TTYin 2010
December 28, 2009
As 2009 comes to a close, we find ourselves packing up boxes at The Sunshine Group. We are not going out of business, but we are moving to a new location. We will be just down the street on 17-92 and Horatio on Swoope. When we are up and running, we will have you come by for a visit. Looking back over the past twelve months brings back memories. Here are just a few…
- Kick-off the selling year with Tony Robbins at the ASI-Orlando industry trade show. He has mastered the art of motivation not only with his words but lights, sounds and movement. I think he should make a custom alarm clock with his voice telling you to get out of bed and be your best self.
- The invasion of the polypropylene shopping bag. These seemed novel when Publix started selling them for $0.99 each at the register but it looks like these are here to stay. If you have a store, make a custom shape or color bag and have your clients reusing YOUR bag instead of Publix’s bag.
- Re-branding…was the advertising world’s word of the year. If you have not spent some time thinking about your brand, tag-line, logo and message, now is a great time to reflect on what your brand is and is that message being carried out in your marketing and advertising?
- Digital printing on promo items. Bring your building, product, service or company to life with digital printing in 4 color process. My favorite new items printed in this technique are a koozie and boxes/mailing envelopes. The colors are so vivid and the experience of your company is taken much farther than just a logo.
- USB drives have become one of the most popular selling items in the industry simply because of the usefulness and value. Stop carrying boxes of brochures to trade shows and start ordering USB Drives pre-loaded with your company brochure on the USB Drive. Your back will thank you – trust me.
- Metal bottles have proven to be a hit in 2009. The flash PBA in plastic scare shook our industry but only for a few seconds as the aluminum or stainless steel bottle quickly was shipped in to save the day. My favorite metal bottle features a flip top, straw, wide mouth for ease of inserting ice and a PBA free plastic liner.
- Moisture wicking shirts are the new 100% cotton when it comes to polo shirts. No more wrinkles across your shoulder and stomach from the seat belt in the car. Forget about looking sweaty in the club house after playing 9 holes at the annual company golf tournament. If your company is still wearing cotton polo, plan on trying a new updated look for the New Year.
- How could I not mention eco, recycled, earth friendly, green and biodegradable products? Look for more great products to be made from corn and bamboo plastics. As we try to reduce our carbon footprints and have a little more concern with what happens to landfills and the lifecycle of paper, plastics and natural fibers, look for new promotional products that reflect that concern.
Monday, January 4th is the annual ASI-Orlando show. I am looking forward to walking the show floor and seeing what new products are available. If you have any events coming up and want me to bring ideas back just for you, please contact me. If I pay close attention, I will be able to answer your favorite question of “What’s new?”
Between now and then, I will be working on my work and personal goals for 2010. I hope that you will do the same. Thank you for spending a few minutes weekly reading my blog. I have truly enjoyed sharing bits and pieces of my work day with you and plan to continue into the New Year.
Follow that TREND
December 8, 2009
Mirriam-Webster defines a Trend as a general movement over time of a statistically detectable change. Not to be confused with its cousin, the Fad; a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal.
In the promotional advertising industry, often times, the trends follow retail items that can be mass produced and imprinted with a corporate logo. Over the years, the Weepul, you remember the little colored puff ball with googley eyes and antennae with a paper message on the sticky feet stands out as a fad, while the movement towards reusable shopping bags is a trend. As time goes on, I am hoping that the use of biodegradable plastics becomes main stream and not just a fad. There is movement with plastic stadium cups and plastic bags. Look for more plastics that can decompose in the future.
According to trend Analyst Michelle Lamb of Marketing Directions, Inc. a trend has seven stages that last over a three year period.
1. Emerging
2. Incoming
3. Pre-peak
4. Peak
5. Post-peak
6. Outgoing
7. Decline
Visit these sites to brush up on trends and find out if you are a trend spotter, creator or follower.
www.trendwatching.com Source: www.trendwatching.com. One of the world’s leading trend firms, trendwatching.com sends out its free, monthly Trend Briefings to more than 160,000 subscribers worldwide.
It’s time to get U-G-L-Y
November 30, 2009
Get U-G-L-Y with a holiday sweater and the American Advertising Federation-Orlando’s very own AD2 Ugly Sweater Social. If you have never been to the Ugly Sweater contest, you need to make it to this one on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 at Vintage on Orange Ave. downtown Orlando. Wear an ugly holiday sweater and you will get a drink for free. $10 or unwrapped toy will get you in the mix. May the ugliest sweater win!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188598186774
I personally won the contest two years ago when it was held at Monkey Bar. My sweater was not holiday but it was a burnt orange parka and it fit the bill. It was downright ugly from the color to the style. It was made from yarn. It made me sweat. It won the contest. It was shipped to a relative Kansas and took the prize there, too. Stay tuned for photos.
Advice: Don’t wait until Dec. 9th to find your ugly sweater. Thrift stores around town will be depleated of these fashion faux-pas.
Hello! My name is…
November 17, 2009
How many events have you attended and had to wear the paper name tag that says “Hello! My name is____”? I don’t know about you but I always run out of room because I write too large or because I want to write all of my contact info in the limited white space. 
One of the most basic forms of self-marketing is to wear a name tag. Do you have one featuring your name? Consider making two name tags – one with your company logo, your name and perhaps your job title and one that only has your name on it so that you can wear it to events when you are not representing your place of employment.
Are you in a job search? Make a name tag that features your name and job title your career title. For as little as $6 a pop, why not?
Corporate gifts in the news
November 17, 2009
Mmmmmm….Gingerbread
November 16, 2009
Looking for a cute way to spread some holiday cheer this year? Try a plush gingerbread. Who can say no to this 8″ toy featuring a colorful ribbon with your logo.
Memory Banks
November 10, 2009
Consider giving your new hires copies of the employee handbook, contact sheets, holiday schedules and corporate history on a convenient USB drive. Content can be locked on the drive so that it cannot be erased but the end user can still add to the drive. Pre-loading your data to a drive at the factory level is always an option. This is a great time saver instead of having an employee have to manually save documents to each drive. Some drives even have “Sticky” technology that allows you to update information stored on the USB Drives remotely. USB Drives come in memory from 256MB – 16GB. This popular style comes in 24 colors.
Common applications: New hires, trade show gift to qualified candidates, executive gifts, new students, eco-friendly reduction of printed materials, health care information.
Did you know that you can fit 542 copies of War and Peace in digital format sized at 1.7MB on a 1GB USB Drive? (per iclick)
The brightest bulb in the desk caddy
November 9, 2009
Coin Toss and Auction Fever
November 3, 2009
The local chapter of HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) put on a wonderful event on October 23, 2009 at the newly renamed Double Tree hotel on I-Drive. Their annual fund raiser “Chinese Auction” featured The Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando as the recipient of a large financial donation to their organization. Here are a few shots of The Sunshine Group in action. You may recognize the guest Gong ringer, Phil Sunshine. The concept is neat…simply toss a quarter in the bucket when you want to bid. The spotters call out numbers from the floor. When the gong rings, the last number called is the winner of the prize. As the cost to bid increases and the quality of the prizes increase, so does the energy in the room. One of the rules was “no standing on chairs”. Now, I understand why. In case you were wondering if I won anything, I did! I received a gift basket from a butterfly themed party location, an MP3 player with 100 songs and a few items from the silent auction.
Let’s go to the movies…AAF-Orlando presents “Art & Copy”
November 2, 2009
AAF-Orlando proudly presents 2 exclusive screenings of “ART & COPY,” a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry.
Art & Copy – At the New Plaza Cinema Café
- $15 Admission (includes parking)
- Tuesday, November 10
- 11:30 a.m. screening
- 6:30 p.m. screening
- (space is limited, purchase your tickets early)
- Cash bar at 6:30 p.m. screening
Due to limited seating and times, tickets must be purchased in advance of the show. Tickets are available for purchse on Facebook link below. There is a trailer of the movie on the page link, too.
http://www.facebook.com/AAFOrlando?v=app_4949752878
Please share with others that may want to attend this screening. I hope to see you there!
