In an ideal world, every conference would be able to offer the top of the line giveaways and promo items. In reality, we all are more than aware of the limitations set forth by a large event and a tight budget. Get the most for your dollar by shopping around and scoping out the wide variety of promotional items out there.

 What’s in a name?

Many times a cup of equal or greater quality can be had for a much less expensive price tag if you just forgo getting a “Name Brand”. Many of our promotional drinkware suppliers offer top of the line, quality styles that are just missing the reputation of a known designer or brand name attached. The same goes for pens and bags; you can sometimes get a better quality item on a budget, if you simply take into account the high markup of cost that goes into adding that famous label to the style.

Where is your brand going to end up?

Take into consideration your end user, is this an item that is going to be used on the day of the event and then discarded or is going to be utilized again and again? If you foresee recurring uses, then it is better to invest in a higher quality, more durable promotional item. However, if judging by your demographic, you know this is going to be a one-time use item it is better to take a more economical approach to the items you select and save yourself the strain on your budget!

A deal is a deal!

Finally, the best place to get the most bang for your buck is always the SALE section! Almost always, the items in this section are there simply because they are the previous season’s styles that are being cleared out to make room for the new styles. What does this mean for you? Savings of course! You can get significant discounts off of high quality promotional purchases simply by selecting an item that is a great style, but had to be marked down to bottom dollar prices simply due to a lack of room!

As always, if you ever need help finding the perfect promotional item for your brand, reach out to your personal Thirsty Promo representative and we would be more than happy to assist you!

Hacked by USTADCAGE_48

The world of products available to brand with your logo and represent your company is ever growing and more diverse than you would imagine. Everyone works with some of the fundamental promotional marketing items that we’re all familiar with; Pens are always a useful giveaway and something that people can easily keep. Tote bags and water bottles are increasingly used and useful! In recent years there has been an increased focus on the negative impact of the single use versions of these items, creating a huge market for reusable shopping bags and water bottles. Finally, everyone loves T-shirts and hats, but promotional items extend much further than these basics.
The primary focus of promotional marketing is to get your logo seen, so when selecting your items its important to consider items that your customers will be able to make good use of. Depending on your industry, there are so many great options to ensure that your gifts are used and seen! Here are some great ideas that are great for everyone:
USB Port/ Adapter/ Power Bank

Cell phones, tablets and other devices have become so entwined with our everyday lives, that powering these devices is a constant need. There are many different types of chargers and connectors that could make you, your customer’s hero if you can help keep them online! Products range extensively from USB car adapters to wall adapters with dual USB ports and actual power banks that remove any need for an adapter. When you help your customer’s stay connected, you help enrich their lives and their business.
Roadside Tools
Another way to make a useful and enriching contribution to your customers is to help them with their emergency preparedness. Everyone should have an Auto Safety kit and a few key items in their vehicle, but many people are not prepared for unexpected situations. In addition to auto safety kits, there are some other basic items that could save your customer’s life.
An auto safety tool allows people to break a window with little force or cut themselves out of a locked seat belt. Tire gauges or emergency tool kits can also be just the thing your client needs when they are in a bind.

Maybe a Picnic?
On a lighter note, there are many items that you can provide to your clients that are more of a treat! There are sets for wine and cheese in many different price points and combinations, that would add a special touch to any client experience. These are great for parties, picnics or everyday use! Another idea is a portable speaker, phones and music devices are very portable, but don’t always have the best speakers for group listening. This makes speakers a great peripheral item for anyone with a smart phone, an ever growing population. As we move into winter, everyone can benefit from a soft warm blanket or a nice thermos set.
The world of promotional marketing has really grown to a point where anything you can think of that you would like to give your customers, it’s out there!

Have you ever wondered how effective your promotional products are at garnering impressions in the business world? Take a look at this video showcasing some of the many statistical research provided by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)

What is a BPA?

The formal name for BPA is Bisphenol A. It is an organic chemical compound that is, and has been used in plastics, resins, epoxies, etc, since 1957. BPAs appear in everything from dvds and the linings of canned foods and water pipes, to medical and dental devices. BPAs are all around us.

Buying Plastic Assessment
BPAs are used in plastics because they produce a strong, clear plastic, that is virtually shatter proof. This has created a large variety of uses in the past 50 years of use. In recent years, the safety of BPAs has been highly disputed. The chemical compound mirrors that of hormones, which causes concern for the use of BPAs in items that contain consumables. The biggest concern and action with BPAs has been in regard to baby bottles and infant formula containers, as fetuses, infants and children are more susceptible to encountering issues with products that have BPA in them. The FDA no longer authorizes the use of BPAs in these items, as the majority of the market has stopped using these products; The EU and Canada have officially banned the use of BPAs in these items.

BPAs have been investigated for the past several years with somewhat mixed findings. Up to now, the levels of BPA we are currently consuming have been deemed safe, however, the FDA and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) are continuing their investigation of this compound.

Other BPA Exposure
Recently, there have been further studies focusing on the absorption of BPAs through our skin. Studies have shown that a large amount of BPAs are absorbed or ingested via thermal paper. Thermal paper is a very common item that we encounter multiple times daily. Thermal paper is used most commonly in receipts, but is also used for airline tickets, atm receipts, etc.

Furthermore, the absorption of BPAs has been found to be increased in situations where people have recently used hand sanitizer or lotion as this seems to create a conduit for the BPAs to be absorbed into the skin. Additionally, BPAs ingestion is also occurring when individuals eat after handling receipts. Current research shows that BPAs potentially cause cancer, metabolic and immune problems in rodents in addition to reproductive defects in humans. Thankfully, Appvion, a Wisconsin company, has developed an alternative that uses Vitamin C, in lieu of the potentially harmful BPAs.
The study of BPAs continues in an attempt to establish the potential harm to people. In the meantime, some recommendations to reduce your consumption of BPAs are to make an effort to choose BPA free plastics and products free from BPA linings, reduce the foods you eat from cans as they are typically lined with BPA resins, avoid heating plastics in the microwave and dishwasher as this is thought to break down the plastics and increase the potential of BPAs getting into your food.

CMYK
The four process colors used in offset lithography printing. They are cyan, magenta, yellow and black (the key color). When these four colors are printed with halftone screens of various angles in this subtractive print method, they create oranges, reds, violets, and so on. The color gamut of CMYK is fairly limited, causing loss of color when a continuous tone photograph is reproduced using only 4 colors.
Indicia
Postal permit information printed on objects to be mailed and accepted by U.S. Postal Service in place of stamps.

Overrun
Number of pieces printed or paper made in excess of the quantity ordered.
Pantone Matching System (PMS)®
The registered trade name of a brand of color matching system commonly used in commercial printing. Pantone colors can be specified for ink, papers, plastics, and fabrics. Pantone chips are available for solid spot colors and for process ink mixes. Specifying Pantone colors is the only accurate and predictable way to know that the color in the imaging application is the color that will be printed (your monitor is NOT a predictable indication of printed colors).
Raster Image
Digital scanners and digital cameras produce raster images. A raster image can also be created new with a raster based application such as Photoshop® or Painter® or Canvas®. Raster images are pixel resolution dependent and can not be greatly increased in size without loosing picture quality. These are typically large files and are more demanding of RAM and processor speed. See also Vector Graphics.
Reverse
Type, graphic, or illustration reproduced by printing ink around its outline, thus allowing the underlying color or paper to show through and form the image. Also called knockout or liftout. The image “reverses out” of the ink color.
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
A common format for interchanging digital information, generally associated with greyscale or bitmap data.
Vector Graphics

Created from illustration programs such as Freehand® or Illustrator® , vector graphics are defined by points on the canvas and complex mathematical computations. Simple or complex shapes are created which can be overlapped, combined, aligned, etc. The shapes can be filled with color or gradients. Vector graphics have the advantage of creating small files and the artwork is always scalable to any size without loss of picture quality. Programs such as Illustrator also allow the placement of raster images on the canvas. In fact, the most recent versions of Photoshop and Illustrator really blur the line between the two programs.

Drinkware has been and will continue to be an extremely appealing item in the promotional products industry. Number one reason for this is because drinkware is absolutely everywhere. It’s in your house, your office, your gym and if you’re anything like me it is a constant travel companion. Check out our three second quiz designed to show you just how easy it is to come to the conclusion that promotional drinkware could work for you.

Now I am fully aware that a lot more thought, budgeting, and preparation goes into deciding whether or not your company will be using a promotion to showcase your brand. This quiz was created merely to show you that if you put your logo on drinkware it will be used and it will be seen. If you’re interested in seeing more of what we have to offer visit us online at ThirstyPromo.com 

Trust me I get it! You’re not quite sold on spending the time and money on something you’re not sure is going to work for you. Well I can tell you this, if you do take the time to pick out custom drinkware that represents your company and your brand it will get you the attention you’re looking for. I can try to explain why I know this for a fact however I think this infographic can show you so much better than my very long explanation can. 

Now that you’ve taken the time to absorb the information in this infographic check out ThirstyPromo and find the right promotional drinkware for you!

http://www.just-mugs-and-promo-drinkware.com/index

• Our focus is solely on custom drinkware. Focusing our site on custom drinkware allows for us to provide you with expert advice as well as give you a large well organized selection. The last thing we would want is for you to enter our website feeling overwhelmed and bombarded with items that you probably have no need for.  
• Thirsty Promo is geared to help you find exactly what you are looking for with just a few steps. You are able to filter by category, price, color, production time, even where it is shipping from around the United States. If you need a purple mug for five dollars that can be produced with five days and ships from the west coast we can find it for you under a minute.   
• We do offer ecommerce for any order that includes a one color imprint. Any order over one color we require you submit an inquiry to one of our trained specialists who will be able to take your logo and find the decorating method that suits you best. Promotional products are a large and lucrative investment. Our team wants to make sure that you are getting the product and decoration that shows your brand in the greatest way possible.    
• Every single order will have a personal customer service representative. We do not believe in automation. We believe in the personal touch. Even those who place a custom drinkware order online with us will be receiving either a phone call or email from a real live person! 

I have a large list of ways we made Thirsty Promo different than your average promotional product website. Since I very highly doubt anyone wants to read a post that goes on for ten pages I’ll keep it short and sweet with the four biggest ways we tried to cater Thirsty Promo to you. Hopefully these will entice you to check it out for yourself and allow us to get to know you.