Welcome Erin and Nicole, our two new Account Specialists!

As part of the our new-employee hazing ritual, Erin is modeling the requisite trainee balloon hat in orange.

Nicole has opted for the more patriotic red, white and blue training attire.

In a few short weeks the balloons will have deflated and Erin and Nicole will become full-fledged account specialists, ready to help you find the perfect promotional products for generating new business, creating unforgettable events, retaining clients, and motivating your staff.

Ladies, welcome aboard and good luck!

What is your company doing to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? If you haven’t already made plans to participate, it’s not too late to organize a fundraiser, attend or host an awareness event, start an employee breast cancer education program, or arrange cancer screenings for your staff.

The following non-profit organizations offer plenty of opportunities and tips for getting involved:

Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to promote your program!

Promotional products can also help you raise awareness for your event, encourage participation, and thank volunteers and organizers for their efforts.

Other ways to get your message out:

• Add information to your company newsletter
• Send out a detailed email
• Provide desk drops
• Hang posters and distribute brochures

Get a jump start on your January promotions! Below are a list of dates - some common knowledge, some more obscure, all perfect marketing opportunities - with links to promotional product ideas to get you started.

January Holidays and Promotional Opportunities

• New Year’s Day (Jan. 1)
• Science Fiction Day (Jan. 2)
• National Letter Writing Week (Jan. 5-9)
• Amelia Earhart Day (Jan. 11)
• Clean Off Your Desk Day (Jan. 12)
• Inauguration Day (Jan. 20)
• National Puzzle Day (Jan. 29)
  

Ever wonder how trophies are made? Me neither. But it’s pretty amazing once you see it!

Check out this downloadable PDF to see the entire award-making process from molding to finishing.

By the way, all of these images came from one of our primary award manufacturers…who also happen to make the statues for the Oscars, Emmys, MTV awards and such. So when we create your next corporate award trophies for you, be sure to brag to the recipients that George Clooney has an award made by the same master craftsmen. Because everyone loves George Clooney and braggarts.

As a country, we’re making better choices of late on our planet’s behalf. Every week there are more stories about organizations taking steps to change their manufacturing methods, purchasing requirements or corporate policies, all in an effort to think green and help sustain our environment.  Fortunately, eco-minded promotional product buyers have the ability to make a difference as well. You now have the option to select merchandise made partly or entirely from recycled, biodegradable or organic materials. To achieve maximum impact and truly “wow” your target audience, however, your best bet is to use your imagination when integrating environmentally-friendly promotional products into your activities and campaigns.

In this report, you’ll find a variety of promotional product ideas designed to help organizations present their offerings in a meaningful, memorable and environmentally-friendly manner.

These suggestions should result in the spreading of positive messages about your organization, ultimately leading to stronger ties with clients as well as new client relationships.

Read the rest of our special report

Looking for a universal business gift that’s sure to please everyone? Our Portable Dynamo Charger should do the trick.

This handy gadget plugs into any cell phone or mobile device and allows you to charge the battery with a simple hand crank. One minute of cranking will provide 10-30 minutes of power (depending on the device.)

Anyone who’s ever been stranded with a dead cell phone battery will instantly see the value in this. It’s also more eco-friendly than plugging into the wall, so die-hard greens may find themselves cranking a few minutes a day to get their planeteering fix.

Think back to a time when you stood in a semicircle with your classmates, waiting to see if you would get picked to be “it” and charged with the responsibility of leading your team to victory.

That’s sort of how it is with promotional products. One of countless products can be chosen for a promotion, event, fundraiser, reward or thank you gift (among other occasions). But as the promotional leader of your organization, you’ve got a lot more at stake than bragging rights at the dinner table: You’ve got a team of people who expect you to win the game on their behalf, regardless of the equipment you use.

Articles and features in our September newsletter:

• Product Spotlight: Name the occasion
• Success Study: Promotions with short and long term appeal
• Feature Article:17 Reasons to use promotional products

Read back issues or subscribe to our newsletter

Jennifer Komula, our Office Admin, shares her top 5 favorite promotional products.

1. Therm-O-Tote
   Bring this insulated bag to carry home refrigerated and frozen products with you to the grocery store in place of using store-provided plastic or paper bags!
2. iCube with Universal Dock for iPod
   The Universal Dock provides a single, elegant way to connect any iPod with dock connector to your iPod accessory.
3. Fridge-to-go Can Coolers
   These zippered can coolers feature a built-in removable ice pack.
4. Airline & Auto Power Adapter
   Power laptops, DVD players, and other devices with USB ports or AC/DC power jacks while traveling on an airplane or in a car.
5. Java Desk Mug and USB Mug Warmer Set
   The mug warmer works by plugging into any USB port on a computer (no software needed).

Here at Printable Promotions, we’ve fielded a lot of questions about eco-friendly shirts, jackets and caps but very few people ask if the printing method is green as well. Using an environmentally responsible screen printing shop is just as (if not more) important than choosing an eco-friendly garment!

Our primary screen printing factory in Chicago has gone to great lengths to reduce their environmental impact:

What does being green mean?

Being green, sustainable, socially responsible, and overall just a great place to work has always been at the heart of our family. When we started this company over 25 years ago, we didn’t realize how progressive our actions were. Good business practices and common sense have always been guidelines by which we conduct ourselves. When we discuss the things we can do to become a stronger company we do not separate green initiatives from production and service efforts. We have developed a culture that incorporates environmental impact and social responsibility as key success factors in everything we do. From choosing the paint color on the walls (soy-based paint), to which chemicals we use on the production floor (citrus-based, not solvents), we are always looking for alternate ways to do what we do better. We believe that it’s not enough to just understand the products we are using, but it is also important to know how responsible the company is that manufactures them and how those products will effect our staff and nature. We support many small start-up chemical and consumables companies with very innovative natural products.

Types of cleaners:
In the printing industry the primary chemicals that both employees and the environment are exposed to are traditional thinners and solvents used to clean up inks, tools, screens and even the floor. We have replaced any dangerous chemicals with a product that is citrus- based and completely safe for both bodily contact and disposal. And the shop smells like oranges!

Types of inks used and disposal of waste:
As a screen printer, it is impossible to get around using plastics. That said, how to dispose of that solid waste is a huge area of concern for us. We have contracted with a company that picks up our plastic ink waste and sells it to a company that further refines the sludge to make roofing tar for homes instead of putting it into a landfill. This means NO LANDFILL for our sludge, making a hugely positive impact instead of a dramatically negative one. Drums of chemicals that sit in landfills for years and years have major seepage issues and end up contaminating the earth around them.

Any new and amazing techniques that are earth friendly?
Currently in research and development are 2 great innovations we are excited to bring to the t-shirt printing marketplace. The first is a line of sustainable and organic shirts. Organic cotton apparel has been around for a while, but have you seen 60% soy? Or how about 60% bamboo, 40% organic cotton? These fabrics encourage fewer pesticides in the cotton industry and are incorporating sustainable, not just organic, components into the textile world.

The second is the development of fresh inks. There are small companies out there making 100% organic plant-based inks for t-shirt printing. These inks, however, are so unstable that they cannot be shipped because they spoil so quickly. The only way to get an organic ink in the shop is to make it right here. We have just begun the development of natural ink chemistry and are excited to have samples to show soon. How would you like to buy a t-shirt made of soy and printed with inks made from vegetable oils?

How does your company recycle?
We have been recycling for years but we’ve really stepped up our game in the last 24 months. We implemented departmental goals with incentives to decrease landfill trash and came up with innovative recycling options.

It’s working! We are proud to say we have gone from needing 2 huge trash containers picked up 3 times a week to needing only 1 container picked up once a week. We now have 2 different recycling containers, which are picked up twice a week. We have not only transitioned more to recycling than landfill use, but we have also decreased our overall waste in a time of increased production.

In what ways is your company working towards a more sustainable business?
We have invested in new highly energy-efficient equipment that recycles up to 90% of the hot air needed to dry ink on shirts back into the dryer. This has reduced our consumption of electricity and lowered the overall temperature of our employees’ work environment.

We started a corrugated re-use program to cut 50% of our waste and reduced our new corrugated purchases by 70%. We have also developed custom packing solutions for regular customers which provide boxes strong enough to send product back and forth up to 10 times before the boxes have to be recycled.

We are 100% focused on creating a great place TODAY for each of our 125 employees in Chicago and an even better world TOMORROW for our children, grandchildren and yours!

When you’re ready to place your next order for eco-friendly screen printed apparel, make sure to request that your it’s printed GREEN!

Monroe Shocks and Struts has a message for all of the animal lovers of the world: “Replacing worn ride control components could improve vehicle steering, stopping and stability – and just might save the life of an innocent squirrel darting across the street.”

This was the official statement released by the company after it sent a bag of squirrel food, the Squirrel Street Journal newspaper and a personalized note from a squirrel to reporters. Next the recipients received a logoed bag of peanuts and a squirrel, or rather, mouse pad.

These promotional products were used to build hype for its “Save a squirrel” campaign.

“We’ve already had tremendous interest in the ‘Squirrels’ campaign from the automotive industry as well as consumers,” says Carri Irby, brand manager of Monroe Shocks and Struts, which is owned by Tenneco, prior to the launch of its ad campaign. “As our billboards go live in the coming weeks, we expect a tremendous spike in traffic to our Web site, as well as word-of-mouth advertising driven by local broadcast outlets and the thousands of businesses that sell and install Monroe shocks and struts.”

The squirrels have gotten around as the message is broadcast on billboards throughout the country, on 2,000 radio stations, within Major League Baseball stadiums and via the Web.

Monroe also made sure to add a heavy assortment of promotional products to the mix. Mouse pads, note cubes, pens, trash cans and bagged peanuts are available for use by its sales force. “Our promotional programs are tightly integrated into the campaign,” says Irby.

The squirrels could not be reached for comment.