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This One Time... at Brand Camp

Come for creative product campaign ideas and branding advice. Stick around for obscure movie references.

Print This, Not That: Name Tags

We're big fans of the Never Stop Marketing blog at Sonic. Last week it was Jeremy's observations of paper coffee cups that caught our attention. This week it's name tags.

On any given day, think about the number of name tags you encounter. The teller at the bank... what was his name? The cashier at the grocery store... it was Susan, I think? My server at Sweetwater Tavern... I have not the faintest clue. But the Roast Chicken Salad was really good.

Jeremy had no trouble remembering Betty, the Westin employee that he met in Beijing. Now, why was that? Because Betty's name tag had a little something extra. Beneath her name, the text- "My Passion: Singing"- was inscribed, and it acted as a conversation starter between her and Jeremy.

Westin's name tags teach us that a little creativity can really amplify the impact of your branded items. If you're going to invest in name tags for your employees, make them work for you.

on Oct 31, 2011 Posted by: Lindsay Hixson

Tagged in: Print This, Not That

The Life of a Promotional Product

You've heard me say it on this blog many times before... the primary advantage of a promotional product is its shelf life.

Other forms of advertising, like radio, billboards and TV, only offer you a matter of seconds in which to get your point across. When was the last time you made a stellar first impression in 30 seconds?

Promotional products, on the other hand, offer multiple opportunities to connect with your consumer. How many opportunities? Well, that really depends on the kind of item being used. A disposable coffee cup or an imprinted butter mint wrapper might only be in your target's hands for a matter of minutes.

Other products, like a T-shirt, travel mug or calendar, can buy you a year or even a decade of marketing potential.

A decade?

Oh, yes! Allow me to introduce you to the T-shirt quilt.

Have you seen these before? A friend introduced me to this concept a few years ago, and I stored the idea away in the recesses of my brain. Recently, while cramming yet another shirt into my already over-stuffed T-shirt drawer, I decided it was time to clean house and part with my beloved collection.

It surprised me to discover that there is an entire category of internet companies out there who will accept your old T-shirts and recycle them into a fabulous quilt or blanket. If that many companies are in business, there must be a large demand. Glad to know I'm not the only one who saves her old camp and race tees.

I received the completed quilt yesterday, and I can't stop looking at it. I'm elated with my purchase. I know that I'll treasure it for years to come.

So, what does this teach us about promotional marketing? It tells us that a T-shirt is sometimes much more than an article of clothing. That a brand is sometimes much more than a graphic design. Done correctly, promotional products can be memories.

When I look at my quilt, I don't just see a collage of event logos and corporate brands, I see myself singing and dancing in the rain with the Stones as a college freshman. I see my aunt and me walking arm-in-arm across the Avon 2-Day Breast Cancer Walk finish line. And I see myself frantically corralling unruly campers during a summer spent as a counselor with the Girl Scouts of Northen California.

Sure, I would have those memories with or without a T-shirt, but there's something special about being able to touch, smell, and feel those snapshots in time.

Even if I'm only able to use my blanket for a few more years, these brands have my support for life.

on Oct 26, 2011 Posted by: Lindsay Hixson

Tagged in: Stuff We Love, Promotional Products, Branding

This Week at Sonic Promos 10.25.11

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

... branded iPhone and Droid chargers and full color mouse pads for Latisys, sponsors of the Technology Station at an upcoming trade show.

... sweatshirts for BBYO decorated with fraternity/sorority style appliqué.

... and etched carabineer flashlights for JK Moving Services as part of a safety program.

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

on Oct 25, 2011 Posted by: Lindsay Hixson

Tagged in: This Week at Sonic Promos

Every Touchpoint Matters

Last week, Jeremy Epstein from the Never Stop Marketing blog posted about a cheerful tagline on a paper coffee cup from Alaska Airlines. His positive experience reminds us that even the smallest marketing effort can have a lasting impact.

The fact that I took a picture of this coffee cup from Alaska Airlines and am sharing it on the blog is the real reason that every touchpoint matters.

It's because ANY touchpoint can be amplified (for better or for worse) by anyone with whom you come in contact.

There's a flattening of marketing impact.

It used to be that the BIG stuff got amplified because it was expensive and garnered "press" attention.

Now, everybody is the press so anything can be amplified.

I just amplified the impact of a cute little slogan on a coffee cup.

So, every and any moment we have where we have the attention of our community is an opportunity we shouldn't pass by.

And it's an opportunity to reinforce your story at the same time... which Alaska Airlines did very nicely, btw.

Jeremy's last line- "and it's an opportunity to reinforce your story at the same time..."- brings me to another point. If the imprint area will allow, make sure to include a tagline on each and every branded item.
One of the biggest advantages to promotional products as a form of advertising (compared to radio, TV, print media, etc) is the length of time a person holds onto an imprinted item. You have more than a few seconds to make a connection, so make sure your message is one that will resonate with the customer. Had Alaska Airlines only printed their logo on the cup, they would have missed the opportunity to connect with Jeremy mid-flight.