Introducing the new promotional PicPoc-it Monitor Frame!

The best pieces of promotional merchandise are always those that have a great purpose...something that can be seen everyday by your target audience as they place a value on it. That's why promotional pens, promotional mugs and the like are such a success!

Well, we can now offer another new idea to the list - the promotional PicPoc-it!

This clear acrylic pocket simply affixes to a monior screen (or stands on its own) and the user can insert any pieces of paper or card as they see fit - anything from sticky notes and business cards right through to family photo's! sized to 30 x 7.5 x 3cm its perfect for today's office / desk environment and allows the user to completely declutter there work space.

And with prices at just £6.25 each (based on 1 colour print on 1,000 units) its a cost-effective use of marketing budget too!

For more details contact the team at Code Promotional Merchandise on 0844 879 7323 today or email your enquiry to sales@codepromotional.co.uk and we'll get back to you asap!

What is the best way to sell promotional merchandise?

For any business, contacting your potential customer at the right time in the right manner is one of the most difficult quandaries they face. And, of course, all suppliers of promotional merchandise face the same issue. At Code Promotional Merchandise, we have tried to take a different approach by focusing on brand awareness in the right places.

For the vast majority of businesses there will be no dedicated marketing manager or marketing officer. So it could be down to a variety of individuals who could be left in charge to ‘find me some promotional products to giveaway at that exhibition’ or ‘this Christmas, let’s give our best customers a nice corporate gift’. So we have tried to put ourselves in their shoes and targeted the Search Engines with the key phrases that they may use to search. For example, promotional merchandise, promotional products, cheap metal pens etc.

But there is also a place for well targeted e-shot activity. The lesson here is don’t try and hide what you are selling. Make sure the subject line gives a strong indication of what you are trying to sell...there is nothing worse than an email that mis-represents the content. Sure, the recipient might open it but you will have lost their trust if they perceive the subject line to be a lie and you’ll just go on their blacklist. Put yourself in their shoes. Is a price led offer best? Or should you show a range of options? Maybe you can focus on a theme eg seasonal, sports event, popular culture.

There is now doubt that promotional merchandise does play a part in the marketing activities for businesses. Whether it’s a promotional mug, a branded pen or a printed mousemat the industry is still showing signs of growth even during economic downturns because it’s cost-effective, flexible and easy to produce. The key is take a softly-softly approach to marketing it, be honest about its capabilities and let your customers come to you when the time suits them.

Promotional Brite Mat Mousemats Make Great Sense!

Promotional Mousemats make great business sense. These items are low priced and virtually guaranteed to remain in place on a desk top for months and months...giving your brand continued exposure for pennies per day! At Code Promotional Merchandise we offer the market leading Brite Mat mousemats and coasters and fantastic rates. or you could consider our Presentation Packs allowing you to deliver a mousemat and two matching coasters to your customer. Call the team on 0844 879 7323 today for more details or email sales@codepromotional.co.uk now!

Introducing The Americano Takeaway Mug!

Code Promotional Merchandise is pleased to offer the brand new Americano Takeaway Mug, a great new promotional mug that makes a real impression!

This new takeaway style double walled insulated mug is made from PP (polypropylene). The rubber grip is available in a range of colours and offers a large branding area. The screw lid fixes securely to the mug to create the style of a take out cup. One colour print to mug or grip. Cup is dishwasher & microwave safe. BPA free. Approx 35cl capacity.

For more information call 0844 879 7323 or email sales@codepromotional.co.uk today!

promotional twister memory sticks at great prices!

This week at Code Promotional Merchandise we can offer the market leading twister memory stick at just £2.95 each (price based on 1gb memory, 1 colour print, 1,000 units). The memory stick is now an integrated part of office life and offers great long-term exposure for your brand message. For more great ideas for promotional merchandise call today on 0844 879 7323.

Promotional Tongue Tattoos Now Available!

Code Promotional Merchandise are now offering new Promotional Tongue Tattoos for 2011...another great example of the flexibility of promotional merchandise! These promotional Tongue Tattoos conform to all food safety standards and are manufactured in a BRC-accredited factory in Europe. These are available any shape, any size, and printed with 1 – 4 colour process edible food dyes. Dyes come in synthetic or vegetable-based variants. Prices start from under 14p on 100,000 or more units. Minimum order quantity is 30,000 and leadtime is 5 – 6 weeks. Please ring or email sales@codepromotional.co.uk for a price quote and more details!

The allocation of marketing budgets...it’s not rocket science?

Whether it’s during challenging economic times or periods of sustained economic growth, the allocation of marketing budgets should never be a simple question of ‘repeat what we did last year’ or ‘do what the competition did’! The allocation of such funds needs to be strongly linked to all elements of the business plans for your business.

I was recently presented with a cost estimate (unsolicited I might add!) by a marketing / design / advertising agency who promised me the transformation of the way my business is perceived in the marketplace. They were going to re-design my logo (it’s dated apparently!), provide me with “fresh, stimulating visuals” and support this by changing the font we have used to a more “modern, friendly style suitable for 2011”.

How will this support the business plan to increase sales by 25% this year? What will this radical overhaul of my visual style mean to my online customer as they search for a promotional item to use as a giveaway at their next exhibition? How will we know if the red-design has worked? As you would suspect, there were no answers to these questions as they had no idea about me, the business or the plans we have for the business both short and long term. My point is if you are allocating several thousands of pounds to a design fee, personally I would question it! How have they come to this valuation? Hourly rate possibly...but they might take 10 minutes, 10 hours or 10 days to come up with the idea so how do they know? And will it have a justifiable impact on your bottom line...apart from the additional cost of new signage, van livery and stationery!!

To me, any allocation of marketing budget must be linked to a tangible, measurable, increase in sales. After all, why else are win in the private sector in business? I need to see ideas, innovations and suggestions that are quantifiable. For example, I know the sort of budget I need to put into seo to get onto page one of Google for the search term promotional merchandise. And I have a fair idea of the type of new innovation in the promotional products market that is likely to sell in volumes next year.

For example, a promotional takeaway mug has come onto the marketplace complete with lid – a neat crossover between the standard Sparta ceramic mug and the Travel mug complete with exterior handle. Or the new Token 2 Go keyring with the ability to print on the plastic trolley token and the outer casing. Or the new technology that allows me to offer customers scented polymer so that plastic products can be impregnated with an aroma to support any marketing message they have.
In my humble opinion, it’s not the design of a piece of marketing support you should be allocating funds to...it’s the delivery ability of that piece to the bottom line that should be the be-all and end all!

About The Author
Code Promotional Merchandise is an online supplier of promotional products and business gifts to businesses, charities and public sector organisations with products including promotional pens, promotional mugs, promotional umbrellas, promotional desk top items and eco friendly promotional giveaways. The full range can be found at http://www.codepromotional.co.uk/ or call 0844 879 7323.