Blog entries - March 2012

Office Antics

Lindsay Hixson — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:24:53 +0100

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...

This Week at Sonic Promos 3.27.12

Lindsay Hixson — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:07:22 +0100

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 rece...

Working Around Minimums

Lindsay Hixson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0100

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 pr...

This Week at Sonic Promos 3.20.12

Lindsay Hixson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:24:20 +0100

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 holde...

Coffee Talk

Julianne Weiner — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0100

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...

Branding from a Five-Year-Old's Perspective

Lindsay Hixson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:38:44 +0100

Have you seen this video yet? If not, please take three quick minutes to watch it now. You won't regret it.

I find so many things interesting about this video.

First, it's incredible how accurate she is. Some brands throw her, like Monster- "Those are little... squirgs"- and Boeing- "an outside space", but for the most part she's pretty spot on!

Based on this one child (although a sample size of one would not be permissible by any statistician), we can a...

Branded Kits and Fulfillment Services

Lindsay Hixson — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Ready for another trade show focused post? I bet you are! And if you aren't? Well, I'm going to talk about it anyways.

If you've been reading our blog for a while or have worked with Sonic Promos before, you'll know that we really emphasize practical and meaningful promotional materials. Why?

One of the primary advantages of promotional products over other forms of advertising media is that they hav...

This Week at Sonic Promos 3.13.12

Lindsay Hixson — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0100

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

... pint glasses, golf balls and can koozies to promote Motorola's MOTOACTV product. These items will be distributed in select New York City bars during March Madness.

... screen-printed T-shirts for the Cheshire Crab Restaurant, a first...

Spring Sports Are Around the Corner

Lindsay Hixson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0100

I know I'm not the only one with spring fever.

Mild weather, blossoming trees, outdoor festivals, Cadbury Creme Eggs and softball/Frisbee/kickball leagues are just a few of the things I look forward to this time of year.

Spring sport leagues are extremely popular in the DC metropolitan area. Weekday evenings and weekend afternoons, you'll find the National Mall absolutely mobbed with coworkers and friends ...

SXSW and Trade Show Strategy

Lindsay Hixson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0100

In Austin, March has one focus. And I'm not talking about the Zilker Park Kite Festival.

The city comes alive thanks to a little event called SXSW.

South by Southwest is a company that plans and executes trade shows, conferences and other events. Their current lineup of events includes SXSW Music, SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, SXSWedu and SXSWeco. All except SXSWeco occur in t...

This Week at Sonic Promos 3.6.12

Lindsay Hixson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0100

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

... full color paper cups in celebration of Oreo's 100th anniversary. The cups will be used at parties across the country. What's an Oreo cookie without milk?

... die cut player magnets for AAA to promote their sponsorship of the Ph...

Why It's Important to Meet in Person

Lindsay Hixson — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:57:09 +0100

If you pop over to LinkedIn today, you will probably see an article floating around titled "5 Reasons You Need to Meet in Person" by René Shimada Siegel.

Since I've been working for Sonic remotely from Austin, TX for several months now, this article immediately caught my eye. I spend at least two months out of the year in the Washington Metropolitan area meeting with clients, and René's points remind me why these visits are so critical.