Product Update
Here are just a couple of ideas for this particular update. They have been selected either as new products or something that is currently on offer.

Combi Pad Plus

A great new promotional notepads product. The image shows this laid out with an A5 pad, 3 x A8 sticky note pads and a set of index tabs. Equally this could have different sized pads, totally up to you. Full colour branding to the cover really enhances this product and protects the pads. This is price on application due to the various combinations, but a really good new idea.

DEAL : Free of charge carriage for any orders on this product for the next month!

AntiBacterial Pen

This pens kills 99.9% of harmful viruses and bacteria and to show this moving forward in your promotion, the “Anti Bac logo” can be printed single colour onto the reverse of the pen free of charge.

DEAL : Free screen charges (usually £35.00 per colour) up to 3 colours.

Etched Mug

Great addition to the promotional mug range. Rather than screen printed, the logo is engraved, giving a really striking finish and something very different.

And so…..onto other news…..

Steel City Marketing is 30 years old as of June this year!!! We are so proud to have been in this industry for that long, working with the best manufacturers and having built up some amazing relationships with clients along the way. To celebrate, we have kicked in a rebrand which is incorporated into the 30th edition of the directory, which we feel is the best yet.

Away from work James Biggin completed the London Marathon in April this year in 3 hours 1 min and 12 secs at the same time as production assistants Deborah who was finishing in 5 place in the Sheffield Half Marathon. Watch this space for the next challenge!

“Andrew Hopewell has joined Sheffield-based Steel City Marketing as Senior Sales Executive.  He is the latest addition to the company’s sales team and will be tasked with developing new business opportunities on a national basis as well as looking after existing accounts.

Andrew has undertaken various sales and customer service roles for a number of major retail companies.  The past 5 years has seen him working for a marine engineering company with responsibility for the day-to-day sales enquiries and orders for 6 European countries, plus New Zealand and Canada. 

Lorraine Mollart, joint managing director at SCM said: “With his extensive background in sales, Andrew was the ideal choice for this role and we are delighted to welcome him to the company.”

Andrew is a devoted and busy father of 2 boys, aged 4 years and 5 months and enjoys supporting Sheffield Wednesday and playing football and golf in his spare time.

For more information please contact Steel City Marketing by telephone on 0114 275 4150 or visit www.steel-city.co.uk.”

What I have picked up is that although this is a great tool to meet new people, companies may find it difficult to connect with their current client base without spending a huge amount of time searching. Even then, is the client actually using Twitter yet? Is the person you deal with different from the person that updates the company status? 

There are ways to try to convert and connect with a client base via Twitter :

*  People talk about their tweeting and mention it to business contacts.

*  Companies place a link on the site’s homepage to their profile pages.

*  Individuals place “follow us @YourID” on email signatures.

*  There are ways to search for contacts or business names within Twitter.

*  Links can be placed on other social media profile pages to maximize exposure.

*  Many tools are available to help people find companies to connect with.

So what else could a company do to increase the chances of being followed when a client first decides to set up a Twitter account? What will make “your” ID spring to mind shortly after following @stephenfry! A client needs a reminder, something that is close to hand which will encourage them to check the profile page out.

For a relatively low spend level, this could easily be done. Why shouldn’t a company consider using a small amount of marketing spend to have a promotional pen, mousemat, coaster, sticky note pad branded with the Twitter ID. This will almost certainly gain new high value followers, and they will be people where this is already a business relationship, allowing them to connect in a totally different and more dynamic way. They will have another view of the individual, the team, the company and its expertise. This will reinforce the business relationship, something we know social media can achieve.

Brand the promotional item in this instance with a Twitter logo / reference followed by “follow us @YourID” – complicating it with additional logos or information will lose the focus of this mini campaign.

There are always promotions to be taken advantage of. Less than £200 (excluding VAT) would gain a company 500 printed pens. These could be handed out at an event, mailed out with literature, statements, orders or used as a specific campaign. This low spend compared to the increased chance of connecting with a client as soon as they are ready to step into the world of Twitter is an opportunity not to be overlooked. The company that is the first in their industry to do this could gain the most.

To discuss any of the ideas above or if you would (or know someone you would) like to find out more about any other items that that could be used to raise a Twitter profile, contact James Biggin, who will be only too pleased to help. Don’t forget to connect with us @steelcitym.

Sheffield company Steel City Marketing Ltd is nominated third year in a row for Promota Distributor of the Year. 

The awards ceremony held by Promota, the UK’s leading trade association for the promotional merchandise and advertising gift industry takes place on 1st March at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.  The evening will be attended by over 450 suppliers, and distributors within the trade and recognises companies on a regional as well as national level. 

The total number of distributors across the UK and Ireland is estimated at between 2,000 and 2,500. Votes are being collected from around 360 UK suppliers.  This follows on from being short listed last year as well as winning the North East Distributor of the Year award in 2008.

James Biggin, joint managing director, commented “It is fantastic news to have been short listed by the industry’s supply base for the third year in a row.  It shows that the company is building upon its foundations and moving forward in the right way.  We have a great team, solid systems and a good work ethic and feel confident in our ability and our experience within the industry.”

Steel City Marketing was established in 1980 and started out sourcing and supplying Sheffield-made gifts but quickly evolved and moved into other ranges as demand for marketing merchandise grew.  The company is one of the only distributors in the UK to produce its own promotional gift directory, offering something unique and giving Steel City Marketing a competitive edge.

Now, with a comprehensive website to back this up, as well as its bi-annual promotional gift show, the company feels it is well placed to cater for all client types.

For any further information on the company or the services provided, please contact the sales team by calling 0114 275 4150 or visit the website at www.steel-city.co.uk.

So what is so special about an Antibacterial Pen, how does it work and how can a user benefit? This pen has a kill rate of over 99.9% over a 24-hour period. As soon as the pen comes into contact with bacteria (or multiples of bacteria) it starts the process of destroying them through starving them of nutrients. The “Living Pen” from Senator is constantly re-cleansing itself and this is therefore unlike most other surfaces where bacteria will flourish and then be easily transferred.

The antibacterial qualities of this pen are integrated within the product itself. No other competitive pen has this within its makeup. Most have a coating, which can wear off over a short period of time. Some bacteria (that remain dormant) can also be stimulated back to their active state by some of these coatings (especially if alcohol based), again not so with the Senator Antibacterial pen.

The pass criteria for testing the Antibacterial pen is a 1mm zone of inhibition. This pen achieved the British Standard for C.Diff to 6mm and with MRSA it managed a staggering 11mm. This shows the incredible power of the antibacterial structure.

When branding onto the Antibacterial pen, the “compound” is mixed into the printing inks to ensure that the product remains uncompromised. By using the Senator process, your logo or message is fully integrated into the “Living Pen”.

Testing is currently underway on the Antibacterial Pen in terms of H1N1 “Swine Flu” and early indications are that the pen will be as equally effective as it is against all the other “Superbugs”.

Why not consider a pen with unique qualities and one that doesn’t have any competition at equivalent low price points. With 2 good-sized branding positions and a comfortable writing style, this pen could be one that you take forward into your standard merchandise range.

Firstly, the categorization as an Eco shopping bag comes from the fact that this bag is reusable over a significant period of time and the plastic is recyclable. There is a nylon bag stored within the EcoHandle itself. When removed, the handles of this bag are hooked over the slots on the plastic unit, forming this great Eco Shopping bag. In this “single bag” format, the EcoHandle is lightweight, can fit easily into a pocket, handbag or glove compartment, is easy to store and is water repellent. The benefit of the plastic handle on this Eco Shopping bag is that it is kind to your hands, when carrying heavier items.

The fantastic additional benefit of this eco shopping bag is that is can carry up to three additional shop issue carrier bags using the open slot design at each end. This allows the easy and effective transporting of multiple bags at the same time, without the “cutting” into the hand that this can traditionally cause.

The EcoHandle itself comes in 5 standard colours (red, orange, green, pink and grey) and the canvas eco shopping bag that is then housed inside the handle comes in 6 colour choices (red, orange, green, pink, black and white). Bespoke bag colours are subject to a higher minimum quantity, but are still possible. The bag can be printed up to full colour to both sides of the bag and the minimum quantities on the stock range of this eco shopping bag is 1000 pieces.  Lead times currently stand at five to six weeks, and this is mainly on the back of high demand.

As an alternative to the cotton eco shopping bags, this is certainly a premium product and does work out more expensive, but the key benefits highlighted above make the EcoHandle stand out when looking at choices of reusable eco shopping bags.

Markets of interest for this product are obviously general shopping, but could also be great for events, sport, gym and it would also be ideal for use as a travel or beach accessory. It really is an eco shopping bag with many possibilities.

Should the EcoHandle eco shopping bag be something you would like more information on (pricing, samples or a visual), please contact a member of the sales team who will be happy to answer any questions and deal with your enquiry.

There are several key benefits of using promotional coasters in your marketing campaigns. The first and most obvious is the low cost element. Promotional coasters do vary in price, but most are down towards the lower end of the price spectrum for promotional items, typically in the £0.30 to £0.50 area for the budget items. It is possible to spend more and this is dependant on the materials the promotional coasters are produced in. Aluminium and glass are higher in price.  The second great benefit of using promotional coasters is the fact that they have a large branding position and this can be used to provide a good size logo, contact details and a decent amount of company information. Some promotional coasters are also double sided, which allows you to be very creative with your design.

There are many different ways that promotional coasters are used in campaigns. Should you have a large number of desks and want to smarten up the office environment, coasters could be considered as a starting point. Direct mail campaigns are another perfect use for promotional coasters as they are light, cost effective and easy to pack into small envelopes, therefore having little effect on postage. With regard to events and exhibitions, it is quite often the case that bulky items are crossed off the list in favour of items that are easier to transport, and promotional coasters would certainly fit the bill.

It is a common myth to presume that promotional coasters are produced as either square or round, giving off the impression that there is nothing standout in this range of promotional items. This is not the case, and you can always look to have liquid filled promotional coasters, special shaped products, 2 dimensional PVC options that give a raised up feel and texture to your coaster. Really it is a very diverse set of promotional products, and should you be considering using promotional coasters in your next campaign, speak to a member of the sales team about ideas, prices, visuals and samples. We will be sure to find a promotional coaster to suit your needs.

Made from recycled aluminium (which is also 100% recyclable), the desktop garden has all the Eco credentials demanded by many in the industry these days. With a recycled cork stopper and attractive brushed aluminium tube design, the desktop garden catches the eye instantly. Made in the UK, you are assured of a minimum carbon footprint. The branding on the desktop garden is up to full colour process on every order, with minimum quantities can be as low as 50 units. This great range has a short lead time of around 2-3 weeks but on request this can be improved upon.

The desktop garden is a great way to engage the recipients – whether this is incentivizing your staff, giving a gift to your top clients or handing out at an event for business generation and relationship building, the 80g “pot” will certainly do you justice for a relatively low spend. Contained in the tube is everything you need to get your desktop garden growing; organic soil coin, seeds and growing instructions. All you need is water, green fingers and a bit of time to care and nurture!

There is a good choice of seeds to choose from in the desktop garden range. A set of mixed garden annuals is a very popular choice and these include Cosmos, Calendula, Nasturium, Sweet Pea and Candytuft. Other options to consider are Coriander, Chives or Basil. If you are looking for something different, please get in touch and we can find out what is possible to make your desktop garden fit your requirements.

The desktop garden is a truly versatile and standout promotional product. It has great branding options, quick turnaround and fits the bill when considering an Eco gift. It generates immediate interest and an ongoing focus. You can be certain that the desktop garden will help enforce your brand and provide a good connection with your target audience. So bring the outdoors indoors and give your client some desktop “greenspace”. Contact the sales team now, to discuss pricing, visuals and samples.

Steel City Marketing is delighted to announce that they are exhibiting at the Business North West 2009 Show at Manchester Central on 28th & 29th October. With the date fast approaching, it is all hands on deck to ensure that we make our first ever exhibition stand something to remember.

Being a promotional gifts and merchandise supplier, Business North West 2009 provides Steel City Marketing with an ideal opportunity to see existing clients and meet representatives from companies that we haven’t had the chance to deal with previously. We will be bring along the entire spectrum of promotional and business gifts from pens to mugs, flashdrives to calendars, with best selling and new product ideas crammed onto stand 128.

During the current economic climate we are looking to ensure we actively promote ourselves and raise our profile both locally and on a national basis. Business North West 2009 is the perfect platform to do this. We feel promotional gift purchasing requires a strong client : supplier relationship to ensure a high level of understanding and with 29 years of experience in this industry, we have the perfect foundations to fulfil any requirements for branded merchandise.

Business North West 2009 is a chance for many managers, business owners and entrepreneurs (who have little time available) to spend a short period of time achieving a great deal that could help move their business forward and make new and exciting contacts, suppliers and clients. The 2008 Business North West had 200 exhibiting companies taking advantage of 5,500 regional decision makers, fantastic statistics for a 2-day event. 89% of visitors said they were likely to return for the 2009 event and 77% said they would develop new relationships as a result of the 2008 event.

As with last years event, Business North West 2009 is full to the brim of everything a company could possibly think of to help them in the current economic climate and beyond. There is a stellar line up of keynote speakers in the Business Link Innovation Lounge, informative and educational seminars in the How To Seminar Theatre. Companies have the opportunity to network in the Speed Networking area and for anyone seeking investment and advice, why not consider speaking to the Angels Den.

For more information on how to register, click Business North West 2009.

We hope you can make it on the day and hope that stand 128 will be on your list to visit and we look forward to seeing you at Business North West 2009.

Promotional advent calendars are available in 2 sizes, A4 or A5, providing the marketing consumer a choice of two price points, whilst still achieving maximum branding and the same product function (i.e. 25 yummy chocolates!) The A5 sized promotional advent calendar is perfect for the desktop, providing a high impact gift that has a short lifetime, but will definitely stand out and be remembered. The A4 version can be wall mounted, giving your branding even more exposure.

The branding possibilities are fantastic on promotional advent calendars with the entire external packaging available to take up to a full colour process print. This is ideal for your logo, products and services and contact details. It can also be used as a relationship builder, with “meet the team” photos being used to put faces to the names for your important client base.

Given the promotional advent calendars are slim and light, they fit the bill for a number of marketing uses. Staff incentive is one such use, showing your appreciation for their hard work throughout the year whilst reinforcing your strong brand. A direct mail campaign to a top client list is also something to consider and promotional advent calendars are an inexpensive option to provide a gift that will certainly receive more “desk time” than some items. Event giveaways would also be a good use for promotional advent calendars and they would certainly get “tongues wagging” with this stand out promotional product.

The lead-time is the only restriction with this product, and this is mainly down to the fact that the consumer will quite rightly want their promotional advent calendars in place before December 1st. With an approx 4-week turnaround time, it is certainly the case that October is the month to order and have artwork signed off. This will allow you to ensure your method for dispatching these is arranged and that your client will have their calendar in plenty of time to open the first “window”.

Steel City Marketing would be delighted to provide up to date and competitive quotes on your required quantity of promotional advent calendars and with our in house studio facility we would be able to sort out the design to you from a brief in no time at all.