Second Helping Episode 9: Variety is the Spice of Life
In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth opens some viewer mail and confirms that he does cook the assorted food items he prepares during G’rilla Marketing videos: the chicken brining in the pickle jar? Seth demonstrates how to transform the brined chicken into three different cuts and methods of serving it. Rather than only serve one type of chicken, Seth grills chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, and chicken filets. They are all pickle-brined chicken. However, they each provide a different variety and an opportunity for everyone to choose their favorite. How can we apply this concept to tradeshows? If the goal is to increase brand awareness by using giveaways with a logo on them, then it would seem a large amount of the same t-shirt would meet that need. This technique provides the tradeshow attendee with the experience of walking up to your table, taking a t-shirt, putting it in their bag, and walking away. There is not much opportunity for independent thought involved. If you give attendees options however, they are empowered to make their own decisions and the items gain more significance to them. The items are elevated from the same ones everyone else got to the items they chose themselves. If my logo is on the item, does it matter if I offer more than one type of item? The answer is yes, if you want to increase the amount of people that will wear your item after leaving your booth. Even if there is no obvious reason behind offering a green T-shirt and an almost identical shade of green T-shirt, it is beneficial to “introduce more elements of choice – even if it feels trivial.” If half of the attendees love T-shirts, and half of them love hats, which item do you want at your booth? Go with the pickle brine. Talk to Sonic Promos. Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!
What’s a Promo Product Expo Like?
Written by Lisa Sanders Imagine pinning all your week’s plans on boarding a Southwest flight right after the holidays when 11,000 flights were canceled. It was a gamble, sure, but we were headed to Las Vegas, so it felt on theme. Jay and I were on our way to the annual Promotional Products Expo! One (thankfully) smooth flight and a taxi ride later we were taking it all in from the MGM Mandalay Bay. It was only 7 PM, but I was ready to check-in and pass out! At 6:00 AM on the dot the next morning, I was in line at the coffee shop that would become my second home for the week. Coffee acquired, I headed back up to properly re-start this month-of-a-day and plan out my education track! Around 8 AM, Jay and I snagged our badges and another round of coffee, and we were off to the races to find a seat at the Kickoff Keynotes. The first speaker was former NASA engineer, Maureen Zappala, who spoke on imposter syndrome and how to combat it. The second speaker was Dr. James Pogue, who spoke on engagingly on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Both were highly engaging and talented speakers who left me with a sense of purpose for my day and burgeoning pride in my new industry. Whilst we were sitting in ballrooms all day Monday, the vendors were busily setting up their wares – and set. up. they. did. The Mandalay Bay convention center was packed edge to edge with supplier tents and tables, Jay and I looked at each other with determination and set to work! “Listen, you can’t talk to everyone. There just isn’t time. We have to come up with a strategy of attack and stick to it. We must make it to aisle 3,000 by the end of today or we have no hope of finishing tomorrow.” -Jay, the grizzled veteran to Lisa, the industry ingénue. I had no idea just how right this advice would turn out to be. There were sellers of bags, apparel, pins, hats, and more! I was drawn like a moth to the light, chatting with new and known vendors alike, networking and learning about products new to me. A favorite unexpected treat was all the demonstrations of decoration methods and the on-the-spot spec samples that were being created while we watched. Laser engraving, pad printing, screen printing, and debossing. It is one thing to read about these methods, but a different experience entirely to take part. By the end of the day, we had talked, we had power walked, we had skipped lunch, and we still had to quit 500 booths before our goal. On day two, I knew my mission: Eat all the samples. Wait…no, that’s not what Jay told me to do, but that’s what I did. Highlight of the day was The Dirty Cookie Company’s cookie shotglass with coconut coffee. Magnifique! The real mission of the day was: Talk fast, look faster, and keep it moving. We made great time working our way through the larger booths quickly and soon found ourselves in the new product pavilion. I treated it as a bit of a scavenger hunt. Did I spot that item on the show floor at its booth? Could I name the vendor without reading the sign? For the most part, I had already documented the new and noteworthy items. We closed out the day with a steak sample from Meats by Linz and headed to our rooms to get ready for the Knoss Experience later that afternoon. It wasn’t all work and no play – I tagged along with Jay to a Promo Kitchen mixer at the House of Blues where I met some interesting people and photobombed as much as possible. The Outliers Ball at RiRa Irish Pub where I got to put some faces to emails. We even got a sneak preview of Knoss’ new line at their suite event with EMT, who showered us in Promo AF swag. Talking apparel and learning about their design process made my fashion designer heart go pitter patter, I can’t wait to see what they launch in the spring! The PPAI Expo was a lot but in all the right ways. I learned so much about the industry. I networked and met so many people. In our increasingly virtual experience, it’s crucial to find ways to make those human connections. I saw and touched so many products! I came away with creative inspiration and the motivation to find the right client for the really amazing items I saw. I also came away with a new friendship and heightened appreciation for his depth of knowledge: thank you Jay for mentoring me along this week and not letting me get lost! We’re featuring items that Lisa and Jay saw at the Promo Expo all week! Follow us on our social media pages to see more: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook
Sonic Promos Community Spotlight: Save a Child’s Heart
Sonic Promos Community Spotlight: Save a Child’s Heart Save a Child’s Heart began in 1995 in response to a gap in cardiac care for children. The founder, Dr. Ari Cohen, was contacted by a mutual friend from Ethiopia who had two children in his care that desperately needed surgery for their heart conditions. Dr. Cohen flew the children to Israel, got them the surgery they needed, and let them stay in his home while they recovered. Since then, Save a Child’s Heart has grown to an international organization that helps save children’s lives every single day. They do not discriminate on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or financial status. While they fly children from around the world into their hospital for care, they also send volunteers out to train local doctors on diagnosing and treating children with cardiac conditions. Recently, Save a Child’s Heart held their second fundraising gala in Washington, DC. They worked with Carmi from Sonic Promos to provide a giveaway to event attendees. A coaster was selected since it featured a large area that could be printed in full color and would be set on tables or desks—gaining more impressions over time. The photo on the coaster shows three children who we recipients of heart surgery. It was given to attendees as they left the event and will serve as a constant reminder of the work that Save a Child’s Heart does. If you want to find out more about Save a Child’s Heart, you can connect with them online: https://saveachildsheart.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saveachildsheart/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveChildsHeart Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saveachildsheart/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/saveachildsheart1
Press Release: Sonic Promos’ Kaitlyn Rygula Wins Industry “Up-and-Comer of the Year”
For Immediate Release April 6, 2022 Sonic Promos’ Kaitlyn Rygula Wins Industry “Up-and-Comer of the Year” Gaithersburg, MD— April 6, 2022 — The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) named Sonic Promos’ Brand Manager Kaitlyn Rygula as Up-and Comer of the Year for 2022. The list of winners has been released online and awards will be sent to winners of each category. Kaitlyn Rygula graduated from Hofstra University in 2017 and joined Sonic Promos in 2019. She never imagined herself in sales but after being hired as an assistant to Sonic Promos CEO Seth Weiner, she began building her own book of business. She uses a methodical approach to prospecting that involves heavy online research and targeted email blasts. Once she’s made a connection, her strategy is simple: Get to know clients and find out what’s going on in their lives. She notes down birthdays and asks after children and pets. But she also goes deeper, figuring out the best ways to communicate with each of her clients. Rygula’s favorite project to date was a fanny pack she helped create for Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist in California. Greenberg was launching a new line, and to promote it, she wanted 500 custom fanny packs in her brand colors to send to celebrity clients. Sonic Promos worked with Greenberg’s team for about a month, getting the design placement just right and ordering preproduction samples to ensure everything was perfect. The day of the launch, stars like Chelsea Handler posted Instagram pics featuring the fanny pack Rygula had helped usher into being. “It was just really cool seeing it in the real world,” she says. The Advertising Specialty Institute is largest industry membership organization for promotional products professionals. The ASI Awrads are highly regarded by all members and the process is competitive. It announces awards in multiple categories every year for both distributors and vendor partners. Awardees go on to have distinguished careers in the industry. In response to winning the award, Rygula says, “I am so humbled to have received this award. It feels so awesome to be recognized, and it is validating that hard work does pay off.” She is on track to surpass her sales from 2021, continuing her trajectory of remarkable growth at Sonic Promos. Sonic Promos was founded in 1997 and is an award-winning branded product agency based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. ### The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. For more information, press only: Mallory Scott mallory@sonicpromos.com For more information on Kaitlyn Rygula: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-hannon/ kaitlyn@sonicpromos.com For more information on Sonic Promos: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonic-promos https://www.sonicpromos.com 301.869.7800