Hotline.co.uk, Promotional Products Blog

Success in an instant with promotional USB flashdrives

Promotional USB flash drives!!  What a miraculous invention. Not only are they compact, handy and hold many documents such as PowerPoint presentations, photos, word documents etc, they can advertise you company name with the least amount of hassle imaginable. Simply pick the promotional USB you think matches your marketing campaign, product launch or promotional event and then decide on what you would like printed on the flash drive.  Will it be your logo, a slogan or a contact number?  The choice is yours!!  We will always advise you on what looks good and what perhaps doesn’t looks so good, and we will always make you aware of our latest offers.

You could always impress your customer/ client further by coupling your promotional USBs with related promotional items such as a 4 port USB hub – handy if you have lots of USB drives and a lack of ports to place them in.  Also handy if you have many documents on different drives!  Why don’t you push the boat out and couple your promotional gift with a Glacier USB wireless optical mouse?  Your clients will really be impressed.  ...And remember everything can be branded to suit your occasion or event.

My personal recommendation is the ‘Twisty USB promotional flash drive.’  It looks good, is reliable and popular amongst schools and various companies.  It also features a handy slide over lid which helps to protect the USB nib when in a briefcase or hand bag and you won’t lose it because its attached.  Browse our selection of USB drives today.

Promotional products for the big day

The summer is here and lots of people are flocking to the beaches and countryside. Many choose this time of year to get married too and you may be supprised by the number of people who choose promotional gifts as a way of saying thank you to the guests.

Some of the most popular gifts are promotional pens because it is possible to get a large quantity of pens or pencils printed with your message for comparitively few pennies. Promotional pens are also a good way to go due to the vast variety of styles available, so whatever your theme for your special day, you can be assured that there's a type a pen that's just right for you!

Another popular gift range are promotional keyrings. Again, there are a large selection of keyrings and keychains to choose from but often, couples will opt for a metal keyring which and can usually be engraved and comes in a range of classic and contemporary styles. Alternatively there are a variety of other items that would make for great promotional giveaways to say a big 'Thank you' in a tangible, durable and practical way that people will always rember.

Bank Holiday promotional products

When we think of bank holidays in the UK – we all tend to think along the lines of bright sun shine and BBQ’s but realistically it typically raining and dull.  Promotional products are a great way to celebrate these important days of rest and here are a few suggestions for this month’s May bank holiday!

1. A printed folding alarm clock.  This is to make sure that you make the most of your day off and you do not just lounge about with no motivation.  Go for a walk, a picnic or even a lazy breakfast at the local café.  Do something and don’t waste it, we only get a few every year.

2. Buy a handy Super Vent Printed Umbrella and whether there is rain or shine you will be covered from all angles.  If you want something more petite – why not think about the Ladies Telescopic Umbrella with its own cover and hook.  Perfect for your handbag!

3. Why not invest in a hand sanitiser?  If you’re taking the kids out to the places where crowds of people go – this could prevent you from catching any unwanted germs and virus’. They are also handy after a picnic for those dirty little hands that appear. Always something worth keeping in the car or in your handbag!

4. How about a novelty digital credit card camera. Tiny, accurate and easier to carry around.  Capture all those important moments and then download them when you get home that evening.  This novelty promotional gift can be printed in one colour and in one position and make an ideal gift for the bank holiday.

5. Finally – how about a printed promotional sports bottle?  We are always told we need to hydrate ourselves on a regular basis and this leaves no excuse. Keep them in the car, in the office or at home.  You will also be able to log how much you are drinking in a day and whether you should be drinking more or not.

Advertising using printed bags

People always underestimate the power of promotional printed bags – whether it be drawstring bags, printed carrier bags, laptop bags or a promotional record bags! They are a promotional product that is never seen to be something that is unproductive or a waste of time and money.  They are a fantastic promotional item that will carry your message/logo/contact details for weeks on end, promoting and advertising for you all the time.  The great thing about bags is the fact that they come in all shapes and sizes, colours, textures and designs, so you are guaranteed to find something to suit your needs and requirements.

Communication with your customer is the most important area to think about.  What will you print on the selected bag?  How will you make it eye catching and worth looking at from an outsiders point of view? AND how will you get the most out of your budget?  There are a variation of ways to create a successful marketing campaign where printed bags are concerned. Our specialist marketing team will make sure all the correct boxes are ticked where your printed bag is concerned and we will guarantee that the process from ordering to designing to the delivery will run smoothly.

Now is a fantastic time to purchase your promotional bags as we are offering 10% OFF selected bags in our range. The fashionable Cotton tote bags are a great way to show your customer you care about the environment.  With bags for life popping up everywhere – why not jump on the band wagon! These specialist bags are strong and durable and will increase your brand awareness instantly and with a further 10% off these bags you really can’t go wrong.

Smell the cheese with Printed mouse mats and smell success

Think about your office environment.  Which promotional products are used day in and day out and are always exposed for all to see.  Printed mousemats are the answer and the amount of brand awareness they provide is mind blowing.  Think about how many pairs of eyes glance at the logo on your mousemat in your office – other employers, customers, potential clients, managing directors etc. They are literally free advertising for all to see 365 days a year. AND you don’t just find promotional mousemats in your office they are in schools, homes, shops and every place where you will find a computer and that is practically everywhere these days!

The main advantage with these superb promotional gifts is that people like to receive an interesting printed promotional mouse mat.  Any type of mouse mat nowadays can be printed in vibrant eye catching colours and can be personalised to the needs of your idea/campaign/launch.  This not only makes them more interesting, but more enticing to the eye. Also there are many variations to choose from - gel mousemat, BriteMat mouse mat, acrylic etc.  You can also get multi function mats with soothing wrist rests and even USB ports!

A personal favourite of mine are the BriteMat mouse mats.  Not only will it brighten up your office, its rigid hard wearing surface ensures that you will obtain years of usage because of its robust nature.  It also boasts a non slip backing so there is no chance of any frustration of movement when using your mouse.  It really is a stunning mouse mat and is always praised by customers who have chosen it.

The top 8 uses of promotional products

It sounds obvious but it is still good to know the top ten uses for promotional products.  Have you thought of these yourself – could you use this blog to aid you advertising campaign further?  Have you covered all areas?

Trade show promotion:  The most popular reason for purchasing promotional giveaways.  They are the perfect inexpensive novelty promotional item that everyone loves to receive at an exhibition or tradeshow.  Freebies are always welcome and set a nice tone when approaching potential customers.

Customer retention:  Promotional gifts to existing customers can range from an executive desktop item such as a fancy desk clock to a promotional pen to a tin of promotional mints.  They are a superb way to show your appreciation and thanks to loyal customers

Goodwill gesture:  Companies are constantly trying to get their name out there in the big bad world and promotional products and giveaways are one way of doing this.  Sponsoring a major event or supplying a local football team with some printed football shirts is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Incentives:  Incentives are a great way to motivate staff.  Staff incentives are said to help reduce absenteeism, reduce work place silliness and increase productivity.  Whether this is true or not, i don’t know – but it is certainly worth a try!  Remember that trophies and awards come into play here as well.

Launching new products:  Promotional giveaways and items are a great way to introduce a new product or service that your company is offering.  Promotional products are a great way to raise awareness and push forward initiatives.

Reinforce your company objectives:  Promotional items can be used to remind existing and potential customers of the products and services that your companies provide.  A little gift of Post it notes / a promotional pen or a bug eyes rascal does the trick within seconds and leaves a lasting reminder.

Generate Leads: most companies nowadays rewards customers for taking up special offers, responding to a direct mail, or generally taking an interest in what is being said.  People are more likely to respond to something if they know they are getting something in return.

Fundraising:  The most popular use of promotional giveaways is fundraising events to raise money for charities, events and sponsored activities.  Promotional giveaways are inexpensive and can be tailored wholly to your event.

The top 7 promotional gifts to advertise with

So you want to know the top 7 promotional gifts to advertise with for 2010? Well, let me let you in on a little secret – we have some fantastic credit crunch deals on all the most popular promotional products of 2009, so you can really start the year with a bang!  All these fantastic promotional items can be customised with your company name, message, logo and contact details and most qualify for free delivery! So have a read below and decided what takes your fancy this month!

Pens:  Promotional pens are the obvious choice; lightweight, inexpensive, a large variety to choose from and a decent print area to display all your text.  They are found in most office around the world and are an effective message carrier in schools, businesses universities, tradeshows and corporate days and outings.  Get you message out there and enjoy the benefits they provide!

Mugs:  What can I say – people become very attached to their personal mug and sometime use it for years at a time.  Printed promotional mugs are found on desks, in sheds, in hot shot meetings, on TV and in staff rooms.  They are a great way to stand in the midst of your competitor’s environment and are a superb way to get noticed!
 
Promotional Keyrings:  It’s a true fact that if you have a set of keys - you are more than likely to have a key ring to go with it. And many companies have cottoned on to this fact and started to partake in some subtle yet effective advertising!  On offer this month are the novelty Ad Loop Keyrings.  It is simply an ad in a loop!  They are the perfect visual reminder of your company name and message and they come in a large variety of colour combinations to suit your corporate image.

Mouse mats:  Everybody loves a promotional mouse mat whether they are a child, teenager or adult!  In today’s day and age mouse mats have really become a modernised desktop accessory!  The new innovative thing at the moment is the hard top mousemat.  Forget the foam – this mouse mat has it all!  These promotional mousemats can be printed with a favourite photograph or your company artwork and are on offer at the moment – 100 mousemats for only £208.90!!! Go, go, go!

Printed umbrellas are a big hit with both male and female clients.  No one wants to get themselves wet or their important documents – so this is slowly becoming one of the most popular promotional gifts on the market!  You could opt for the budget priced umbrella, the more executive style umbrella or the storm proof golf umbrella.  Any of the former will guarantee grand exposure wherever opened and a chance for everyone to see you company logo bold and clear!

The final two in the final top 7 promotional gifts are: promotional printed bags, Recycled pencils.  Both can be customised and both can be delivered to your door within days.  If you are having trouble trying to pick the perfect promotional gift, please do not hesitate to give our experienced team a call.  We are here to help and advise on the best deals around!

How to use printed trolley coins

Printed promotional trolley coins (or trolley tokens) should win a Nobel Peace Prize!  They are the most useful and innovative promotional products on the market today.  They can be used instead of a pound coin or Euro and avoid the need to carry appropriate change for trolleys at super markets,  in gyms and for lockers. This cost effective coin substitute can be printed on both sides with your company logo/ message and can be pantone matched to suit your corporate colours exactly.  The robust tough enamel means they are a highly durable promotional product which will last for years to come, hence the reason they were in the top 10 for promotional products of 2009.  They can be attached to your key ring resulting in them staying by your at all times.  They are a great addition to any fundraising event or promotional giveaway launch.

These collectable printed items make the perfect inexpensive promotional gift or giveaway. They are lightweight in nature and a novelty to use.  Their popularity skyrocketed when supermarkets started to introduce coin operated trolleys and with the increasing use of credit/ debit cards, the pound coin was becoming redundant in wallets and purses.  A great advantage with these promotional items is that they can be printed in full colour or can be engraved.

So... why not send your valued customer a promotional gift in the post and you will be able to see for yourself the benefit they bring.

How to be creative with Printed Pencils

Who would have thought a wooden stick with a piece of lead in would be such a popular promotional product used by all.  Printed pencils have evolved over the years and today they are staring to move away from the traditional stripped pencil with an eraser to neon mechanical pencils with supersonic nibs and comfortable finger grips.  The great thing about promotional pencils is the fact that everyone has their own preference, some prefer the traditional style and others prefer the more funky designs.  Printed pencils are something that we have all grown up with and have learned to love.  They were the first writing instrument we all learned to write with and we still all write with them today.

Although printed pencils are small, they have a great print area which will comfortably fit your company logo, name and contact details. You can choose the colour, design and type of pencil to suit your event / occasion.  You can also choose from a triangular, hexagonal and round pencils depending on your particular writing style.

Here are a few suggestions to take a look at.  Click on the link below to see our top three promotional pencils of 2009.

1. Cosmic Mechanical pencil
2. Balmain Pencil
3. Accuracy pencil

Things have come a long way since the dark ages and promotional pencils are still popular, cost effective promotional products that are appreciated by all.

Advertise on your customer’s desktop with Printed Post Notes

Promotional post it notes or printed sticky mates are an essential desktop item in any office, home or briefcase.  They are just as important as your promotional pens or printed calculators and serve a vital service.  They are ideal for writing a reminder, attaching items to documents and files and taking messages.  They are a promotional item that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your promotional event, exhibition or product launch and these uses are endless!  You don’t just have to have a thin pad of post it notes, you can have a pop up dispenser, cube shaped pad and different sized pads cut to shape depending on your event.

The actual printing on the post it note or sticky mate is down to your preference and design.  You can decide and consult with our artwork team as to what will maximise your brand the most. Calendars can also be printed if you prefer! They don’t have to be in full block ink but can be printed so they are visible but not interfere with your message.  A highly useful addition to your desktop sticky mates.

Why not combine your post it notes with promotional printed pens, promotional pencils or printed carrier bags.  Check out our website today for ideas for your next fundraising event.