio has everything a professional will ever need to get through a hard day at work. It contains a large internal document folder and a lined A4 pad, as well as a pen loop and pockets for business cards.

$30 and under

Any techie will be delighted to receive a Superior Gift Set, consisting of a Velocity power bank, a Miami ballpoint pen, and swivel flash drive. The Velocity power bank has 2,000mAh capability, while the swivel flash drive is capable of storing up to 4GB. It also comes with dual micro USB charging adapter for the power bank.

Read more

5 Effective Year-End Fundraising Ideas to Meet Your Not-for-Profit’s Goals

December is the golden month for not-for-profit organisations. It is reported that almost a third of all not-for-profit donations are received during December, so not-for-profits should be making the most of this season.

If there’s a season that not-for-profits should work extra hard to raise awareness and solicit donations, it’s during this last quarter of the year. Here are some statistics to convince you to do a “year-end ask”:

Source: Winspire

Do these numbers convince you? Here are 5 last-minute fundraising ideas that are easy to organise and throw.

Christmas gift wrapping

Offering a Christmas gift-wrapping service in exchange for a donation to your organisation is an easy way for local not-for-profits, schools, and faith-based organisation to raise awareness and funds for the year. Typically, gift wrapping is something that most people don’t want to be bothered about so offering this service will surely become a hit among the shoppers. You can also order a custom-printed wrapping paper for a truly personalised service that is guaranteed to generate brand exposure and awareness.

For shoppers looking for last-minute gifts, you can also sell branded advent calendars of chocolates or Christmas lollies in your gift-wrapping stall. These not only generate additional revenue, but also promote your brand.

Read more

Be business-ready for 2020 with these 5 Marketing & Branding Tips

2020 is a time for new beginnings for your business. Whether you had tremendous success or failures last year, it is time to leave all that behind and start fresh. Prepare for the upcoming year by revisiting and reviewing your past goals and revising them for the new year.

In order for it to be a successful year for your business, here are 5 marketing and branding tips to kick the year off with a bang.

1. Review your business plan last year

You have to look back in order to move forward. Revisit your performance from last year. Was it successful? What are the things that went right and what didn’t? What are the areas that could be improved? In determining these things, you would be able to create a plan for this year that takes into account your brand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

2. Reconnect with clients

Customers and clients are the bloodlines of any organisation. Pave the way for a stronger relationship with them this 2020 by reaching out and thanking them for their business last year. If you’ve got a bit of budget left over from last year, you could give away branded corporate gifts such as promotional pens, calendars, or notebooks to express your gratitude. These items also serve as promotional tools so that your brand will be the first in their mind when they need your services again.

As for former clients, you could also take this time to reconnect with them. It could be that these clients are ready to start working with you again. Or they are just waiting for you to make their first move. Whatever it is, you could score extra points with them by being the first one to reach out to them.

Read more

How to Measure the ROI of Your Promotional Product Campaign Accurately

One of the arguments that promotional product naysayers like to bring up is how it is virtually impossible to measure the ROI on promotional products . They say that it is easy to say that it improves brand awareness, customer loyalty, and other benefits, but how would they quantify it to know that the costs justify the means? Will your logo-imprinted promotional products impact your brand profile and visibility and more importantly, bottom line? The answer to that is…

Yes, a hundred times yes! But there are specific methods that you have to implement in order to determine your ROI. What are these methods? Read below to find out!

Traditional ROI Computation

Yes, the conventional formula for deducing the ROI of any business spend, depending on the goal. If your goal is to achieve a measurable metric like increasing the number of conversions, leads, or social media interactions (likes, shares, tweets, and engagement), you take your gains and then subtract the spend. You then divide it with the spend of investment again. Below is the computation:

ROI = (Gains – Promotion Spend) / Promotion Spend

Entice people with a call to action

This is an active way of encouraging people to come into your brand’s stratosphere. Inviting them to like your Facebook page, visit your website, subscribe to your email newsletter and the like. However, this will only give you a rough idea as to the amount of gains that were actually generated by your promotional products. For a more exact computation of ROI, implement the next strategy.

Read more

Don’t let your brand be left in the cold this Winter with Branded Merchandise!

Is your brand ready to heat it up with promotional winter products with the cold season coming up? Travellers are a target that companies and organisations should be paying more attention to as this season is expected to boost domestic and international tourism. People want to spend more on travel this year than ever before, according to the Skyscanner Horizons report 2022. They are also forecasting higher demand for domestic and short-haul travel.

To capitalise on this, brands are organising and sponsoring events, launching promotions, and giving corporate gifts to clients and employees. Don’t let your brand get cold this season, use these 5 promo products to spread awareness. Keep reading until the end to get a special discount on selected winter products!

1. Promotional Winterwear

Winter Wear pieces are must-haves for everyone this season. They are also key promotional tools for any brand. Whether used as company uniforms, given as employee or client gifts, or sold as branded merchandise, promo winter wear such as jackets, gloves and scarves will generate plenty of impressions and attention for your brand due to their usefulness and stylishness.

Tip: Choose something stylish and neutrally coloured so that people are more likely to bring them along on trips. Even better if the item has multiple functions like a jacket that has a removable hoodie and pockets or a set with all essential winter accessories, such as a beanie, gloves, and a scarf to save space in their luggage.

2. Promotional Beanies

What is winter without a beanie? Whether they’re used as fashion accents, to hide a bad hair day, or to stay warm during the cold, custom beanies are essential accessories during the winter and particularly during travel.

Read more

The Hottest Promotional Products for Sports Promotions

We are still reeling from the heart-stopping bout of this year’s FIFA World Cup and now, this season of NRL is just heating up. People are always going crazy for these sporting events, which make them the perfect opportunity to maximize your brand visibility using promotional products. You don’t even need these major sports matches to flaunt your logo on promo items. You can also use them for any sports teams from school games, corporate fun matches, and community tournaments. Here are the best promotional products for sports promotions.

Sports Promotional Products #1: Branded T-Shirts

Whether you’re playing on the field or sitting on the bleachers, promotional sports apparel items such as branded t-shirts are one of the most prominent sports promotional items. Featuring a large surface space for logos and messaging, a single branded shirt attracts 1,755 impressions over its lifetime, according to Advertising Specialty Institute. It makes them the second most popular and fifth highest impression-generating promotional item in Australia.

Solace Adult T-Shirt

Sports Promotional Products #2: Branded Sports Bottles

Hydration is a must after all the cheering and yelling for your favorite team. These branded sports bottles will do just that. Most people own promotional drink bottles as drinking is a necessity that should be fulfilled multiple times a day. Most branded drinkware are, in fact, used for a minimum of two to three times a week. Your brand will be getting exposure during sports games and also beyond them.

Soa Aluminium Sports Drink Bottle

Read more

5 Business Survival Tactics to Weather the COVID-19 Storm

Since the Coronavirus hit, many businesses have been struggling to keep afloat. The lockdown has affected business operations, with many establishments closing down or running on minimal support. This leaves business owners worrying about the future of their establishments and in turn, their staff also fears layoffs and income loss.

We can still turn things around. As they say, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” We have to find ways to overcome adversity and adapt to the situation despite the restrictions. Here are 5 ways you can survive and even thrive in this pandemic.

Consider delivery services for your restaurant or shop

Dining in is strictly prohibited in some areas to reduce the spread of the virus. Fortunately, this is not the end of the road for restaurants and fast food joints. You can still continue operations by offering a takeout and delivery service. If you are running on skeletal crew, you can also sell your dishes as packaged or reheatable meals to lessen the workload for your staff.

Hot tip: When delivering, use these tote bags to make brand impact and create customer loyalty.

Keep your brand relevant in your customer’s minds

When the dust settles, people will want to do business or buy from you again, so make sure you continue advertising your services through digital marketing, and other traditional marketing materials. Use this time to create relationships with your customers. One way you can do this is by sending your customers an At Home Pack with your branding. This will not only be a form of engagement but will strengthen their relationship with your business.

Read more

5 Reasons to Give Away Promotional Pens for Your Business

For startup businesses, it can be a struggle to get your brand recognized in this tremendously competitive market. You know the only way to do this is through advertising, and it doesn’t come cheap. What you don’t know is that there is a more economical way to maximise your brand’s visibility and recognition, generate sales, and improve revenue. What is it? It is as simple as giving away promotional pens . Here are ways how these nifty promotional pens can propel your brand to the top.

Promotional pens are the most popular promo products in Australia

Fifty percent of people receive promotional pens every year, making it the most common of branded giveaways. These logo-imprinted products are not in danger of being overexposed though, as they are just as effective (if not even more so) in achieving their advertising purpose of increasing consumer awareness and loyalty and generating sales and referrals of a brand.

Promotional pens can overhaul your overall brand.

According to the Australasian Promotional Products Association, over 80% become more enamored with a brand after receiving a promotional product, while 42% think of a brand more highly if it displays environmental awareness by giving away environmentally friendly promotional products. Up the ante by giving away eco-friendly promotional pens to result in an even better consumer opinion of your brand.

Promotional pens provide the best value in terms of impressions generated per cent spent.

Promotional pens are cost-efficient, generating an impression every tenth of a cent. As the second highest impression-generating promotional product, a single writing instrument will create 3,223 impressions. That is how many people will see your logo or message on the product. On the other hand, 76% of them will have your brand seared into their memories, while 52% will want to do business with you. Not bad for acquiring prospects, right?

Read more

5 Marketing Opportunities You Are Missing Out on During the Pandemic

“Improvise, adapt, and overcome.”

That’s the slogan companies should adopt since the world has ground to halt due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While many companies stopped operations and had huge staff layoffs, we have to keep in mind that if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

You don’t have to be limited by this unfortunate situation. You can make your situation work for you by looking for missed opportunities to keep your brand relevant in these trying times. Here are 5 missed marketing opportunities that you should be leveraging during COVID-19.

1. Direct Mail

If people can’t come to your store, then go to their home! Direct mail is the perfect marketing approach during the quarantine since where else would the people be but at home? Send them promotional products that ensure your marketing efforts don’t go straight to the bin. But you can’t just give them any item, you have to give them something relevant, useful, and/or informative.

“Sanitisers ":/store/category/4796-hand-sanitisers

Paper soaps that could be printed with hand washing instructions

Read more

Reward your staff for a job well done this 2021 with these gift ideas!

With the alarming rise of unemployment and the impending arrival of “The Great Resignation,” this year has been full of challenges. It is no longer a question of “what can you do for us?” but rather, the employers should be asking “what can we do for them?”.

This holiday season is the perfect opportunity to recognise and appreciate your staff for a job well done during this difficult year. Here are reward and gift ideas to boost staff morale.

1. Personalised thank you card

If you have a limited budget right now, you don’t need to splurge a lot to make your staff feel special. A personalised thank you card or a personal meeting to thank them goes a long way to express your appreciation for a job well done.

2. Cheese Boards & Wine Accessories

Cheese boards and wine accessories make the best gifts if you want to make an impression but don’t have a lot of budget. After a hard day at work, there is nothing better for an employee to come home to than a relaxing night with wine and cheese. Giving them cheese boards and wine accessories with your branding would mean that you care about them. It doesn’t hurt that they also improve your brand awareness when they have people over.

You can find cheese boards and wine accessories for as low as under $10.

Read more

6 Rush Promo Items Guaranteed to be Delivered on Time!

The best thing about Christmas shopping is the low bargains and deals you’ll find. The bad news is that shipping can be delayed due to the high volume of purchases.

If you’ve left your Christmas corporate gifts & promo items shopping too late, don’t worry! You can still get our orders in time with our Express Turnaround Promo Items! These items can be printed and delivered within seven days of artwork approval. Here are the best finds from our collection of good quality rush promotional items.

Express Keychains

Perfect for: Shopping freebies, party and contest giveaways, trade show and conference giveaways, and corporate gifts

Keychains are a cost-effective item to get your brand out there without spending a lot. They are the best promotional tools for you if your company has a limited budget.

Our keychains are customisable to reflect your branding. Our metal keyrings come in a wide variety of shapes to suit the industry you’re in. We have the Maserati and Rotella for the automotive industry and the Casa for real estate developers and agents and property managers. You can also choose multi-purpose keychains such as the Belmont, which also serves as a bottle opener.

Express Office Supplies & Notebooks

Read more

6 tech tips for easier remote working and collaborating

Working remotely has its specific set of challenges that businesses may not be prepared for. For businesses that are having problems with remote working and collaborating, here are 6 tech tips to make your staff’s lives easier.

1. Maintain constant communication

We can’t stress enough how important communication is during this time. Foster a collaborative environment among your remote staff by establishing a virtual community through team messenger apps such as Hangouts Chat and Slack.

Everyone can also stay on top of their project updates and responsibilities as well as discuss project specifics by using project management apps, such as Asana, Basecamp, or Trello.

2. Secure your passwords

There’s always that one person who always forgets their password. With a possibly reduced workforce, your IT helpdesk might not always be around to reset passwords when needed. Prevent the waiting around for password reset with password management tools like LastPass. It can be installed as a browser extension so that you can safely share your company passwords to the staff. It is also secure since your staff doesn’t have to know the passwords, everything is stored in the tool and they can be automatically logged in using it.

3. Headphones are your employees’ best friends

Read more

6 Benefits of Promotional Drinkware for Brands

These days, companies are getting wiser with their expenditures. Everything has to be cost-efficient and generate a good ROI, such as in the case of marketing and promotions. If you’ve got an upcoming promotional campaign or fundraising drive, here are the top reasons why promotional drinkware is the essential giveaway and corporate gift that provides the best value for money.

1. Promotional drinkware is a trending item for the most powerful consumer groups

Promotional drinkware is steadily growing in popularity. Aside from hydration, Millennials and Gen Zs see them as status symbols.

With the boom of branded drink bottles, people are willing to pay premium prices as long as the items are high quality and well designed. For fundraising drives, these items will be a sure hit and will generate plenty of donations for causes and not-for-profit organisations.

2. Promotional drinkware is functional all year round

Branded drink bottles are versatile and useful all year round for people from all walks of life. Unlike seasonal items, it can be used anywhere and anytime and it has different types of items for different settings, whether the user is on the go, working on their desk, or relaxing at home. It’s so popular that eight out of 10 people own promotional drinkware.

3. Branded drinkware generates plenty of ad mileage

Read more

6 Things Businesses MUST Do if Their Events Got Cancelled

If you’re one of the unlucky businesses that had a scheduled event when the Coronavirus hit, then you know that it sucks. It is unfortunate that after spending all the time and money organising the event, only to have it cancelled or postponed for the unforeseeable future. Many have been affected, including trade shows, conferences, expos, and even large-scale events, such as SXSW, Coachella, and possibly, the Summer Olympics 2020 in Tokyo.

However, it is a necessary measure to stop the spread of the virus in its tracks. We may not control outside elements that may prevent our events from taking place, but we can be resourceful in how we handle things when our events get cancelled or postponed. Take, for example, the promotional products for your event. You don’t have to throw it away. Here are 6 ways you can still use your promotional products to minimise damage and costs.

Use the promotional products to promote your next event

Instead of leaving your promotional products to gather up dust in your office, you can use them to promote your upcoming events. This will remind your customers to look out for your next event. Your items will also serve as advertising so that they’ll be curious about your brand and do business with your company in the future.

Donate your products

If the branded items you ordered are necessities that are currently in high demand in the crisis, (e.g., sanitisers, masks, and antibacterial wipes), you can donate them to organisations that have a dire need for them, such as hospitals, retirement homes, clinics, and high-risk groups (senior citizens and people with co-morbids). Not only will you be helping out the community, but your company or organisation will also receive a publicity boost. People also tend to remember these selfless acts, which would come in handy when you reach out for funding support.

Shift your focus on direct marketing campaigns

Read more

Maintain your brand’s momentum with these trending promotional products for Autumn 2022

The summer is now cooling down, which means people will have different needs for the new weather. This is the perfect opportunity for brands to take advantage by incorporating Autumn promotional items into their marketing campaigns. For brands that want to increase brand awareness and exposure this fall, here are the top promo products of Autumn.

1. Reusable Coffee Cups

Nothing warms up someone better than a good cup of tea or coffee. Since eco-friendly items are all in the rage now, why not give away reusable coffee cups instead so that people can use them both indoors and on the go? They are also safe enough to be used near the computer with their secure lids.

2. Custom Beanies

Beanies are an essential part of the Autumn outfit. Make sure to get ad space on valued real estate on the body when you integrate logo-printed beanies into your promotional campaigns. They also make for amazing branded merchandise for staff uniforms.

3. Promotional Jackets

Help people stay warm and snug this Autumn with promotional jackets. They are also effective in promoting brands as they are mostly used outdoors and have a long shelf-life, providing long and widespread ad mileage.

Read more

Beginner’s Guide to Promotional Products Tailored to Your Brand

When you design promotional products for your brand, the number one rule is they have to make an impact on your targets and campaign as well as your bottom line. In a sea of free giveaways and corporate gifts, how do you set your brand and logo-imprinted apart from your competitors? How do you design promotional products that are aligned with your brand values? Here are the five tips to guide you in creating promotional products that will suit your brand identity and target market.

Find a purpose for your promotional products

Promotional products work best if they are developed to support your marketing strategy. You need your promotional products to achieve results, whether it is to generate sales or leads, improving brand awareness, promoting your participation in trade shows and conferences, or establishing better client or employee relations. Your goal influences what kind of promotional products you should choose and how best to distribute them. If your company is participating in a trade show, you could draw people to your booth if you give away items such as promotional tote bags, lanyards, and key chains.

Look around to your competitors for inspiration

It’s not wrong to be inspired by your competitors. Doing competitor research also sheds light on what works for your industry and what doesn’t. Keep in mind that you should only take a little from their ideas and not totally base your promotional products on theirs as you still have to establish your own identity. Take your competitors’ ideas and improve on them, turning their cons into pros.

Seek out the opinions of your intended recipients

The most important opinion on the promotional products you’ll be giving away belongs to your recipients, whether they’re your clients, customers, or employees. Find out what promotional products they need and want to receive by conducting a survey. If such a thing is not possible, think of what the recipients need. In any market research, you can get a grasp of the behaviours and habits of your consumers, so use this information to design promotional products.

Read more

Shine the Light on Your Brand with the Best Promotional Products Perth

Known as the City of Lights, Perth is the capital and largest city in Western Australia. It is also the most isolated city in the world, giving it a unique character from other Australian cities. The country’s sunniest city also shines bright all year round with an average of eight hours of sunlight per day.

If you want your brand to stand out in Perth, here are the best promotional products for your upcoming promotional campaigns.

What is Perth like?

In order to develop a successful promotional and branding campaign in Perth, brands have to understand what Perth is like.

Laidback tourist destination: It may not have Melbourne’s rich arts and culture scene or Sydney’s glitz and glamour, but Perth more than makes up for it with its natural wonder. Perth is home to 19 beautiful beaches that are all within driving distance from the CBD, Swan River, and the wildlife. It has a more laid back appeal that some tourists can’t resist.

Important government and historical location: Perth has plenty of important public buildings and historical sites. Some of the important government buildings include Perth Mint, Government House, Parliament House, and Supreme Court Buildings.

Huge craft beer industry: Perth is known for its “small bar” culture with many of them scattered throughout the city. This makes it the perfect backdrop for Perth’s craft beer industry. Many Australian craft beer brands originated in Perth. Beer brewing has also evolved to brewing other spirits, such as artisan gin, vodkas, and more.

Read more

Experience the Brandconnect Advantage when Shopping for Promotional Merchandise

Here at Brandconnect, our primary service is to provide high quality promotional products to our customers that suit any budget. However, we want to go above and beyond to provide the best experience for our customers. From start to finish we offer a range of obligation free services such as a Free Promotional Marketing Consultation, Free Digital Mock-Ups, Samples, Online Instant Quotes, Live Stock Checks and Free Shipping. Through this blog, you will learn more about these advantages of shopping with Brandconnect.

1. Free Promotional Marketing Consultation

We here at Brandconnect are staunch advocates of the benefits of promotional products. If this is your first time with promotional products, we are here to help you develop the best promotional products plan for you to make sure your brand makes an impact. To book a call, fill out the form detailing your campaign needs, budget, and expectations and one of our Account Managers will call you back shortly.

2. Free Digital Mockups

When you first start looking for promotional products, you want to see how your logo will look like on the product. It’s only natural since your logo is the main star and the promotional product is its stage. You want your logo to be the first thing to pop out when people see your promotional product in order to get the full benefits of promotional marketing.

Here at Brandconnect, you can see how your logo will look like on the product even before purchasing. We have an easy Virtual Sample feature that is available on most promotional product pages where you can upload your logo and get the mockup instantly! For full-colour items and special decoration instructions, you can also contact one of our experienced Account Managers for a Free Artwork Design! Our inhouse graphic designer can do up to THREE digital mockups according to your specifications, obligation free.

3. Free Samples

Read more

7 Reasons Why Australian-Made Promotional Products Are Better

Globalisation has made it possible to access everything in all corners of the globe. This may be an exciting concept, but it’s not necessarily good. Importing items is detrimental to the environment, local economy, and your savings even though they may seem cheaper. Here are 7 reasons why you should be buying Australian-Made promotional products.

1. Support COVID-19 Recovery

Coronavirus has devastated our economy and job market. Buying Australian-made promotional productsmerchandise will boost the local economy at all levels. It will help local businesses recover from the losses, create new jobs, increase tax revenue, and reduce welfare costs. The more that people support local products, the faster that our country will recover from the economic and social impact of the pandemic.

2. Get sustainable promotional products

Companies will be assured that Australian-made custom products are manufactured following the strictest environmental protection policies and standards. Buying local also means that the carbon footprint is reduced to the shorter distance that the products need to travel between the factories and warehouses and distributors.

Since local products are made with fine craftsmanship, they last longer, meaning you get more bang for your buck and are less likely to end up in landfills.

3. Be assured that you get high-quality promotional products

Read more

Hot Back-to-School Promo Items to Make Any School or University Stand Out

This school term, don’t be overshadowed by your competitors. Take advantage of the back-to-school season to get your name out there. Invest in promotional products this school term to increase your popularity, build brand loyalty, and attract more enrollees in the upcoming school terms. If you have a promotional campaign or school fundraiser coming up, here are the best promotional products to promote with.

Branded high school and college apparel

Nothing promotes school pride than branded high school and college apparel. These logo-printed tops are usually worn by the students to show their support for their sports teams at sports games or just casually at school as a fashion statement. They are popular school items that sell well.

Urban Hoodies

Sports Premium Mesh Cap

Jupiter Unisex Tee

School supplies

Read more

3 Harmful Effects of Promotional Balloons to the Environment

Promotional balloons usually signify fun and festivities. Since time immemorial, they have been used to jazz up parties, parades, product launches, festivals, and other special occasions. However, there is nothing worth celebrating about the harmful effects that they are causing the environment. You may be asking yourself, how does that affect my brand?

We all call this planet our home and everyone has a responsibility to take care of it. Brands also earn extra brownie points with consumers for being environmentally conscious. According to a 2017 Unilever report, a third of consumers prefer sustainable brands. It is also supported by the ASI’s Global Ad Impressions Study, which reveals that 42% prefer environmentally friendly promotional products.

To further motivate you, here are 3 ways that promotional balloons are wreaking havoc to the environment and what your brand can do about it.

Promotional balloons end up as waste in our waters

Promotional balloons just add to our ballooning waste volume each year. It is reported that we are the second highest waste producers in the world. Balloons take a long time to disintegrate in the water, lasting for up to four years.

Promotional balloons kill wildlife

Birds and marine wildlife often mistake the latex or Mylar from balloon debris for food, blocking their digestive tract and eventually starving them to death when ingested. On the other hand, the ribbon or ties attached to the balloons end up on trees, power lines, or ground, which could entrap birds and animals. In fact, there have been many reports of birds being injured due to the strings accidentally wrapping around their beaks or wings and being suffocated upon entangling themselves.

Read more

Targeted Gifting: The Top Corporate Gifts for Each Industry

It can be stressful shopping for corporate gifts, particularly for clients. You want to make sure that your clients like them, while also giving something that reflects your brand and industry. Giving targeted gifts also helps your company stand out more to the recipients, maximising your branding opportunities, and improving client relations. If you’re still confused about what to give away for Christmas to your clients and business partners, here’s a corporate gift guide for every industry.

1. Best Corporate Gifts for the Real Estate Industry

This year has been volatile for the real estate industry. To show appreciation to your clients and business partners for helping you survive, here are the best gifts to put your logo on.

Hampers

Hampers are good gifts for both the holidays and housewarming. There’s nothing more festive and welcoming than giving them something that they can add to their holiday spread or use for when they’re in a pinch from all the moving in.

Cheese boards

Cheese boards may not be something that are present in all households, but they sure are something that anyone can appreciate. They also have a high-perceived value. If you want something to impress your recipients, this is the best gift for them!

Read more

The Secrets to Successful and Effective Promotional Products Adelaide

Don’t be fooled by Adelaide’s smaller size. Even though it only comes fifth after other major cities in Australia, promoting your brand with promotional products in Adelaide has its perks. After all, it has a bustling scenery of festivals, sporting events, culinary treats, and wineries.

Ironically, for a city full of hauntingly beautiful churches, Adelaide is also home to the country’s largest defence industry which comprises the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (Australia’s principal government military research institution), and various defence technology organisations. It is also close to the RAAF Base Edinburgh.

Read more if you want to decode Adelaide’s mystery for your brand’s upcoming promotional campaign.

Best Promotional Products Adelaide #1: Church Giveaways & Gifts

Adelaide isn’t called the City of Churches for nothing. As it is the first Australian city to be founded by free people, religious tolerance was greatly accepted. Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam first set down roots in Adelaide. Therefore, Adelaide is the location of St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral (Australia’s oldest cathedral) and the Adelaide Mosque (Australia’s oldest surviving mosque).

Since Adelaide is a religious mecca, promo church giveaways and religious gifts are big hits in the city. Journals, plastic pens, tote bags, and candles make for great promo church items.

Best Promotional Products Adelaide #2: Promo Wine Products

Read more

Most Effective Promotional Items for Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is the second leading cancer for women next to skin cancer. Through the years, the mortality rate of the illness has been going down, thanks to the global celebration of the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Held every October, this campaign is organized by major breast cancer charities, such as The McGrath Foundation, to increase awareness for this dreaded illness and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. It also offers comfort to those affected by the illness and their loved ones. If your organization is planning a fundraising drive to join the cause, here are the top promotional products for breast cancer awareness.

Promotional Products for Breast Cancer Awareness #1: Notebook and Pen Sets

Featured item: Omega Notebook With Pen

One of the popular giveaways during fundraisers, these notebook and pen sets make for perfect giveaways, especially when coupled with wellness and preventative reading materials. These promotional products are also popular among people due to their usefulness and necessity, so you would be sure that it would make an impact on people’s awareness of breast cancer.

Promotional Products for Breast Cancer Awareness #2: Manicure Set

Featured product: Leather-Look Manicure Set

Another necessity, these manicure sets are used day to day to groom the nails. Suffice it to say that they are products that people can develop a dependence on. Since they are daily necessities, they will surely be used for years to come. Thus, your brand and messaging will achieve longevity.

Read more

10 Hottest Promotional Products for Universities

Promotional products for universities are a great way to attract potential students to enroll, welcome them to the university, and drum up university pride. Whatever your reasons are for giving, Brandconnect has a wide range of promotional products for universities that will suit any occasion in your academic institution.

Scribe Spiral Notebook with Pen

There are no promotional products for universities that symbolise learning more than notebooks and pens. The Scribe Spiral Notebook with Pen is a set that consists of a 60-page spiral notebook with lined paper and a matching click pen. This combination will be useful while taking down notes during open house or during classes once they are already enrolled. Pens also get a lot of marketing mileage as they can generate an impression at a tenth of a cent.

Custom Printed Bullet Backpack

Another accessory that will never be gone from students is backpacks. They make jumping from one class to another easier as they will be able to carry all their things at once. The Custom Printed Bullet Backpack does not disappoint. It has several compartments, so students can stuff their notebooks, laptops, water bottles, mobile gadgets, pens and anything else they wish to bring. Universities also get to reap a lot of marketing benefits from backpacks since they generate the most impressions out of all the promotional products for universities.

Mens Zipper Hoodie

University life can get so busy that students just dress up in their most casual and cosy outfits in order to go through their day comfortably. Sweatshirts such as the Mens Zipper Hoodie are appreciated promotional products for universities as they are comfortable. Universities score extra brand visibility points, too, since their emblem will be seen wherever the wearer goes.

Read more

The Secret Trick to Hiring the Best Employees Using Branded Coffee Cups

Finding the right candidates for job openings has always been a struggle for recruiters.

To find the perfect match, companies have devised plenty of recruitment practices, ranging from the traditional, such as several rounds of interviews and aptitude tests to the more eccentric, such as having the applicants join a workout class or conducting the interview via text.

Sometimes, we end up overcomplicating things when the solution is right there in front of us. You can determine whether the candidate will be a good fit for your company by what he or she does with the drink offered to them during the interview, according to Trent Innes, managing director of Xero Australia, a business accounting software company that provides services worldwide.

On the Venture Podcast with Lambros Photios, Innes shared, “If you come in and have an interview, as soon as you meet me I’ll always take you for a walk down to one of our kitchens and somehow you’ll always end up walking away with a drink – whether that be a glass of water, coffee, a cup of tea or even a soft drink.”

He continued, “Then we take that back and have our interview and one of the things I’m always looking for at the end of the interview is, does the person who’s having the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?”

What is the logic behind this hiring practice?

What is the significance of this simple gesture? For Innes, it means that candidates who wash the cup up themselves or offer to take it to the sink have “a real sense of ownership.”

Read more

5 Benefits of Environmentally Friendly Promotional Products Plan

It is important now more than ever to become more ethically responsible when it comes to our carbon footprint and practices. With our pressing waste crisis, we need to adopt an eco-friendlier approach in our business operations. One step to take is through transitioning to an environmentally friendly promotional products plan. Not only will you be helping save the world, but your brand also stands to gain so much more. Here are the 5 benefits of adopting an environmentally friendly promotional products plan.

Your brand gains a more favorable reception from consumers

According to the latest Global Ad Impressions Study by ASI, 42% of consumers form a better opinion of brands that give away environmentally friendly promotional products. In addition, consumers between the ages of 18 and 44 are said to prefer eco-friendly branded merchandise more. This age range consists of millennials and Gen X-ers, the two most consumer groups with the strongest buying power. So if you want to target them, dare to go green.

Eco-friendly promotional products last longer

Environmentally friendly promotional products are designed and created to be reused over and over again so that they don’t add to our growing waste problem. Promo items such as promotional tote bags, reusable coffee cups, stainless steel straws, and drink bottles last for years. Not only are your giveaways guaranteed to last longer, but your brand will definitely benefit more this longevity.

You get longer brand visibility and more impressions

Since your promotional products are more long-lasting, your brand will get more exposure, granted that your logo has been imprinted through high-quality printing methods to prevent fading. On average, regular promotional products are kept for a year, but with eco-friendly branded merchandise is meant to be kept for twice longer. This means you can generate double the brand impressions and exposure with environmentally friendly items.

Read more

How to Develop Branded Merchandise Ideas that Sell

Celebrities and Youtube personalities aren’t the only ones who are getting in on the branded merchandise action. More and more brands are starting to sell their own corporate merchandise and turn additional streams of profit. The Boring Company, Coca-Cola, and NBA are the first brands that come to mind when thinking of companies that have produced and sold their very own corporate merchandise. Although your company may not be as big as these brands, you, too, can put branded merchandise into good use and raise funds or generate extra income for your brand.

Iron out your brand’s messaging

While it easy to stamp on your logo on any promotional product and call it a day, you would need to have a clear and consistent branding that reflects your company’s values, quality, value proposition, and mission. How will people be able to identify your logo or messaging if it is not aligned with your overall brand?

Implement a sound strategy

Nothing worth having ever comes easy in this world. When implementing a corporate merchandise strategy, make sure that you have done your research and determined your targets and budget. After all, this requires investment, so you have to set goals and expectations by the end of this campaign. You can’t go into battle without arming yourself with information and preparation.

Pick promotional products that resonate with your brand and audience

Using the information that you gathered from your research, find who your target market is and their likes. You can then choose the promotional products that will be suitable for their demographics. This is important as you need to get them to want your products well enough to buy it. If they don’t think your products are of any value, then it is highly likely that they will just ignore them.

Read more

Don’t break the bank with these budget-friendly corporate gifts!

The impact of inflation has made companies conservative about their spending and strategies. While corporate gifts aren’t exactly essential in business operations, they are important in strengthening business and personal connections with clients, employees, and customers and spreading awareness about your brand. If you’re looking for affordable corporate gifts to spread the cheer this holiday, here are our top picks that cost under $20.

1. Drinkware

Branded drinkware is affordable yet has a higher perceived value than it’s actually worth. They have different kinds that make them perfect for any of your customers, employees, and clients from all walks of life. Here are some cool options that cost less than $20.

Grano 420ml Wheat Straw Bottle ($9.83/pc): Eco-friendly and comes in various colours and branding options

500ml Chimera Heritage Vacuum Bottle ($14.75/pc): Made from eco-friendly bamboo with a premium finish, making it a luxurious-looking corporate gift for executives

Lily Mirror Finish Vacuum Bottle by HydroSoul ($15.16/pc): This vacuum bottle has retail quality cylinder packaging with trendy colours. Perfect for both hot and cold, they can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Scorch Coffee Mug ($8.72): These mugs have a stainless-steel finish that keeps drinks hotter for longer. They have many branding options to fit your target recipients.

Read more

Everything you need to know about organising or joining post-pandemic conferences or expos this 2022

Now that the world is reopening again, conferences, exhibitions, and business events are making a comeback. According to Eventbrite Australia’s Event Trend Report 2022, almost 75% of event organisers are feeling optimistic about hosting events this year.

However, the resurgence of cases now and then can throw a wrench on event planning and cause uncertainties. Any moment, the government can announce a snap lockdown that can ruin your event and leave many of your attendees stranded.

Post-pandemic conferences and expos are now a different beast, so companies need to be updated on the latest event information and trends. Here is everything you need for successful expos and conferences for 2022.

1. Branded merchandise remains non-negotiables in events

Promotional products are the only constants in conferences and business events. Whether your company is an organiser or exhibitor, branded merchandise can do so much for your brand.

When used as event accessories (such as banners, flags, buntings, and “table covers”/c/exhibitions-events/table-covers), they promote the event or your company’s presence in the event while also making your company look professional and stand out from competitors.

Promo items can also be used as event giveaways to drive booth traffic and attendee engagement.

Read more

How to Maintain Business Continuity Despite the Challenging Times

The world doesn’t stop for anyone despite the disruptions of the pandemic. Adaptability is the most important skill in order to co-exist with the constant changes in restrictions, variants, and the global supply chain. Here are the top things you need to do to maintain business continuity despite the turbulent COVID times.

1. Stockpile essential supplies

The global supply constraints are presenting a major problem for businesses and consumers not just within Australia but all over the world. It is important that we prepare ourselves for the increasing prices and longer delivery times to avoid running out of stocks.

Solution: Make sure to keep on top of supplies and anticipate an increase in demand. If possible, order your stocks earlier from suppliers, keeping in mind that the delivery times will take longer.

2. Upskilling the staff

While we do our best to take care of our staff, we can’t avoid the growing staffing problems and skill shortages that have been affecting all industries since the pandemic started. After all, they have been badly affected by the economic uncertainties, with the unstable job market, health risks, lay-offs, and furloughs.

Solution: The best way to ensure business continuity despite staffing problems is to upskill the staff. A well-rounded team will keep your business running smoothly despite employee absences and attrition.

Read more

3 Reasons Why Brandconnect Should Handle Your Promotional Products Campaign

First-timers, is it daunting to order promotional products for the first time?

Don’t worry, we get it. Promotional products can still cost a pretty penny even though they are the cheapest advertising medium when it comes to promoting your business. Therefore, it can be nerve-wracking to order promotional products for your first campaign.

Good news, our team at Brandconnect are here to help. Our seasoned account managers have beyond two decades of experience in helping out thousands of brands with their promotional products needs. Best of all, our marketing advice comes for free and without obligation! Here are the 3 reasons why you need to let us help with your promotional products campaign.

To find out what promotional products are appropriate for your campaign and industry

It can be easy to get lost in our extensive range of promotional products. Just like any other marketing plans, choosing the best promotional products for your campaigns require research and planning. When you ask for help from us, we will suggest the best promotional products for your industry and the specific campaign you’re organising.

To find out which decoration option will work the best for your preferred promotional items

There are plenty of decoration options available these days. It is no longer just screen printing or embroidery. Now, you can print using digital methods that will make your branding stand out and come alive. Our account managers can tell you the differences between these decoration options and help you choose which one is the best one for your design or logo.

Read more

2018 Promotional Marketing Guide with Personalised Holiday Products

The yuletide season is your brand’s last hurrah for the year to make an impact on your customers, industry, and bottom line. After all, consumers tend to have looser purse strings during the holidays with the release of year-end bonuses and the infectious holiday spirit. It is for this reason why there are a lot of sales promotions during this time.

While most companies already have their holiday marketing campaign, it still couldn’t hurt to incorporate personalized holiday products into your plans to further drum up brand awareness, customer loyalty, and people interest. Here are two promotional marketing ideas that are sure to be a hit among your target market.

The 2 Promotional Marketing Secrets that Consumers Can’t Resist

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways

The 12 Days of Christmas giveaways is the best way to draw in customers through the power of corporate Christmas gifts. It runs from December 14 through 25 with each day of promotion getting better than the last to get more people hooked until the last day of the promotion. You can go about it in two ways: you can choose to give a promotional product with each purchase/after a certain amount of spending, or you can just raffle off the product to one or more lucky winner(s) each day.

Gift with Purchase

Giving a gift after purchase may be similar to the one above except that you can choose to set it for as long as you want. It is also less fussy as you can opt to give the same product during the duration of the promo, so it would mean less cost on promotional materials on your part. Whether you choose to run it for a just a day or two or the entire holiday season is up to you.

Read more

Staff Rewards & Corporate Gift Guide for Christmas

Would you believe that the year is already about to end? We are now in the fourth quarter of 2020, which means it’s now high time to start planning your holiday corporate gifts budget and strategy. The Christmas delivery deadline has been cut off earlier this year to December 12, so business leaders are encouraged to get their orders in by the end of November to make sure that they get delivered on time by Christmas.

The practice of corporate gifting provides plenty of benefits for business. It is even more crucial in this pandemic where establishing interpersonal connections with our clients, customers, and employees are now more difficult due to social distancing. Business lunches and dinners and face-to-face meetings are no longer possible. Giving corporate gifts is the only way we could develop relationships with the important stakeholders of our companies. To show your appreciation to customers, clients, and employees, here are the trending corporate gift ideas for Christmas 2020.

1. Food hampers

Food hampers may consist of things that you can easily buy from the supermarket, but when given as gifts, they are perceived as thoughtful and caring. Who wouldn’t like receiving a basket of good food and drinks? It’s the thought that definitely counts for this gift and it is a gesture that will be remembered by the recipients for years to come.

2. A bottle of wine

With the way this year is going, we all need a bottle of our favourite drink. Give your recipients something to celebrate with a good bottle of spirits packed in an attention-grabbing wine carrier. In addition, wine carriers are like tote bags and can be reused for years to come.

3. Cheese Boards

Read more

Everything you need to know about Branded Workwear

Branded workwear offers more benefits to the brand and employees than meets the eye. While some people may think wearing a uniform at work every day may cause their individuality and fashion sense to suffer, company uniforms drive staff productivity and morale. It also serves as a good marketing tool for the company.

If you’re contemplating getting new or revamped branded workwear, here’s a comprehensive guide on designing and implementing company uniforms.

Benefits of branded workwear

Company uniforms do not just benefit the brand but also the staff. In some industries, it may even be crucial to workplace safety. Here are the benefits of having a company uniform in your workplace.

Establishes a sense of belongingness: Branded workwear inspires a sense of community among the staff as they present a more united front to the clients and customers.

Strengthens brand identity: Brand identity is the first thing that uniforms strengthen. They help staff become easily identifiable to customers. It also makes your logo and branding more identifiable to them.

Helps cut costs for the staff: Having branded workwear in place helps the employees save money by eliminating the need to buy new clothes for work. It also cuts time as they no longer have to choose what to wear every morning.

Read more

Essential Guide to Shopping for Eco-Friendly Promotional Products

Deciding to go green in your promotional products plan is the best choice you can ever make for your brand. However, we need to take extra precaution when shopping for environmentally friendly promotional products.

As consumers, we have to be discerning of what we buy. Eco-friendly promotional products are made differently from traditional ones so we have to learn the materials used, the certifications that they’re under, and the benefits as well as the trade-offs. To help you, here are some shopping tips to help you find the best environmentally friendly promotional products.

Find out the make of the eco-friendly promotional products

Since eco-friendly promotional products are made differently, it may use materials and production methods that you may not be aware of. Items can be put under different categories. Here are the different categories that promotional products are placed under. (Please note that some items can have several categories apply to them).

Biodegradability

When promo items are said to be biodegradable, it means that they can be decomposed by bacteria, water, or other means. When disposed of, they wouldn’t stick around for long, unlike other waste materials. Most eco-friendly items are made to be biodegradable. Such examples are items made of recycled paper waste such as cardboard pens, wheat straw pens, and recycled notebooks.

Organic

Read more

Everything you need to know about shopping for promo hats

Promo caps are one of the most popular categories of corporate giveaways. Why wouldn’t they be? They protect the eyes and head from the unbearable heat of the sun, accessorise any outfit, and most importantly, promote brands.

Thus, they are the perfect choice for your company if you want giveaways that are well-liked by people. Here’s everything you need to know about shopping for the perfect promo headwear.

Top industries for promo caps

While branded caps are popular with people of all ages, there are certain industries where they are preferred the most. If your company is a part of any of the following industries, expect your promo campaign to be more effective with the use of headwear.

Education

School clubs and organisations

College and university bookstores

Read more

Everything You Need to Know about Promotional Umbrellas

Promoting your brand during the fall is tricky. On one hand, people are more likely to spend time indoors so your promotional and advertising efforts generate less exposure. One way to get around that is through promotional umbrellas!

These custom umbrellas are the hottest promotional tools during autumn as they are both functional and eye-catching. No one would also be caught without one due to the sudden weather changes, making them popular giveaways or corporate gifts.

If you want successful promotional campaigns during the rainy weather, here is our complete shopping guide to custom umbrellas.

Types of Promotional Campaigns Where Custom Umbrellas Can Be Used

Corporate gifts for clients and executives

Premium custom umbrellas give off a high-perceived value that makes them the perfect gifts for clients and high-level executives. Whatever your budget is, you can find one that will be perfect for your target recipients. You might like our premium umbrellas from popular brands, such as Swiss Peak and BLUNT.

Corporate rewards for employee appreciation

Read more

How to Shop for Hand Sanitisers Online

Clean hands are synonymous with good health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with other precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, good hand hygiene can help prevent the spread of the virus. It is estimated that hand sanitisers can reduce respiratory illnesses by up to a whopping 21 percent!

The demand for hand sanitisers will not be going away anytime soon. In fact, it will be crucial from here on, potentially saving millions of lives throughout the pandemic. Be careful though, not all hand sanitisers pass the mark. Here are consumer tips on finding the best hand sanitisers in Australia!

1. Hand sanitisers should be composed of at least 60% alcohol

For them to be able to kill off illness-causing bacteria, hand sanitisers should contain 60% alcohol. Anything lower than that and they won’t do anything to reduce the bacteria on your skin. In fact, it will only stop the bacteria from multiplying for a while.

50ml and 300ml Hand Sanitiser Gel (75% alcohol content)

2. People with eczema and skin allergies should be careful when choosing hand sanitisers

Regular hand sanitisers can trigger flare-ups of eczema and skin allergies for some people. It is better for those with sensitive skin to wash their hands with soap rather than use hand sanitisers as the latter’s alcohol content can be drying to the skin. If soap and water is not easily accessible, they should choose hand sanitisers that are enriched with lipid-nourishing ingredients, such as aloe vera, vitamin E, and sanitisers.

Read more

What to Look For When Shopping for Face Masks

Face masks were once upon a time just a medical accessory but have turned into a worldwide necessity overnight. It used to be the case that you would only see them worn by medical professionals and sick people, yet now their usage has become prevalent due to the growing number of Coronavirus cases.

Together with proper hygiene and eye protection, face masks are essential in curbing the spread of the virus based on a Lancet study. However, not all face masks are effective. You have to make sure that the face masks you buy offer the maximum protection. Here’s what to look out for when shopping for face masks.

Make sure that the face masks fit snugly

Face masks are only effective when they can cover your nose and mouth properly. Make sure that the face masks offer a snug fit by buying a well-fitting mask made of fabric that covers the face. Any gaps allow the virus to pass through, whether it’s from you or the people around you.

Multiple layers provide more protection

The more layers your face mask has the more effective it is, according to studies. However, more layers can make it difficult for you to breathe. If you know you’ll be going to a low-risk place where you can practice safe social distancing, two-layer masks can be enough. You can always opt for more layers if you are part of the high-risk group or have comorbidities.

Washable Face Mask – Adult Size, 3 Layer Performance Reusable Face Mask, and 3-8 Layer Commuter Reusable Face Mask

Read more

Best Corporate Gifts for Your Clients, Customers, and Employees

The season of giving is now upon us. It is time to find the perfect corporate gifts that will improve brand awareness, gain customer loyalty, and stimulate productivity. The problem is what EXACTLY are these gifts? For any company, it is a struggle to find the right gift for its designated recipient. What works well for your customers may not be appropriate for your staff.

Don’t worry, Brandconnect is here to help you. Here is 2019’s trending Corporate Gift Guide for your customers, clients, and employees at any budget.

Budget-Friendly Corporate Gifts ($10-20)

Not all companies are privileged to have a large budget for their Christmas gifts to their clients, customers, and employees. Affordable does not always have to be low-quality. If you only have a limited budget to spare for your gifts but still value quality over everything else, here are budget-friendly yet high-quality gift ideas.

For clients and customers:

For executives:

For employees:

Read more

Corporate Christmas Gifts for Clients

Towards the end of the year, many things go on in our minds all at once. Along with the festive surroundings, we think of having a long holiday, being with our loved ones more, temporarily halting work but making sure our job is done, and taking into consideration our valued clients and business partners are well taken care of.

Our clients are the ones that make our company flourish, and beginning as well as sustaining a healthy relationship with them will mean more productive transactions and a more intensive clientele base. Making them happy is our utmost concern, and what will make them happier than being remembered during special occasions like Christmas? Christmas is undoubtedly the happiest time of the year as we remember each other and give presents that truly come from our hearts. Handing out a token to our clients represents a desire to improve our existing connection in hopes of acquiring their trust and loyalty, and optimistically, increase our following as word-of-mouth goes around. With this in mind, Christmas corporate gifts are the way to go to express sincerity and appreciation during this joyful season.

Best Corporate Christmas Gift Ideas

Starting off with what to give may seem a little daunting at first, but sitting down and thinking a little would help. After you have set your budget, go into details. What is your client’s hobby? What is his/her favourite colour? Is he or she into sports? Does he/she cook when time allows? These small but simple questions will lead you to decide. The list below is a suggestion of 7 indicative corporate gift ideas to help you get started. Who knows? You may be able to come up with more creative concepts after you read this article!

Hampers

Are a popular gift that the receiver can share with the family or staff. Customising the contents depending on your budget is an exciting task as you include various edibles and drinks as well! Chocolates, biscuits, lollies, spreads, nuts, cheese…the list is endless.

Chocolates

Read more

How to Create a Promotional Products Plan for Your Industry

It is crucial to create a custom promotional products plan tailored to your brand and industry. After all, it can be hard for your brand’s message to get to its target audience by using the wrong vehicle. Anything that is associated with your company should reflect your brand values and philosophy and resonate with your market. Your brand is your identity and your marketing tools, including promotional products, should reflect that.

For your brand to reap all the benefits that promotional products offer, they should be related to your industry and the people you serve. For example, if you are a health and fitness brand, giving away water bottles, fitness bands or sports bags and apparel will serve useful for your customers while also being related to your brand.

If you want to create the perfect promotional products plan tailored to your brand and industry, here are the factors you should consider.

Does your branded merchandise represent your brand?

Promotional items are advertising tools, so they should reflect your brand identity and values. The promotional items you choose should be related to your business. Imagine the people who’ll be using your branded merchandise. How can they be reminded of your company if the items are completely unrelated to and different from your brand?

When choosing promotional merchandise, make sure that they’re a good representation of your brand and your message. Encapsulate all your brand elements (brand image, logo, and the services/products you offer) and find an item that will be an approximate match.

A perfect example is IAMS Australia’s frisbee giveaway campaign to raise brand awareness. These frisbees are shaped into barbells and with the slogan, “Strong Dogs,” which emphasises how strong the dogs become when fed with IAMS dog food.

Read more

Hottest Custom Polo Shirts to Change Your Marketing Game

Promotional clothing is an effective marketing tool that can enhance brand visibility and recognition. People wearing your company’s custom polo shirts will be seen everywhere they go to and by every one they’ll cross paths with. They are basically walking billboards but better since they have a more personal touch. Deciding to wear a brand’s custom polo shirt can be seen as an endorsement of that brand’s services or products to the wearer’s friends, family, and colleagues. If you are thinking of using these custom polo shirts to leverage your bottom line, here are useful tips to help you.

Custom polo shirts are the second most popular promotional products

In Sydney, custom polo shirts come second to writing instruments in terms of popularity. Custom polo shirts are more common than other promotional products due to its usefulness and reach. While writing instruments are frequently used in people’s day-to-day lives, there are only a few times when they get used within the day. Meanwhile, clothing is pretty much non-negotiable when people go out as they can’t step out their door naked, lest they want to face ridicule and legal repercussions. These custom polo shirts go wherever the wearer goes, so you’ll be assured that your logo will be seen by the people they come across with.

Custom Polo Shirts – Ladies Alyssa Polo

Custom polo shirts have an average life span of 6 months

Most people generally keep wearing their custom polo shirts for six months until they chuck it to the bin, while some keep theirs for longer than a year. That span of time will deliver you more exposure than traditional advertisements and at a cheaper price point too. Speaking of exposure…

Custom Polo Shirts – Dri Gear Challenger Polo

Read more

Find out why you should pay more attention to decoration methods

Decoration methods may be an afterthought after ordering your promotional products, but they are an integral part of the items. After all, the product is just the vehicle to your logo and messaging. The decoration is what expands the reach of your brand to new territory. Here are the many decoration methods for your promotional products.

1. Screen Printing

Screen printing involves transferring UV inks through a fine screen mesh on an item. While screen printing is typically done for prints that are of 1 colour, multiple colours are also possible with the use of additional screens. However, each colour incurs an additional charge.

Best promotional products for Screen Printing

2. Pad Printing

One of the most popular decoration methods, pad printing is an affordable decoration for prints with one to two colours maximum. This method involves using a silicone pad to transfer the ink onto the item. The pad printing machine holds both the product and the pad in place, then presses the pad into the ink and then onto the product.

Best promotional products for Pad Printing

Read more

Get hopping on your promotional giveaways this Easter with these promotional products!

Valentine’s Day may have just ended but it is never too early to start planning your marketing campaigns for this Easter season. With Easter being one of the most profitable times of the year, we recommend that you capitalise on this time of year to reap the maximum benefits and profits that it has to offer. For effective marketing campaigns this Easter, here are promotional giveaway ideas that will help boost impact and visibility.

Assorted Colour Mini Jelly Beans in 50 Gram Cello Bag

Egg-shaped, chewy, and delicious; what is not to like about jelly beans? These colourful lollies will make for great giveaways at events, product launches, and promotional campaigns. The Assorted Colour Mini Jelly Beans in 50 Gram Cello Bag consist of nine assorted flavours and colours packed in a custom printed bag.

Sugar-Free Breath Mints

These breath mints in an egg-shaped container bring an Easter twist to this day-to-day necessity. When printed with your logo, these breath mints will deliver high visibility and recall to your brand.

Rabbit Twist Action Plastic Pen

If you want a reliable giveaway that will stand the test of time but will still fit in the Easter theme, look no further than the Rabbit Twist Action Plastic Pen. Promotional pens offer longevity, easy brand recall, and affordable, making it one of the most popular promo items available.

Read more

3 Best Ethical Promo Marketing Practices during the Pandemic

Marketing has transformed overnight since the pandemic hit. What used to be normal in marketing practices may now be considered taboo with some aggressive tactics being seen as tone-deaf and tacky.

It’s no longer just about self-promotion, but how you can contribute to your market and society. It’s about building trust. With everything that’s happening in the world right now, you have to promote how you can drive a positive impact on your community with your products and services. In essence, the question that promo marketing should answer is “What can you do for your people?” To help answer that question for your own brand, take a look below to see how brands are doing marketing differently.

1. Recognising that face masks are the new hats

There is no other accessory that could rival the popularity of face masks right now as it has become an essential item. What brands like Disney, NBA, and NFL have been doing are selling branded face masks with their proprietary characters and team logos. However, they have been careful not to be seen as taking advantage of the situation by donating their sales proceeds to charities.

It doesn’t look like face masks are going away any time soon. In fact, they are here to stay as long as the danger of the virus looms. Many companies are expected to sell branded face masks for profit or use them for promotion eventually due to the prime advertising spot on people’s faces.

1. Preparing staff for going back-to-school or work

With the lockdown easing up, people are starting to go back to school and work. Brands have been preparing their staff for their eventual return to work. One such brand, Ford, is preparing to restart its automotive production capabilities after switching to manufacturing respirators and personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the pandemic. To guarantee the health and safety of their staff, they have outfitted them with PPE, such as face masks, latex and nitrile gloves, and face shields. Sometimes, the promotion has to start from within your organisation. Employees after all are the best endorsers for your brand.

Read more

Everything a First-Time Exhibitor Needs to Know about Trade Shows

Trade shows are exciting to participate in. They present the perfect opportunity to drum up interest in and showcase your products and services to willing customers and clients.

However, you don’t just simply go to one and spread out your products and services on a table. There is an art to trade show exhibition to get a successful turnout and achieve your goals. If this is your first time exhibiting at a trade show and you don’t know where to start, here are some tips and tricks to a successful trade show exhibition.

Prepare for it like you’re going into battle

For exhibitors, it’s like a battlefield out there in trade shows. You have to fight with other businesses for the same thing: people’s interest, prospective leads, and improved brand and product awareness. In order to stand out, you need to strategize how best to capture people’s attention.

Participating as a trade show exhibitor can also be costly from the exhibition space rental down to booth display setup and giveaways. To maximise returns, you need to strategize how best to capture people’s attention. It is why we recommend that you spend at least 6 to 12 months getting ready for your first trade show exhibition. Among the following things you need to address are:

Your business goals for the trade show: The goals that you establish should be measurable and achievable. This will help you determine if your participation has been successful and which factors of your exhibition need to be improved.

Which of your staff members are exhibition-ready: Selling at a trade show is a whole different ball game than what your staff is used. Train and prepare them to be ready to answer any questions about your company, products, and services and how to engage people.

Read more

Top Promotional Fitness Items to Promote Gym Signups and Brand Awareness

Now that the summer is heating up, people are starting to get back into shape. After a winter of being rugged up in jumpers and jackets and cooped up indoors, it is now time for people to get back onto the fitness wagon and work towards their fitness goals.

This is the perfect time for gyms and health and fitness brands to work double time on their marketing and branding initiatives. Unfortunately, all your competitors also recognise that this is the golden time of health and fitness marketing. How do you stand out in a competitive business climate? We’ll let you in on a secret on how you can emerge as the leader of the pack…

The secret is… Promotional Products!

Yes, promotional products are the most effective advertising tool and we’re not just saying it because we’re the leading promotional products provider. You may think that social media ads are the most effective since everyone is doing it. Wrong! According to the latest Global Ad Impressions Study by ASI, consumers develop a better opinion of the brand when they use promotional products as an advertising tool than internet marketing.

Source: ASI Global Ad Impressions Study 2019

Promotional products are also seen as the most effective form of advertising out of all media types, according to PPAI.

Source: PPAI Fact Sheet 2018

Read more

Why Full-Colour Promotional Products Are Needed for 2020 Branding Campaigns

Do you expect to achieve more results with your branding campaigns this year? If you are, change up your strategies by going for full-colour promotional products! There are plenty of printing options now that allow you to customise your branding and the promotional products itself. Here are ways that full-colour printing impacts your brand.

Full-colour promotional products are more eye-catching

Full-colour promotional products are screaming to be seen. With the variety of colours and designs that you can print on your item, going minimalist will be the last thing on your mind. You can go as crazy and loud as you want to with your design and branding. Thus, printing your promotional items in full-colour is guaranteed to grab more attention than any other printing option.

Full-colour promotional products get more visibility for your branding

With full-colour printing, you can cover the entire surface area of a product with your branding or design, making them unmissable. You won’t have to worry about getting the right placement or not getting enough visibility for your logo when you can print it all over the product. Full-colour printing allows your branding to be as prominent as possible, turning your promotional items into mobile advertisements.

Full-colour promotional printing allows you to fully customise your promotional products

Full-colour printing completely transforms any item into something that is uniquely yours. It makes it unrecognisable from the original stock item, turning it into your company’s own creation. You can design your item without restrictions, delivering more brand impact and originality.

Read more

Why You Should be a Brandconnect Plus Member — STAT!

Want to get in the hottest VIP club in town? Get additional discounts and freebies galore with our premium loyalty program, Brandconnect Plus!

Here in Brand connect, we take pride in offering the best deals on our extensive range of promotional products in Australia at the lowest price possible. We also throw in a lot of value-added service to the mix to make you, our customers, feel well taken care of, such as free shipping and samples, on-time guarantee, and sound marketing advice. However, we feel that these aren’t enough. After all, we place great importance on our customers, and we want to help them get a greater deal on their purchases. Got you excited? Read below to learn more about Brandconnect Plus.

What is Brandconnect Plus?

Brandconnect Plus is a premium loyalty program that we created to give back to our loyal customers. With Brandconnect Plus, the more promotional products you purchase, the more that you are rewarded. We offer additional discounts and white-glove services to make you as a member feel that you’re a cut above the rest.

Benefits of being a Brandconnect Plus member

You wouldn’t regret being a Brandconnect Plus member with these perks:

Free samples

Read more

7 Things You Should be Receiving from a Promotional Products Company

Just like your body, your brand is a temple. Everything that is associated with your brand is meant to be a representative of what your brand is. From your marketing campaigns to your brand voice, they represent what your overall brand identity. Thus, you need to partner up with a reputable promotional products company that provides cost-effective solutions that are tailored to the needs of your brand and target market. Here are the 6 qualities of the top promotional products companies.

Wide marketing experience for a diverse range of industries

It is essential that the promotional items company you’ll be working with to have years of service in the business. How else would they be able to meet your promotional communication needs if they do not have a thorough understanding of branding and marketing? You need someone that has a good track record in helping various brands in different fields to maximize their visibility and bottom line through promotional items.

With Brandconnect, our team of seasoned marketing experts knows promotional marketing like the back of their hands. After all, we have been in the industry for more than two decades, serving Australia’s best brands. Overall, we have created millions of products for thousands of businesses from various industries.

Extensive range of promotional products solutions and ideas

No two brands are the same. Each one has a different need, depending on their marketing campaigns, target market, and industry. Therefore, a good promotional items company should have a wide array of promotional products to match every brand or requirement. Their team of marketing experts should also be able to present numerous branding ideas for brands that are just starting out with promotional product marketing.

Here in Brandconnect, we have the largest range of branding ideas in Australia with over 10,000 promotional products in our collection. Our specially curated offerings are proven effective and powerful for all marketing needs. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can also create custom-made promotional products according to your brand, colour scheme, and target audience. All for a minimum order of as low as 50 units.

Read more

Here Are the Samples You Can Order for Free at Brandconnect

To see is to believe.

It is therefore difficult to convince consumers without the actual product right in front of them. Sure, businesses can promise the moon to the consumers, but they would be hard-pressed to believe the promised benefits and high quality of an item without experiencing them first-hand.

Here in Brandconnect, we understand people’s hesitation in committing to a bulk order of an item that they have yet to see. Which is why we provide Free Samples of most of our promotional products priced under $10 to all our customers both potential and old. Our loyal Brandconnect Plus members can order samples of all promo items for free except for high-value items and some clothing pieces. If you want to know what you can order for free, here’s a sneak peek of our Free Samples

Promotional Notebooks

Promotional notebooks are the it-item of the moment. It comes as no surprise since they are appropriate for people of all ages and from all walks of life. They also have a long shelf-life, multiple decoration options, and comes in a variety of styles and price points, making it the perfect giveaway for brands.

Request for Samples of these Promotional Notebooks

Melrose Notebook

Read more

How to Host Events During COVID-19 Restrictions

Due to the pandemic, hosting an event is a lot different than it used to be. The rules keep changing: the restrictions loosen up as fast as they tighten back up again. Businesses, particularly those that rely heavily on event management and organisation, can’t wait for the pandemic to end. In order to survive, they need to adapt and overcome the challenges.

Since the curve has been successfully flattening, we are allowed to organise events, conferences, and gatherings again at a smaller and more conservative scale. While the rules for each state vary with some states completely banning all forms of gatherings like in Victoria, here are the common public health rules that should be observed for events and gatherings across most territories.

1. 4 square meters per person for indoor events

For events that are conducted indoors, the 4-square-meter rule must be followed. There should only be only one person per 4 square meters of the area with a maximum of 300 people, whichever is lesser.

2. Physical distance of 1.5 meter

Regardless if there is no reported case in your state, it is important to maintain physical distancing when outside. It is important to maintain a 1.5-meter separation between people in public spaces at all times. This applies to everyone in the event, including the event staff and volunteers and attendees, and should be practiced at all times. People may congregate during breaks or upon going home and they need to be vigilant about this distance to maintain their safety at all times.

Tip: Keep up signages all over the place to remind people to keep their distance at all times.

Read more

A Breakdown of the Fall’s Best Promotional Caps in Australia

The summer may be about to end, but that doesn’t mean that the heat is about to abate. With news of the summer extending well into the autumn, people are going to need hats and caps to shield their scalp from the unforgiving rays of the sun. If you are looking for corporate giveaway or gift ideas this fall that people will definitely wear, here are some of the best promotional caps in Australia that will suit your specific market.

The Traditionalist

These are the no-frills kind of people who don’t like surprises and tend to stick to what they know. They could be your old-and-trusted customers, the baby boomer market, or just those who enjoy the predictable. For these folks, there’s no other baseball cap for them than the classic design of the Oregon 5-Panel Cap. Made from polyester, it features the typical makings of a baseball cap such as a pre-curved peak, adjustable Velcro fastener, and sweatband.

The Fishing and Water Sport Enthusiast

Water is the natural habitat of these people. If you cater to those working in the water like fishermen or those whose hobbies include yachting, the Oilskin Cap is the perfect headwear for them. Oilskin is a waterproof and breathable fabric. Our oilskin caps are made of hard yakka oilskin that will keep heads dry and comfortable.

The Fashion-Forward Shopper

You may not believe it, but camouflage prints have made its way back into fashion. If your business caters to the stylish crowd, then the best personalised trucker caps in Australia for them are the Camo Truckers. These trucker caps have a nylon mesh side and back panels to keep heads cool and outfits even cooler.

Read more

Find out the most popular promotional products in Brisbane!

There is more to Brisbane than all-year-round beautiful weather and tourist attractions. Brisbane is a beautiful city that has been an economic powerhouse as of late. It is for this reason that brands should not forget to include Brisbane in their upcoming promotional campaigns.

Brief Background on Brisbane

Brisbane’s claim to fame is being the largest and most populous city in Queensland and the third-largest city in Australia. As the capital of Queensland, it is classified as a “Global City” as they have the country’s largest airport, one of the largest seaports, good infrastructure, an efficient transportation system, diverse populations, a strong economy, and an advanced centre for research and innovation.

Brisbane is home to a variety of tourist attractions, including world-class museums, the Underground Opera House, gorgeous parks and other natural wonders, and outdoor dining culture, among others.

The sun is out in Brisbane for over 280 days a year, so spending time outdoors is a huge part of the Brisbane culture. Brisbanites enjoy dining outdoors, spending time at parks and nature, taking day trips to nearby areas such as the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and more.

Finally, another thing that Brisbanites take seriously is shopping. They have the nation’s highest consumer spending this year, beating out bigger cities such as Melbourne and Sydney. They also have the strongest payroll growth.

Promoting your brand to Brisbanites is an easy feat as long as you cater to their love for the outdoors, shopping, and tourism.

Read more

Meet your not-for-profit goals with our Year-End Fundraising Guide

For not-for-profit organisations, the end of the year is the most crucial period for their operations. Their survival depends on this giving season with 50% of the annual donations coming in during the last three months of the year. December is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year with 30% of the donations coming in during the final month.

How can not-for-profits take advantage of this generous season? Here are ways to utilize the season to help meet and even exceed donation goals.

1. Review the previous year’s year-end fundraising campaign

To know what will work this year, not-for-profits should look back on last year’s fundraising campaign. When developing this year’s campaign, it is important to know:

What was successful in last year’s EOY fundraising campaign?

The not-so-successful parts?

How much funds did you raise? Did you meet your goals?

Read more

5 Workplace Health & Safety Must-Haves after Reopening

The pandemic has transformed the way we do things overnight. Businesses now have to be extra stringent about following the health and safety guidelines to ensure their staff’s wellbeing. Here are 5 non-negotiable items that you NEED to establish a safe workplace for your staff and customers.

1. Hand Sanitiser

It goes without saying that hand sanitiser is the most important item in your place of business right now. It is essential for industries that deal with plenty of people, such as supermarkets, restaurants, banks, and other customer-facing businesses.

2. Drink Bottles

Whether used as employee giveaway or promotional items, drink bottles still remain to be essential for businesses. Employees can’t share mugs now in the pantry so it is encouraged to give each staff member their own drink bottle to use while at work. They can also be used to improve employee morale and promote branding beyond the workplace. They can also be given away as customer incentives, corporate gifts, and promotional giveaways.

3. Protective Screens

Aside from social distancing, personal barriers should be implemented to protect each staff and customer. They could be installed in between office desks, restaurant tables, cashiers, and counters.

Read more

5 Reasons To Spoil Your Clients with Christmas Corporate Gifts

Clients are the number one reason why your company is doing so well this year. It is only right to remember them this holiday by giving them corporate gifts. Here are the benefits of giving holiday corporate gifts every year.

Holiday corporate gifts show your appreciation for your client’s business

Out of all the companies that they could have chosen to partner with, they chose your brand and that is telling something. It could be that you are the best in the industry or you are the best fit for their needs, but you still need to take the time to express your gratitude and perhaps solidify your relationship to make your working partnership last longer.

Holiday corporate gifts reinforce your working relationship

Speaking of longer working relationships, corporate gifts build up client loyalty even if your partnership with them is one off. Logo-imprinted corporate gifts, especially when frequently used, will serve as a reminder of the good services or products that you rendered. Thus, when they need similar services again, your brand will be the first thing that comes to their mind. Even better if you have your contact info on the product so that the clients wouldn’t have to google it. Strengthened working relationships can result in possible word-of-mouth referrals to other companies, which means additional business for you.

Holiday corporate gifts promote your brand and extends your reach

You get to hit two birds (even a flock) with one stone when you give corporate gifts to clients. Not only will your corporate gifts constantly advertise your brand to your clients, it will also extend your reach to their clients or customers. Everyone who’ll come into contact with your branded gifts will be potential referrals.

Read more

Top Promotional Cricket Products to Boost Team Spirit and Brand Awareness

Cricket is, by far, one of the most popular sports in Australia. It is a sport that is a huge part of our culture, having been around for more than two centuries. In a culture that loves sports, cricket is hugely followed by both men and women alike. Even children are big fans of the sport and play it at school.

Therefore, it is highly likely that your brand will come across the sport in one way or another. Whether you are sponsoring a local match or having a team-building one yourself, the best way for your brand to benefit is by giving away custom printed cricket products. Here are the best promotional cricket products that can fuel the team spirit while promoting your brand.

Logo Imprinted Mini Cricket Bat

A cricket bat is a must-have in order to play the game. If you are sponsoring a game or throwing one of your own, a logo-printed cricket bat is the best product to promote your brand. It also has a huge blank surface for either your logo or messaging or for collecting signatures of players during all-star matches.

Branded Cricket Uniform

Recommended products: Cricket Polo Kids, Cricket Pants Kids, Cricket Polo Long Sleeve Men’s, and Sports Ripstop Cap

Another staple in the game are the standard white uniforms. By imprinting your logo or messaging, your brand is guaranteed to command a lot of attention from the spectators. Our promotional cricket uniforms are made of sweat-wicking fabric that keeps the players feeling cool and fresh throughout the game.

Read more

Spring 2018 Popular Promotional Product Trends

A new season marks the start of new activities and events. There is no better way to welcome spring than by giving away the hottest promotional products for spring. Ushering out the dreary cold of the past winter, people need season-appropriate promotional products that will encourage them to enjoy being out in the sun. Here are the latest promotional product trends for spring 2018.

Top 5 Most Popular Promotional Product Trends for Spring 2018

Promotional Products Related for Outdoor Games

Items that can get people to go outside and enjoy the sun are the latest trend in promotional products! Spring is the perfect time to take a breather from your computer and cellphone screens and spend time having fun in the sun with outdoor games. Whether you’re at the beach, the park, or your backyard, here are the top promotional outdoor games:

200mm Spyr Football: It is made of a lightweight, super-grip foam that makes it easy to throw and catch even for small hands. Great for the beach, park or football field

Tripod Boomerang : Feel the rush with this tripod boomerang, which works great outdoors.

Flexi Flyer: This frisbee is made of silicone, which gives it its flexible structure.

Read more

Promo Items Forecast 2019: The Top Upcoming Promotional Products this 2019

If you expect significant changes this 2019, prepare to make big changes to the way you do things. Imprinting your logo on the same promotional products every year can be effective in the beginning, but it won’t be for long until your target audience gets tired of them. In order to move up and forward, you have to keep shaking things up, especially in a practice that’s widely used by almost every brand.

It is reported that marketers in Australia spend AU$1.5 to 2 million dollars every year. With so many companies doing the same thing, how will your brand be different from the pack? How does your brand stay relevant in these changing times? Let your brand be on top of people’s minds with the hottest trends in promotional products for 2019.

Renewable Promotional Products

Consumers are growing more and more environmentally conscious. Hence, they prefer brands that have an environmentally ethical approach to their operations and promotions. As such, one can never go wrong with eco-friendly promotional products made from renewable resources. Not only will your brand be earning the respect of your consumers for doing the right thing, but you’ll also be helping Mother Earth.

Featured products:

(L-R): Eco-Hemp Cap, Eco Flash drive, and Bamboo Coaster

Tech Wearable Promotional Products

Read more

Promotional Product Guide for the Generation Z Consumers

The Generation Z consumers may not be the top priority of marketers right now, but they are gearing up to be the next powerhouse shoppers, even most of them are still not part of the workforce yet. What they lack in monetary resources, they make up for in their technological and social influence. Why are they the burgeoning consumers of our economy and why should you be targeting them with promo products? Read below to find out.

Who are the Generation Z consumers?

Buying power

This group of people born in the mid-‘90s to the early naughts makes up 4.5 million of Australia’s total population. Although they are the youngest out of all consumer generations, they harness a considerably strong buying power. By 2020, it is estimated that they will comprise 40% of the world’s shoppers. They are also reported to have the largest spending when compared to other generations of kids in the past. Parents these days are more accommodating of their children’s wants than in the past, therefore, giving them more clout on the household budget.

Technological Mastery

They are among the most influential with their dominance on technology and trends. They have been born at the emergence of groundbreaking technological advances in the world. Unlike with other generations, they eat, breathe, and live technology. Most of them check their social media accounts even before getting out of bed and spend an average of 10 hours a day online. They tend to favor Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube out of all the social media platforms, which proves that they are stimulated more by videos and images.

They also tend to be fans of social media influencers. Brands who want to get noticed by Gen Z consumers should tap influencers to attract their attention.

Read more

Brands will bloom this Spring with these hottest promo items!

Spring is here! With the change of weather comes the change of behaviours and activities of consumers. Now that the weather is warmer, everyone is expected to go out more (albeit with social distancing still in place). To cater to the needs of your consumers and generate brand impressions in return, here are the most popular promotional products for Spring 2020.

1. Outdoor & picnic items

People have been itching to spend time outside under the sun since the pandemic hit. Hence, picnicking and outdoor activities will be popular this season. Promo giveaways such as picnic sets and rugs, BBQ accessories, sunglasses, headwear, bandanas, and sports bottles.

2. Vegan leather products

According to the 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study by ASI, people have a more favourable opinion of brands that use environmentally friendly products for their promo marketing campaigns. When giving away leather products, choose vegan leather. Vegan leather is biodegradable, meaning that it degrades at least 90% in 180 days in compostable conditions. It is also cruelty-free.

3. Hay fever prevention

Hay fever is at its peak this season due to the flowers being in bloom and seasonal changes. Have promotional giveaways that consumers will appreciate by giving them promo items to help them combat and prevent the symptoms.

Read more

3 Fundraising Ideas to Help the Australian Bushfire Victims

The weather has been cooling down but the devastation of the Australian Bushfire is far from over. Since September 2019, the fires have destroyed an estimated 18.6 million hectares, 2,500 homes, and killed at least 30 people and billions of wildlife. This is a tragic time for our country and the best that anyone can do is help out in any way that we can. If you are thinking of ways to raise funds to help the victims with your company, here are 3 fundraising ideas to raise money.

Donate proceeds of your sales to the cause

If your budget is tight but your company still wants to help the cause, you can donate a proceed of your sales. If you’re unsure of how much you can donate, review your profits and losses for the year to determine the amount that you’re comfortable donating. As with all fundraisers, marketing is king. Promote your fundraising initiative to engage more people to buy your products or services.

Sales Case Study: A video game development company, Humble, is offering a bundle of their games, Humble Australia Fire Relief Bundle. All proceeds of the sales go toward the people and animals affected by the fires through the World Wildlife Fund, Australian Red Cross, RSPCA, and New South Wales’ Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service. It has since raised $700,000.

Required branded merchandise for Sales

City Shopper Tote Bag: Nothing screams “notice me!” than a colourful shopper tote bag. It provides plenty of branding benefits, such as improved brand recall, wider exposure, and higher impressions generated.

Fundraising dinners

Read more

Will your orders be delivered before Christmas?

If you think the production and supply delays this year are already bad, then it’s about to get worse. The yuletide season has always been our busiest time of the year, so it’s no wonder that orders will pile up and have longer production times.

Don’t let that dissuade you from Christmas shopping though. You can still get your corporate gifts delivered on time before the holidays with proper planning and early production. Here are our production timeframes for your business gifts and promo giveaways this festive season.

Local Orders

Not only are Australian-made promotional merchandise more eco-friendly and healthier for the local economy, but they also have faster production and delivery times! If you want high-quality items with a faster turnaround time, choose local!

While the timeline varies depending on the product and order quantity, local orders worth less than $20,000 generally take from 3 days to 5 weeks.

Offshore Orders

While offshore orders are more affordable, they also take a lot longer. Realistically, if you were to order offshore promotional products today, they would get to you by 2nd week of January at the earliest as their total turnaround time is 9-17 weeks!

Read more

How to Attract Star Talent by Using Promotional Products

Recruiting with promotional products is a great way to promote your brand in recruitment drives and career fairs. A lot of companies participate in these HR events, so it is easy for your brand to get lost among the crowd. It is essential to get the word out about your company. And you can do this when you start recruiting with promotional products. Here are what you stand to gain when you do this:

Get access to committed and qualified talent

These days, companies also need to put in as much work as job applicants. Professionals, especially those from the millennial generation, are becoming more selective in their search for employers. It’s no longer just about the compensation and benefits. They also care about the company culture, contributions to society or environment, and room for growth. Get more star talent to apply by enticing them with promotional products. They are especially useful for career fairs and other recruitment drive initiatives.

Budget Pull Up Banner

Peel back the layers of your brand

It is hard to get an idea of your company and what it stands for without promotion. When you give away promotional products that are reflective of your brand, it gives people a snapshot of what your company stands for. It also encourages potential employees to research more about your company and apply to your posting if they like what they see about you.

Promotional Pens

Read more

Attract new clients with these promotional giveaway ideas!

Brand awareness is a lot more important than you think. When attracting new clients and retaining old ones, the level of brand recognition plays an important role. It’s no longer enough to just keep providing quality products/services and customer care, you also have to increase people’s accessibility and familiarity with your brand. One way to do that is through promotional products. Here are tried-and-tested ways that you can attract and maintain clients and customers.

1. Sales campaigns

If you’ve got a sales campaign coming up, promotional giveaways are an effective tool in helping your campaigns succeed. By incentivising purchases, you are increasing people’s interest and encouraging them to do business with your brand. In fact, over 80% of people are likely to do business with a brand after receiving a promo item from them. It doesn’t matter how much your giveaways cost, you could go for affordable ones, such as keyrings and plastic pens to high-ticket ones, such as executive pens or high-end headphones and earbuds.

2. Launches or Introductions

If you’re new to the market or simply launching a new product or service, there’s no better way to grab people’s attention than sending promo giveaways. While sales emails, online advertisements, and billboards can be seen more by others, promo giveaways are more affordable and well-received with more than 82% of customers having a more favourable view of a brand after giving away promo items.

Good product ideas for these initiatives are power banks and wireless chargers. As an example, here are eco-friendly wireless phone chargers that we sent out to our clients to promote our brand as well as our eco range.

3. Business expansion

Read more

4 Ways to Keep Your Pets Occupied at Home

It’s not just us humans who are affected by the pandemic - our pets are too. You may have noticed changes in them lately, like being overly clingy and acting out. Not even the usual pet treats and gifts can calm them down. While most pets may find it exciting that they get to spend more time with their humans, they can be stressed by the change in our routines and our constant presence too! In fact, here are ways that this pandemic has been affecting our pets:

1. Pets can sense their owners’ emotions

It’s a terrifying world out there and it’s natural to feel frightened, anxious, stressed, and angry even. However, all these emotions can be sensed by your pets regardless of how good you think you’re handling them. Dogs, in particular, can pick up emotional cues in their owners’ body odor, voice, posture, and faces, according to a number of studies.

2. Pets start developing separation anxiety

Since they’re now used to having us around the house, they get stressed out even by short periods of separation. Going to the grocery or even to another room can make them sad. When things go back to normal, leaving for work will hit them harder than it used to.

3. Pets are getting stressed

Pets require plenty of sleep, especially older dogs and cats. Since we’re always around, they can sense our every movement, getting them excited and disrupting the time that they usually sleep when we used to go out for work. This stresses them out and can cause stress-induced illnesses.

Read more

How to Generate a New Revenue Stream with Promotional Products

Did you know that promotional products can help you generate a new revenue stream? And we’re not talking about the usual touted indirect way of earning you money through brand awareness by attracting potential customers and cementing existing customer loyalty. There’s a way for your consumers to actually PAY you for your branded merchandise!

Selling branded merchandise is a tactic that has long been employed by big brands, such as Coca-Cola, Nando’s, Starbucks, and various coffee chains in the country. Doing so creates an emotional connection to your loyal customers while also helping you achieve marketing benefits.

Fortunately, smaller businesses can also get in on the action of selling custom merchandise. Here are ways how you can meet revenue targets with branded merchandise.

1. Make sure that your custom merchandise is relevant to your brand

When planning and designing your custom merchandise, it is important that you consider your brand values before anything else. If you’re a health brand, it wouldn’t make sense to sell candies or alcohol-related items. Your branded merchandise should be relevant to the values you promote and what you provide as a brand.

Take, for example, Coca-Cola. They sell drinkware and coolers as they are after all a beverage brand. Aside from these, they also have plushies of their Christmas bear and various collectibles that reflect their brand values and design.

2. Find out what people think of and expect from your brand

Read more

How to Host Virtual Events that Attract High Turnouts and Engagement

Live events, whether small, intimate gatherings, or large-scale conventions, have been laid to rest effectively since the outbreak of COVID-19. This has led to numerous events to be cancelled or delayed indefinitely, causing millions of dollars in losses.

However, the show must still go on. Events are crucial in the operations and growth of many companies and brands, so we must find a way to adapt to the current restrictions. Here are ways how you can successfully bring your events to the virtual world.

Top 3 virtual events your brand can host

Product Demos & Launches

Yes, you can launch a new product or service through online means. Just because people don’t get to experience the product firsthand doesn’t mean that it takes away from their experience. Online launches and demos can be a good thing as people get a more in-depth look at the products or services. In fact, Apple has been doing it for many years now every time they release a new version of their Macbooks, iPhones, and iPads. Other technology companies have also followed suit such as Lenovo and Samsung.

Virtual Product Launch Case Study

It’s not just technology industries that are killing it with these product launches. A Canadian snack brand, Hippie Snacks has executed a virtual sampling of its new line of crisps, making it a sensory experience for the customers.

Read more

Things you need to know before reopening your cafe or restaurant

We’re living in a post-Coronavirus world now where there haven’t been many new cases and cafes and restaurants are starting to reopen. However, things haven’t gone back to normal. The pandemic has ushered in a New Normal, where people are taking extreme steps to maintain safety and sanitation at all times. For restaurants and cafes that are reopening in the coming days, there are new health and safety measures in place. Here’s a guide to preparing your establishment for reopening.

1. 10-person limit

Some states have a 10-person rule for dine-in customers while Western Australia allows 20 people, both with the condition of enforcing a distance of 4 sq.m apart. Unfortunately, this limit affects an establishment’s profits since they’ll serve fewer people than they did before. To minimise losses, you can open your restaurant for lunch or dinner earlier to accommodate more people. You can also schedule your appointments into two or more batches to make sure you maximise the 10- and 20-person limit.

Tip: Make sure to post your new rules on social media and outside your store so that your customers will be informed. You can also put out signage outside your store on banners like this.

2. Sanitisers

Sanitisers will take the place of tabletop condiments in this post-Coronavirus world. Make sure that everyone inside your establishment has easy access to sanitisers by putting them in visible areas such as the entrance, tables, and counters. Don’t forget to also sterilise tabletops, counters, menus, and any surfaces that people come into contact with at least twice a day. Lastly, it goes without saying that customers and staff should be able to wash their hands so make sure that hand soap is available in the sink at all times.

Tip: Using a custom branded sanitiser is a good branding opportunity. Buying branded items in bulk is also a lot cheaper than buying mass-produced items in the supermarket.

Read more

Promote your brand with 2022’s Pantone Colour of the Year, Very Peri

Each year, Pantone announces a colour that will symbolise the spirit of the coming year. This year, it is Very Peri, a colour that is said to display “a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit.” Incorporating Very Peri into your brand’s promotional campaigns can establish your brand as trendy among your target audience. If you want your next promotional campaign to get a boost, here are the most popular Very Peri promo giveaways to increase brand visibility and awareness.

1. Promotional Summer Hats

With the summer burning through until the end of February, hats are very effective promotional tools for your brand. If your target audience consists of millennials and Gen Zs, you can choose trendy hats, such as bucket hats, baseball caps, and bandanas.

2. Back-to-School Stationery

It’s now time for back-to-school promotional campaigns for schools, universities, libraries, and daycare centres. To prepare the students for the start of a new school term, they can give away Very Peri-themed back-to-school stationery, such as notebooks, plastic pens, and rulers.

3. Eco Items

Eco items are some of the most popular giveaways for consumers right now. Eco items look and feel the same as traditional promo items, except that they are made from sustainable materials, such as jute, bamboo, cardboard, calico, cork, and more. Some of our top picks are eco-friendly drinkware, food packaging, and office and conference items

Read more

4 Promotional Product Campaigns to Strengthen Your Gym & Fitness Brand

Getting fit in Australia is not a problem. As a country that has a fitness industry over $2 billion, it is not difficult to find leads and clients. In this competitive climate, the problem for a gym or any fitness brand is standing out and sustaining longevity.

In order to maintain a competitive edge, one must execute innovative promotional campaigns that will catch the attention of people and maintain your brand in people’s consciousness. Here are 4 creative and attention-grabbing promotional marketing ideas that use promotional products.

Toughen up your social media and email marketing campaigns

We all know that digital media is a great way to promote any brand. You could choose to pay for advertising to rack up followers and engagement, but it would be a moot point without engaging content. One of the best ways to attract leads and turn them into eventual customers is by conducting a social media or email giveaway. Social networks tend to reward pages that quality interactions. Instead of going for more likes or reactions, entice your followers to comment on your posts by posting open-ended questions and encouraging them to share your photos or videos.

Entice new memberships and renewals with promotional items rewards

If you’re looking to ramp up new sign-ups, there is no better way to do that than reward them with limited-edition promotional items that they can get after signing up. These value-added freebies go a long way in encouraging people to join your gym or fitness club. Make sure that the promo items can be used for their fitness journey. Branded merchandise pieces such as drink bottles, workout equipment, towels, sports bags, clothing, and earphones will entice them to work out more while also gaining brand impressions from the people around them.

Sell branded merchandise

Read more

Be the preferred brand with branded merchandise!

Did you know that people prefer brands that they are more familiar with? According to the Mere Exposure effect, it is in our human nature to develop a preference for things simply because we are familiar with them. It doesn’t matter that the brand is not the best in the industry, people will automatically choose it over a lesser-known yet better-performing brand.

While we’re not saying that brand loyalty is the secret to success, it certainly helps in standing out from the competition. One way to build brand loyalty is through promotional products. According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute, people are more likely to do business with a brand after receiving branded merchandise. So if you want to become a household name, here are ways to keep customers coming back for more with promotional products.

1. Get to know your audience

Finding the perfect branded merchandise starts with getting to know your audience: their preferences, habits, and their needs. Using what you learn about them, you can choose the most effective promo items to fit their lifestyle. For example, if your clients are in the automotive space, you can for example give them torches, multi-tools, and tape measures.

2. Choose items that they will appreciate and use regularly

Part of what makes a promotional item effective is its frequency of use. The more a branded item is used, the longer that the user and the people around them are exposed to your logo, which will then improve brand recognition and loyalty. Choose essentials that they will use in their day-to-day life and work, such as reusable coffee cups, drink bottles, and plastic pens.

3. Be a brand that has character

Read more

Attract Students & Increase Engagement with these University Marketing Tips

Now that the borders are opening up again, universities can recover the loss in enrollment. To ramp up enrollment, here are ways that universities can increase the engagement of potential students this application season.

1. Aggressive social media marketing

Social media now plays an important part in the students’ decision making, including where to go to university. According to a 2017 study, 82% of international students use social media to help decide on what university to enrol in. Creating online content, such as vlogs that show university life and student experience, help in giving students a peek of campus life.

2. Open days

Open days are good events to engage potential students for your university. With the stricter border controls, it can be hard for everyone to participate, particularly international students who have made up a huge percentage of the total student population over the past years. Livestreaming open days and webinars make it possible for students in further places to be part of the action. If possible, admissions staff can travel to different areas instead so that they could entice potential students from other areas.

Open day promo ideas

Remote Work Notebook w/Stand, 600ml Pure Bottled Water, and CROXTON HOODIE Adult Unisex

Read more

Tips on Boosting Employee Productivity & Focus

Each year, companies lose millions of dollars due to workplace distractions. According to Udemy’s 2018 Workplace Distraction Report, 70% of employees are distracted within the workplace. Two hours a day are wasted on these distractions, according to a CareerBuilder report. Meanwhile, it takes another two hours for employees to get back on track (based on an Atlassian report), meaning that they only work for four hours in an 8-hr workday.

Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent distractions. Here are 4 tips on banishing workplace disruptions and sharpening your employees’ focus in the workplace.

Drown out the noise

One of the top reasons for distraction is office noise and office gossip. Drown out the background cacophony of clacking keyboards, whispering and giggling colleagues, and phone notification sounds with headphones. Listening to music while working is said to increase productivity and focus and reduce stress.

Browse our headphones and earphones here.

Keep the energy levels up

It is hard to maintain people’s focus and energy throughout the day, especially after a big lunch. For those periods that people are starting to get sleepy, coffee can work wonders for a quick pick-up. Make sure that you have an overflowing supply of hot coffee and tea for your staff. You can also give them coffee cups with secure lids so that they can enjoy a cuppa without worrying about spillage.

Read more

Safe Outdoor Activities for the Lockdown for Good Mental Health

With the lockdown easing up, people are rushing to go outside and do the things that they haven’t done in a while. However, we’re not completely out of the woods yet. Plenty of safety and health measures need to be in place in order to keep the people safe and prevent the recurrence of cases. For those employees who want to brave the outdoors but want to do so conservatively, here are safe outdoor activities that will keep you from feeling FOMO.

Cycling

Cycling allows you to feel the outside breeze and take in the sights while getting a daily dose of exercise. In fact, bicycles and their gears are in high demand right now, so much that they have been touted as the new toilet paper. There is no to minimal risk of cycling outside as long as the necessary precautions are taken. Just remind your staff to bike in non-crowded areas, practice social distancing, and wear a mask.

Recommended items: SPF 50 Dry Touch Sunscreen 50ml, Disposable Face Mask, and Home Gym Pack

Outdoor dinners

Now that some places are allowing gatherings of 10 people, now’s the perfect time to catch up with a few friends or family over good food, wine, and even better conversations. Encourage your staff to socialize by sending them hampers that will entice them to put their cooking skills to the test.

Recommended items: Hamper – Wining & Dining, Hamper – Cooking at Home, and Oban Acacia Wine Plate Set

Read more

2022 APPA Roadshow’s Latest Promotional Products

There’s only one event that brings all the region’s powerhouses of the promo industry together and that is the annual APPA (Australasian Promotional Products Association) Roadshow. This APPA Roadshow 2022 is better than ever, showcasing the industry’s newest and up-and-coming promotional products and technology. It also fosters an environment where distributors and suppliers can network while emerging players can also make themselves known.

If you want to find out the latest trends in promotional products, here are the highlights from the APPA Roadshow 2022.

1. Diverse Eco-Friendly Promotional Items

Sustainability is a major trend in this year’s APPA Roadshow. With the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste that is generated each year, manufacturers have been creating new eco-friendly items made of sustainable materials.

Some popular sustainable materials as of late are bamboo, a fast-growing and easily renewable plant, and wheat straw (a renewable byproduct). Typically, they are used for food and drink containers and small-ticket items, such as pens. Now, they are used for almost anything from wireless chargers to spa and healthcare items.

2. Stylish Promo Headwear

A lot of stylish custom headwear has been launched at the APPA Roadshow 2022 from snuggly winter beanies to cool baseball caps. Here is the latest stylish promo headwear that we spotted from the APPA Roadshow.

Read more

Generate the highest brand exposure with these cost-efficient promo items & corporate gifts

The COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy on businesses. Although there are industries that have been flourishing during this period, most businesses have been thrown into a lurch and even closed down as a result. For businesses that are barely surviving, plenty of cost-cutting measures have to be taken in order to keep it up and running.

For many businesses, the first to take a hit is their marketing budgets. Marketing is an essential part of any business, so you have to get an affordable way to promote your brand without sacrificing quality. Promotional products are your best bet if you want a significant reach and visibility increase without spending a lot. Here are affordable promotional products that generate the highest brand exposure (data taken from Global Ad Impressions Study 2020 by ASI).

1. Face masks

Impressions generated per piece: 4235

Cost per Impression (CPI): 1/10 of a cent

Two words that best describe face masks: necessary and ubiquitous since they are worn by people everywhere they go. Branded face masks make the perfect promo items to advertise your brand right now. Face masks are also extremely low-priced. You can buy a high-quality three-layer cloth mask for as low as $2.54, reaching out to at least 4235 people.

h2. 2. Bags

Read more

Don’t end the year without doing these 3 Promo Marketing Initiatives!

The end of the year is the busiest period for marketers. There are plenty of things to tie up in terms of profitability, budget management, and tying up loose ends. With the challenging year that we just had, businesses probably can’t wait to end this year and start a new one, next year. However, you can’t do that just yet! Here are 3 end-of-year promo marketing tips to ensure a successful 2021!

1. Review and evaluate the past year

This year hasn’t been easy. While you may prefer to just forget that this year happened, there are still many lessons to be learned through the challenges. Look back on your promotional performance this year: what are the good, the bad, and could-be-betters? With these, you can create a successful promo marketing plan. Keep doing what seems to work, forget about what doesn’t, and look for ways to improve.

2. Set your goals for next year

Failing to plan for the next year is like setting yourself up to fail. While today’s business climate is rocky with the ongoing pandemic, you can still use the knowledge you gained maneuvering the company in this challenging time in preparing your goals for next year. Research and analyse industry trends, predictions, and opportunities in the upcoming year. Using those three things to guide you, you can then create goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

3. Plot out your plans for the next year

It’s never too early to start planning for the next year. In fact, you may already be a tad late. It’s time to plot out your promotional activities for the upcoming year, including the budget, social media, web and email content, and promotional marketing campaigns. Set your sights high but don’t go over your budget. Here’s what you need to for each aspect:

Read more

Anchor your brand in Hobart with these top Promotional Products!

Hobart may be a small city but it has a lot of heart and a unique culture to make it stand out. As the capital of Tasmania, it represents the best that the state has to offer: the best backdrop of nature, easy-going people, and pleasant weather. If your brand’s target is the salt of the earth people like the Taswegians, here are the best promotional products to captivate them in your next promotional campaign!

1. Hobart’s the great outdoors is jaw-dropping

Nature is a serious business in Hobart. It is surrounded by beautiful beaches and mountains. As a remote city, its natural wonders are untouched and can be enjoyed in their full glory with its mild climate. Therefore, hiking and beach trips are part of the Taswegians’ culture.

Promotional Products Hobart Idea #1: Branded Beach Items

Promotional Products Hobart Idea #2: Promo Hiking Items

2. Hobart has a quirky arts scene

One of the highlights in Hobart is the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), one of the largest private art museums in the world. It houses a wide range of exhibits, from beautiful artworks to downright controversial pieces.

Read more

Guide to NDIS Co-Branding for Registered NDIS Providers

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has done many wonderful things for people with disability all over Australia. It provides funding for the support or products that thousands of registered individuals and organisations deliver for a better quality of life for the disabled.

Since there are thousands of registered providers, it can be hard to stand out. If you want to improve your reach and promote your brand as an NDIS Registered Provider, use branded merchandise. But first, there are specific co-branding guidelines with NDIS that you need to follow (this information has been taken from the official NDIS in March 2022).

How to Use the NDIS logos for Promotional Products

The NDIS logos are free to use by everyone to show support and promote community awareness about the NDIS. However, the logo and acronym are registered trademarks of the NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) and cannot be used without permission.

How Registered Providers Can Use the NDIS logos

As everyone is free to use the NDIS logos, registered providers can use them too as well as the “Registered NDIS Provider” logo. However, here are a few don’ts.

Not allowed to use the logos on publicity materials (e.g., buildings, emails, business cards, vehicles, and stationery, to name a few)

Read more

6 Freshest Trends We Found at this Year’s APPA Roadshow

The APPA Roadshow 2019 recently showcased the latest in promotional products and related services. We got to see the best and the brightest in promotional products, from clothing, branded giveaways, to bespoke premium items. Here are the standout stars of this year’s APPA Roadshow.

The Trendiest and Most Popular Promotional Products at this Year’s APPA Roadshow

Promotional Drink Bottles:

Drink bottles are one of the trendiest promotional products in the APPA Roadshow as more advertisers are making the move toward environmental sustainability and reusable items. Giving away drink bottles are a safe move as everyone needs to drink water. There is not one person who would not appreciate getting a promotional drink bottle that they can use at the gym, office, daily walks, or just shopping.

Featured drink bottle:

Moonlit Quencher Water Bottle

Mix-n-match Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottle

Read more

Top Online Promotional Product Trends You Need to Know

Promotional products do not always equate to success.

While they have a lot of transformative powers for brand awareness campaigns, they can still fail. You can’t just order promotional products online, stamp your logo, and give them away. You also can’t keep giving away the same thing in the same manner year after year, expecting it to pick up traction and make an impact year in, year out.

No, it’s not that simple. They are tools, and just like any tools, they have to be harnessed correctly and strategically for them to achieve their intended objectives. In order for them to generate a buzz for your brand, its success rely on a number of factors. When choosing promotional products, you have to make sure of their relevance. Relevance is a key factor that will determine whether your campaign will be a boom or not.

First, it has to be relevant to your brand. You can’t just choose the most popular promotional product. It has to be connected to what your brand does and its unique value proposition. Your branded merchandise doesn’t have to be the specific product that your company produces, but it has to have a semblance of connection. For example, IAMS’ promotional frisbee giveaways for dogs and Colgate’s ice cream and cotton candy freebies with sticks that reminded the recipient to brush their teeth after.

Second, it has to be relevant to the times. The promotional fidget spinner is one example. For a time, it was one of the hottest promotional products because people of all ages enjoy them. Naturally, many brands capitalized on this and gave away their own logo-imprinted version of the promotional product during its heyday. Now that the fad has passed so did its relevance with people, and it would hardly make an impact if you choose to give them away now (although you can still choose to if you can think of an innovative way to market it).

In conclusion, promotional products have to be on trend and connected to your brand, in order to catch the attention of people. What exactly are the latest trends in promotional products this second half of 2018? Read below to find out.

Trending Promotional Products in 2018

Read more

Promotional Health & Anti-Bacterial Products that Stop the Flu

There is one more reason that makes the winter extra dreadful: the onslaught of colds and the flu. Some might think that they are just minor nuisances but the virus is getting stronger and more fatal. There has been a tremendous surge in flu cases this year. A staggering 40,000 cases of flu have been reported. To date, 68 people have died and it is expected to claim 4,000 lives by the end of the year.

The flu season does not only affect people but also businesses. It is reported that employers bleed out millions of dollars each year due to losses in productivity and staff shortage caused by the flu.

What can brands and companies do about it? Read more to find out.

Marketing Campaigns to Protect Against the Flu Virus

Flu vaccination is still the number one measure to prevent the spread of the flu virus. However, not everyone gets vaccinated for fear of experiencing side effects or simply not being informed of its importance. To further promote vaccinations and prevent the spread of viruses, these are the best marketing campaigns to entice people to get flu shots and take better care of themselves.

Employee Awareness Campaigns

Viruses spread easily in workplaces due to the close proximity of employees to each other and breathing the same air with someone who is infected. Giving them a flu prevention pack and reminding them to get vaccinated can do wonders for the health and morale of your staff. Promotional products included in the pack are:

Read more

Complete Guide to Promotional Products Sydney

If you want to make a splash with promotional products in Sydney, be prepared to be chic. As the country’s biggest metropolitan area, Sydney represents glitz and glamour. If you’re planning a promotional campaign in Sydney, here are the popular promotional products to capture the Sydney siders’ attention.

Brief Background on Sydney

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and is the largest city in Australia. Known as the Harbour City, this coastal metropolis boasts beautiful coastlines complemented by its distinct harbour that is home to globally renowned landmarks, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

As the largest city in Australia, it is in fierce competition with Melbourne. While Melbourne is known for being a haven of arts and culture, Sydney sticks to what it knows best, finance and celebrity culture. It’s home to the biggest brands and the world’s brightest celebrities.

If you’re a brand that’s looking to get noticed in Sydney, it’s not enough that you catch their attention. You should be able to fit in with their lavish lifestyle by designing branded merchandise that enhances their style and hobbies.

Promotional Products Sydney Idea #1: Branded Shopping Tote Bags

Shopping is the city’s favourite pastime with the biggest international brands being available in boutiques, modern shopping malls, and markets. If you are a smaller brand, don’t fret as there is a big enough room for you to grow in the city.

Read more

Let Us Count The Ways Why Printed Water Bottles Are the Best

Businesses have been largely sleeping on the water bottle as promotional products . What they don’t know is that water bottles are one of the hottest promotional products right now, especially now that the summer is heating up. If you are looking for a great promotional product to stamp your logo on and give away in your next event or marketing initiatives, below are some reasons you should choose promotional water bottles.

Promotional water bottles are the timeliest promotional products this season.

With the scorching sun bearing down on us this summer, dehydration is at an all-time high. People need to stay hydrated now more than ever so the demand for water bottles will likely rise as well. Water bottles are also one of the top 5 most popular promotional products all year round.

Brandconnect recommendation : Our Nomad drink bottle is a translucent, BPA-free, recyclable 750ml drink bottle. It is made from Tritan co-polymer that is odour- and impact-resistant and dishwasher-safe.

Nomad drink bottles.

Promotional water bottles are one of the most used promotional products.

According to PPAI research*, 45% of people use a promotional product at least once a day. Since people need at least eight glasses of water a day, they are bound to keep using your promotional water bottles all throughout the day. Thirst strikes anywhere so you’ll also be assured that your promotional water bottle will be taken wherever your recipient will go, ensuring maximum visibility for your logo.

Read more

5 Creative Fundraising Sponsorship Ideas for Not-for-Profits

Tired of your old fundraising ideas? If you find that you keep recycling old ideas for your fundraising initiatives, why not try to shake things up with the use of promotional products?

Promotional products are great for increasing brand awareness for your not-for-profit organisation. In some cases, they also incentivise people into buying your fundraising promotional products they get something in return when they donate to your fundraiser.

Ready to start using promotional products to achieve your fundraising objectives? Here are 5 creative fundraising promotional products ideas to help you.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas make the perfect fundraising promotional giveaways for charity golf tournaments. Each panel can be sold as an advertising spot where brands can imprint their logos or messaging. You can also sell higher level sponsorships where brands can dominate the entire umbrella. For sports teams, competitions, and school events, you can sell these umbrellas for additional revenue.

Not only do you achieve your fundraising goal, but you also help brands generate exposure and impressions. Check out our extensive range of promotional umbrellas here.

Chinese Paper Lanterns

Read more

The Secrets to Effective Promo Marketing for Remote Workers

The working class has always been the largest and most powerful purchasing power out of all demographics. Since the pandemic has transformed everything overnight, there are drastic changes in the way they live, eat, and purchasing decisions. This means businesses should change the way they market to them in order to gain and retain their interests. In order to do that, you need to learn the behaviours and habits of the new breed of our working class.

Remote workers want to feel comfortable at home

It used to be that many remote workers are constant travelers and live out of their suitcases. However, since the pandemic has restricted travel, they have been kept in their homes. Hence, these remote workers have been keeping themselves busy at home and keeping themselves comfortable. In fact, this behaviour has been evident in recent remote working trends, such as the renewed interest in gardening, increase in ordering food deliveries, working out at home, and the popularity of loungewear.

Branded Seedpot, Home Gym Pack, and "Contrast Hoodies ":/store/product/76852-contrast-hoodie

Remote workers prefer online shopping

With the rising number of COVID-19 cases, most employees are still working from home and reluctant to go out to shop. They prefer any purchases to be done online, which is why it is beneficial for your business to add eCommerce capabilities to your website. Beef up your infrastructure in order to give your customers better online shopping experience. If you’re also planning an upcoming promo campaign, tie it up with your eCommerce store.

Digital gifts go a long way for remote workers

Read more

Promotional Products Serve as Great Employee Rewards

Money doesn’t always buy happiness. Especially when it comes to boosting employee morale and fostering an encouraging workplace environment.

Giving away promotional products is a tried-and-tested method to achieve those goals. According to the 2017 Sales Volume Study by Promotional Product Association International, building up employee relations was the number one purpose for promotional products for that year. Why do many businesses rely on promotional products to improve staff motivation, retention, and brand interest? Here is everything you need to know about giving promotional products to your employees.

Promotional products are mostly used for employee recognition programs

There are plenty of ways that human resource departments can reward their employees. However, 75 % of the HR managers who were surveyed by the Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) preferred using promotional products in recognition programs. Why is that? Promotional products are much more cost-efficient than other recognition methods. They also have longer-lasting effects compared to monetary rewards as branded merchandise is kept around for an average of a year or at least until they are useful.

Backpack – Employee Rewards

Promotional products are effective in retaining and motivating the staff

In the same APPA survey, 72 % have said that promotional products are powerful tools to motivate and retain employees. While monetary rewards go a long way in increasing employee morale, it’s the more personal gestures that count. As mentioned earlier, promotional products last longer than any other remuneration when it comes to recognizing staff achievements. They will always serve as a reminder of the feeling of being valued by the company for as long as these items are around. They can also motivate people to work harder in order to be awarded these promotional products.

Read more

Reasons Why Brands Should Be Launching Easter Promotional Campaigns

With Easter right around the corner, brands should start thinking of their promotions for the season. It might not look like it but the Easter season has plenty of benefits to offer brands, whether to improve brand recognition, strengthen client relations, and boost employee morale. If that’s not enough to convince you, here are 5 consumer trends on Easter that you need to know that will prove that Easter marketing is necessary.

1. Easter is enjoyed by all

It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Easter or not. Since 2020, people have increased their spending to $179.70 on Easter gifts and celebrations amounting to a total of $21.6B, marking the highest spending in the survey’s history. This just goes to prove that Easter is still an important holiday for everyone whether for religious, professional, or recreational reasons. Now that the borders have reopened, the spending is expected to grow.

2. Easter gifts, candy, and food are the most popular items

Easter is a holiday for gift-giving and getting together with friends and family as evident with the most popular items of Easter. Chocolates remain a favourite with Easter chocolate production rising to 23 per cent in 2017.

Easter Gifts, Candies, & Food Giveaways

Mini Chocolate Easter Eggs

Read more

The Best Promotional Products for Men vs Women

Promotional products work great for everyone, regardless of gender. However, the differences between the male and female mind mean that they prefer one product more than the other. It also means that there are differences in their buying preferences, behaviour, and perspectives.

As with all marketing strategies, they should be created with the target’s psyche in mind, in order to lure them in and influence their buying behaviour. Since promotional products are part of a marketing tactic, the target’s buying behavior should also be considered to lure them in. Here is a consumer snapshot of each gender’s buying psyche.

Men’s Shopping Behaviours

Men tend to be more utilitarian in their shopping. They have a goal they need to check off when shopping.

Marketing also has to appeal to men’s logic. They have to know what good a product or a service will do for their lives.

Men want a fast and simple process. Men have no care for browsing and looking around. They just want brevity and conciseness.

Conclusion: Men prefer promotional products that they can use in their day-to-day lives. They also dislike frills and complexities, which apply to both the products and its distribution process.

Read more

4 Tips for Successful Construction & Real Estate Events

Real estate and construction are some of the industries that have been smoothly riding the waves of disruption and challenges in this pandemic. Now’s the perfect time for businesses and professionals to take advantage of the boom.

Networking and events play a huge role for any real estate and construction business. Thankfully, the restrictions have eased up to allow small networking gatherings and expos. However, events are just a different ballgame now during the pandemic. Attracting attendees and engagements is more difficult now and you have to take extra steps to ensure a successful event. Here are 4 secrets to increasing engagement and attendance for construction and real estate events.

1. Integrate video into your live events

There are several benefits to integrating live-streaming into your live physical events. First, not everyone can attend your event, whether due to the limitations in the allowed number of attendees or travel. Video can allow you to reach a wider audience. Second, live-streaming makes it easier for people to share and discuss your event on social media, therefore, giving you more mileage online.

Finally, the pandemic keeps changing up restrictions, so it would be best to have a video backup in case face-to-face events are restricted again.

2. Allow your attendees to have access to the speakers

What makes an event special for the attendees is by initiating a connection between the attendees and speakers. Attendees are bound to have questions after the panel, so it’s a good idea to allow them to interact with the speakers. It tailors the attendees’ experience according to their needs. Make sure to include Q&A sessions and post-event group chat with the attendees and speakers.

Read more

Why You Should Use Promotional Giveaways for Your Event

A sign that an event is successful is if the attendees remember your brand months after the event occurred. You can achieve this and reap other branding benefits with promotional products. When given as free giveaways, promotional products are guaranteed to build your brand, attract event attendees, and generate new customers.

There are plenty of reasons why promotional products are effective marketing tools for your event. Need further convincing? Here are the reasons why you should be utilizing promotional giveaways for marketing your event.

It is cheaper and more cost-efficient than traditional advertising

Promotional products prove to be a lot cheaper than traditional advertising. Traditional advertisements usually cost hundreds of thousands to millions depending on the advertising timeslot and/or location. With promotional products, you can find giveaways under $1.

Promotional products deliver more impact to your target market. The average cost per impression of a promotional item is only $0.004. Meanwhile, the CPI for each traditional advertising medium is as follows:

Promotional product: $0.004

National magazine ad: $0.033

Read more

Best Event & Promotional Giveaways for Not-for-Profit Fundraisers

Fundraising events are popular ways to raise money and awareness for not-for-profit organisations. In fact, 82% of not-for-profits are reported to host these events to secure funding and raise awareness for the organisation and its causes, according to the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. Fundraising events are a crucial part of a not-for-profit organisation’s success.

With so many fundraising event options, it can be hard to choose which one is perfect for your purpose and organisation. Lucky for you, we have rounded up the most popular and effective fundraising events and promotional products.

Best Fundraising Events & Promotional Products

Fun Runs

As the most popular fundraising event category , fun runs/walks are the easiest events to plan, according to a 2015 study by Software Advice. It generates moderate to high revenues for not-for-profits of all sizes.

Mid-size and large organisations (with an annual operating budget of $6 million and more) benefit the most from fun runs. Smaller not-for-profits may encounter more difficulties with organising this particular fundraising event and with minimal returns. However, fun runs are still a viable option for them due to how affordable it is to plan one.

Marathons

Read more

5 Amazing Benefits of Promotional Office Products

Promotional office products get a bad rap for only being seen within the four walls of the office, but their impact is seen beyond that. These small yet useful branded desk accessories can influence lead generation, employee morale, and brand visibility. Shrug off the misconceptions about promotional office products with these five reasons why you should stamp your logo on them and give them away.

Promotional office products motivate staff

When given as rewards, promotional office products can improve employee relations, and in turn, lead to higher productivity rate and office morale. Happy employees serve as effective brand advocates for the company. The more satisfied they are with their workplace, the more likely they are to spread the good word about the company and recommend their friends and colleagues for jobs.

Promotional Office Products – Full Colour Print Notebook

Promotional office products are kept for 14 months

Promotional office products such as promotional notepads, promotional mouse pads, promotional sticky notes, and other stationery items are typically kept by people for 14 months. With branded merchandise, they can generate more impressions and retain more customers the longer shelf life that the items have.

Promotional Office Products – Deluxe Mouse Mat 230mm x 190mm

Read more

Complete Checklist to Create A Custom Work-from-Home Pack for Your Staff

As the Coronavirus outbreak ravages the nation and the world, many businesses have opted to put their staff on remote work arrangements to keep them safe and reduce the spread. It can be difficult for some companies by the sudden need. Even more so, the employees. Not everyone is used to working at home and it can be overwhelming for some. To help them ease into remote working, here are the things you can provide them as an employer to maintain their motivation, focus, and productivity.

Company communication system

Define how your staff and their teams can communicate and collaborate. Find effective productivity and collaboration tools to make remote working as easy as possible. Collaboration tools to check out are Google Drive, Trello, Asana, and GitHub.

Your employees can interact and schedule meetings using chat and conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype. Finally, get an updated contact list for employees in case of emergencies.

Technology & Gadgets

Invest in technology and gadgets that allow your staff to still work and function as if they are in the office. The most important of all is internet connectivity.

Second, if your business has the budget for it, supply them with laptops that come installed with all the licensed software programs that they use for their jobs. It is also important to secure your company information and data, so make sure you install antivirus and firewall programs to protect it from data theft and manipulation. If you have a limited budget or time, you can just let them take home their PCs in the office.

Read more

6 Post-Pandemic Travel Personalised Products to Promote Your Brand With

The pandemic has changed the face of travel. Now that the world is starting to open up again, more people are starting to travel again. What can we expect in the travel habits and preferences in this post-pandemic world? For brands looking to capitalise on this, here is a glimpse of how the pandemic has changed travelling and how it will affect personalised products trends.

1. People are itching to travel internationally

With so many countries reopening their borders to international travellers, you can expect millions of people to start travelling again whether for recreational, business, or relationship purposes. This is good news to the economy as it will help recoup the millions of dollars of losses in the travel and tourism industry caused by travel restrictions.

Recommended promo items: Travel bags, luggage accessories, and travel adapters

2. Sustainability is a pressing concern

Over the pandemic, people have started placing a high premium on sustainability. They now prefer eco-friendly products and companies that have sustainable and ethical practices. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to promote your brand using environmentally friendly travel items.

Recommended promo items: Toiletry bags made of sustainable materials, organic t-shirts, and eco drinkware.

Read more

Top Promotional Giveaway Ideas for 2020’s Emerging Industries

This period has not been easy for a lot of businesses. Plenty of companies have been struggling due to the disruption that the pandemic has brought on. However, some industries have been fighting hard to keep afloat with a minimal decline and even rising above expectations. These industries include Construction, Real Estate, Healthcare, Mining and Government organisations.

For these strong industries, promotional products play an important role in their growth. Promotional products are used in various ways, such as giveaways, corporate gifts, advertising tools, staff incentives, internal marketing campaigns, and more. Here are the best promotional products for each industry and campaign.

1. Construction

According to an Australian crane survey, the pandemic has had very little impact on the construction industry. Rider Levett Bucknall reports that there is only a 6% decrease in crane operation across the industry, meaning that there are still plenty of construction projects in progress. The construction industry has many different uses for branded merchandise. Construction workers wear branded high-visibility clothing to keep them safe on the job. To promote their brand, construction companies also give branded gifts to clients and additional stakeholders. They also have participated in plenty of conferences and trade shows before the pandemic, so branded items also serve as an essential promotional tool for them.

Construction Industry Promo Items

2. Real Estate

The Australian real estate market is one of the best-performing in the world, according to the global index’s second-quarter analysis produced by independent property consultancy and real estate agency Knight Frank. In fact, it is even doing better now than it did a year ago. Although industry-specific activities, such as open houses and trade shows, have been diminished since the pandemic hit, the industry has been able to adapt and take their business online. As such, there is still a need for promo giveaways and client gifts.

Read more

Promotional Marketing Tips to Help Real Estate Agents Thrive in the New Normal

The golden age of real estate is upon us. The real estate market has been growing steadily in the past couple of months. Since the start of the year, capital cities (with the exception of Sydney and Melbourne) and regional areas have recorded a rise in prices. Things are only about to get better from here on out as the government’s latest approved budget will provide additional infrastructure investment and scheme that benefits first-time homeowners.

As a real estate agent or company in the construction industry, what can you do to take advantage of these opportunities? Here are promotional marketing tips that can expand your reach, gain industry authority, and generate more income.

1. Private showings

Most real estate agents have been conducting virtual opens for health and safety reasons. However, it’s hard to connect on a deeper personal level with online communications. How do you establish rapport with your potential buyers? Simple, by giving promotional giveaways so that they’ll have something to remember you by.

For some, private openings still work best at the expense of additional sessions throughout the week with fewer people around. These inspections can be done just like before but with extra precautions to keep everyone safe. Some realtors have also taken to allowing potential buyers to tour the properties by themselves and utilising FaceTime or video chat for communication. Equipping the house with strategically placed sanitisers, maintaining social distancing, and minimising physical contact (handshaking and contract signing) are very important in both cases. Doing so does not only protect everyone involved but also shows your care for staff and clients.

2. Negotiations and Thank You Gifts

Sometimes, there’s still no better way than to do your negotiations the old-fashioned way — pick up the phone and use your voice. Although there are online apps that facilitate easier and more efficient negotiations and auctions, talking can still get the job done. Whatever the final price is, show your appreciation for your client by sending them a gift.

Read more

Promotional Merchandise: The Secret to Improving Brand Awareness

You may not believe it, but the promotional merchandise is the secret of influential businesses to building and sustaining brand awareness. It benefits businesses regardless of size or industry. Corporate merchandise can also be incorporated into any marketing plan and event.

Time and time again, various research studies from different organizations have proven how effective promotional merchandise is in building up brand awareness. Here are the following findings from the recent 2017 consumer study by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI):

80 percent of recipients go straight to researching more about the brand upon receipt of corporate merchandise.

Meanwhile, eight out of 10 people are more likely to do business with the brand. In the same study, it has been found that promotional merchandise is the most effective advertising medium out of broadcast, online, print, and mobile advertisements. It has ranked first in all age groups, from millennial to the silent generation.

Eighty one percent would keep the promotional merchandise for more than a year, thereby exposing the brand to other people, especially if the product gets high use.

The recall is also high with corporate merchandise. Nine out 10 people recall the branding on promotional products.

Eighty two percent of people gain a more positive opinion of the brand upon receiving promotional merchandise.

Read more

Get Up Close & Personal Promotional Notebooks and Journals

Promotional notebooks and journals are making a huge comeback in the promotional products space this year. You may think that they have gone by the wayside due to our fascination with everything digital. However, putting a pen to the paper and turning the pages one by one still appeal to many.

Custom promotional notebooks and journals also make for great giveaways as they can be used universally for people of all ages and from all walks of life. More importantly, they are no longer just used for note-taking. Promotional notebooks and journals can be used for so much more now and with a variety of printing and design options to suit your brand’s aesthetics and the lifestyles of your targets. Read more to find out what’s new and hot in the realm of custom promotional notebooks in Australia.

What’s Hot and New in Promotional Notebooks

Multifunctional Notebooks and Journals

Custom promotional notebooks and journals also have the ability to store your essentials such as phone, credit cards, pens, and business cards. You won’t even need a bag when you have these notebooks and journals around.

Calgary A5 Notebook

Tech Savvy A5 Portfolio

Read more

The Hottest Promotional Product Trends For 2018

We want to greet 2018 with a BIG BANG, and what could be a more effective way to do this than by introducing some of the new emerging trends and interesting promotional merchandise that is practical and eye catching for the vast majority of end users. These products speak versatility and minimalism, but at the same inventiveness and creativity.

In our ever-changing environment, we always want something that will make our lives easier and less cluttered. Something that is new but not difficult to get used to. Something that would be user-friendly and is adaptable to many situations and occurrences. Although there are tons of products that fit those descriptions, there are certain guidelines that may help you figure out the best promotional merchandise and giveaways that will make your brand shine and get the spotlight that it deserves.

Below are some of the trends in promotional marketing that will pave the way for even more innovative product ideas.

Anything Wireless

Who would have thought that the time will come that wires and cables will be a thing of the past? Slowly but surely, technology is becoming a part of our daily lives, and because of this, there will always be something in our bag or purse that is electronic or wireless. Flash drives have been around for a long time, but why not put some excitement in your promotional merchandise by giving away wireless USBs or hard drives? These are your familiar devices but instead of connecting them directly to the computer or phone, you connect via Wi-Fi. This allows for convenient and faster usage, and sharing with other users can be done simultaneously. Another idea is wireless phone chargers or charging pads. This eliminates the hassle of plugging the device to the outlet which makes it more manageable.

The Timeless Pro Items But With a New Twist

Even with the upsurge of new products and unique gadgets, old time staples like pens and mugs will never lose their appeal. But what would make them treasure-worthy is to give them a twist that will WOW your customers. Pens with light-up logos will be admirable to everyone who sees them! Or how about pens with UV light so you can write some secret messages?

Read more

Learn the meaning of these commonly used terms in the promotional products industry!

Ever heard a term you’re unsure of when ordering promotional products?

If you’ve ever ordered promotional products and found yourself confused with a term or two that your account manager said, it’s not just you. Just like any other industry, there are terms that we use that might be confusing to the outside world. Here’s a glossary of promotional products jargon to add to your vocabulary.

Terms used when shopping for and ordering promotional products

Local: When we say an item is local, it means that it is sourced and decorated here in Australia. Check out our Australian-made promotional products here.

Offshore: Offshore means custom items are sourced from overseas, such as the USA, Europe, China, Vietnam, India, and beyond.

Stock: Stock items are what you see on the website. You can only choose from the available colours and decoration options for the items.

Custom: Custom refers to items that have been designed by you and created for you. These are custom-made according to your preferences, so if you have an original design then your items will be considered unique and one of a kind.

Read more

Locally Made Promotional Products for Australia Day 2021

Australia Day is a time to be proud of your roots and origins. It is a day to come together and celebrate being Australian: our unique culture and history that makes our identity as a nation. As a brand, it is the perfect time to show our Australian pride, whether you’ve got upcoming marketing campaigns or just want to celebrate with your staff, customers, or clients. It only makes sense to support local businesses and products to boost our economy. Here are locally made promotional product recommendations to show off your patriotic pride!

1. Australian-Made Water Bottles

We are known for our beaches and surfing. And with water comes hydration. With the summer heating up, water bottles are a popular choice as giveaways and gifts. Hydration is a universal human need, so whether your audience is young or old, male or female, active or sedentary, water bottles will surely be a much-appreciated item.

2. Australian-Made Sunscreen

Nothing quite like sunscreen to remind us of our country. The Australian summer is quite a different beast compared to the summers in other countries. Our summers are a lot more intense. Therefore, we need tougher skin protection against the sun and its UV rays. Our local sunscreen is made for the Australian summer and complies with the Australian Standard for sunscreens.

3. Australian-Made Personal Protection

If there’s one thing that we have learned in 2020, it’s taking better care of ourselves and others. Wearing masks when suffering from a bug or allergies and regularly hand sanitising are important to curb the spread of diseases. After all, nothing is more patriotic than looking after our fellow countrymen.

Read more

These 3 Thriving Industries Need Promotional Products to Survive

Promotional products have always been treated by businesses as auxiliary investments, serving as just extra support to the company’s growth. However, in this economy, they have become necessities particularly for some industries that have been thriving against all odds. These three industries have gained an increase in demand as restrictions start to be lifted throughout Australia. Learn how promotional products can continue to fuel the growth for these industries.

1.Restaurants and cafes

If there’s one thing that people learned during the quarantine, it is that they can’t cook well. Hence, there is still a need for restaurants and cafes even through the disruption of the pandemic. The hospitality industry is among the worst hit sectors in Australia yet they are not going down without a fight. Most establishments have adapted to the takeaway and delivery culture that has become prevalent during isolation. Hence, the need for promotional products arise. Branded takeaway food containers, drinkware, and cutlery are not just necessities for each order, they also serve as promotional items. Some restaurants and cafes have also started selling branded merchandise for an additional income stream, like Taco Bell’s official merch. Pizza places can tack a pizza cutter add-on with every order of pizza as well.

Recommended items:

Tote bags, food containers & accessories, and eco drinkware

2. Insurance

One of the sectors that are thriving right now is the insurance sector. While they may be spending conservatively right now just like any other company that is bracing the impact of the pandemic, the insurance industry is expected to be more aggressive by the end of the year when the preventative health measures rise. Insurance agents rely heavily on promotional giveaways to gain new leads and score new clients once they’ve gotten their bearings.

Read more

Improve Volunteer Engagement with these 3 Tips for Not-For-Profits

Attracting and engaging volunteers are some of the struggles that many not-for-profits are all facing these days. Volunteering is the last thing on people’s minds, especially with all the restrictions and specific challenges that the pandemic has imposed on us. Despite people’s apprehensions, not-for-profit organisations have to deliver the message that volunteers are safe and protected. Volunteering also not only benefits the causes of the organisation, but also promotes a sense of community and improved mental health and well-being for the volunteers.

In these socially distanced and reclusive times, there are new ways that not-for-profit organisations can engage new volunteers and sustain old ones. Here are 3 volunteer engagement tips for the new normal .

1. Update volunteer programs

There are some hesitations about volunteering this time due to health risks and other challenges they are experiencing due to the pandemic. And these are valid concerns. Fortunately, there are other ways that people can volunteer and contribute to not-for-profits in the comfort of their own homes. People can still render web-based work. You can assign admin tasks such as social media management, community outreach, graphic design, video editing, and more.

Some of the usual not-for-profit activities can also be done virtually. Literacy programs can be adapted to virtual classes. Counseling programs can also be conducted through Zoom sessions. To make things short, find a way to adapt your programs into virtual services.

2. Volunteering activities can be done individually or in small groups

Not all activities have to be done in huge groups. Some people can help out on their own or with small groups like their household or family members. Activities such as environmental conservation activities and food banks and deliveries can be effectively done with social distancing.

Read more

Strike Gold with these Promotional Products Tips for the Mining Industry

Promotional marketing in the mining industry may not be as aggressive as in other industries, but it is still a necessary practice for mining companies, suppliers, and service providers to stand out from the competition and manage people’s perception of their brands. The latter is highly important as mining can get a bad rap from time to time by certain groups in the community. Highly strategic marketing is crucial to reach out to clients, increase company morale, and improve brand reputation. One effective marketing tactic is advertising with promotional products. Here are promotional products tips and recommendations for the mining industry.

1. Boosting company morale

There’s no better way to promote your brand than to promote from within. Happy executives and staff make for the best brand ambassadors, so make sure to keep them happy and proud to be part of the company. A way to do this is by taking care of them with health and safety-approved workwear and incentivising them with employee rewards for a job well done.

Mining is an industry that requires plenty of health and safety regulations. Keep them safe with company-issued standard branded high-visibility safety wear and gear to keep them safe and healthy while they are on the job.

2. Managing reputation in the community

The mining sector does a lot of good for the community, including employment and community development projects. WA’s mining sector has posted a record growth of $172 billion in sales in the 2019-2020 financial year, providing 135,000 jobs. Despite its environmental impact, the sector can change people’s perception of them by taking part in local projects while promoting eco-friendly giveaways.

3. Improve client acquisition

Read more

7 Hottest Promotional Products Under the Sun this 2019

Summer is the perfect season for your brand to be seen.

It’s the time of year when people spend more time outdoors with more sunshine and hot weather, therefore creating marketing bliss for your brand. Beyond that, promotional marketing strategies just work better in summer.

Thus, it is the ideal time to promote your company through branded merchandise that can be used outdoors. A promotional product can generate more impressions and referrals during the summer than at any other time of year because there are more people outside to see it.

If you want to make a splash for summer 2019/2020, here are the sizzling promotional products to use for your marketing campaigns.

BBQ sets

Get people stoked about your brand with branded BBQ sets. Summer and Christmas aren’t complete without getting together with friends and family and having a BBQ at the park or beach. It is only natural to want to get your logo on these products as these will be highly visible this season.

Drink bottles

Read more

Top Promotional Products for Winter 2019 to Warm Up Your Brand

As seasons change, so do the trending promotional products. Just like with clothing, items that are normally used for summer or spring may no longer be appropriate for the biting cold of winter. Let’s face it, hardly anyone would host a BBQ during the winter, right? Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to start a BBQ giveaway this season.

In order to not cool down your momentum this winter season, choose promotional products that are guaranteed to keep your brand in the collective consciousness of the consumers. Here are the top promotional products for winter 2019.

Top Promotional Products for Winter 2019

Promotional Outerwear

Once the cold winds start blowing, out comes the promotional outerwear from the hidden depths of the closet. Regardless of the eye-catching design of your promotional t-shirts, it will still be covered up by promotional jackets, fleece,, hoodies, and pullovers. Thus, it is wise to invest in promotional outerwear to promote your brand this winter.

In fact, your brand stands to gain a lot from promotional outerwear based on the statistics from Global Ad Impressions 2019 by Advertising Specialties Institute:

Longer brand exposure: Promotional outerwear are kept for a minimum of 16 months.

Read more

The Pros & Cons of Promotional Products for Marketing Your Brand

We can’t say enough how transformative and powerful promotional products are for brands. We’re not just saying that because we’re a promotional products provider. We don’t want to just close a sale; we want to be partners with our clients and help them achieve their goals and success.

Promotional products are not magic, they do have their limitations. But when they are planned and implemented strategically and effectively, brands can get immensely better results than if they use digital or traditional marketing.

If it’s your first time using promotional products in your business, here are the pros and cons.

Pros of Promotional Products

1. Promotional products are more affordable and cost-effective

Compared to other advertising media (radio, print, TV, and digital), branded merchandise is a lot more inexpensive and cost-effective. Why is that? Promotional products have a lower cost-per-impression (CPI) (6 cents).

As for the price, ad placement for traditional advertising mediums such as print, radio, and TV run hundreds to thousands of dollars. On the other hand, digital ads are affordable but ineffective. Branded merchandise hits the sweet spot between affordability and effectiveness.

Read more

Be a Globetrotting Brand with these Promotional Travel Bags

Using travel items as promotional tools isn’t restricted to travel and tourism brands. Even when you’re in other industries, you could benefit from targeting travelers, especially if you want to expand your brand reach and awareness countrywide and even globally.

The travel and tourism industry is a fast-growing sector in Australia, accounting for 3.1% of the national GDP and pouring in $57.3 billion to the economy in 2018, according to Tourism Research Australia. Of this, 74% is made up of domestic travels. Giving away promotional travel bags can provide logo exposure beyond your local area, spanning throughout the country and across continents.

Want your brand to be known globally? Here are the top 5 promotional travel bags to help your brand achieve widespread reach and awareness.

Gardner Jute Cosmetic/Toiletry Bag

The Gardner Jute Cosmetic/Toiletry Bag hits two birds with one stone: the travelers and environmentalists. Eco-friendly items are on-trend these days since people are becoming more conscious of their environment. Toiletry bags are necessary for traveling as they bundle up your cosmetics and skincare items for easy organisation.

River Waterproof Bag

With the many famous beaches in Australia, beach items are popular promotional tools for brands. The River Waterproof Bag is one such item that will make your brand stand out with its bright colours and usefulness. They are used to store valuables such as electronics, wallets, snacks, and anything you wouldn’t want to get wet on the beach. They can also be used during whitewater rafting, boat trips, and hikes.

Read more

THE Promotional Product Marketing Plan Checklist for Successful Campaigns

So your business is ready to take the next step and launch your first promotional product marketing plan. We have discussed a lot of times how beneficial promotional products can be for your brand, employee retention, talent recruitment and more. But only with proper planning and implementation.

There is no cookie-cutter plan online that can fit all types of businesses. It still comes down to several factors, such as the industry that the business is in, size, target market, goals and more. If you want to avoid the struggles and failures of coming up with your own promotional product marketing plan, use this Easy & Simple Promotional Product Marketing Plan to shortcut your way to success.

Establish your brand

The first thing you need to consider is how your brand will be presented to the market. Without a defined brand, it can be hard to create a consistent marketing plan. Is your brand modern, traditional, eclectic, or hip? Does it support the environment, community, and other causes? With this information, you can then create a communication and marketing plan that aligns with your brand’s values.

Zero in on your target market

Get the demographics of your typical target: their age, interests, gender, income level, and more. What are the media channels that they are commonly and frequently exposed to? This will determine how you will announce your promotion later on. As much as possible, find out as much as you can about them since the success of your promotional product marketing campaign rides on their shoulders.

Getting a snapshot of the audience you cater to will then determine what kind of promotional products you should use for your campaign. For example, does your target market consist of young professionals who are heavy users of technology? Power banks or wireless chargers will be perfect for them.

Read more

Most Popular & Budget-Friendly Promotional Products of Summer 2022

Summer is known for being a carefree season. However, we’re living in different times due to inflation. Businesses are now prioritising function and ROI over everything else. This has affected how businesses do promotions, but it doesn’t mean they can’t have fun with their campaigns anymore!

If your top criteria when shopping are a.) reasonably priced, b.) functional, while still c.) on trend, here are our hottest picks for 2022’s promotional summer items.

1. Custom BBQ Tools

BBQ brings all the boys (and girls) to the yard. Especially since many families and friends were separated during the many lockdowns in the previous years. Expect plenty of reunions and gatherings this summer so it would be best for your brand to give away promo BBQ tools as giveaways and corporate gifts. This will ensure maximum brand exposure as they will surely be used plenty of times and be seen by many people during the season.

Promo BBQ sets may run a bit pricey (expect to shell out almost $20/piece or more) but these items are durable so your brand will be reaping benefits for years to come.

2. Branded Beach Accessories

The summer wouldn’t be complete without going to the beach. Whether people will be going to local beaches or flying internationally, they will still need the typical beach essentials, such as colourful beach towels, sunglasses, outdoor chairs, and picnic rugs.

Read more

5 Health and Wellness Ideas for Happy and Healthy Remote Employees

Since many people are now working from home, it is easy to put their healthy habits on the curb. Employees might be taking their health for granted, affecting their general well-being and productivity. Help your employees keep healthy and happy with these 5 employee health and wellness hacks while working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Have an organised, designated workspace

It’s easy to blur the lines between professional and personal life when working at home. Doing work on the bed affects sleep while working on the couch can keep the mind preoccupied with work matters even during your downtime. Having an organised and dedicated workspace puts the brain into work mode and prevents it from being distracted by personal matters. Make sure that all the essential office items are within reach by providing your team with one of our Work from Home Packs so they have easy access to the necessary resources and stationery to do their jobs effectively.

Recommended items:

Work From Home Pack A (ballpoint pen, sticky notes, notebook, and jelly beans)

Work From Home Pack B (organiser notebook, smartphone holder, and recycled highlighter)

Home Office Pack (stress toy, drink bottle, headphone with mic, and 2-in-1 phone cable)

Read more

Be the hottest brand this summer with the most popular promotional products & giveaways

Summer is fast approaching. Is your brand ready to conquer the heat this season? Summer is the perfect season for promotions as consumers are more likely to go shopping and plan projects at this time. Summer also coincides with the holidays and you know how shoppers are looser with their purse strings during this time of the year. If you want to entice your audience to do business with you, attract them with the trendiest Summer promotional products for 2020.

1. Promotional Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must-have item that no person should go without, especially with the sun’s fierce rays. Sunscreen is a universal item that is suitable for people from all walks of life. We carry all types of Australian-made sunscreen, from the generic ones to special ones, such as our Dry Touch Sunscreen and Sunscreen with a Hands-Free applicator!

Recommended summer promo item: There is no sticky feeling with the SPF 50 Dry Touch Sunscreen 50ml (2nd photo)! It is also hypo-allergenic, oil-free, Paba free, sweat proof, UVA/UVB protection, and nanoparticle free.

2. Branded sunglasses

Just as important as taking care of our skin while outdoors, protecting our eyes from the sun’s rays is also crucial. Make sure that your eyes are shielded from harm from the ultraviolet rays while also looking cool while doing it with these sunglasses. We’ve got different styles to choose from at a reasonable price point too.

Recommended summer promo item: The Malibu Premium Sunglasses (1st photo) has a classic design that would never go out of style, giving you plenty of branding exposure for a very long time.

Read more

Ways to develop an effective promotional products strategy

Promotional products can deliver a wealth of advantages to your business, but only if you do it right. There is a wrong and right way to promotional product marketing. You don’t just slap your logo or messaging on a product and call it a day. If you want to leverage your business using promotional products, here is the comprehensive beginner’s guide to promotional products:

First off, what are promotional products?

Promotional products are branded items imprinted with a logo or messaging that are used to achieve an organisation’s marketing and communication objectives. They are given away to customers, leads, clients, employees and other targets to promote the company, brand, corporate image, or event.

What is in it for my brand if I give away promotional products?

Your brand stands to reap a lot of benefits if you incorporate promotional products into your marketing strategy. Here are the areas that get a boost with the help of promotional products:

Brand recognition

Promotional products reach more people than traditional forms of advertisements. According to a BPMA study, branded merchandise is used at least once a week by 90% of recipients. Meanwhile, 87% keep the promotional products for a minimum of one year after receipt. On the other hand, 64% of Australians who do not fancy the promotional products they received will pass them on to their friends and family.

Read more

Appeal to the most influential generations with these Promotional Products

Summer is for the young and the young at heart. There is no other season that is jam-packed with events, activities, and trends that specifically target the millennials and Gen Z demographics. And there are benefits to be had by targeting them. They make up more than 40% of the workforce, wielding the most buying power among all consumers.

If you want your brand to gain a loyal following from the millennials and Gen Z, this season is the perfect time to do it! Here are promotional product ideas for your marketing campaigns and events.

Travel items

Millennials and Gen Z value experiences above all. According to Deloitte’s latest Millennial Survey, traveling is one of their top ambitions. Therefore, promotional travel items are guaranteed to make the most impact on your branding and essentially, your bottom line.

Eco-friendly accessories

Both these generations are more environmentally conscious as climate change is their top concern. With the widespread bushfire that has been ongoing since June 2019, it is important now more than ever for these generations to help protect the environment. Therefore, eco-friendly items are appealing to them.

Beach items

Read more

Guide to Promotional Products Melbourne

One thing you should remember when giving away promotional products in Melbourne is this: They do everything big in Melbourne and we’re not just talking about the actual size of the items. As one of the biggest cities in Australia, brands are required to go as big and creative as they can or else they’ll get drowned out by the noise of the competition.

Aside from going big, Melbourne (and Melburnians) has its distinct qualities that you have to consider when planning a promotional marketing campaign there. For successful marketing campaigns, here are some things you need to know about Melbourne.

Brief background of Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria located on the Yarra River. Inhabited by 4 million people, it is the most populous city in the state and the top 2 in Australia and Oceania. Melbourne is known for many things, including cultural diversity, culinary adventures in its many laneways, coffee, beautiful coastal views, and most notably, for being the “Sporting Capital of the World.” It is also known for being the “Most Livable City in the World” for seven years running.

As the city that seems to have everything, what can your brand possibly offer? Here are ways your brand can stand out with promotional products in Melbourne.

1. Promotional Sporting Items

Melbourne is the host to some of the most important sporting events every year, such as the Australian Open Tennis, Australian Grand Prix, AFL Grand Final, Twenty20 Cricket, and Melbourne Cup. Promoting your brand during any of these events is sure to generate plenty of ad exposure. Popular sports branded merchandise in Melbourne are baseball caps, sports drink bottles, and branded sportswear.

Read more

Be the #1 Brand in Darwin with the Hottest Promotional Products

The Top Enders do things differently in the Northern Territory. Darwin has its distinct flavour of culture, inhabitants, and way of doing things. If you’re planning an upcoming marketing campaign in the Top End, here are the best promotional products for Darwin.

Brief Background about Darwin

To know the promotional products that will work best for Darwinians, we have to understand what makes Darwin unique. Here are facts that make Darwin stand out from any other place in Australia.

1. It has a tropical climate

Like the rest of the Northern Territory, Darwin has a tropical climate and only has two seasons, dry and wet. It is generally hot and humid with an average maximum temperature of about 35°C all year-round. Unlike the rest of the country, the heat comes during the dry season from May to September.

2. It offers world-class education

Darwin’s Charles Darwin University is considered to be the best in the world. Many international students are enrolled in tertiary and graduate programs, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars each year to the economy.

Read more

2019 Promotional Products to Transform Your Brand & People’s Lives

The start of a new year marks the beginning of a new and improved life for most of us. We want to wipe the slate clean and leave the past year’s losses, plateaus, and even successes behind. We want to be bigger and bolder this 2019: establishing new goals, reaching new boundaries, and going beyond our limits from the previous years.

This year, revolutionize the way you do marketing by achieving new heights with your brand and marketing campaigns while also encouraging the people around you to be better versions of themselves. Treat them to these life-changing promotional products for the New Year.

Start the Year Right with these Life-Changing Promotional Items for 2019

Fitness-Themed Promotional Products in 2019’s Pantone Colour

Living Coral is 2019’s Pantone colour so you can expect that this will be the hottest and most eye-catching colour for promotional products. It also doesn’t hurt to give promotional products that will help people maintain their resolutions so that the items will get the most use, resulting in more logo exposure.

Recommended promotional products:

South Seas Water Bottle 750ml

Read more

Here’s Why You Should Be Using Pantone Colour Of The Year

Pantone announces a new colour each year that sets trends for product development and purchasing choices in various industries, including fashion, interior design, branding and more. A team of analysts from Pantone conducts more than a year of global research into trends in diverse fields, such as tech, automotive manufacturing, beauty, art, and astronomy!

This year’s colour is Classic Blue, a familiar and reliable shade of blue that throws it back to the well, the classics. Psychologically, the classic blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, according to Pantone. Want to evoke the same feelings that Classic Blue has for your branding and marketing? Here are the reasons why you should use Pantone 2020 Colour for your promotional products.

It makes your brand more trustworthy

According to the color of psychology, blue suggests trust and stability to the viewers. Therefore, businesses that use blue in their branding are more likely to be portrayed as secure, trustworthy, reliable, and high-quality, according to CoSchedule’s Colour Psychology in Marketing Guide.

Blue is also more likely to target a mental reaction rather than a physical one, therefore improving call-to-actions and brand recall. Here are other statistics about the color psychology of blue from Hubspot.

It makes your promotional products on trend

Every time Pantone announces a new colour, it’s guaranteed to be on trend for the whole year. When you use Pantone 2020’s Classic Blue for your promotional products campaign, you are putting your company on the map as a trendy brand that keeps on top of the latest trends.

Read more

What Makes The Perfect Promotional Gift

The British Promotional Merchandise Associated recently conducted extensive research on the power of promotional products. Their research revealed that 79% of people feel appreciated after receiving a promotional product.

When it comes to promotional products the Brits are no different to Ozzies. For more information on who uses which promotional products take a look at their research findings here

Read more

The Power of Promotional Products

In the corporate world, it is important to establish good and long term contacts with employees, business partners, stakeholders and of course clients. Promotional products such as colourful T shirts, caps & hats, coffee mugs, umbrellas, torches, pens, clocks & watches do not cost much but they do help in promotion of brands when they are given as gifts.

It has been observed that promotional products prove to be more effective in brand promotion than the advertisements on TV, Radio and in print. Advertising messages on radio and TV stay for a few seconds or minutes and a printed advertisement may also not get noticed after some time. It is the utility of promotional items that makes them more long lasting and the brand logo on the product does convey an advertising message. In other words, promotional products are low-cost, high- impact marketing tools that can be advertising specialities for brands.

Promotional products such as printed coffee mugs or caps, fridge magnets, engraved pens, mouse pads, personalised USBs, or glassware can be given to employees as incentives and rewards for good performance. They can also be gifted on festivals, company foundation day and individually on employees’ birthdays. Along with the brand logo, a personal touch can be added by engraving the name of the employee on his/her birthday gift.

The only thing to remember is that no matter how trivial your promotional product may be it must have an impressive quality. Screen printed T shirts with the brand logo of your organisation do work very well as promotional gifts. Such customised shirts can also be used for weekend theme work wear to foster a team spirit among employees and their association with the organisation.

When promotional products, sometimes called promotional gear are given as rewards for work accomplishment, they can be customised with phrases such ‘Star of the Month’, ’Pride of the team’, ‘Team Extra Miler’ to further boost the morale of valued employees. At times, it is not the monetary value of a gift but the appreciation that counts for a worker. What’s more, the gift bearing the company’s brand image also spreads a word about the company.

Branded coffee mugs are also a good idea for corporate gifts, because you can easily put all your contact details on them along with your organisation’s brand logo. When the purpose is to create brand awareness through a gift and use it as an advertising medium, it is rather important to include crisp but legible contact information on the product. Customising promotional products with company logo and its website URL or an email id/phone number help to create a good personalised corporate gift.

Promotional gifts can speak volumes about your company. You may gift them to your employees or to visitors and prospective clients at a trade fair show – they can take your brand name to places and advertise your business effectively.

Read more

Make the sustainable choice this holiday with Eco-Friendly Corporate Gifts

While corporate gifts are always a joy to receive, wouldn’t it be better if they could also help save the planet? In fact, everything including our consumer habits contributes to the carbon footprint of individuals and companies.

Corporate gifts can make or break business relations. Giving appropriate and high-quality corporate gifts is key to a successful corporate gifting strategy. According to Knack’s Business Gift Strategy Report, sustainability, artisanal, and locally-made are three “value attributes” that make corporate gifts more memorable to clients and customers. C-level executives also value eco-friendly gifts more.

If you want your business gifts to positively impact business relations and the bottom line, here are the best eco-friendly corporate gifts to pamper your clients and customers with this holiday.

1. Eco-Friendly Drinkware

Drinkware on its own is an eco-friendly item as it reduces the use of disposable bottles and cups while also encouraging people to stay healthier and avoid sugary drinks. However, regular drinkware is made with plastic and other harmful materials that impact the environment. Corporate drinkware gifts that are made with sustainable material are the more eco-friendly choice. \

From left to right: Grano 420ml Wheat Straw Bottle, Carmel Vee Mug & Saucer Set (saucer is made of bamboo), & Enviro Bamboo Travel Mug

2. Sustainable Tech Gadgets

Read more

Conquer the Real Estate Industry with Branded Eco-Friendly Items

!(left)/system/0055/7828/pexels-ready-made-3850512.jpg(tote bag with mobile phone with recycling logo!

It is a great time to be in the real estate industry. The real estate industry is experiencing its biggest boom in this generation and it looks like its rise is not stopping anytime soon.

For real estate companies, now’s the perfect time to be taking advantage of this development and getting your brand out there. Instead of the usual promo real estate giveaways like pens, keychains, and drink bottles, companies should think outside the box to stand out more. Eco-friendly promo products are the way to go for improved brand equity and consumer perception. Here are reasons why you should be choosing sustainable promotional products for your next branding and marketing campaigns.

Top Reasons Why Real Estate Brands Should Be Giving Away Sustainable Promotional Products

Women love brands that give away eco-friendly products

Fifty-three percent of women favour brands that give away sustainable promotional products. Why should it be important, you ask? Women are the most powerful consumers, accounting for 83% who drive consumer purchasing. It is more than likely that women are the ones who decide on whether to buy a property. Hence, it is women that you should be impressing.

People across all generations gain a better opinion of eco-friendly brands

Read more

Check out our top picks on eco-friendly items to join our Tree Planting Programme

Fifteen billion trees are cut down every year.

As we know, trees are crucial to our well-being and the life of the planet. They do so much - including producing oxygen, cleaning up the air, and providing shade and shelter to wildlife, to name a few.

For this reason, Brandconnect decided to make a difference by creating a Tree Planting Programme. With your help, we aim to plant 100,000 trees by the end of 2025. For every order over $2500, we will plant 25 trees on your company’s behalf.

To double down on the sustainability of our programme, we recommend you order our eco-friendly promotional items. Here are our top picks for eco-friendly branded products.

Eco-friendly promo pick #1: Recycled branded merchandise

Each year, millions of tonnes of waste end up in our landfill where some of them languish for years polluting the air and eventually making their way to our waterways. Since wastage is unavoidable in some cases, the best way to reduce it is through recycling and upcycling.

The materials sourced come from different sources. Some come from sustainable and natural wastes, such as wheat straw, while others have been repurposed from discarded items such as plastic bottles.

Read more

Be inspired by these top global promo product campaigns from all over the world!

Want to go global? If you’re planning to expand your brand, you need to think bigger for your promotional campaigns. Whether you need to go national or even global, here are the best widespread campaigns from global brands all over the world.

1. Red Bull

About the campaign: To boost morale among remote employees during the lockdowns, Red Bull Australia organised the Red Bull Office Games. It invited workers to create a team, invite colleagues, and play the Red Bull Office Games. The prizes at stake are The Ultimate Red Bull Office Party that will be held in the winners’ workplace, a motivational speech from a high-performance coach from the World of Red Bull, and months’ worth of Red Bull drinks.

Red Bull is a brand that gives a local feel despite being founded in Austria. It hosts many notable sports events all over the world, including the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.

How to copy its success: Red Bull’s secret to its strong global reach is through event marketing. While its strategy can be hard to replicate by smaller local brands, you could take a page from its book by hosting local events or even virtual/hybrid ones in different time zones to ensure a good turnout all over the world.

By getting to know your market and what they’re into (in Red Bull’s case, it’s extreme sports and competition), you’ll be able to host events that will attract your target audience and maintain loyalty. Don’t forget to add branded event decorations and giveaways for improved brand recall.

2. Coca-Cola & McDonald’s

Read more

Generate Brand Impressions with the Highest Visibility Promotional Items

Promotional products are effective advertising tools. Just like traditional advertisements, they need to get maximum exposure in order for your business to reap the maximum return on investment and marketing benefits. If you want to get your brand’s name really out there, here are the best promotional products that generate the most impressions in Australia, based on the latest ASI’s Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study.

Promotional bags: 5,881 impressions

Promotional bags are meant to be used by people to carry their things. It goes wherever its owner goes, which means that they are seen by everyone that they come across with. Promotional bags are also necessities. Hardly anyone goes out without a bag, so they get the most use out of all the other promotional products.

Promotional Capella Tote Bag

Promotional pens: 3,223 impressions

Ever borrow a pen from someone and realize at the end of the day that you have forgotten to return it? That’s how promotional pens generate a lot of impressions. They can be passed on from one person to another. They are also more commonly used in business, retail, and bank transactions as well as at work. It also contributes to the high impressions that they generate.

Another bonus is that promotional pens are the most popular promo items in Australia. They are also the most cost-efficient since the cost per impression is less than one-tenth of a cent.

Read more

5 Powerhouse Industries Transformed by Promotional Products

Time and time again, we have talked about the power of promotional products in transforming brands into household names.

What’s even better is that they can improve brand recognition and awareness, develop corporate identity, generate sales and referrals, retain and appreciate customers, and motivate behaviours, among other things, in the cheapest way possible. You can achieve all these things with other marketing programs, but they are likely to cost more and be less effective. Whereas with branded merchandise, you can generate an impression for a tenth of a cent of expenditure.

While promotional products are effective across the board, they deliver greater results for certain industries due to their specific method of marketing and type of clients they cater to. Here are the top industries that benefit the most from promotional products, according to PPAI’s 2017 Promotional Products Fact Sheet.

Education

The education sector uses promotional products to garner interest, increase enrollment rate, and boost school morale. Promotional products can make schools and universities stand out when they attend open houses, seminars, workshops, college expos, and college fairs.

Brandconnect Tip: The most popular products for the Education sector are: water bottles, writing instruments, backpacks, notebooks, and folders.

Financial

Read more

Most Popular Pink Promo Items for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2020

Hot pink is the hottest colour this Spring, which makes it perfect for celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. This annual event is crucial to raising awareness and funds for research to combat the most common cancer that affects Australian women and men. To date, there have been close to 20,000 cases diagnosed this year. However, thanks to the annual month-long awareness month, the death rates have been decreasing every year with early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

This year, it is still important to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month despite the socioeconomic uncertainties ahead. That said, challenging times call for practical measures. With the struggling economy, it is important to change up our promotional campaigns to address the current need. Here are the most popular & useful promotional giveaways for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year.

1. Custom-Printed Face Masks

Face masks are one of the most popular items these days as they are essential in curbing the spread of the Coronavirus. They have also become effective marketing tools for many brands. Why not help keep people safe while also promoting your cause at the same time? Face masks make for highly visible & affordable mobile advertisements.

[insert pink photos of these products: 1 and 2]

2. Branded Hand Sanitisers

Hand hygiene is critical to beating the virus. Hence, hand sanitisers make them effective promotional giveaways for Breast Cancer Awareness Month as they are in-demand and frequently used. Hand sanitisers with carabiners (like below) can also be used as keychains and attached to bags, attracting the attention when the user is outdoors.

Read more

Take inspiration from these attention-grabbing promotional campaigns of 2021

Promotional marketing remains to be an effective branding tool this 2021. Many brands have launched successful promotional marketing campaigns that helped spread awareness, drum up interest, and achieve their targets. Here are the most noteworthy promotional campaigns of 2021.

1. Vegemite

Who wouldn’t recognise that iconic yellow, red, and black combo even from a distance? Known for their Mitey Merchandise Store, Vegemite didn’t let winter cool down their steam by releasing a limited-edition “Ugly Sweater” line for winter.

For this season, they also released a summer-themed collection, featuring cooler bags, swimsuits, headwear, thongs, and more in their brand colours, making them the most recognisable brand under the sun.

2. Popeye’s and Megan Thee Stallion

This partnership may have taken a page from McDonald’s successful promotion with Travis Scott and BTS, but Popeye’s made it their own. The US fried-chicken chain collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion to release Thee Hottie Sauce, a hot sauce that compliments their food offerings, and a line of branded merchandise that fits Megan’s famous song, Hot Girl Summer. Titled as “Thee Heat,” it features bikinis, hats, tumblers, long sleeve T-shirts, and Popeyes chicken tenders plush dog toys. What makes this partnership extra special is that Megan Thee Stallion has been a long-time fan of the fast-food chain.

3. Whiskas

Read more

Best Promotional Products for the Baby Boomer Generation

While millennials are being seen as the key market to target by marketers, there are also opportunities to be seen with the baby boomer generation. The Baby Boomers make up a larger segment of the consumers. They also spend more compared to the younger generations due to their decades of saving and investing. Before writing them off, here are the ways their generation can benefit your business and which are the top promotional products for Baby Boomer Generation .

5 Surprising Info about the Baby Boomer Generation

Baby boomers are loyal

When they have a brand that they favour, you can expect that they’ll be buying from that brand consistently until something goes wrong. According to an industry study, 46% of them declare that they are quite to extremely loyal to their favourite brands.

Baby boomers are impulsive when buying

Unlike millennials who scour the internet for reviews before spending on products or services, baby boomers are more likely to purchase after just consulting a few sources. They also tend to believe word-of-mouth referrals and product tests than social media.

Baby boomers are financially loaded

Read more

Hottest Corporate Gifts Trends

Christmas is not until two months from now, but it is never too early to start shopping for unique corporate gifts to avoid the holiday rush. Custom business corporate gifts can take time, especially if you want them to be meaningful and impactful to the recipients.

Comprehensive planning also needs to take place as you have to take into accommodation your recipients’ backgrounds in order to understand what gifts they want and need to get. After all, these keepsakes have a lot riding on their proverbial shoulders. Aside from giving joy and appreciation to the recipients, they are also meant to be marketing tools that can maximize brand visibility, strengthen customer, client, and business partner relations, and improve staff morale and productivity.

Giving away unique corporate gifts is starting to be seen as an effective business strategy by more companies. In the recent Corporate Gift Giving Study by ASI, there has been an uptick in companies that are adopting this practice. Meanwhile, 73% of gifts will bear imprinted logos, which goes to prove that promotional product marketing is just as effective as ever.

If you want to give away useful gifts that your clients, employees, customers, and business partners will appreciate, here are the most popular corporate gifts trends for every budget.

Corporate Gifts Ideas Under $10

Promotional Drinkware

Promotional drinkware is a classic gift appreciated by everyone. In this heat, people are constantly thirsty. Thus, these products are guaranteed to be used both outdoors and indoors, giving your brand much-needed exposure if they are imprinted on the product. Here are the promotional drinkware items that you can score for less than $10.

Read more

Find high-quality promotional pens with our Pen Shopping Do’s & Don’ts

Promotional pens are tried and tested when it comes to their branding effectiveness in promotional campaigns. Since they are essentials, they expose brands to people day in and day out, serving as constant reminders of your brand. They also provide long-term advertising as promotional pens are typically kept by people for an average of 9 months (Global Ad Impressions Study 2020). According to the same study, they are also the most cost-efficient as a $1 pen delivers a cost-per-impression (CPI) of less than 1/10 of a cent.

However, you can’t just buy any pen and expect results. There’s an art to choosing the right promotional pen for your target, purpose, and brand. What are the things to consider when shopping for pens? Read our ultimate promo pen shopping guide to learn more.

1. What message do you want to convey to your target audience?

The most crucial part of a promotional pen (aside from its writing functionalities) is the branding opportunity it presents for companies. For brands to reap marketing benefits, promotional pens should have an eye-catching message that reflects their business, industry, and the kind of targets that they are trying to captivate.

The brand message encompasses the decoration as well as the aesthetics of the promotional item. For example, creative brands such as advertising agencies can showcase their creativity and innovation by choosing unique and colourful pens and decorations.

Promotional pens have a small surface area for printing so the information you choose to include should be important. You can include the company name, logo, tagline, and contact information (such as social media, phone number, and website address). Be careful not to overcrowd the pen with information though as there is only so much that can fit.

2. What type of promotional pen should you choose?

Read more

5 Unique Promotional Products Ideas to Be Ahead of the Pack

Sometimes, thinking of unique promotional products ideas can get you stumped, especially if you want to stand out from the competition. You know that giving away promotional products is a good brand awareness strategy to get your company’s name out there, but sometimes, it just isn’t enough.

As businesses, we all need to shake things up from time to time. We can’t keep relying on the same marketing strategies in order to stay afloat in this competitive landscape.

If you want to separate yourself from the pack, here are five unique promotional products ideas that will shine the spotlight on your brand.

Credit Card Flash Drives

If you are targeting young consumers, credit card flash drives are the way to go. One of the most popular unique promotional products ideas, credit card flash drives can be easily stored away in wallets due to their compact size. Your brand will also get plenty of mileage with these giveaways as they are necessities that will last for a long time.

Wireless Phone Chargers

Wireless charging may be a feature that is only available to a few phones, but industry forecasts say that this emerging technology will reach $37.2 billion by 2022. Be ahead of the race by giving away custom-branded wireless chargers. With these chargers, you will be guaranteed that your promotional products will get the maximum usage for years to come.

Read more

Unique Conference Giveaways to Train the Spotlight on Your Brand

Want your company to be the star of the next conference? By giving away unique conference giveaways , you can improve your brand awareness and recall, as well as booth traffic and display. These unique conference giveaways will already do half the promotional work for you. If you want in on all these benefits, here are some of the best conference gifts from Brandconnect.

Light Sabre Umbrella

Make everyone feel like they are the chosen one by giving away this Light Sabre Umbrella. These galactic umbrellas have a blindingly bright LED shaft that lights up with multiple colors to illuminate ways wherever they are in the galaxy. A flashlight is also installed on the bottom of the handle. On the other hand, the canopy is made from smooth 190T showerproof pongee that will protect you from rain or heat, while the rib spring-loaded metal and fibreglass frame fortify it against strong gusts of wind.

Orbit Wireless Phone Charger

In a highly technological world, it is important to stay connected at all times. Keep people’s phones juiced up and generate exposure for your brand at the same time with the Orbit Wireless Phone Charger. These next-generation phone chargers are compatible with wireless charging-capable phones. Phones only have to be placed on top of the surface in order to get it charging.

Seedpot

If you want to make an environmental impact while bringing out the nurturing side of people, get these seedpots. These packages are already assembled so you only have to water them after removing them from the package. You can also imprint your logo on the pots, making them cute desktop advertisements for your brand.

Read more

Guide to Creating a Customised New Employee Kit for Onboarding

As they say, first impressions last. Making a good first impression is just as important for job applicants during their interviews as it is for employers when welcoming their new hires on their first day on the job.

These new hires are an asset that can help any company achieve its business goals. Therefore, the first day is dedicated to helping them find their place in the team and assimilate into the company culture. How do you do that? By preparing your own comprehensive new employee welcome kit.

These new employee welcome kits are not just made up of branded office supplies that the employees could use while working. They also contain the necessary information to facilitate a successful onboarding period, a crucial stage in an employee’s life that can make or break their career within the company.

What is employee onboarding?

Employee onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into the company and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to become successful and valuable members of the company. This process lasts from the first day of the employee with the company to months or even years after that.

Onboarding provides plenty of benefits for both employers and employees. Here are some of the benefits:

Onboarding allows employees to be productive from the get-go.

Read more

Ways Promotional Merchandise Boost Your Digital Campaigns

Contrary to popular belief, promotional merchandise can be used for all types of promotional campaigns, even remote and online ones. It is not just brick-and-mortar businesses that benefit from promotional products. There are plenty of ways to use it for your digital marketing campaigns for your social media and websites to drive up your online presence, awareness, and engagement.

Successful Online Promotional Merchandise Campaigns

The Boring Company flamethrowers and caps

Founded by Elon Musk, The Boring Company is an infrastructure and tunnel construction company that aims to solve Los Angeles traffic and the current 2D transportation limitations. In order to raise funds for their projects and boring machines, it sold co-branded promotional merchandise, such as flamethrowers, caps, and fire extinguishers, which Elon Musk promoted on Twitter. To date, they have earned $1 million from selling 50,000 caps and $10 million from selling 20,000 flamethrowers. Sellers have also started reselling the latter on eBay for as much as $2,000 to $20,000 a pop.

Tony Hawk’s Twitter Hunt

The professional skateboarding superstar, Tony Hawk, used to hold an annual online promotional product campaign called the Twitter Hunt from 2009 to 2015, which immensely drove up his followers. This scavenger hunt campaign involves more than 80 boxes of branded items, such as promotional drinkware, custom-printed caps, and logo-imprinted specialty sports items, hidden in major cities all over the world. Hawk then tweets out clues about the location of the goodies and the scavenger participants are required to tweet back if they found a box.

How to Dominate the Digital Space with Promotional Merchandise

Read more

Everyone Loves Promotional Umbrellas

Although not quite as popular as other giveaways, promotional umbrellas are still powerful tools to ramp up brand visibility. Rain or shine, you can rely on them to deliver results for years to come. Need further convincing?

Ways that personalised umbrellas can help you carry out your bidding to meet or even exceed your marketing objectives.

Gen-Xers, Baby Boomers and beyond go gaga over promotional umbrellas

Personalised umbrellas are a hit with the older generations. Most marketers focus on the millennials due to their purported powerful buying power. However, there are opportunities to be had with older generations. Generation X or those people born between 1965 to 1975 exhibit the highest brand loyalty. They have also reached the prime earning period of their lives, so they make for perfect targets for luxury products and services.

On the other hand, baby boomers or those whose birth years were between 1946 and 1964 have more disposable wealth than millennials. They also prefer to shop in person, so they favor businesses with brick-and-mortar stores.

Promotional Umbrellas – Light Sabre Umbrella

Women are drawn to promotional umbrellas

Read more

How Sports Teams Can Utilise Promotional Merchandise to Boost their Success

Whether in the little league or the national team, a sports team merchandise presents many opportunities for their success and popularity. Sports team merchandise is not just limited to team uniforms. Promotional sports jerseys, baseball caps, bags, socks, and sports balls can also be incorporated into a team’s branding strategy, regardless of what league the team may be. If you want to take your sports team to greater heights this year, here are ways sports teams can benefit from promotional merchandise.

1. Improve team morale and camaraderie

There’s a reason why uniforms are essential in any sports team. Uniforms inspire a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, which makes them work and play better together during games. Uniforms can also serve as advertising space for companies, which in turn result in additional revenue as we’ll be discussing below.

2. Generate an additional source of revenue

Uniforms make for valuable advertising space for companies, as they offer high visibility and exposure during games. It is for this reason that teams looking for sponsors usually offer prime spots in their uniforms in exchange for funding.

Branded merchandise can also be sold to fans for extra profit. Teams can sell popular promo items, such as basketball caps, backpacks, keyrings, drink bottles, ice coolers, and socks, to name a few.

3. Gain wider brand recognition

Read more

Why Price Isn’t Always the Deciding Factor for Business Purchases

Price isn’t always the deciding factor when you make a purchase for your business. You also need to consider the quality of the item/service, its usefulness, and relevance to your target market and campaign strategy.

We understand that most businesses have limited marketing budgets, so they have to find the best deals on promotional products to get the most value out of their money. While there is nothing wrong with conserving your spending – prioritising low pricing over quality can do more harm than good for your brand. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t cut back too much when buying promotional products.

Good quality promotional products strengthen a brand’s identity

Promotional products are a reflection of a company’s brand. If you give away inferior promotional products, it will reflect badly on your brand, making it look like your brand is just as cheap as the items.

In order to create a corporate identity that is truly unique to your brand, you have to set a uniform guideline as to how you present your brand to the world. Choosing subpar promotional products will only cloud your brand’s identity due to the following reasons:

The decoration on the item may appear low quality and may rub off

The product may not align with your brand identity

Read more

5 Ways Branded Merchandise Levels Up Your Marketing Strategy

Branded merchandise may seem like an additional expenditure that your marketing strategy does not need, but they are as crucial to your business in driving sales and generating leads as any other promotional initiatives. If you are still not incorporating promotional products into your strategy, you are missing out on so many benefits.

Here are five ways you can leverage branded merchandise to meet business goals

Announce your presence to the world

Branded products, such as event promotional items, are as good as any branding efforts to make consumers or clients recognize your brand. According to a recent Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) survey, close to seven out of 10 brands deem promotional products an effective medium to fulfill their marketing needs. Since most people tend to use branded swag for a minimum of more than a year, you can count on repeated exposure to not just the recipients, but also the people around them.

Put the spotlight on your company during conferences, trade shows, and events

It is easy to get lost among the competition in jam-packed events such as conferences and trade shows. Promotional products can ensure increased foot traffic to your booth. These products also help consumers retain your information long after the event is long over.

Give your image a much-needed boost

Read more

Difference between Stock vs. Custom Merchandise

When ordering promotional products, you’re not just limited to what is on offer in the store or what we call stock merchandise. There’s a world beyond stock merchandise—- you can create promotional products however you want. To learn more about the differences between stock and custom merchandise, read below.

1. Stock Promo Merchandise

As we’ve established above, stock merchandise are the items you can see on our website. What you see is what you get. They are ready-made with limited colour and customisation options. While there is nothing greatly unique about it, stock merchandise has its perks, such as quicker turnaround time and lower minimum order quantities. Plus, having way too much freedom with the customisation can be a burden sometimes. Businesses that don’t want to spend too much time designing and planning their promotional giveaways or corporate gifts will prefer stock merchandise

On the downside, you can expect to have a finite choice of materials, sizes, and colours for stock merchandise. The print area size is also limited. They are also more likely to cost more per unit than custom items.

How to order stock promo merchandise

Ordering stock merchandise is as easy as choosing your preferred item on our website or catalogue and entering the specifics, such as the quantity, colour, decoration option (from the list of available options for the item), and a copy of your logo, branding, or artwork. Upon approving the artwork, your order will be dispatched according to the lead time.

2. Custom promo merchandise

Read more

What is Corporate Gifting – How to get right?

Gift – it is an absolute word that translates to giving and receiving, in hopes that much thought and deliberation have been given in order to come up with one. In a world where we are surrounded by family, friends, colleagues, and other significant people, being presented a gift, regardless of its size, shape, or price tag, is always an indication that you were in someone else’s mind that day. And that is something that makes you feel special. That feeling of being remembered and appreciated.

In the corporate world, giving corporate gifts and other tokens is not uncommon. There are a variety of reasons for these gifts – a special occasion, an event, a brand launch, staff incentive programs, general giveaways, forging goodwill and stronger business relations, and many more. Corporate gifting is not limited within the company premises, but is especially effective when business partners, customers, or clients are involved. Whether giving presents to employees, clients, or even potential customers, there are some pointers to take into consideration to ensure that the recipient will find value in the gift.

How to Choose the Right Corporate Gifts

Corporate gifting doesn’t have to be a boring and tedious task. It is actually a way of exploring options and possibilities, as well as inviting creativity and improvisation. What are the corporate gifts you can give to your valued customers? There are countless gifts around, but before jumping into the first attractive idea for a gift that comes to mind, below are certain guidelines in choosing a gift to guarantee that the effort and money spent on the gifts will be worthwhile, at the same time ensuring that the person who received the gift is delighted and will remember you for a long time.

Planning ahead is key, and with proper and prompt planning, corporate gifting should be a breeze. Although there are tons of ideas for gifts, there are certain guidelines to take note of. This will help you decide what to give and who to give it to.

Know your purpose

What is your reason or purpose for the gift? Being able to lay this on the table sets you apart from careless gifting. Try to concretise what outcome you would want or expect after the gift has been received and acknowledged.

Read more

Reasons to Go Eco in Your Next Promotional Marketing Campaign

Waste management is a growing problem. The amount of waste generated every year continues to increase with plastic being the top driver, especially since most essentials during the pandemic are made of plastic. Companies need to do their part in reducing waste. The easiest thing that they can do is start using eco branded merchandise for their promotional campaigns.

What are eco promotional products?

Eco promotional products are just like any other promo items except that they’re made of recycled or sustainable materials. Recycled materials are items that would have otherwise ended up in the trash but turned into something new. Some examples are recycled wood, aluminium, paper, cardboard, and jute. Sustainable materials, on the other hand, come from renewable resources that are in abundance and will never run out even when used repeatedly, such as wheat straw, bamboo, and cork.

No longer just nice-to-haves, eco-friendly promo items are now must-haves to improve brand perception and help the environment. Here are things you should know about them to convince you to choose them for your upcoming promotional campaigns and inventory restocking.

1. Eco promotional products are diverse and made of different materials

The common misconception about eco promotional items is that they all have a natural and recycled look to them as they are typically made of recycled wood or cardboard. If you have a specific aesthetic in mind that does not fall along the lines of natural or recycled, you can find eco promo items that meet your requirements.

You can check out items made of different woods as their grains and patterns can differ, such as bamboo and cork. They could also have a plastic appearance as with rice husk and wheat straw items. If you prefer metal, aluminium is also an eco-friendly material that can be used for drink bottles.

Read more

4 No-Obligation Freebies Brandconnect Provides for Non-Customers

With so many scammers out there, ordering products online can be daunting, especially if you are unsure of how the quality will turn out. It is especially harder to order promotional products because they have a lot riding on their proverbial shoulders, being responsible for making or breaking a brand or a marketing campaign. They also have to be ordered in bulk, so getting cheaply made and subpar products will not only be a huge waste of money but can be hard to dispose of.

Here at Brandconnect, we give potential customers freebies even before your first order to show you that we are the Australia’s most trusted provider of promotional products and branding solutions, servicing thousands of businesses for more than two decades. Best of all, these offers all come without any obligation. Here are our four no-obligation bonuses that you can get without ordering from us.

Free Samples

We’ve mentioned above how difficult it is to order promotional products because of the uncertainty of their quality while having to commit to a high minimum order. We, at Brandconnect, understand the apprehension, so we are giving away free samples of low-cost items, such as pens, or in some cases, clothing. However, we charge for multiple samples beyond three items. The customer is also responsible for the shipping.

To order free samples, create or log on to your Brandconnect account and go to the page of your preferred item and click the “Free Sample” button.

Virtual Mockup

To further prevent buyer’s remorse, you can also see how your logo looks like on your preferred promotional product without having to purchase anything through Free Digital Mock-Up Service. We can send you a maximum of three digital mock-ups per initial inquiry. All you have to do is send us your logo and instructions and we’ll get right on it.

Read more

How the Global Supply Chain Constraints Are Affecting Your Orders & Delivery Times

If you’ve been wondering why your orders lately have longer lead times or there never seems to be enough stock, it’s not just you. The entire promo industry is experiencing the effects of the global supply chain issues, which is mostly due to port congestion, factory shutdowns, increased demands, and suppliers closing down. How does this affect you as an end consumer? Read below to find out.

1. Increased prices

With great demand comes higher prices. Items in high demand such as face masks, fitness equipment, rapid antigen tests, tote bags and cooler bags have increased in price as the years in the pandemic wear on. And this is the same all over the world. Fortunately, we here at Brandconnect have made it our mission to find the lowest priced yet high-quality items among reputable suppliers. This allows us to update our prices regularly and be able to have a Lowest-Price Guarantee where we promise to beat any like-for-like quote (terms and conditions apply).

2. Longer turnaround times

You may have noticed that orders are taking a bit longer than they used to. Longer turnaround times are caused by multiple factors, such as stock shortage, port congestion, logistics delays, and more. It is for this reason that we advise our clients to order earlier especially during peak months to avoid delays. We also work with them hand-in-hand to ensure that the production process runs smoothly and without delays.

3. Suppliers & distributors closing down shop

The global supply chain issues have been tough on the entire promo industry. Many promo businesses have closed down both on the supplier and distributor side. If the last promo company you ordered from has gone AWOL or worse, they disappear just when you are about to order, choose a more established promo company like us! We won’t be going anywhere with our 20+ years of experience working with some of the biggest brands in Australia and the world.

Read more

The Importance of Promotional Calendars in this Digital World

Promotional calendars are the last thing you’ll think that could give your brand the optimal exposure and recall that it needs. Despite the world growing more and more digital, promotional desk and wall calendars are still essential for everyone. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have one on their office desk, home, or both.

You’ll be surprised that promotional calendars are reported to be great marketing tools, according to ASI’s latest Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study. The reason is 76% of the people who own promotional calendars have them displayed prominently in their homes and offices.

Since 2018 is about to end, now is the perfect time to think of your marketing strategy for the following year and an even better time to order promotional calendars. Here are the 5 benefits of promotional calendars to further convince you.

Promotional calendars offer long-lasting marketing benefits

On average, promotional calendars are kept for the whole year. This means that people will be constantly exposed to your brand whether they like it or not. Branded promotional calendars have a way of ingraining your logo or brand in people’s minds especially with constant exposure, making it the first thing that people remember when thinking of products or services related to your brand.

Older consumers are more likely to own promotional calendars

People from the older generation (ages 55 years old and up) may be able to adapt to new technology but they tend to stick to the basics. After all, once smartphones lose their juice, how will they be able to check their special dates? Promotional calendars are reliable and low-maintenance, just sitting wherever they are placed to be used when they are needed.

Read more

Promotional Products vs. Digital Advertising: Which Is Better?

We are living in a digital world. Since the disruption of the pandemic on businesses, digital media have been the leading media consumed by individuals. So does that mean digital advertising is extremely effective right now? No – not quite. Here are reasons why digital advertising isn’t always the way to go and promotional products are.

1. Digital advertising doesn’t guarantee conversions

When people see ads on the Internet, it’s not an automatic conversion. The consumer goes through several stages before going through with the sale or what marketers call a sales funnel. Upon clicking the ad, they will be taken to the website or product page. What if the website or page isn’t well-designed? The consumer can and will easily leave your website.

The goal of every marketing campaign is you want the consumers to take action, right? An easy way to do this is by incentivising or rewarding them with promotional products. This can work alongside with sales, email registrations, social media following and more. The consumer gets a branded item and you get results almost immediately. In fact, consumers will do just about anything to get free branded merchandise that 10 out of 10 are willing to go out of their way to get one (Source: 2019 Consumer Study, PPAI Research).

2. It is hard to gain awareness with digital advertising

With so many things going on online, it can be a struggle to stand out. There is a marketing occurrence called “Banner Blindness” where digital banners go unnoticed by people due to so many elements in a digital space. In short, digital ads tend to be unmemorable.

On the other hand, brands can easily stand out with promotional products as they are effective tools in attaining brand recall and visibility for consumers. According to PPAI, 88% of consumers recall the brand printed on promotional items. To break it down further, the people who can recall the three key pieces on the branded merchandise: specific product, brand, and even the messaging come up to a whopping 76.2% of recipients. Promotional items are also usually kept for over a year. Every time they use it, they remember your brand. Bonus points if they use it outside of the home as they also expose other people to your brand.

Read more

Benefits of the Best Promotional Tote Bags in Australia for Your Business

Giving away promotional items may not be your bag.

But what you don’t know is that there are plenty of benefits to giving away promotional tote bags for Australian businesses . Aside from serving as walking billboards for your businesses, promotional tote bags announce your brand to the world and draw people in. If that is not enough to convince you, here are five other reasons you should consider distributing promotional canvas tote bags in your next trade show, event, or launch.

Promotional tote bags generate the most impressions to consumers

Due to its usefulness, custom printed tote bags is Australia’s most impressionable promotional product. They deliver a whopping 5,800 impressions per bag. This means that for each promotional bag that you distribute, your brand will reach 5,800 people, which goes to prove how deeply ingrained promotional tote bags are in Australians’ everyday lives.

Cheap promotional tote bags have the lowest cost per impression out of all the promotional products

You get the highest return on investment with these promotional canvas tote bags. It will only cost you $00.001 per impression for a $10 promotional tote bag. It is cheaper than any forms of advertising. Since it is also the most used promotional product, your cheap promotional tote bags will not only generate a large number of impressions, but will also expose the owner to your brand frequently, therefore increasing brand awareness and the chances that they will do business with you again.

Read more

5 Benefits of Buying Australian-Made Promotional Products

Globalisation has made it easier to buy items from other countries that are far cheaper than their local counterparts. However, cheaper is not always better as importing items has serious repercussions for our economy and the environment. Australian-made items are still the best choice for your company. Here are the reasons why.

Boosts economy

When you buy local Australian-made products, the money you spend goes back to the community and generates income for the national community. A better economy means more jobs and income for industries, which benefits local families and communities.

According to The Clean Collective, every $1 million earned by a local Australian manufacturing business provides:

$333,900 in tax revenue

$985,000 in added value

$95,000 in welfare benefits saved

Read more

Why Promotional Products Should be Targeting Millennials

If you are still not targeting your promotional products for millennials, then you are missing out on a lot.

We all know millennial consumers wield the strongest buying power. Born between 1981 and 1996, they have reached their prime spending years, and are now starting to make crucial purchases that will influence their lives years from now. They are shaping the landscape of consumerism so much that marketers consider them the biggest drivers of change in the marketplace in the last 100 years. However, millennial consumers are a different species from other generations when it comes to advertising reception. So how do they perceive promotional product trends for millennials? We break it down for you with the help of PPAI data.

5 reasons why targeting promo items for millennials is the best way to lure them in.

Promotional products are the most effective advertising medium for millennials

For millennials, promotional products work better than traditional advertisements that appear in broadcast, online, print, or mobile. Promotional items are also more affordable, making it a cost-effective strategy that delivers more bang for the buck.

Promotional products have a high reach with millennials

Who doesn’t love receiving free stuff? Millennials most especially do. According to a PPAI study, all of the millennials surveyed have accepted at least a promotional product within their lifetime and a third of them reported having hoarded at least three to five promotional items in the past six months. Two in three millennials are then said to use, wear, or carry these products daily. If you want to capture the lion’s share of this consumer group, you just have to give promotional products to lure millennials.

Read more

5 Management & Motivation Tips for Work-from-Home Employees

Cabin fever is real for work-from-home employees.

Working from home can make employees more efficient and productive as they have more time and energy to get things done. The challenge lies in encouraging teamwork as well as motivating and rewarding your employees. The key is to establish trust, open communications, and the groundwork necessary to foster effective and seamless team collaboration and connection despite the remote setup.

Doing so is already a struggle in the best of times, even more so now with the stress and anxiety in this pandemic. As an employer, here are 5 ways you can effectively manage and motivate your work-from-home employees during the lockdown.

1. Stay connected to your employees

Keeping open communication lines during these challenging times is key to a successful remote work collaboration and engagement within your teams. As a leader, it is up to you to establish strong communication within your staff by setting up regular Zoom meetings to keep them updated about company and work developments. Your staff will also crave human interaction during this long period of isolation so constant communication is important to keep them sane, engaged, and motivated at work.

2. Help out your employees any way that you can

People are hit hard by all the uncertainties and difficulties that the pandemic brings. This makes it hard for them to focus on their jobs and maintain their physical and emotional wellbeing. Extending your help any way you can (does not have to be limited to financial assistance) can have a huge impact on the productivity and morale of your staff.

Read more