Callard Blog

Friday's Hot Item

2009-05-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

It is slowly warming up and with summer just around the corner flip flops are a classic and essential item for your customer. What better way to brand your business than by giving them what they want. These are a high quality 15mm eva/rubber sole and comfortable natural rubber strap make the Classic flip flop zorrie perfect for weddings and special occasions, travel incentive or trade show give-away. Similar to the Havianas brand flip flops. Made in the USA. For more info on this item just click the pic.

Friday's Hot Product

2009-03-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

This week my Pick is this 17oz Mood Stadium Cup. I personally just got a bunch of these for an event I have coming up and they are great. You can order them in a variety of colors and than when you put Ice Cold liquid in them the cups turn a different color. You can add your logo to this item in Black or White. For more information just click the pic! Have a great weekend!

- Andrea

Skepticism

2009-03-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine the other day felt compelled to tell me that she doesn't favor wearing a logo on her shirt or jacket or whatever. She said that logoed wear just isn't her. At the very moment she said this, she was wearing a white baseball cap that said Duke University. Standing next to her was another woman wearing a fleece top with her company logo proudly displayed on it. Yeah, the first woman said. This is my university and that's her company. Its not just any logo.

Its never just any logo. I wear hats and stuff that tell where Ive been, where I work, and show off the companies and products and services I buy and use: Coca-Cola, Temecula Creek Inn, Petosky, Mich., Comcast cable, Corporate Apparel Magazine, the universities of Denver and Michigan. I happened to be working on the headwear story in this edition of Corporate Apparel Magazine when this conversation took place, so I took the time to count my logoed headwear collection: 27 caps and hats, displaying, with logoes, a virtual tour of my life.

Friends of mine give me hats and apparel from their companies and I always make it a point of wearing one of those items when I know I am going to see them at a game, or a party or community meeting. Its a way of saying I appreciate them, and their endeavors, enough so that I am also willing to tell the rest of the world that I appreciate the endeavor. People will ask me and I am sure they ask you, too stuff like Wheres Petosky?, or Whats IP 5280? Sometimes they will ask me if I am from there or if I work there, but the point is that nearly everyone wears logoed apparel, especially hats, and if they aren't conversation starters which they often are then you can tell that someone checked it out and is asking themselves, Wheres Petosky?; Whats IP 5280? If they are like me, they probably Googled it later out of curiosity.

There is a reason they call these things promotional products they promote. The better the hat, the nicer the apparel, the more beautifully done the decoration, the more the recipient will wear it and the more it promotes.

You all know this, of course. Its your business. The message is that you need to hammer this message to your clients at every opportunity. I recently had this very conversation with a skeptic and I challenged him: Pay attention the next time youre at the supermarket or the hardware store or the airport, and Ill bet you notice more logoed wear than you ever imagined. I saw him a week later after he returned from a business trip and he made a point of saying, Wow. You were right. He asked me where he could get some logoed stuff he wanted hats and logoed business brief cases, things he saw on his travels and I gave him the name of a couple of PPDs here in Denver who could handle everything.

Turning skepticism around leads directly to selling more wearables. We know what we do is valuable, and proving it to customers which is easy will close a sale. Try it.

Energy

2009-02-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Here is some great advise from one of our suppliers, Cliff Quick

"Energy, time management - call it what you will; how wisely do you invest your time? Years ago when I owned my company we began the launch with only five employees, all high qualified, all anxious to make a difference. After about 6 months we were tracking along as any new company, dealing with and having struggles. A couple of the employees came to me, one in particular and said,... 'We are too busy, we are overloaded, we need additional help..."

At the time the company was doing roughly six or seven thousand dollars a month and it was apparent to me that our energies were not focused, so one by one I analyzed what each person was doing through out the course of the day and than set out on a goal to help them manage their time (energies) where it was most needed and most effective.

After the exercise had been completed, my office manager who shouldered the majority of the responsibility for many tasks found that she had nearly three and a quarter hours of 'displaced time' or energies being misdirected. I helped her with scheduling her time in Outlook and she became highly productive. That same team, five people became so effective that when we were really busy, when we were doing 150,000 in sales with the same group they were astonished at what they had accomplished.

We need to review what we are doing and how we are expending our energy on a regular basis. The clients we work with , are they profitable? Do they pay their bills on time? Where do you invest your time and energy?

Re-evaluate regularly - doing so will free up so much time that you'll be amazed"

What do you think about Cliff's advise? I personally think that reevaluating is a good thing and agree with him that it does need to be done regularly. You can always improve and I thin evaluating can help you achieve that. Your thoughts?

Get More!

2009-02-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

What do YOU buy? Do you buy business solutions and marketing ideas, or do you buy pens, mugs and T-shirts? If you answered the latter, then you're also probably ignoring the advice of your professional account executive. We try to never sell based on dollar amounts but to provide you with business solutions and marketing ideas that fit your particular needs and your budget too.

This price issue is a common dilemma that's become even more prevalent in today's economy. In these times, we need to think outside the box and become more creative with how we are utilizing our logod merchandise, maybe ordering a bag that is made out of recycled material vs. plastic so it will have a longer life.

Most promotional product sales companies are not "commodity peddlers". We are solution-providing great value to our clients.

If your current promotional product company is only an order taker, then maybe you should reevaluate who you are using to purchase these products. Callard account executives work hard to make sure our clients are brought creative ideas and we help you to stay within your budget. This is the time for us to prove to you that we can find you equally effective product choices that will come in at or under budget, leaving room for within those tight budgets.

Have you asked your current promotional merchandise company what they're doing to help? Callard is offering lower-priced items, reduced minimums or free rush service to help you come in on budget.

Drop us a line and let us know.

Flying Made Easy

2009-02-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Every time I go to the airport, I'm filled with a sense of dread because I know I will undoubtedly have to remove my laptop from my bag several times in order to get through security. It always seems that the line moves faster than I can remove my bag, coat, laptop, shoes, PDA and any other metal item I might be carrying that day. So I end up scrambling through and than taking equally as long to get myself back together again as I attempt to run to my gate or grab some food before my flight.

Well, TSA has just made things a little easier for folks like me. Now there are approved bags which allow you to not have to remove your laptop from your bag prior to putting it through the X-Ray machine. Find out more about the requirements at TSA's website or contact your Callard rep to order one.

Let me know what you think and how this will help you in your travels!

Friday's Hot Item

2009-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately it is still winter time and that always seems to bring a barrage of car trouble. Always be prepared with this 27-piece Roadside Tool Set, this set includes hard Carrying Case contains booster cable, nine sockets, slip joint pliers, two screwdrivers, electrical tape, tire gauge, spinner handle, four fuses, six connectors and one pair of cotton gloves. Click on the pic to order or for more information!

A Delicate Balance

2009-02-05T12:46:00.001-08:00

There are two reasons to go green: it’s the right and responsible thing to do and it can gain the good graces of customers and prospects. Businesses know this, and conventional wisdom has long told them that it’s smart to share their green initiatives with clients to help generate goodwill. But do companies marketing their eco-friendly practices risk appearing sanctimonious?

An article for BrandWeek suggests that “do-goodism can quickly be interpreted as smugness” that wears on consumers much the same as Angelina Jolie’s “Mother Teresa bit”— their words, not mine. The article goes on to say: “Much as I share the goals of the green movement, I bristle when marketers tell me how to act.”

I’m not sure I agree entirely, but it is an interesting point to ponder. Do organizations that tout their eco-friendliness end up sounding as if they think they’re martyrs? This article suggests that not only do companies end up looking silly but that they ultimately hurt the green movement as people perceive it to be nothing more than a gimmick or a façade. The article concludes this: “I'd suggest that the best thing brands can do — if they really care about the environment — is to shut up about it. By all means, reduce your carbon footprint, but don't publicize your nobility. And if it's the case that you're not green, don't pretend you are.”

If you think that’s brisk, you should read what it says about Angelina Jolie.

Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts.

Promo Power

2009-02-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

It seems that no matter where you are in the United States today we are all feeling the pinch of a tough economy. Every business is trying to build business and a great way to do that is through promotional products.I came across an interesting article the other day and I thought I'd share some it with you guys:

Here are 10 compelling reasons to include them in your marketing mix..

In a tough economy like this one, marketers want to make sure every dollar spent is going to give them the right return on their investment. One fail-safe strategy: Up your use of promotional products in every marketing campaign you do. According to a brand new study from the Advertising Specialty Institute (the company that publishes Successful Promotions), promotional products beat nearly all other types of advertising media, including TV, print and radio, in terms of Cost Per Impression (CPI). The Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, which includes interviews with more than 600 businesspeople who had received promotional products, also revealed that a whopping 84% of recipients of promotional products remember the advertiser on the product they receive. Want more ammunition to convince your boss or client that promotional products work? Here are 10 compelling pieces of evidence from the survey.

1. Businesspeople Remember the Advertisers of the Items They Received
2. 42% of Businesspeople Have a More Favorable Impression of an Advertiser After Receiving the Item
3. Most Businesspeople Have Done Business With the Advertiser After Receiving the Item
4. Promotional Products Have Staying Power
5. Businesspeople Keep Items That Are Useful
6. Logoed Bags Are Frequently Used
7. Many Promotional Products Are Used Daily
8. Promotional Products Deliver Significant Numbers of Impressions
9. The Cost-Per-Impression of Promotional Products is a Fraction of a Cent If your marketing dollars are tight right now.
10. Promotional Products Deliver a More Favorable Cost Per Impression Than Virtually Any Other Media.

What are your thoughts on this article, I'd love to hear your opinions!

Friday 's Hot Item

2009-01-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

This may look like just an ordinary pen, but this pen works as a versatile tool for any place in your life. Other than the obvious writing utensil aspect this pen is also a flash drive with 256MB of storing power. A quick twist of the tip reveals a quality ink pen, Unscrew the barrel and the flash memory is ready to store and transport your PC or Mac files. To find out more just click the pic!

Climbing Freight!

2009-01-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise to anyone that the cost of freight just keeps rising but, UPS has announced its new, increased 2009 rates. The average increase for UPS Ground packages will be 6 percent. Air express and U.S.-origin international shipments will go up an average of 5 percent. For more information, see ups.com/rates. UPS's price changes follows a recent similar move by FedEx. FedEx Express rates will increase 7 percent in January. DHL hasn't yet published its 2009 rates. How is this affecting you? Do you see it decreasing anytime soon?

What's HOT this year?

2008-12-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

We're looking for something different than a company pen or a squishy-ball.
Can you recommend something that would make people say, "Wow, that's cool!"

--Jan