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5 Keys to Choosing Your Next Promotional Product Idea

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Lots. And at the same time, not much.

While there are all kinds of great promotional product ideas hidden away in catalogues, not many of them are being ordered by organizations eager to give their brands a boost. When companies look for products to place their logo on, the search more often than not leads to coffee cups, water bottles and one-size-fits-all baseball caps; even though there are far more interesting items available.

Lots of factors contribute to same-old, same-old in the company store. One is the make-everyone-happy syndrome. Make the staff happy. Make the client happy. Make the promotional products supplier with too large an inventory of T-Shirts and ballpoint pens happy. Don’t take chances. It’s sad how seldom a brand is reflected well in promo items.

So how do you come up with items that not only bring attention to your brand, but remind your customers of what you’re all about?

First, take your time. Don’t start thinking about souvenirs for the annual company picnic three days before the event.

Second, commit someone in your organization to the project and give them the final say even if what they come up with feels a little “out there.” It should!

Third and most important, choose your promotional products supplier on the basis of value and not just price. Will they work with you to come up with just the right thing and the perfect placement of your logo and message? Do they have the creative resources it will take to really differentiate your company?

Fourth, choose promotional products that are relevant to what you do. Coffee cups may be great for Jenny’s Java but not so much for Bobby’s Bottled Water.

Fifth and finally, with a clear mandate and a proven creative promotional products partner to work with, have fun and above all, go too far.

Don’t let a great item and an awesome graphic treatment of your logo get “toned down.” Follow these tips to avoid a bland brand when it comes to your promotional items.

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Green Branding with Customized Promotional Products

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Going green with your branding can be as easy as making some small changes in the way you manufacture your customized promotional products. There are now more and more companies specializing in eco-friendly promotional materials. If you’re planning on going green you can start with these small changes and just build on them as you go on:

Start by using bamboo shirts instead of cotton shirts or use hemp bags instead of plastic bags that clog up landfills. Yup, you heard me right. Bamboo and hemp. Both are pesticide free, sustainable and a renewable resource. The material used to make shirts from bamboo is super absorbent, breathable and great for sensitive skin. The same goes for hemp bags. Plus, they’re durable too. But are they comfortable to wear? Absolutely! Bamboo is just as soft and comfortable as cotton and since they help regulate temperature. The fabric keeps you cool on warm days and warm on cold days.

Another great way to bump up the eco-friendly factor is to use natural, non toxic dyes/pigments for the prints on your customized promotional products.

Going green isn’t a fad that will eventually go out of trend. It’s a movement that has slowly gaining momentum and will surely be here for a long time. It is now being adopted by both large and small companies all other the world. Going green sends out a clear message to your clients; it shows that you care what you put out into the world. It shows your dedication, even with these small gestures to a cause worth supporting.

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The Evolution of the T-shirt

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The Evolution of the T-shirt – Edmonton T-Shirt Design Re-Loaded

Edmonton t-shirt design and trends come and go but the classic t-shirt will always be a staple in everyone’s wardrobe. Nowadays, a plain white tee can be a great avenue of expression. In some ways the statement tee has become a medium of choice to voice out ones views whether they be with regards to music, culture, art, philosophy and even politics. The t-shirt can be a pedestal of sorts for your opinions and ideas.

Today a new phenomenon has taken hold and has elevated the plain old t-shirt to a totally different level. T-shirt designs are much bolder, more creative and have more to say – visually. The popularity of design-it-yourself sites like the Edmonton t-shirt design has flourished giving designers from all over the world the chance to show their art to an even wider audience than previously thought.

It’s funny to think that this humble garment, previously considered as “underwear”, has become such a worldwide hit. Created in the 19th century as an undergarment, the t-shirt was meant to be worn under a suit. But in 1951 one man changed all that; it wasn’t until screen legend Marlon Brando, in the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire”, forever changed the way we saw the t-shirt. After that the t-shirt gained the status it truly deserved — as a fashionable, stand-alone, outer-wear garment.

In the 1960s and 70’s the t-shirt became wearable art. Psychedelic colours were introduced and new printing techniques created. Colourful tie-dyed shirts where all the rage with the hippie 60’s movement of “free love”.  The t-shirt also became a mode of advertisement and protest. T-shirts of bands like the “Grateful Dead” and “Led Zeppelin” became sought after. In fact vintage pieces sell for hundreds of dollars today. But the most iconic t-shirt design of the 70’s would have to be Milton Glaser’s “I Love New York” logo shirt. This design is still considered a classic and a perfect example of t-shirt advertising (and also considered as one of the most successful tourism campaigns of all time).

As the decades rolled on the technology behind the t-shirt also progressed. New techniques, textures, fabrics and paints were introduced further broadening the design possibilities. This same technology has also made it easier for people to print smaller batches or use innovative techniques for use in many type purposes; whether it be for commercial advertising, souvenir messages or just as a statement piece that truly fits the wearer (pun intended).

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Edmonton Screen Printing: Trends in Custom Screen Printed T-shirts for 2011

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The t-shirt has certainly gone a long way from an undergarment meant to be worn under a suit in the 19th century to a fashion staple that is always in everyone’s wardrobe. We simply can’t do without a t-shirt or two or three or even a hundred. In the decades since its creation, t-shirt designs and printing techniques have also evolved with the times. Spark, an award winning Edmonton screen printing shop, has been at the forefront of this explosion in terms of techniques and methods.

These are just some of the following trends in custom screen printed t-shirts for 2010 and beyond.

The All-over print t-shirt  

This design has been around some time; but newer printing methods have made it easier and cheaper to do. What this means is that the print or pattern is repeated all over the shirt. Edmonton screen printing typically sources the fabric, the lengths of the fabric printed with the design and then the printed fabric is sent to a factory to be sewn into a shirt. This is often regarded as “cut and sew”.

The pattern could be anything from corporate logos, text or graphic. This type of “all-over” design makes for a really bold statement and remains in-fashion for 2011.

The Giant print t-shirt

This is another bold printing technique that really catches the eye! Nothing says “look at me!” than a giant print t-shirt. The important thing to note is to balance colour with the scale of the design. If you have an intricate design, its best to go for much muted colours; and brighter colours for simpler graphics. While it’s good to get attention once in a while, you certainly don’t want to come off as screaming.

The Discharge print t-shirt

Finally, this technique uses ink that allows the fabric’s natural fibres to show through. The result is a soft print instead of a bulky paint layer. The great thing about this technique is it can be used to replicate “vintage-style” t-shirts. Add a little bit of “wear and tear” on the tee and your shirt can look like you’ve had it forever.

Posted in Edmonton Screen Printing, Edmonton Silk Screening, Edmonton T-Shirt, Edmonton T-Shirts | 1 Comment

Rebranding Strategies – 4 Keys to Change When Your Brand Just Ain’t Workin’

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Even the strongest brands are faced from time to time with the fact that the world they’re trying to win over doesn’t stand still. Brands are all about attitudes and beliefs and values. And attitudes, beliefs and values change. Re-branding or even fine-tuning a brand is incredibly difficult and dangerous and involves many factors. All of which should be considered carefully before any major rebranding strategies or even tiny tweaks are implemented. Re-inventing a brand is no time for doubt or indecision.

Don’t let changing your brand become an inside job. Living inside a brand is the worst place to be when it comes time to change it. If you have the budget, do consumer research into the state of you brand. If you don’t have the dollars, use common sense. Talk to an advertising agency or if you want to cut the costs, a shop that deals with branding everyday. Go online to study other brand re-inventions and the results. Find out how companies have reacted to threats to their brand. Click “Tylenol,” “New Coke” and “GAP.” In the end, don’t be afraid to make a gut call and when you do, make a courageous one. Commit completely. Be very careful how you complement your new “wardrobe” with accessories from the past.

Don’t overestimate your brand’s awareness. Your brand is the only thing on your mind the last thing on anyone else’s. You may be bored with your “look” for example, while you potential audience may be just coming aware of it. It takes a very long time to build a brand and implementing rebranding strategies prematurely may lose your entire equity unless it is very well established and people are anticipating a change and curious to see what it is.

Choose between changing and rooting right in. An Eagles lyric states that “there is no new frontier. We have got to make it here.” Often what seems a time to change is really the time to stick to your guns and weather out the storm. The way Nike did with Tiger Woods. What seems to be an attack against your brand may be a blessing in disguise and a chance to reaffirm what you stand for. What appears to be a good time to shut up may be the perfect time to speak up.

Embrace your new identity. The thing all great brands have in common is an attitude of unassailable self-confidence; however generously they may entertain the opinions of others, they have no doubt that they stand on firm ground. In shifting from one personality to another, you have to retain the conviction that the new is even stronger than the old. That the brand has not only changed, but changed for the better. This is an attitude that has to be conveyed internally to all of the people who will be challenged to stand up for a new look, a new line and a new logo across the counter and at the checkout.

Posted in Branding Yourself, Corporate Branding Design, Edmonton Logo Design, Edmonton Screen Printing, Edmonton Silk Screening, Edmonton T-Shirt, Edmonton T-Shirts, Rebranding Strategies | 2 Comments