PromoKitchen

The Space Between: It’s Not Just A Good Dave Matthews Song

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Roger Burnett

You’re far enough down the path with your client that you need something to happen to justify the time investment you’ve made. The introductory meeting leads to a discovery meeting that leads to follow up meeting. And now, there you are, prepping to present your solution. But it’s got holes. Not major holes, mind you, but enough that you know…

Disconnected – The Social Media #Fail

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Charity Gibson

Twitter and Facebook are great tools for a sanguine girl like me. It’s awesome to be able to banter back and forth with hundreds of different people from different cities and countries without having to break away from my work here in the office. There is actually a whole group of us promo people that start our days by greeting…

Are You Gonna Sell Me or What?

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Roger Burnett

THAT client is on the phone. You know the one. That same client that won’t take any of your calls, then does the same thing to you every single time they call you. They waited too long, they don’t have a great idea about the budget, and they’re hoping that you’ll save the day with pure magic from your fingertips….

Perception is Reality

Posted on December 7, 2011 by PromoKitchen Contributing Editor

In the fall of 2011, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order effectively reducing the overall spend on promotional products within the US Federal Government by twenty percent. The reaction by our industry was swift and absolutely incorrect. PPAI sent lobbyists to the Hill to protest and asked its members to contact their representatives to do the same on the…

Standing Up To Commoditization

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Mark Graham

A common complaint in our industry is that it’s tough to differentiate ourselves because commoditization is rampant. I have always looked to the advertising industry for inspiration as I respect their ability to sell their creativity more effectively than we can in the promotional products industry. Marketing buyers treat us differently. In general terms, promotional companies sell products while ad…

Setting Goals

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Brad White

Whether you can believe it or not, the year is over. In just a few short weeks we will wave goodbye to 2011. Hopefully you achieved your goals, and you have created specific goals for next year. What’s that? You haven’t set goals for 2012? Your competitor has. Good businesses and smart people plan their year well in advance to…

Gone Bananas!

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Charity Gibson

What is marketing anyway? Are you ready for the Miriam Webster definition? Here goes: “The process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service” Wow. That makes me want to jump out of my seat and go brand something! If I had known I was in for this much excitement as a marketing specialist I would have…

Retention vs. Acquisition: Deciding Where to Focus Your Marketing Dollars

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Branndon Stewart

Peter Drucker, one of the most brilliant business minds to ever live, once said “the purpose of a business is to create a customer.” While I never met Drucker, I’m fairly certain he would agree the second half of that statement could have been “and then keep them forever.” I think we’ll all agree that customers are the most important…

It’s Good, But It Could Be Better

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Roger Burnett

I’m lucky. In addition to a great family and a beautiful wife that actually puts up with me, we were fortunate enough to move onto lakefront property a few years ago. What no-one warns you about before moving in is the serious amount of work required to live lake-side. Serious like you better love the view in a MAJOR way. …

QR Codes and Promo Products (and how it all works)

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Danny Rosin

“Sign, sign everywhere a sign” goes the song by The 5 Man Electrical Band. Quick Response (QR) Codes are ubiquitous these days. Check out a real estate sign and by taking a picture of a QR Code with your smart-phone QR Code scanner (free app), you can take a virtual tour of the home you are standing in front of….