This post may sound a bit overly promotional, but at MarkaBull we truly pride ourselves in offering the highest quality products at the best prices.  This is why we are creating reMarkaBull Mondays!

On the 2nd Monday of each month we will announce a new reMarkaBull Monday deal.  These products will be offered at a special promotional savings for the remainder of the month.

The easiest way to hear about our reMarkaBull Monday sale is to sign up for our email list; don’t worry, we hate spam and would never sell our lists!  Simply fill out the yellow form to the left to be added.  See below for the current sale…

After a long hiatus, the Emmy winning Mad Men drama  is finally returning.  Don Draper wouldn’t advertise in a boring, forgettable way; so why should you?  Here are a few quick tips to make your advertising unforgettable; alcohol and cigarettes (fun fact: The former Lucky Strike plant is minutes from us in downtown Durham) not necessary.

Image Copyright of AMC

Be Bold

Blending in with everyone else makes your company mediocre.  Advertising and marketing is about making people pay attention and take action.  Joan Harris is an office manager throughout the Mad Men series, but her bold attitude makes others act.  Bold advertising may often offend some of your client base, but remember that slightly offending customers is better than being completely ignored.  In fact, the customers that are the most offended may be the one’s that are extremely profitable.  I would be willing to bet money that people offended by Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh are some of their biggest listeners.

100% Authentic Tervis Tumblers

Advertise Authentically

One of the reasons Mad Men is so popular is because of its historical authenticity.  Even though I was not even alive at the time, the show makes it easy for me to imagine what it was like to be there.  Instead of filling your mailers with buzz words and business jargon, try using a bit of personality.  Companies today must be wary of social media and how quickly consumers will call you out for wearing a false face.  Try using name brand promotional products (such as Tervis Tumblers) instead of cheap knock offs to impress customers.  Perceived authenticity and value can give customers a favorable impression of your company.

Guardian Promotional Tablet Sleeves

Evolve

Throughout the Mad Men series you get a true sense that time is passing.  The characters capitalize on social changes by altering the way they advertise.  10 years ago advertising on tablet sleeves would be unheard of.  Now, it is a great way to get in front of tech conscious customers.  Think about how your current clients have changed and adapt your advertising to suit them.  At MarkaBull we do our best to keep up with promotional product trends.  If you cannot think of any fresh ideas, try contacting us for the new ideas.

Image copyright of AMC

Be Strategic

DO NOT DUMP MONEY INTO PROMOTIONS WITHOUT A PLAN!  I hate to shout in all caps, but spending money on advertising without a plan is foolish.  Set goals and figure out how to best reach those goals.  For example,  if your goal is to attract more visitors to your website, make sure that your URL (or a QR code) is located on the marketing piece.  After the promotion is given out make sure to check how your traffic changes in response to the promotion.  Analytical tools such as Google Analytics and KISSmetrics will give you the information that you need.  The Sterling Cooper team always have a plan when launching a campaign and so should you.

Recently I have run into many clients not knowing what their PMS colors are, or they do not have them at all.  PMS (or Pantone…or spot) colors are simply colors that use numbering based on the Pantone system.  If you have ever been to a home improvement store you have probably walked by a large wall of swatches with different colors.  The Pantone system is basically the same thing and it allows you to always get the exact shade of the color you want by choosing a number to your taste.  When choosing a color, you need to be aware of your audience and what the colors will mean to them.  To choose PMS colors for your companies logo (or whatever other project) you will need a PMS swatch-book and Adobe Illustrator.

Our Logo In All Black

Design The Logo To Look Good In Black and White

The first step to using PMS colors to brand your company is to design a logo that will look good in black and white.  This is important because at times print processes may not allow for multiple color imprinting.  If your logo looks good in black and white, generally it will look good on anything.  This is a best practice, but many logo designers tend to break this rule of thumb (especially trendy web 2.0 logo designs with gradients and varying levels of opacity).

Spring is right around the corner, so it is time to think about spring break promotional ideas.  Targeting students can be great for your brand because they are often conspicuous consumers.  Here are a few great spring break promo ideas.

Board Towels

Instead of a normal beach towel, try using board towels to bring a unique promotion to the beach.  Board towels come in a variety of sizes and have a large imprint area for maximum brand visibility.  These are perfect for incentive trips, college promotions, web surfing themes, or even ‘board’ meetings.

I just landed back in Durham after taking a trip to an industry tradeshow in Orlando.  There were way too many cool products to name them all, but here are 5 unique promotional product ideas for 2012 that will make your advertising a bit different this year.

Custom Energy Drinks

Custom Energy Drinks

Boost your sales and put some adrenaline in your marketing with these custom energy drinks.  They are 8.4 ounces, slightly carbonated, and come in a slim aluminum can.  These energy drinks are USA made, FDA approved, and come wrapped in full-color process labels.

MarkaBull hopes that everyone had a great holiday and Happy New Year!  Many people set resolutions for the new year; with many of those being  getting in shape.  Here are a few gym hacks to help you out along the way.  I have also included examples of fitness promotional items to help gym market themselves and motivate members.  These are also great ideas for companies looking to promote health to employees.

Promotional Duffel Bag

Hack #1 – Use Your Free Personal Training Session

Most gyms offer at least 1 free personal training session each year with a membership.  If you are new to the gym this is a great time to ask questions and become familiar with the equipment.  Learning to use the machines and weights the right way can help make your workout more effective and help prevent injury.  A personal trainer will also be able to guide you through specific exercises to help you reach your goals.  Gyms can promote personal training sessions by giving members branded freebies such as duffel bags.

Fun advertising makes your customers let their guard down and engage with your brand more.   Making customers laugh can be quite an effective way to market a business.  Reaching your target market with entertaining ads is also great for your social media presence.  Fun promotional items can potentially go viral and build your brand.  Here are a few ways to make your promotional marketing fun:

Goofy Pen

Use Silly Items

Let the item itself be the creative and fun part of the promotion.  Your company does not have to be the most interesting to have a fun item.  For example, the pens above would work well for medical facilities, apartments, or even construction companies.

Flat promotional products are a great way to add a bit of flair and excitement to a bulky direct mail marketing piece.  It is becoming easier and easier for consumers to forget your marketing message as information overload bombards them daily.  The average person sees hundred to thousands of advertisements everyday, so sending consumers a piece that is creative and has staying power definitely helps.  Here are a few great flat promotional products that can be easily mailed:

Custom Mouse Pads

Custom Mouse Pads

Custom mouse pads are a great options because they are fairly inexpensive, useful, and take prime placement on your customers desk.  Mouse pads with logos on them can even be unique with options such as soft materials and custom rubber options.  Mouse pads are a classic and are great for technology, hospitality, and service based industries.

Corporate gifts are some of the best items to use to improve you business.  Here are 5 quick reasons why:

1. Recruit New Employees

Although hiring is down, many companies are still searching for top talent.  Top talent can often be difficult to obtain with competitors looking to hire the same employees.  Sending timely corporate gifts such as cookie baskets, gym bags, and flash drives may attract talent to your company.  Showing that your company cares may sway disgruntled employees to your company as well.

Promotional Cookies