Does Your Company Need A Hail Mary?

If enjoy watching football, your familiar with the term a Hail Mary. For those of you that are not football fans, it's a reference to a last ditch effort- aka a long shot attempt to throw a deep pass into the end zone to win the game. Last night's Super Bowl needed a Hail Mary to generate more interest to the viewer; the game did not match the hype. 


However in the days leading up to the event, images of the trophy the winning team would receive were part of the hype promoting the event on news programs. The favorite commercial of the night, a throw back to 100 years of football even showed Brady having to remove his "rings" before getting into the action. Both the trophy and the ring are symbols of achievement earned in the NFL and those pieces  serve as publicly visible recognition pieces. 

In the work place, as in sports, decorative awards serve a necessary role in motivating and shaping employee behavior. Recognizing performance for goals achieved engages your workforce and sends a message that goals matter. In fact, a 2016 Gallup survey showed that organizations that focus on employee engagement have:

•      • 41% lower absenteeism
•      • 42% lower turnover
•      • 70% fewer employee safety incidents
•      • 17% higher productivity
•      • 20% higher sales
•      • 21% higher profitability

If you don’t have a recognition program in place, we have resources to help you get started in the planning process including basic “do’s and dont's" and 3 additional areas of consideration:

•          Starting and building a recognition program

• .            Why engage employees

•                Manager Involvement
       Your business or organization does not have to have a program in place as large as the NFL to create an iconic award. Designing a custom award is a very achievable goal. Here is a desk piece for a client that was seeing a way to allow for additional benchmark dates to be added into the stack over time with minimal desk space lost. 

Signature shapes like these bow ties for employees to associate with their annual black tie event and custom shapes like the house award for Wake County Habitat for Humanity help make events more memorable.  

We also have some partners that look for a completely different award or theme each year so recipients can have a fun display rather than repeating products. 

Even traditional awards and artistic display pieces.

 

Whatever your needs- we have a program for you! Need some additional resources in planning an event , tracking and measuring your process. Check our case studies and photo gallery during the year for inspiration and of course- see you in the showroom for planning and comparing options.

Selfies- An Inspired Idea for Marketing?

The popularity of festivals as a source of entertainment is undeniable. Serving 8 years on the 39 year old PeakFest committee has been an eye-opener for me. Attendees would be amazed to learn the level of resources, planning and cooperation between agencies required prior to the event; not to mention the manpower that day to facilitate. Festivals seeking to stay relevant to attendees need to provide ways to engage their message to the crowd. Selfie Frames are a great way to capture quotes, acknowledge achievements and share support for a "cause". Invited attendees to stop at the selfie booth and share the highlight of the festival with 1,000's of their friends, increasing the reach of your event and your message.

Interactive products in the break room, at a local event or even on the trade show floor provide a way to engage individuals with questions and provide re-usable dry ease surfaces to collect the responses!

What's behind door #1? Is it a new policy or internal contest? Door art, table top signs or temporary footprints driving "foot traffic" to your destination and message reveal are just a few of the cool new products that will add visual interest and provide engagement for your next campaign.

We've been pitching to our clients for years to be "THE GO TO" booth that retains visitors by providing a free charging station. Indoor or outdoor, attendees to festivals or trade shows will have mobile devices that need to be re-charged. Offering a way to plug in and then raffling off the high speed, high capacity chargers used at the station will be appreciated by attendees of all ages. The brand exposure is huge, creating an opportunity to align a message of connection, problem solving, reliability, dependability to visitors at your re-charging station.

Looking for new ways to engage in the office, outdoors or at special events? Our clients enjoy our annual showcase opportunities with top suppliers as a perk of our relationship. To learn more about the products mentioned in the blog today check out this digital link to the catalog and follow our newsletter and look for this special events icon to announce the date of our annual spring showcase;  which will include display and signage products.

Need inspiration within your 4 walls; the classroom or common areas of your office? 

During 2019 we are featuring brand success stories via our social media, website and this blog. If you are not following all these platforms you may miss some stories. When you see this icon, you know a success story has been shared.

Here's how wall and floor graphics became a medium and call to action for change - Connections Academy, Assistant Principal Lassiter said, "Promotional Partners has lived up to their name by being a true partner for our school.  In opening a new alternative public school to serve students who were struggling in their base schools image and branding were key.  It was important to create a welcoming and positive environment for our families and students.  After all, they likely had a negative initial impression.  By creating a cohesive brand for our school Promotional Partners helped us realize our goal of providing a 2nd chance education in a 1st class way.  From staff and student apparel, wall graphics, pens, pencils, mugs, key-chains and even door-mats all of the items they sourced have been helpful in branding us in a positive way.  Promotional Partners with their above and beyond customer service and their industry expertise have been with us every step of the way!"

 Inspired to start sharing your message?

Gen Z and Your Brand; What You Need to Know

As a kid, the hot item in everyone's wardrobe was "red tag" Levi's jeans. It took close to a month of wash and wear to get your new pair of jeans to bend from a stiff fabric that could almost stand alone to your favorite. Besides the jeans, a must was the signature, classic, denim Levi jacket. I've lived long enough to see several fashion trends recycle; some trends I question when it's brought back and others I think....Gee, I've still got one of those. One of "those pieces" that's been in my closet and Keith's for years is our denim jackets.

Sanmar is one of our go to supplier's for purchase quality blank pieces for decoration, one of their contributors to an industry blog, Erin Arnold recently posted an interesting blog. His blog was about the values of our younger workforce and how understanding the mindset of this generation of buyers is smart for your brand. We'd like to share it with you today:

There’s a new generation entering the work force with new values that will influence the work place and apparel trends. Born between the mid-1990s and 2010, Generation Z currently makes up a quarter of the U.S. population, and by 2020 that will grow to one-third. They influence nearly $44 billion in discretionary spending every year, and they don’t know a world without smartphones, Google or social media.

For many in Generation Z, authenticity and transparency from companies matter to them, as does earning their success in life with good grades, good schools and hard work. Their preferred style trends include street-wear looks with cool trainers, individuality and personalization, and inclusive, gender-neutral looks. Members of this generation want to be a part of the conversation with marketing and they are cause-based buyers who don’t hesitate to find answers about any purchasing questions they have online.

As the oldest members of Generation Z enter the workforce it presents a chance to welcome a new crew of workers to the team with the office and uniforming styles they’ll want to wear. We’re pleased to offer so many styles that span generations and can fit into a corporate office, regardless of age.
Take a classic piece,   video link to our Port Authority Denim Jacket.

While it may not be our newest style, it’s a great example of a product that transcends generations and can be customized for everyone from Boomers to Generation Z. Pairing well with a woven, a tee, a hoodie or a polo, it’s the perfect uniforming piece with more flexibility than meets the eye.

For your clients looking to outfit a multi-generational office – and most offices today are multi-generational – it’s important to think about how different styles can go together to create a cohesive look versus outfitting everyone in match-matchy styles, regardless of gender, age, preference, etc. Our goal is to help you do just that, with styles that go beyond basic and offer customization and flexibility for every body.

One of the main reasons Promotional Partners provides a showroom for you is product interaction. The ability to try on items for size or for your committee play with product choices is important to happy employees. Our team will show you how to layer products within the line to create a group of branded apparel that is comfortable, professional and employees will want to wear! 

4 Simple Ways To Love Your Heart

February is associated with love, making it the perfect month to highlight issues related to the heart. That's right, it's American Heart Month and the #1 cause of death in America: heart disease.  How can your brand message connect with the effort to reduce heart disease?   

Here are 4 simple ways to show your heart some love:

• Reward with healthy food choices –  a spice set could be the motivation your company needs to start a wellness program and share heart healthy recipes with co workers.

•  Be active – 150 minutes a week is recommended for a healthy heart; that is 30 minutes for 5 days a week.  A walking meeting is an easy way to take a break and get some exercise. Encourage employees to walk off stress at lunch with a set of Bluetooth earbuds. 

True Wireless Earbuds with Charging Case

• Wellness programs are good for the bottom line, not just your bottom! Many group insurance plans offer lower premiums for companies with a structured wellness plan. Give your employees a pedometer or activity tracker to encourage their participation.

Royal Fleet Smart Fitness Tracker

• Today is National Wear Red Day and many of my friends are encouraging others via social media to wear red in support women battling heart disease and stroke. A simple way to show support as a group for awareness days is to purchase assorted stock ribbon colors of instant embroidery ribbons. NC manufacturer, Suntex has a huge collection of colors and will create custom ribbons; be ready for any awareness date this year. Peel and stick for the day on your apparel and then apply to another surface in your work space for the remainder of the year to serve as a reminder to love your heart!

 Ready to show your heart some love? 

              Ask us for help in creating a fundraising campaign or designing wellness plan.