Another staff interview for you this morning! Debbie's up to bat today.

You may not know Debbie personally, but if you've done any work with Sonic in the last decade, I guarantee you've seen her name. Debbie Bostin is Sonic's head Customer Service Manager/Production Manager, and we'd be lost without her. Your orders would likely be lost too... literally.

So, next time you receive an order acknowledgment or a tracking number from her, shoot her an email back to let her know she's THE BEST (inside joke- you'll see below).

Meet Debbie:

How long have you been working at Sonic Promos?
Nine years, but it seems like just yesterday that I started...

What role(s) do you play here?
I'm Sonic's head Customer Service Manager. Basically, that means I make sure all orders get done correctly. I handle every step that occurs between sending in the purchase order and sending the client their tracking number.

Best part of the job?
Well- I must tell the truth on this- I work from home. I have to say, that's the biggest perk to the job. I also enjoy that I get to talk and interact with all sorts of people throughout the day, and I really love making sure every project gets done perfectly.

Worst part of the job?
Hmm, this is tough. I think the worst part of the job is dealing with UPS and FedEx. Sadly, they cause me tons of grief. I would really love to explain to every client that I have zero control once an order goes out for delivery. I try to intervene, I really do, but once a shipment is on the truck, there never seems to be anything they can do. They should really hire me- I truly think I could fix them and get packages where they need to go- but that's a conversation for another day.

What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
My favorite kind of project to work on is one in which the item is created overseas. Those projects are typically really big in size with intricate design. It takes a lot of work to make sure everything goes smoothly- organizing pre-production samples and reviewing detail after detail. It's really exciting to oversee the process from start to finish, especially getting to see the final result.

What do your coworkers love to tease you about?
Oh my, the list is endless. My age (I'm the oldest employee at Sonic), that I yell at everyone, that I type in all caps, that I repeat myself all the time, that I think everything is the BEST, that I love Fridays, and so much more.

Keep reading for more staff interviews in the coming weeks. In case you missed it-
Meet Rahmie
Meet Jen
Meet Mallory
Meet Lindsay
Meet Jamie
Meet Seth
Meet Julianne
Meet Caitlin
Meet Josh
Meet Courtney
Meet Tarika

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Rahmie last week! Today, I introduce you to Jen Keffer. Jen wears a ton of hats at Sonic (as you'll see below), so she has definitely had her hand in your projects whether you knew it or not. We're super grateful to have her!

Meet Jen:

How long have you been working at Sonic Promos?
I've been with Sonic for just over a year.

What role(s) do you play here?
According to my business cards, I am the Operations & Logistics Guru here at Sonic. I create and manage our clients' online company stores, and I handle fulfillment projects, including our clients' holiday/gift wrapping needs. I'm also in charge of logistics and shipping, and I'm Debbie's second-in-command when it comes to CSR duties. I also wear the hats of Special Events Coordinator (I plan all of the fun office parties!) and Office Supplies Manager (I order all our office supplies and the ever-important caffeine). Basically, if it's thrown to me, I make it happen!

Best part of the job?
Handling fulfillment projects for the team. They are crazy sometimes, but I really enjoy doing them- the planning and logistics, even jumping in to help pack or haul boxes to the UPS truck. I've enjoyed taking on this role here at Sonic. Also, the ability to work from home is wonderful. I'm not from this area, and most of my family is back home in Texas. It's great to be able to leave for a week or two, spend time with the family, and still get my job done.

Worst part of the job?
The commute. I don't live very close to the office and there are days when traffic on the Beltway is a nightmare. Thank goodness for my awesome carpool schedule with Mallory!

What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
Anything that gets me away from my desk and involves me running around. It's part of the reason I enjoy handling fulfillment projects so much. I'm not much of a desk person.

What do your coworkers love to tease you about?
Not wearing shoes in the office, being a klutz (I'm always walking into walls and tripping over things), and being strongly anti-artificial sweeteners (I hate when my coworkers ask me to buy Splenda or Sweet 'N Low- that stuff will kill you!).

As a kid, I never understood the adage "less is more". That's probably because when we're young, we think everything is pretty great. And a greater amount of great things can only be... greater.

Two bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal was better than one. A full hour of recess was more exciting than 15 minutes. And a marathon of Saturday morning cartoons was far superior to a single episode.

As we age, we grow wiser (well, most of us do... maybe not Charlie Sheen), and we learn to appreciate the value of "less". Less traffic during rush hour, fewer bills cluttering our coffee tables, less belly fat, less stress... all good things.

Are you familiar with the "jam experiment"? It's a classic psychology study involving jars of jam; I think its findings clearly support the notion that "less is more".

The "jam experiment" was conducted by Sheena Iyengar, a researcher for Stanford University at the time of the study. Iyengar sought to understand how people make choices, and she looked to the grocery store as a prime location for observation. Her research assistants posed as jam suppliers, setting up tables for sampling.

(source)

In one version of the experiment, the sampling table offered six flavors for tasting: kiwi, marmalade, peach, black cherry, red currant and lemon curd. In another condition, twenty-four jam flavors were set out. In both versions, customers were encouraged to sample flavors and were given a coupon to buy a jar at discount.

Can you guess what happened?

The twenty-four flavor table attracted the most attention, but it actually reported smaller sales than the six-flavor table. Only 3% of shoppers who visited the twenty-four flavor table proceeded to buy jam. Compare that to the six flavor table: 30% of visitors left with a jar in hand.

The study concluded that twenty-four was an overwhelming number of flavors for shoppers. Unable to make a decision, tasters gave up and left empty-handed.

This study teaches us that it's good to have options, but too many options can be a bad thing. In promotional products, where the set of options for a particular product category can easily reach six or seven digits, we really understand and appreciate the value of "less". In fact, limiting choices for our clients is arguably one of the greatest services we provide.

You'll notice that the number of products featured on our Signature Collection website typically hovers around 2,000. The selection is updated on a daily basis to reflect popular trends, but the overall volume of choices stays consistent. 2,000 is still a big number, but when you compare it to the millions of products to which we have access, it's not so daunting. Think of it as our version of the six flavor table.

Relying on our knowledge of popular trends, supplier capabilities, and product quality, we aim to guide our clients to sound product decisions, as painlessly as possible. In general, we define a painless process as one without an overwhelming sea of choice. Should you be a twenty-four flavor sort of person, though, just let us know. We're happy to oblige!

What are your thoughts on the "jam experiment"? Are you the kind of person who likes a lot of options? Or do you prefer a smaller consideration set?

Where will you be on April 22nd? Helping your neighbors? Beautifying the community? Making a difference?

More than 10,000 Jewish teens around the world will be!

J-Serve, the International Day of Jewish Youth Service is scheduled for April 22nd this year.* Taken from the J-Serve website- "J-Serve provides teens with the opportunity to fulfill the Jewish values of gemilut chasidim, acts of loving kindness, tzedakah, just and charitable giving, and tikkum olam, the responsibility to repair the world. Across the globe, teens will join each other to make their community and the world a better place."

For several years now, Sonic Promos has been proud to be involved with this great event. Starting in 2008, Sonic took on the job of designing an event T-shirt and organizing a national order to unite community projects around the country. 

Each year, all shirts share the same front design...

... and information about national sponsors on the back.

Communities have the option to customize the shirt's upper and lower back with their city name(s) and local sponsors.











There are several advantages to group purchase programs-

1. High total quantity and a great price for all: As is true with all promotional products, the higher the quantity of items, the lower the piece price. Some parties might need a large order of 400 pieces while others require just 50. By grouping everyone together, they all benefit from a lower price. 

2. Branding consistency: Printing all materials in one location ensures that there will be no inconsistencies in artwork. Avoid color variations, size discrepancies, proportion distortions and other errors by centralizing production.

3. Centralized invoicing and customer service: This feature of group purchasing is especially advantageous when a central finance department foots the bill for purchases made by multiple branch offices. Would you rather receive invoices from 12 different suppliers in 12 different cities or a single invoice from a single vendor? Easy decision.

If your organization could benefit from group purchasing, contact us at info@sonicpromos.com to organize a program.

*Several communities conduct their community service activities on alternate dates.

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.