One area that has made huge strides forward in the promotional merchandise industry is that of promotional clothing. With huge choice on the high street and numerous brands competing for our retail spend, branded and corporate wear has needed to keep up with styles and appeal that will be well received when given.

As designs have evolved along with trends, the transfer through to the promotional side is becoming quicker all the time, allowing clients to take advantage of what people are wearing and buying, brand items up with their corporate identity and use these as budget giveaway items for the mass market, or as high end, value added gifts for top corporate clients.

Historically the choice would be limited and the white T’shirt would have been a common branded giveaway item.  There would have been limited choice of polo shirts, the odd fleece and a jacket or two.

Large manufacturers have the product lines available and the wholesale side allows a consistent volume supply with decent pricing to achieve an end product to fit whatever budget the client has. 

Fruit of the Loom have been one of the biggest names to supply items for promotional use, but there are many others such as Jerzees, Kustom Kit, Result, Gildan to name but a few.

The uses of promotional clothing is now considerable. The high volume, low budget giveaways are covered by the white or coloured T’shirts. There is a large colour and style choice of polo shirts, often used as workwear, exhibition wear or a giveaway to a smaller audience.

Corporate events such as golf days are satisfied by great choice of including Ping, Callaway, Adidas and Nike, where a logo can sit very nicely alongside a world famous brand name, adding prestige to the item.

Companies are also looking to improve how their clients perceive them in the workplace, and branded workwear is often a result of this. Employees tend to respond when wearing the corporate ID, as they are representing the company. Clients see this as quality and it gives a great impression seeing a workforce “uniform”.

Finally, with a slight deviation from the workwear that is now commonplace, there is considerable choice in fleeces, soft shell and other jackets – which can not only be used for employess, budget depending, but are also incredibly well received corporate gifts.

There will certainly be even closer links and merging of retail styles into the promotional clothing side of the industry – and this can only benefit the end user, who may have more choice, but ultimately will be satisfied with the item they decide upon.

It is very often acknowledged that the best received gifts are the ones that are needed. Had they not been given they would be something that would be bought. Items that have a purpose and are useful are obviously the best and they also don’t have to be high value to achieve the desired results.

Of all the categories of business and promotional gifts, keyrings must surely be one of the areas with the greatest variety and choice.  There is certainly one available to meet any budget restrictions that may apply. Keyrings are also one of the most powerful advertisers, remaining in use for considerable time, subtly reminding the user and anyone else that views it of your product, service or brand. 

It is often discussed that the impression made by an item given as a promotional tool is far greater than most advertising methods and keyrings are one category that crops up during these debates.

The product choice is enormous, starting with the budget acrylic key fobs, where printed paper inserts allow both sides to take up to full colour print.  There is considerable choice at the budget end, suiting all tastes and accommodating great choice in colours and shapes.  PVC, vinyl, silicon and plastic are materials consistently appearing in the low price bracket.

Moving up the pricing scale, and the choice of styles can incorporate an additional feature such as a small ice scraper or a tiny LED beam, adding value and usability. Bonded leather has been a traditional key fob material and this remains a popular choice.  Trolley coin keyfobs are another dual use item with the almost daily requirement to insert a coin into a trolley or a locker!

Executive choice is also considerable and the metal and combined metal and leather items allow for engraving for the superior finish or blocking into the leather and  even a protective dome where full colour print is possible. Quite often these will have contrasting materials or say a matt and mirror finish – increasing the appeal of the product and allowing branding to stand out.

The possibilities do not stop there; with the option of putting larger marketing spend towards a multi tool keyring or with an added torch including the LED Lenser – a great retail range that is available with branding.

With such choice in just one product area, time must be taken to ensure the right product is selected and that this suits the brand, service or product that is being advertised.

The production process from placing an order to delivery of finished goods in the promotional gifts industry has always been a multiple stage process. The Business Gift Supplier is almost like a personal shopper for his client, discussing ideas, providing costs, discussing lead times. Then samples are posted out to ensure that the product matches the exact requirements given – great effort and detail is put into the early stages to assist the client.

There is also the issue of visualising the end result, something that is vital for the client when making important decisions and often for the person signing the order and therefore the funds off.  “I really like this product, but how will my logo look?” is a common question or the client will want to see an item in a different colour. 

Obviously with email and the web, we are able to view or send data instantly and this provides answers to most of the questions raised, without delaying an order on a potentially short lead time.

But the visual side of the end result has been an area that has either caused delays or potentially prevented an order from progressing due to the nervousness generated – people do get nervous about spending budget!

This is a hurdle no longer, with fantastic Virtual Sample software using images of the products which are available online. Logos on the item can be “removed”, it is simple to upload your logo which can then be positioned, moved, stretched and bent to fit well onto any business gift idea you are looking at. This can then be emailed, saved as a jpeg and printed out, and is invaluable for that meeting where you need to convince the boss to sign off the spend!

Our promotional gifts website (www.steel-city.co.uk) has a fantastic virtual sample tool and you can produce a guide visual from any item on the site in minutes. This is so easy to use and if you should have problems, a member of the Steel City Marketing sales team would be more than happy to help you out and take you through each stage. Please call on 0114 2754150.

We are now in the last week of the calendar year for business and promotional gift deliveries and those last minute enquires for staff or client gifts are still being received.

This year more than any before the decision to go ahead on an order already quoted, or to make a snap decision on something has been left late.

Throughout the year we aim to meet client’s lead times no matter how tight and it is very rare for us not to be able to achieve what looks impossible at the outset. Although a statement full of cliché, we are confident in the production and printing facilities we use, having built up relationships on the supply side for up to 28 years in some cases. This offers immense choice and even if the exact item cannot be done on short lead times, there is usually a more than suitable option.

Promotional pens is the classic example, where the lead times are reducing all the time. Should you require a turnaround in under 5 working days - this is possible, the Senator Super Hit ballpen can even be done in 24 to 48 hours.

It is often when the question is asked of us that we discover other areas where this is the case (as some factories tend not to overly promote their express services to avoid this area becoming stretched)!

Diaries is one such area. In recent years there would have been a strict cut off date for a guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery and this would have been end November. Moving plain stock and branding at 3rd parties would have been a higher cost solution.  However, even at this late stage, the offer of a 24 hour express service still means the date is achievable, putting minds at ease and ensuring a client gift is received in time.

Should you have an urgent requirement for any promotional item, please contact a member of the sales team to chat this through and we are confident in finding a solution that will meet your satisfaction.

Corporate workwear and promotional clothing is not new and does in fact rank very highly in sales of the  promotional gift Industry .  Not only are there high value items such as jackets, fleeces and shirts, but also the volume orders for low priced T-shirts should not be overlooked. 

This category of business gifts is not short of choice and certainly doesn’t appear to be falling in popularity, quite the opposite really. Many organizations are seeing work wear as a way to appeal to prospective clients, smarten up the workplace and motivate staff.

With Far East and overseas production making up pretty much every stock line available in the market place, advances in technology have opened the doors to other ideas.

Bespoke clothing has been a difficult nut to crack in this industry, but there are now several options available. Min Quantities are usually around 250, but this isn’t unreasonable.

The secret has been to simplify the process for T-shirts, Polo Shirts, and Fleeces.  One solution that springs to mind has 5 steps plus a free visual service.  There is a choice of material finishes and weights. A really good choice of designs and colours and you start to gain an end product, which is pretty unique to your product, service or brand.

Finally, the small touches are covered with side tabs, neck labels, zip pulls and even branded buttons and it is here that the item really shows it’s added value with the ability to achieve something that would normally be reserved for the mass retail market.

Should you require any FOC visuals on bespoke clothing, please ring a member of the sales team on 0114 2754150 who will take down your brief and mock up your design and provide pricing.

As we are close to acknowledging our national and international sporting heroes via BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, it seemed logical that we put forward the heroes of the promotional gifts world.

We have seen many strong performances in an action packed year of business gifts, with the usual names cropping up as best sellers such as paper products, mousemats, promotional mugs and clothing. Promotional Pens as always lead the way on volume and total value.

But lets move straight on with the awards….

Team of the Year…
Runner Up : We have chosen USB Flashdrives – a great and varied selection, larger memory capacity added during the year and a high level of sales.
Winner : It has to be Recycled & Eco Business Gifts – showing the new technological advances – good colour choice, great branding options and products being constantly added to a highly evolving area.

Promotional Gifts Personality of the Year…

In 3rd place
Durham Earthenware mug – a fine gritty year long performance by a great best selling item, with branding up to full colour process, dye sublimation photo print, heat sensitive WOW mug and pantone matched spectracoating all possible.

In 2nd place
Senator Super Hit Ballpen – an extremely popular pen – the original budget click pen.  Now available in a vast number of colour combinations and on express lead times. New for 2008 is the Super Hit Eco (barrel approx 96% recycled ABS)

In 1st place
From the Team of the Year comes the winner, the Twister Flashdrive. An extremely good purchase, giving the general downward pricing trend in memory. Protective metal plate avoids losing a cap and this product has pantone matching option to the main barrel.  Engraved or printed to the plate and can be supplied bulk or gift boxed.

Twister Flashdrive

What to look out for in 2009
Rubiks cube – Retro appeal with full colour branding possibilities.
USB People – A great item putting the fun factor on the desktop.
Flip Video – a fantastic video camera, not cheap, but easy to use and great results.

It is still surprising how many enquiries for promotional gifts and merchandise are received with the client still unsure of how many colours can be printed onto the item they are interested in.

This is not a problem for us - we love talking about what we do and the ultimate aim is match a clients exact requirement to the end product delivered.  Now more so than ever before this is achievable and advances in technology mean that progress in branding items will continue.

Companies are rebranding and redesigning logos to make them fresher, we are becoming more service led and new businesses are being established – this is a continual cycle. There is so much marketing being done, that promotional products need to keep up and be well received once produced.

Full colour print was often the Holy Grail – and only certain items offered a digital print option – mousemats and paper products spring to mind historically.

Most products areas now have a suitable option for a full colour process print:

Promotional Mugs : Full colour can be achieved through several print methods, from dye sublimation, to transfer print, to full colour process. Even the contemporary Latte mugs are getting in on the act!

Promotional Pens : Most pen producers now have the ability either to print a full colour digital wrap and apply it to the barrel, or print directly onto the pen in full colour.

USB Flashdrives : Certain popular models lend themselves to full colour process print, such as the Aluminium, plus new styles now come with epoxy labels which take a digital print extremely well.

Full colour print on sports bottle

Sports Bottles : Aluminium Sports bottles are now not only ticking the box from the reusable angle - avoiding the wastage of plastic - but they too now can take a digital wraparound print, with fantastic results.

The list DOES go on…

The best suggestion we can make at Steel City Marketing is to contact a member of the sales team (0114 2754150) if you have any questions about your branding, the products or the restrictions (if any!!) that might apply.

Right you are “Pen Pickers” – this is the chart-tastic run down of the top 10 selling promotional pens from Senator.

Steel City Marketing have sold more than 100,000 Senator pens in 2008 alone, making it one of the best selling ranges we have available.

Lets get straight on with the “chart” :

10 : The New Spring Clear ballpen is available with either a translucent or metal clip. 6 overall colour options with this pen.
9 : The Hattrix Basic, a popular choice with great curved clip, comes in 7 trim colours. Lets see if other pens in this “family” chart higher.
8 : Another pen from the New Spring collection, this time the “Metallic” – with 2 solid and 3 metallic barrel colour options.
7 : A regular in the top 10…since forever, the Big Pen Frosty shows no sign of falling in popularity. Available in 9 colours.
6 : A double success for the Hattrix family, this time the “Soft”, with it’s coloured rubber grip. Available in 6 colour trims.

Already down to the top 5, I wonder if there will be a new number 1….

5 : A surprise at number 5, the Super Hit Icy ballpen would have expected to chart higher, given the great print area large number of standard colour combinations, mix n match options and express print service to meet tight lead time…
4 : A hat trick for the Hattrix family with the “Soft Clear ballpen” – we have sold over 10K units in 2008 alone. 6 matching barrel and trim colours – soft rubber grip.
3 : The only pen from the Challenger family to make it so far is the “Icy”. New to Senator within the last couple of years, and proving extremely popular. 11 standard colour and mix and match from 1000 units. Could challenge(!!) for the top spot next year.
2 : A great performance by the Duo Pen (/ Highlighter) – nearly 25K units sold in 2008, a great dual function promotional pen, now available in 6 highlighter / barrel colours.

So that leaves us with the “Top of the Senator Promotional Pens” :

1 :  A non mover a number 1 – the Super Hit ballpen. The original budget ballpen, great colour choice, mix n match options, express delivery service available for those last minute requirements and a great print area. The complete all rounder. Steel City Marketing have sold 35,000 units in 2008.

Top 3 Selling Senator Pens

To discuss this range of pens further, speak to one of the sales team now on 0114 2754150…!

The cold snap has certainly kicked in and the weather now seems to be a hotter (or colder!) topic of conversation than the economy – for a change! Pretty much everyday this week, the car has had a pretty thick covering of ice and the trusty ice scraper has been put to good use!

Billboard Ice Scraper

Although a seasonal item, and possibly something that is overlooked when a promotional gifts wish list is put together, the ice scraper is an incredibly reliable and well received giveaway item that usually meets the added bonus of being well within most budgets.

This is a product that were it not given as a gift would most likely be bought – so as an item that is essentially “needed” – it is a very good business gift to consider.

There are a few styles, even a very handy ice scraper keyring, which adds a little bit of variation. Most will have a one or more print areas of good size. Like Tax Disc Holders and Car Air Fresheners, they are used and have a good lifespan and have that subtle reminder of your brand, product or service due to the occasional use but ultimate necessity to do a specific job for you!

Quite a few of these are now available as recycled ice scrapers. This shows not only the popularity of the product, but the Eco angle is something that is driving a great many promotions these days and this fact alone can be highlighted about this product.

Should this or any other low budget, high volume promotional gift be of interest, please contact a member of the sales team who will be more than happy to quote you competitive prices and look to achieve whatever lead time you are up against.

Very occasionally you come across a little gem of an idea within the world of business gifts and it is certainly worth a mention.

An agency is working on a direct mail campaign for a product launch for their client. They are only looking at around 200 key contacts so there is a reasonable budget to look at. When this same campaign was done in Norway, the response to the mailing was 10%. This is incredibly high – compared to the usual 2%.

So what could this have been down to?  The promotional product used in the mailing, or the value of the item sent?

These are all certainly reasons for seeing such a great response. The item was an MP3 player, just a generic one, so fairly low budget and nothing out of the ordinary, so this maybe wasn’t the reason .

Intrigued?

Well, this particular DM campaign was based around the recipient needing something as a result of the first mailing. The MP3 Player was sent out in the mailing – but without the earphones. Although earphones are readily available in most people’s armory, this particular item was missing something that would be needed to make it work.

A clever two part mailing and there are plenty of promotional merchandise items that come in two or more component parts.

The client is looking to do something similar over in the UK – and to try and match or beat the response rate, it is my job to come up with that idea….!

If you have any weird and wonderful promotional gift ideas, please contact a member of the sales team – always ready for a challenge, no matter how tough.

MP3 Player - with headphones!

December already……DECEMBER ALREADY! No sooner have we geared ourselves up for the pre Christmas rush of business gift enquiries and orders than we are starting to look at the final run in making sure orders are on schedule with no last minute hiccups.

Truth be told, it hasn’t been a typical October and November – and the industry is quiet given what is going on. It is disappointing, but we keep reassuring ourselves at Steel City Marketing that we are doing everything we can and putting in the effort now rather than feeling sorry for ourselves.

The last week of November felt very positive, and whereas we always joke that “clients are going to leave it late this year” – the feeling is that they are REALLY going to leave it late this year! It is completely understandable given the uncertainty and we will be ready to meet any requirements and ensure we give the support on low pricing and quick turnaround even more so than normal.

So how can we help with any last minute requirements?

1. Promotional Products lead times are down to as short as they ever have been, 3-5 working days is now becoming the norm.
2. Steel City Marketing has the most up to date and evolving business gift website in the industry – best selling and new product ideas being added almost daily – prices constantly monitored.
3. A dedicated sales team with bags of experience and enthusiasm – no order too small, no task too big!

At this time of year a few product ideas spring to mind with the aim of beating the freeze and fulfilling the last minute requirements:

A Great Christmas Promotional Giveaway

1. Confectionery – always a winner at this time of year. One of the best selling items being the nets of chocolate coins.
2. Heat packs – keep those hands warm throughout the cold snap. Great print area.
3. Knitted Mobile Phone Sock – don’t let your phone go cold!

As mentioned, we have a committed sales team who would be more than happy to discuss the above or any other ideas you may have. There is still plenty of time to achieve a Christmas delivery.

No order will be frozen out!