Buzz Worthy
Archive for December, 2010
There’s Quite a Buzz Around Antibacterial Products in the Flu Season
1911 days
by Brandon
in Promotional Items
If there is one type of promotional item that is hot during the winter, its antibacterial items. People have generally come to realize that the better they maintain hygiene, the less chance they have of getting sick. The best way to kill germs is with these hand sanitizers and other products of its kind, so naturally they are in high demand.
The great thing about a hand sanitizer is that is can be used effectively in any environment. Especially in the workplace where a ton of promotional products get used, people tend to live on top of each other and share a common space. Employees have learned from years of spreading germs among each other that antibacterial products really do work. Just know that if you are a company that is choosing to give out hand sanitizer and that prevents people from getting sick, you can make a safe bet that those people will be sure to remember your brand name.
Now on to the types of products that this antibacterial quality can be packaged in. Previously discussed and also the most popular is hand sanitizer. The Purrell Company has made itself the industry leader in hand sanitizer products, so they are generally the most trusted. However, any generic hand sanitizer will do as long as it says the catchphrase “Kills 99.99% of all germs” and has your company logo on it. 
Hand sanitizer comes in a bottle or a spray, and you apply it to your hands. It then evaporates slowly leaving you with germ-free hands. Some of them even have a carabiner hook or pen clip attachment that makes the item easier to travel with. This only helps to boost the appeal of the hand sanitizer around this time of year, and creates the ultimate buzz around the product.
Now while hand sanitizer is the hottest antibacterial product around during flu season, there are plenty of other alternatives. You may even lean more heavily on one of the other antibacterial items as it will help to set you apart from the competition (every company probably distributes hand sanitizer in the winter). For example, an antimicrobial pen is a great choice because not only does it prevent the spread of germs, but it will intrigue people about how it actually works. If you’re interested in how it does, here goes: each of the antimicrobial writing utensils available has something called “AgION Antimicrobial Product Protection” that inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.
So as opposed to hand sanitizers that kill germs once they develop, the antimicrobial pens take a much more proactive and defensive approach by stopping the development of bacteria in the first place. The coolest part is that you can’t even see it working; you just have to trust it! Once you can get people to trust the promotional item you give them, that is the first step to building a loyal relationship.
If you want to take full advantage of the promotional products buzz around the flu season, they make sure to jump all over these antibacterial products. You will be surprised as to how quickly everyone welcomes them into their home and office, and thanks you for making their life much healthier this year.
What Does It Look Like to Be a Skateboarder?
0918 days
by Brandon
in Promotional Items
If you’re a skateboard company, you know that being “extreme” is your best selling point. Kids who are attracted to skateboarding are totally interested in living on the edge, and testing the limits of the human body. Of course, a lot of this body testing includes getting hurt, and getting hurt means breaking bones. Though you would think that this would be a deterrent to skateboarders, it seems to only attract them more. Through the eyes of a skateboarder, sacrificing your body is the difference between a true boarder and a “poser”.
So how do skateboard companies use this to their advantage? They create a buzz around their product by positioning it as extreme as possible, so that real skateboarders respect that company as one of the leaders of the industry. If you get the endorsement a few serious boarders in each town, everyone else wants gear from your company as well. Then, you have branding gold. How is it done? Check out how Fallout Skateboards does it.
They put out a direct marketing ad in a popular magazine where they knew a ton of kids would be reading it. The page with their ad had a picture of a cast that would go over the wrist. The cast was covered with different skateboarding images and other cool stuff that represents what people would draw on the actual cast of a skateboarder. Now for the cool part – the page of the magazine had a cut-out where people could slide their hand into the cast and “get the feeling” of what it is like to be a true skateboarder. The ad is so successful because it is hip, extreme, and really dials in on what skateboarder see as an important distinction in the sport.
Now of course, Fallout Skateboards is not encouraging kids to go break their wrists so that they can be cool (the ad probably infuriated plenty of parents). The bottom line of the ad is to let people know that if they want to buy a skateboard from an authentic company that really knows what is going on in skateboarding, then Fallout Skateboards is where it’s at.
Promotional Items in the NFL
0926 days
by Brandon
in Promotional Items
Advertising promotions are everywhere you look in today’s day and age. When you drive to work in the morning you might see a billboard for a food establishment or electronic device. Browse the internet and you will see loads of pop-up ads encouraging you to participate in a survey or game. Companies are constantly looking for new ways to establish their brand by engaging their audience and encouraging them to participate in the process.
But what if your target audience was already fully immersed in the venue where your company logo will appear? Then your business doesn’t have to do much work in generating the initial attention they need for an effective promotion. This is what happens with the National Football League, and it’s why companies are ultimately convinced that the NFL provides a great branding opportunity.
Any time you turn on an NFL game, you will notice tons of advertising. There are billboards which line the stadium walls, promotional cups which beverages are poured into, and various giveaways which fans who attend the game might receive. Even the name of every football stadium is sponsored by a different company looking to make their brand a household name.
New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush seen here wearing pink gloves and wristbands to promote the fight against breast cancer
Companies realized long ago that a football stadium is one of the best places in the world for generating exposure: you already have tens of thousands of people congregated in the same place (and millions more watching on television), and all the people are interested and focused on the same thing. All a company has to do to create a successful promotion is to figure out a way to position their brand with football in some way, so that they can piggy-back on the tremendous amount of attention that the NFL generates.
One of the most popular promotional items that you will see at an NFL game is the foam fingers. Fans happen to go crazy for these giveaways which can be worn over the hand and held up in the stadium to show your team pride. The foam fingers usually have the imprint of the company that is distributing them so that everyone can see it when raised. The foam fingers are a great example of capitalizing on the energy and interest at an NFL game. Fans will naturally be encouraged to wave the foam finger because it has the name of their team on it. As this happens, the company logo is also being raised, almost as a way of the fan endorsing the product.
Tune in to an NFL game this Sunday and see just how popular the use of promotional items is in the game. They can be used to promote any business, though you might also see some players using their public attention to promote some important causes. For instance, during breast cancer awareness month all the players wear pink in order to represent the fight against disease. If you see any unique promotions in a football game that are worth mentioning, feel free to post them in the comments section.