We run an internship program at Sonic through a local high school. Each semester, two or three students join our team and assist with project research, fulfillment and other administrative tasks. 

We love our interns. Seriously, we do. They help us stay up to date on high school slang and provide hours of entertainment. Their latest game was so cute, we felt compelled to share it with you.

Mary and Mike, or Kid Mike, as he prefers to be called, have never met in person (they alternate days at Sonic), but that doesn't keep them from messing with one another. Mary has been with us for several months now, and clearly, seniority is just as important among interns as it can be among full-time employees.

Mary's note reads: "Dear Kid Mike, don't touch my background. I have seniority rights. Thank you! Mary".
Point taken?

Hah! It only gets better...





Two things I've learned from this little intern war:

1. Our interns are internet savvy and know their memes. 

2. Clearly, we need to give them more work to do.

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...



... mugs, hats, sunglasses and tote bags for Texas Instruments in celebration of the 20 year anniversary of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Thursday April 26th. The holiday, originally created to encourage healthy work, life, family and community balance, is always the fourth Thursday in April. All participating children will receive a gift bag containing these items.



...  custom engraved rocks for Resort Entertainment & Technologies to give out at the 2012 NIGA Conference in April.  

... and café umbrellas for Shop Kentlands Deals to be placed around the Kentlands community in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.

Do you remember learning about fixed costs and variable costs in high school economics? Fixed Costs (FC) + Variable Costs (VC) = Total Cost (TC)

In short, the total cost of a project is comprised of fixed costs that are independent of output and variable costs that vary with output. 

Why the lesson in economics? The reason I bring this up is to help explain certain aspects of promotional products that people sometimes find unfavorable. Chiefly, order minimums and set up charges.

We often have clients request a small number of an item, only to be discouraged by a large minimum. Minimums are in place to protect the manufacturer's profitability. If they incur X amount of start up costs to burn a screen or create a die, set up the machine and prepare the order, they have to recoup that cost in some way, or it makes no sense for them to take on the project.

Does that mean you have to scrap the idea when you had your heart set on branded reusable bags for a 50 person event? Absolutely not.

It might just mean you have to think creatively and use the same item on multiple occasions.

Here's a creative example from client Victory Fund. At a brunch event in San Diego, they used branded Flexi Vases to hold flowers as a centerpiece for each table. Flexi Vases are an inexpensive item, so you can't just run 25 of them for each of your 25 tables. No, a larger order was placed, and the extras were either stored for future brunches or gifted to guests. 

Another good example is paper napkins. Instead of ordering the minimum for a small event, think ahead to your needs throughout the year. Place one large order at the start of the year, and reduce your inventory through events, cocktail hours, and breakfast or lunch sales meetings with clients. 

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...



... custom hangover survival kits for CapRelo, to be distributed at trade shows and used in other marketing programs. Check out this post for other custom kit ideas. The pens and journals will accompany RFPs.



... branded bag holders for BSKB.  



... and 4-in-1 pens for BSKB. A level, ruler, ballpoint and screwdriver all in one!

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.

Working in marketing, you might think that one becomes numb to the obvious attempts by corporations to sway personal opinions. 

I believe the opposite is true- I love my work specifically because I enjoy getting swept away by a campaign whose creativity, pragmatic smarts or campy appeal overwhelms my skepticism and earns my respect.

Last week I hit the coffee aisle at my local Giant. I generally spend as little restocking the Keurig as I can- ordering in bulk, applying a 20% off coupon at the Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I was ready to pay full price for some caffeinated refreshment. Then I saw this.

Perfect. Deep down inside I had no delusions that this coffee would actually lift the fog, per se, but the name so accurately described what I wanted from my roasted beans that I made the purchase feeling hopeful and guilt free. 

The same mentality applies when I walk into work and brew one of these puppies.

Oh yeah- that's some Jet Fuel in our office machine, ready to launch my day!

Now, the case may be that "a rose by any other name" would smell pretty sweet, or, in this scenario, coffee-licious. But sometimes telling people straight out that you know what they want and that you can deliver what it is, might be just enough to garner an initial buy in. 

Your product or service still has to prove itself, and the burden-of-proof bar is definitely higher when the claim is super blatant. But, if the consumer (or client) finds that your word is good, then the next time they see an over-the-top claim from you (offering a new product, proposing a unique solution, or exploring a different direction), they will be open to the idea that engagement with you begins with an assumption of trust and credibility.