One of the best ranges of branded merchandise to consider in the winter months is that of promotional ice scrapers. We are guaranteed frosts in the UK at some point and people will often choose to use an ice scraper (plus a little elbow grease) above other solutions such as chemical de icer sprays, credit cards or (heaven forbid) a kettle of boiling water!

Why should you consider promotional ice scrapers for your next campaign?

1. “Low cost, flat and lightweight”. Promotional ice scrapers are a perfect item for direct mail or event giveaways. They can be easily sent out with brochures or literature. As this is also a product found in the retail sector, it has a good perceived value so could be used as a gift with purchase. Cost wise, there are many models that are under £1.00 per unit.

2. “Your brand in their hand”. Should you send out one of your promotional ice scrapers to a client, there is every chance that they will see your brand for up to 5 minutes each time there is a frost. It is also very common for someone to keep this type of item for many years as it is not an item that is constantly being replaced. Therefore considering how many times your branding will be seen over such a long period of time, the “cost per impression” is very low indeed. (See below for some bpma research results).

3. “Large range and great print areas”. There is an excellent range of promotional ice scrapers to consider. A website or promotional gift directory can only really scratch the surface on this. Models come with handles or can be small enough to fit into your wallet. Quite a number are made from recycled materials. We would be happy to run through shapes and styles any time. The print area is usually impressive too, allowing branding, calls to action and key messages to be displayed. (Branding Tip : Why not add a QR code with a link to your website, or use your social media ID’s as your calls to action).

4. “Lead time”. If you are looking for a last minute item due to having spare budget or want to make a sales push, then promotional ice scrapers should be considered. Lead times can be as quick as 3-5 working days (from proof approval). If your event deadline is shorter than that, ask the question anyway.

If you are still unconvinced about whether promotional ice scrapers are something your business should consider, here are a few facts from the bpma (British Promotional Merchandise Association) research conducted in 2011 :

· 79% of respondents that received a promotional product said they were likely to do business with the company in the future

· 8 out of 10 (84 per cent) respondents said that a branded promotional gift increases brand awareness

· Over three quarters (87 per cent) of recipients said they kept a promotional gift for longer than 12 months

· Over half (56 per cent) of respondents said their opinion of the brand/company was more favourable after receiving the promotional product.

Do you still think promotional ice scrapers don’t have a place in your winter promotional campaign? If you have any further questions or would like samples and prices, please give a member of the sales team a call.

The Promotional Tree Growing Kit is a branded product that has the ability to fight climate change, reduce pollution and combat deforestation. That may sound a little exaggerated, however more now than ever businesses are considering eco gifts over traditional alternatives in a bid to promote Corporate Social Responsibility and to communicate their green credentials.

The Forest Nation Promotional Tree Growing Kit is a truly unique promotional product that offers tangible benefits to the client, end-user and the general community. For every Tree Growing Kit sold, another tree will be planted in a developing country – Haiti, Malawi, India, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya. Local tree planting partners use local methods to plant local trees, providing a gift for the local populations and helping them to become sustainable. There are no commercial plantations, carbon offsetting or tax credits.

So how does it work? Inside your biodegradable Promotional Tree Growing Kit is everything you need to grow your own tree including 6 to 10 locally selected seeds. Nothing has been overlooked, the kit is 100% biodegradable and compostable from the growing pellet and pot made from renewable natural resources to the corn starch wrapper. Even the instruction booklet is made from recycled paper, naturally.

The tree could be planted in your garden or perhaps somewhere within the local community for instance in the grounds of a local school or as part of a local government program to reduce pollution and noise. There may be an opportunity to work in conjunction with local farmers or on local reforestation projects. The marketing potential is ongoing.

The Promotional Tree Growing Kit is not just a tangible branded product, it is also an interactive corporate gift. The user can register online, using a unique code, where they can add their tree to the map as well as being able to see where the ‘other’ tree is planted.

The potential applications for the Promotional Tree Growing Kit are huge. It can be used as a gift with purchase and sponsorships, for education and fundraising, as a co-branded statement for your company values, to generate leads and to use within loyalty programs.

Charity Wristbands (also known as silicon wristbands) are one of the most popular promotional products that charities use to raise money or campaign awareness. They were first made popular by the Livestrong campaign, which was supported by Lance Armstrong and Nike. Most charities will consider using these when they are looking for an awareness boost.

The Offer

Steel City Marketing are giving ONE UK Charity the chance to raise money or campaign awareness by giving them 100 silicon wristbands debossed or printed with their details, FREE OF CHARGE.

The 100 silicon wristbands :
· Will be pantone matched to your charity brand / colour.
· Are inclusive of either 1 colour print or 1 position debossing.
· Can carry any message you choose.
· Are individually poly bagged.
· Come in two sizes. Adult (203mm) or child (180mm) – the order cannot be split.
· Are available on a 3-4 week lead-time. All costs included.

Should you win this set of promotional wristbands for your charity, they could make a perfect giveaway at an event if “campaign awareness” is the priority. However if you are looking at raising money, you could sell these 100 Free Wristbands for between £1 and £2.50 depending on your supporters.

To Qualify

If you know of a charity that would like to be considered for this offer, let them know what they need to do to quality. Simply ask them to follow @scmgifts on Twitter & send us a tweet including : #CharityWristbandOffer

The competition closes on Monday 17th October at 5pm. We will draw the name lucky charity out of a hat after this and advise the winner. Good luck!