Mar 24, 2011

Tradeshow Giveaways 101

Time to bring on the banners, assemble the booths and start garnering mindshare—it’s tradeshow season. As companies seek to woo attendees and make their booths the must-see attraction, promotional items play a key role. When they’re creative and eye-catching, they can be a magnet-like force in drawing an audience to a booth, as well as an integral part of improving brand recall and perception. According to the Promotional Products Association International, 52% of recipients do business with a company after receiving its promotional item. Another study found that promotional products work hardest in the kitchen and at the office, among other findings.

Here are a few tips to help companies make their tradeshow giveaways—and, by extension, their brand—exciting and memorable.

Stay true to company identity Let creativity reign while selecting items that reflect your company spirit. Be wary of cheap gimmicks—you don’t want recipients to associate a broken item with your brand. (And how you package those items can have a real impact on perception.)

Know your demographic It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on promotional items if they’re not directed to the right audience. As you plan tradeshow purchases, consider the venue and the profile of attendees—including age, profession and likely interests.

Keep the excitement going Use pre-show mailers to generate excitement about your promotional items. Also, consider using your promotional items at the show as part of a larger contest to maximize your audience’s interaction with your brand.

Choose items with staying power Giving a calendar, especially at a tradeshow early in the year, gives your brand 12 months of visibility. Magnets and magnetic picture frames are other popular items that recipients tend to use and see all year long.

Go for utility Be memorable by being useful. Branded sports bottles, eco-friendly grocery totes and journals (someone always forgets a notebook!) are popular, utilitarian gifts.

Keep recipients healthy Everyone is shaking hands and interacting in close quarters at tradeshows. In flu season, especially, as germs increasingly join the workforce, popular promotional items include branded hand sanitizers, lip balm, aspirin, band-aids and other first-aid products.

Cater to travelers Ceramic or other delicate items may get broken in transit. If your audience has flown in for the show, avoid bulky/oversized items and other products that may not make it onto the plane.

Give top guests some TLC Express appreciation to top clients and partners whom you’ve specially invited to the booth. Consider ordering a small quantity of higher-end items and reserving them for these visitors. Personalizing high-end pens, portfolios and flash drives for these recipients is a nice touch.

Consider the quantity When possible, it can be better to err on the side of over-ordering, especially when leftover items can be used at future shows, and since ordering in bulk will get you a better deal.

Want more info?
Download our FREE tradeshow tips presentation at http://www.iceboxonline.com/tradeshow-tips/

Need signage for your tradeshow booth? The Icebox has a new division specializing in large format printing and event displays. Call for 404-522-COOL more information.

Mar 18, 2011

Color Terms - How The Icebox Can Help!

Do You Know a Tint From a Tone?

Pure color is vibrant, with many increments around the color wheel from reds to greens, blues to yellows. All these hues change in expression, however, when they're mixed with white, black or a combination of both a variation is created. Our role as a decorator is to determine the right color to express a brand, define a message or motivate your audience. Understanding the difference between tint, shade and tone will help you succeed.

Tints, also known as pastels, are achieved simply by adding white to a color. Soft, soothing and feminine, tints work well for female audiences or campaigns that convey renewal, freshness or calm. Tints become sophisticated when placed next to neutral colors like navy, gray or brown.

An opposite approach is to mix color with black, which creates a shade. When black is added to a hue, the color becomes deeper and darker. The feeling can be serious, conservative or traditional. Oftentimes, shades like burgundy or forest green are chosen for corporate logos. Male audiences also respond positively to shades because they have a masculine aesthetic.

A tone falls in between. Created by adding both black and white to a hue, the result is a muted, "grayish" version of the original color. Tones can deliver a modern, sophisticated edge to a garment or imprint.

Don’t worry if you didn’t absorb all this information, that’s what our expert creative team is here for!!! We can give you expert design guidance or create your look from scratch.

Call us at 404-522-COOL to get started.

Mar 9, 2011

Icebox Employee Highlighted by Georgia State Magazine

When Director of Marketing, Adrian Sasine isn’t in the office you can probably find him up a tree. No, we haven’t driven him nuts’ (yet), he’s a recreational tree climbing facilitator that teach groups how to climb. Check out Georgia State’s video and you’ll see what we mean.

Available at: http://www.gsu.edu/magazine/2011spring/index.html

Mar 3, 2011

The Advantage of Art – Why Graphic Services Matter

Artwork is at the center of the branded apparel and promotional product universe. Customers’ logos, designs and brand are their calling card – their most valuable asset. When they convey an idea and ultimately place an order, they depend on our creative services as their brand steward.

When artwork mistakes happen or inconsistent design services are delivered – it impacts their business. That’s how The Icebox has differentiated itself in the marketplace! Through our consultative approach to meeting customers’ needs, our sales executives and creative services team apply the highest standards of excellence and customer service to ensure a consistent experience.

5 Reasons Why Customers Should Take Advantage of Our Creative Services:

1. Experience, Experience, Experience!
Branding is much more than simply applying a logo on to a promotional item or apparel. There are unique and creative ways to enhance the graphics and brand presentation cost effectively. These processes add perceived value and flair to the items. A high impact design can add to a clients’ retail sales, fundraising or brand awareness.

2. A Consistent Customer Experience.
When you consistently deliver high quality branded products on time and to consistently excellent standards, you build a trust-based relationship. Don’t listen to us; listen to our retail clients that trust us to help grow their business.

3. Core Differentiator from Competitors.
Our Creative Services team is the cornerstone of our agency-style approach. It’s what sets us apart from the competition. While others rely on you for graphics, we can create, design, recommend, or assist during any phase of the process. Our industry knowledge working with thousands of customers is unmatched.

4. Risk Reduction.
A focused artwork process eliminates the margin for error. We ensure the highest quality outcomes through our rigorous design and review steps. Using an in-house art team and preferred decoration vendors ensures a consistent outcome.

5. Speed to Market.
Every step is tracked and accounted for which makes the entire artwork design and approval process easier and faster. Archiving old designs and maintaining a design inspiration database also accelerates products to market.

When consistency ensures comfort and experience provides value, why would you ever choose a company that lacks Creative Services when you can choose The Icebox?