Author Archive: Lee

We’ve Got Spirit, How ’bout You?

August 2, 2011

Can you believe it’s August already? Though as it’s expected to hit 110 degrees here in Lawrence today, I’m looking forward to fall and cooler temperatures. And speaking of cool, we’ve got some cool ideas for showing your school spirit this fall.

BPA Free Tritan Water Bottles

BPA Free Tritan Water Bottles
While CamelBak and Nalgene Water Bottles remain among our most popular water bottles, we also offer a great new line of sleek and durable water bottles. Made from BPA free Tritan Copolyester, these bottles are available in a variety of beautiful colors and styles. And replacing disposable plastic water bottles is eco-friendly.

Aluminum and Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Aluminum and Stainless Water Bottles
While we’re talking water bottles, we might as well show off some of our popular aluminum and stainless steel water bottles. Available in many colors, shapes and sizes, these bottles are an excellent alternative to plastic water bottles. A great giveaway at pep rallies or to use as a school fundraiser.

Non-Woven Two-Tone Drawstring Sports PackDrawstring Backpacks
A great choice when promoting school spirit, drawstring backpacks are ideal for sports teams and youth groups. Many backpacks are available in non-woven polypropylene, making them eco-friendly and recyclable. Available in many colors and styles. The backpack featured here is the Non-Woven Two-Tone Drawstring Sports Pack. This pack is made from 80 gram non-woven, water-resistant polypropylene, and features an outside pocket, reinforced eyelets and drawstring closure. Available in red, apple green, orange, purple, yellow, blue and forest green.

Foam FingersFoam Fingers
Is your team number one in your heart? Let everyone know how you really feel with foam fingers and foam cheering mitts. Available in many colors, sizes and shapes, foam cheering products are a great way to make a big impression. Includes a hand slit for easy cheering. You’ll have your opponents shaking in their boots once they realize they’re playing number one!

Stadium CushionsStadium Cushions
While I love watching football, I’m not a fan of the bleachers without my trusty stadium cushion! A great way to promote your business and your team spirit, print your logo on one side and your mascot on the other. Great for pep rallies or as a school fundraiser, stadium cushions will keep your fans comfortable while they cheer on their favorite team. Available in different sizes, styles and thicknesses. I prefer mine as thick and soft as possible.

Gildan HoodieTeam Apparel
Whether your team consists of your staff or your football team, apparel is a great way to display your school spirit. We offer both screen printing and embroidery on a wide range of items including t-shirts, polos, hoodies, boxers, sweats, headware, shorts, wind jackets and much more. Pictured is the Gildan Heavy Blend Fleece Hoodie. Made from a 50/50 cotton/polyester blend, this 7.75 oz. brushed back jersey fleece includes a hood neck with drawstring, front pouch pocket, spandex reinforced rib knit cuffs and waistband, double-needle cover-stitched armholes, cuffs and waistband.

This is only a small sampling of the products that can be used to show your school spirit. Let your imagination run wild, or better yet, let ours. We’re brimming with fresh and creative ideas for your next promotion or event.

Drinkware, Eco-Friendly Products, Product Spotlight, School Spirit

Hot Promos for Summer 2011

May 31, 2011

With Memorial Day now behind us, it’s time to look for some great ideas for your summer promos. Below are just a few of our favorites for the summer of 2011!

CamelBak Water BottlesCamelBak Water Bottles
According to Green Your Way, Americans consume approximately 50 billion bottles of water per year, and the majority of these bottles head straight for a landfill. That’s a lot of waste. And in our minds, a wasted opportunity. Promoting your business with reusable water bottles is both eco-friendly and effective. Many styles and materials exist for promotional water bottles, but our favorite is the CamelBak Water Bottle. These are BPA-free and made from Tritan Copolyester. CamelBak is a popular and trusted brand by camping enthusiasts. Imprinted with your logo, this is an item your clients will keep and use for years to come.

For additional suggestions, we offer Nalgene Water Bottles, aluminum water bottles, stainless steel water bottles, and a broad assortment of BPA-free hard and soft plastic water bottles.

Fiesta 12-Pack Kooler from KoozieFiesta 12-Pack Kooler from Koozie
Summer is an excellent time for travel, picnics and days at the beach or the lake. And it’s important to keep your food and beverages cold. Made by Koozie from 70D nylon, these high-quality insulated bags feature a front zippered pocket, watertight main compartment capable of holding 12 cans, and 1/4″ foam insulation. Available in green, black, red and blue. A useful item that offers repeat exposure to your logo and promotional message.

BBQ SetsBBQ Sets
A great choice for outdoor events and company picnics would be a custom printed BBQ Set. Promotional BBQ Sets are available in dozens of styles, configurations and price points. This particular set includes a durable 300D polyester carry case with zippered closure, exterior storage pocket and 12″ webbing handles. Set components made of stainless steel with hardwood handles and include spatula, fork, tongs, basting brush and four skewers. Your logo can be imprinted on the outside of the carrying case to make this an excellent promotional gift.

Shady .5 oz. Sun Screen with CarabinerShady .5 oz. Sun Screen with Carabiner
Protecting your clients in the hot summer sun is always a great plan. We offer a variety of sun screen products, and our favorite is the Shady Sun Screen with Carabiner. Available with your choice of SPF15 or SPF30 sun screen, these promotional bottles are handy as they can clip directly to a golf bag, backpack or purse with the attached carabiner clip. Sun screen is water-resistant and sweat-resistant.

Mesh Beach ChairMesh Beach Chair
Nothing says summer like a Mesh Beach Chair. This low-slung beach chair is designed for complete comfort and relaxation. Includes a padded headrest, mesh insert in seat and 210D nylon carry bag with white strap and drawstring. The chair is made from powder coated steal and 600D polyester. Available in your choice of red, royal blue and khaki. The headrest and carrying bag can be imprinted with your logo.

Baseball ToteBaseball Tote
Totes come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And now you can get a tote that looks like a baseball! This tote is 19″ diameter x 6″ deep, and made from durable 80 GSM nonwoven polypropylene. This is an eco-friendly product as well. The nonwoven polypropylene is 100% recyclable and made from 40% pre-consumer recycled product. Features 28″ handles. This would be a great gift at outdoor events, baseball tournaments, company picnics and festivals.

Additional tote options include a variety of shopping and insulated totes made from nonwoven polypropylene, cotton canvas and polyester.

Drinkware, Eco-Friendly Products, Product Spotlight, Sales and Marketing

Spring Sale — Get Your Promotional Slinky

April 1, 2011

Promotional SlinkySpring Sale! I’ve always enjoyed a good pun. And even a few that weren’t so good.

Coiled toys are fun promotional gifts, but nothing beats a Slinky. Here are a few key facts about our favorite toy that walks downstairs, alone and in pairs.

1. 94% of all Americans know Slinky.
2. Made in America.
3. Made from 90% recycled metal.
4. The Slinky can be color-keyed to match your product colors.
5. This Slinky is positively viewed by consumers, and has been around for more than 60 years.

And in the month of April we’re offering 15% OFF the Slinky!

View Retail Pricing and Product Literature (3659kb PDF)

Product Spotlight

Tech Time: USB 3.0 is Here (Well Kind Of)

February 25, 2011

If you don’t know by now that I’m a computer geek, then you don’t know me very well! I love technology. And I love promotional marketing. So you won’t be surprised when I tell you that I get excited about new tech-oriented promotional products.

Whether you save files to a USB drive, own a digital camera, listen to music on your MP3 player, or keep your coffee warm with a USB coffee warmer (that we can imprint with your logo), you’re likely utilizing USB devices all the time. As are your customers and your employees. We offer a wide variety of USB devices that make exceptional promotional gifts.

USB 2.0 has been the standard for several years. But now we have USB 3.0. What does that mean and why should you care? According to PCWorld, “The theoretical throughput improvement offered by USB 3.0 is dramatic — a theoretical 10X jump over existing USB 2.0 hardware. USB 2.0 maxed out at a theoretical 480Mbps, while USB 3.0 can theoretically handle up to 5Gbps.” You can read the full PCWorld article here.

Sound like gibberish? Sorry about that. I’m a geek. All you need to know is that USB 3.0 is fast. REALLY fast.

USB 3.0 Promotional DriveFew computers are available with USB 3.0 technology, and few devices are available that are USB 3.0, but it will quickly become the standard on all computers and devices. And today I spotted the first USB 3.0 memory drives available in our industry.

USB 3.0 devices should be backwards compatible, meaning that you can use them with computers that are USB 2.0. Like all new technology, expect to pay a little more for the newest and fastest. And if any of your employees and customers are as tech-geeky as I am, they will love you if you give them a new USB 3.0 drive.

Corporate Gifts, Product Spotlight

Snap Promotions Launches YouTube Channel

January 18, 2011

Snap Promotions Launches YouTube ChannelSnap Promotions is proud to announce the launch of their own YouTube Channel, which can be found on YouTube under the user name of MySnapPromotions.

“Working in conjunction with some of our favorite suppliers, we’re able to bring our products to life through video,” says owner Kristin Eldridge. “We have several videos on the site already, and will be adding many more as time allows.”

Product videos will include new and old items alike.

“One of my favorite new videos is the Giant Pencil. Not only does it showcase the product, our partner All-in-One has made the video fun as well.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmLUL6tQWCc[/youtube]

View more videos from Snap Promotions here!

Product Videos

Gourmet Coffee Makes For A Great Promotional Gift

January 12, 2011

When I glanced at the thermometer this morning it was two degrees. No wonder I’m dreaming about coffee today. And we’ve got some great ideas for utilizing gourmet coffee as promotional gifts.

Stand Up Coffee Mug Stuffer
Stand Up Coffee Mug Stuffer
Stand out from the crowd with our new stand up gourmet coffee package. This new coffee packet stands upright on a table making it an attractive thank you or promotional coffee gift. Brews one pot (10-12 cups) of Arabica gourmet coffee and fits inside your mug. Each gloss white foil package contains 1.5 oz. of fresh roasted ground coffee. Available in Christmas Blend (seasonal), Richard’s Blend or Vanilla Hazelnut. Available with other premium coffee flavors for orders of 250+ pieces.

8 oz. Gourmet Coffee
8 oz. Gourmet Coffee
A large package of our fresh roasted gourmet coffee packaged in a stay-fresh foil bag (kosher). Each 8 oz. package yields approximately six full pots of coffee. If not specified, ground coffee is assumed. Whole bean coffee available, indicate “Whole Bean”.

Bag colors: Gold, Silver, Black, White, Designer Blue or Designer Red.

Flavors: Richard’s Blend, Richard’s Blend Decaf, Colombian Supremo, Kona Blend, Italian Espresso Blend, Double French Vanilla, Hazel Nut and Cinnamon Crumb Cake. Other custom flavors and blends available, please inquire.

Coffee Single -- Instant Coffee
Coffee Single — Instant Coffee
The rich flavor of Colombian gourmet coffee with the convenience of a single serving package (yields one mug). Each package contains 100% instant kosher Colombian coffee. Simply add (10-11 oz.) hot water and enjoy!

Gourmet Coffee Bag -- Direct Print
Gourmet Coffee Bag — Direct Print
This Arabica coffee bag fits inside a mug and brews one pot (10-12 cups) of fresh roasted Kosher gourmet coffee. Great for complex graphics — prints directly on front and rear wrapper.

Flavors: Richard’s Blend, Richard’s Blend Decaf, Colombian Supremo, Kona Blend, Italian Espresso Blend, Double French Vanilla, Hazel Nut, Cinnamon Crumb Cake, Organic Fair Trade Certified Coffee.

Organic Fair Trade Mug Stuffer
Organic Fair Trade Mug Stuffer
Brews one perfect pot (10-12 cups) of Organic Fair Trade Certified(TM) gourmet coffee (kosher). Each white package contains 1.5 oz. of fresh roasted ground coffee. Organic coffee is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Fair Trade coffee certification assures that family farmers receive a fair price for their harvest, environmentally sustainable farming is encouraged and forced child labor is prohibited. Larger bag available.

Gourmet Coffee Bag -- Direct Print in Full Color
Gourmet Coffee Bag — Direct Print in Full Color
This Arabica coffee bag fit inside a mug and brews one pot (10-12 cups) of fresh roasted Kosher gourmet coffee. Great for complex graphics — prints directly on front and rear wrapper.

Flavors: Richard’s Blend, Richard’s Blend Decaf, Colombian Supremo, Kona Blend, Italian Espresso Blend, Double French Vanilla, Hazel Nut, Cinnamon Crumb Cake, Organic Fair Trade Certified Coffee.

This is just a sampling of our promotional coffee options. Drink up and keep warm. It’s cold out there!

Product Spotlight

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Snap Promotions Launches Online Catalog

January 3, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Snap Promotions announces the launch of their new website and online promotional products catalog titled Customizable Promotional Items.

“This new website is the first in a series of online resources we’re planning to launch over the next few years,” says Kristin Eldridge, president of Snap Promotions. “We’re very pleased with our new online catalog.”

Featuring more than 300,000 promotional products, Customizable Promotional Items offers everything from apparel to promotional pens.

“The broad range of products will be very appealing to our customers,” continues Eldridge. “Many of our clients like to do a little window shopping for ideas. And while we will continue to offer our traditional printed catalogs and consulting, this will be a nice complement to our business and resource for our customers.”

Product Spotlight, Sales and Marketing

Five Tips When Designing Your Logo

December 27, 2010

I have been involved in the design world and the printing industry for more than 20 years. I’ve been responsible for printing thousands of logos on thousands of different products. There are many important elements to consider when designing a logo — such as colors, style and your target audience. But too often, designers fail to consider one of the most important elements of a good logo — printability.

1 – Layout
When designing a logo, consider creating a horizontal and a vertical version of your logo. If your logo is tall, it will not print well on a pen. And if it’s too wide, it will never print well on a stress ball. By creating two versions of your logo (with the same basic elements), you open up endless possibilities for utilization of your logo. You may be surprised at how often you utilize your secondary layout of your company logo.

2 – Color vs Black & White
Every logo needs to look good if it’s printed in one color. Convert your logo to one imprint color such as black. Does it still look good? Full color logos may be beautiful on your website, but are not always practical for printing. What happens when you put it on your fax cover sheet? What about in a B&W ad in the phone book?

3 – Size
There will be times where you’ll need to print your logo small. Is your logo still readable if it’s only 1″ wide? Smaller? Print your logo at various sizes and make sure that it’s still readable and looks great at every size. This is another reason to create horizontal and vertical versions of your logo. Sometimes one of the two formats may work considerably better at smaller sizes. If your logo is unreadable when it’s small, you’ve got a problem.

4 – Shades
A shade or a screen of a color presents certain challenges when imprinting your logo. Let’s say your logo is in blue, and the designer has used several shades of the blue in the logo. Shades are printed by imprinting “dots” and leaving some of the background between the dots. The darker the shade, the more dense the printing of the dots. The easiest example is to think of a B&W photo in a newspaper where you can really see the dots. Well what happens if you want to order a blue coffee mug with your logo on it? You’ll probably want to print your logo in white. Well then what are you going to do with the screens of blue? I would certainly suggest that you have a version of your logo where only solid colors are utilized, preferably giving yourself an option to print a one color version of your logo without screens.

5 – Simplicity
Complex logos may be “cool”, but can often become a printing nightmare. Sometimes a simple logo can be more striking and memorable than a complex logo. And if you create a logo keeping in mind all of the elements we’ve discussed today, I bet you’ve already ended up with a logo that’s not too complex to print well.

Your logo is important, and is often a first impression with a new client. Sometimes the most important ability for your new logo is printability. Good luck and happy marketing.

Business Development