Trade Show Products

Here’s a link to our current newsletter Trade Show Products. If you find it interesting and want to subscribe please send us an email to sales@munrographics.com

Make The Most of The Great Outdoors

Believe it or not, June 21st is just around the corner and the summer weather is upon us.  Whether you’re the gung-ho outdoors-man like John Candy, or the Dan Aykroyd of the bunch who is used to staying at the Ritz, summer is the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors.  While June is officially coined Great Outdoors Month, the beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes, and outdoor attractions will be flooded with people.  While this is a time for you to enjoy the weather with your friends and family,  it’s also an ideal marketing opportunity for companies in the outdoor industry as well as promote corporate wellness programs.

National Fishing Week and National Camping Week cover the first and last weeks, respectively,  in June, but there is continuous opportunity for marketers to harness the outdoors crowd.  I’ve highlighted some of the hottest promotional products below, but surely there are thousands more to choose from depending on your business.

• Bottle Opener Carabiner with Knife and Flashlight – this versatile gadget pretty much covers all the bases, making it the perfect item for the average person in the summertime.
• Waterproof Valuables Pouch – If you haven’t taken your phone or camera for an unexpected plunge, surely you know someone who has.  What better way to protect your mobile devices from water, sand, & rain than this handy pouch.  Did I mention it comes with a lanyard?
• Canteens/Water Bottles – Regardless of what activity you’re partaking in, hydration is necessary.
• Towels – Beach towels, hand towels, golf towels.  Everyone uses these during the summer months.

As I said, these are just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to products available.  If you’re interested in receiving more information, catalogs, or samples, contact us at dangrube@munrographics.com.

Stay safe and enjoy your great outdoors!

PPB Newslink Breaking News May 30: Hanes Divests European Imagewear Division, Outer Banks Brand

This is big news. Hanes has divested itself of it’s Outer Banks brand of wearables.

If you are looking for a substitute brand contact Munro Graphics PPB Newslink Breaking News May 30: Hanes Divests European Imagewear Division, Outer Banks Brand.

NEPPA Supplier Showcase 2012

Last Friday, I attended the New England Promotional Products Association (NEPPA) Supplier Showcase Seminar in Dedham, MA.  This was my first seminar and also my first real exposure to some of the industry’s top suppliers and local distributors.  Overwhelming, but in a sense that there was a TON of new information, but at the same time, a great way to dive head first right into the meat of the industry.  A variety of suppliers, which I have listed below, allowed me to get a taste of several types of products available.

• Cap America
• Hutchinson Marketing Design
• Prime Line
• Charles River Apparel
• Fields Manufacturing
• Target Line
• Bag Makers
• Poly Concept
• Bic & Norwood
• Sanford

Not only was I introduced to some of the newest, most innovative promotional products on the market, I learned that there really is a product for every company, every person, and every event.  Dream it, you can most likely have it.  The challenge, I presume, is utilizing your resources effectively to find the perfect product for each consumer needs.  Something to remember if you’re an end consumer is that samples are always available.  Ideas may look good on paper, but they always feel better when you have a physical sample product.

Whether you’re hosting an event, rewarding employees with a custom gift, placing your next stationery order, ordering T-Shirts for your buddies, or whatever it may be, customized products are always better.  On top of the benefit of branding, it adds a dimension of personalization to your gifts.  People love a freebie, especially when it’s imprinted with a memory.

View our digital catalog HERE, but don’t hesitate to inquire if you don’t find what you’re looking for.  Chances are, we’ll find it!

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How to Successfully Market Your Golf Event

Whether you have been the host of your company’s annual golf tournament for the past two decades, or your boss put you in charge of organizing this year’s outing, there are several steps you want to take in order to host a successful event.  Many people and businesses don’t realize the profit opportunity when hosting a golf event, which could be anything from a charity tournament to an annual employee outing.  Like most other business events, the objective is to generate a profit.   More often than not, the one’s hosting the event are overly focused on their “expenses” rather than the customer, or in this instance, the golfer.  Taking care of the golfer should be the number one priority.  A happy golfer means an opportunity for repeat business year after year.

While a sleeve of golf balls, a pack of tees and a couple ball markers may seem like a sufficient gift for the golfer in the eyes of the host, the golfer may see it as the cheap way out.  We all understand it takes money to pay for more appealing giveaways, but who ever said it had to be your money?

Lesson #1: Optimize Sponsorships

Let the sponsors pay for your giveaways.  The more sponsors you can sign on for the event, the less out of pocket expense for you.  Rather than giving away golf balls branded with one company’s logo, package together a kit of promotional gifts branded with several company’s logos.

Example:

1. Giveaway sleeve of Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls (Most Popular Ball)
   • One, possibly two sponsors on ball
   • 20% profit
2. Giveaway kit bundled with sleeve of Callaway Warbird 2.0 golf balls (fairly cheap ball, but ability to leverage quality of ball because Callaway is recognizable name), a matchbook tee holder, a chilly pad towel (one of the hottest new innovations), poker chips (ball markers), a scramble pick (pole used to pick up ball quickly during scramble play), and a hat clip slider.
   • Bury balls within kit (so the balls aren’t the highlight)
   • Although this may seem like a lot initially, if you have partnered with enough sponsors, these gifts leave endless possibilities for logo placement, and in turn, a very low out of pocket expense.
   • 40% profit
3. Event Memorabilia
   • Giveaway framed golf towel, covered with sponsors logos
   • Design a unique trophy imprinted with sponsor logos

Whichever gift(s) you choose to share with the event participants, be sure to utilize both your sponsors and your promotional space.  Once the sponsors are in place, the possibilities for promoting them within the event are seemingly endless.  Hole signs, green signs, flags, banners, shirts, umbrella’s, etc, make sure to chose your products wisely, keeping in mind, the more space for sponsors, the more revenue generated.

For a more detailed guide to planning your next golf event, our friends over at BallPro have put together a Tournament Planner, which you can view HERE.

Visit Our Website || jmunro@munrographics.com || 978-682-0699

What Brand Shines Brightest On Your Desk?

Have you ever thought about how many brands are advertising right from your desk? Everything from your calender to your pens to your notepad  to your computer have another company’s name on them.  While you may not realize how much of an influence those small stationary items have on your awareness of that company, think about how many impressions are made each day. Without looking, do you know what brand your notepad is? What picture is imprinted at the top or bottom of it? Guilty as charged. Although you may not see logoed stationary as an effective form of branding for your company, you may not realize how much reach that pen or pad of paper may actually have.

While you’re still thinking about what brands shine the brightest on your desk, start thinking about how your brand will shine brightest on someone else’s desk. Whether it be a note pad, a pen, or a stack of sticky notes, you never know how far that product may travel. Let’s be honest, people covet a nice pen like it’s a $100 bill. Some even go as far as carrying that pen with them everywhere they go. Rather than giving out $100 bills with your company’s name on them (for one thing, defacing government property is illegal), give something rather inexpensive that is valued much higher than the retail price.

If you’re interesting in advertising your brand on desks nationwide, contact us via email (jmunro@munrographics.com) or give us a call (978 682-0699), we’d be happy to hear from you!

For current offers, check out the flyers below for some of our best values.

PhotoTex: A Creative Approach to Peel and Stick Advertising

“Photo Tex is a peel and stick, patented, polyester fabric, adhesive media material that can be installed on virtually any surface (except non-painted brick) in any weather condition and then removed and reused many times over. Photo Tex is non-toxic, green and phthalates free.”

Photo Tex is a creative, environmentally friendly,  new method of advertising both indoors and out.  Built to withstand all weather conditions, from rain to snow to freezing cold temperatures, Photo Tex is a suitable alternative to all wasteful, one time use forms of peel and stick advertisements.  Similar to the popular Fathead products, the Photo Tex adhesive does not leave sticky residue on 99% of the surfaces when removed.  In addition, the polyester-fabric will not rip, wrinkle, curl or shrink like other materials and it can be pulled apart.

The versatile design allows you to wrap your ad around wall corners or poles, or even adhere it to a ceiling. Several well known organizations and business have already adopted the innovative technology, including the likes of Macy’s, Coca Cola, Anheuser Busch, Coors-Miller, McDonald’s, Victoria’s Secret, Stadiums and Events (New England’s own Patriot Place), Verizon, & several more.  Whether it be photo reproductions, wallpaper borders, corporate advertising, signs, posters, pillar/pole ads, department store posters/ads, elevator doors, race cars, or window signs, be creative and think outside the box.

For additional information on sizes and samples, inquire below.

Visit Photo Tex Official Website | @StikAbility

Munro Graphics Official Website | @JFMunro

Communicate with your printer and reap the benefit of his experience

Here’s a true story that took place today that illustrates not only the need to communicate with your printer but also the benefits to you by doing so.

This morning a customer came to me to ask if I could make a couple of rubber stamps for him. I told him sure and in the course of our conversation it came out that he actually needed two. One was for a STD Mail Indecia permit and the other was for a postal service endorsement.

We had just printed a fairly large order of flyers for this customer and without discussing it with us at all he decided that he was going to mail about 7500 of them. The poor guy went out and got several paper lists and proceeded to start addressing them in long hand!

After about 500 he then went to the post office to mail those he had completed.  That’s when he found out about the need for a permit etc.

Had he come to me first I could have saved him oodles of work. 

• We would have suggested printing some of the flyers as a self mailing post card and eliminated the expense of the envelope.
• We would have procured the list for him in an electronic format
• We would have walked him through the mailing process or partnered with a mail house to address and mail his piece.

Fortunately we had the conversation this morning and we were able to at least print some envelopes for him with everything required for the mailing. At least he won’t wear out his wrist with the rubber stamps.

As has been said so many times by so many experts, please give your printer the information he needs to achieve your goals.

Margies Print Tips

Here is some really great advice for anyone dealing with a printer courtesy of Margie Dana Margies Print Tips.

A Laypersons Guide to Graphic Design: Observatory: Design Observer

Here is another one of those articles that just begs to be shared. It’s a very well written piece that acknowledges both the creative artistic side but also gives voice to the professional training and skill required to implement a design that is not only artistic and pleasing to the eye but also commercially effective.

 A Laypersons Guide to Graphic Design: Observatory: Design Observer.