Advertsing in Down Economy

Businesses that continue to advertise regardless of economic times have a competitive advantage over businesses that trim their ad budgets.

• 
  More than 85 percent of business executives believe advertising during a down economy is extremely important.
• 
  Buyers feel more positive about the company’s commitment to its products and services when they advertise.
• 
  Businesses stay at the top of buyers’ minds when purchase decisions are made.
• 
  You have less competition. It’s a great time to invest in your business.

While many companies understand the value of short-term advertising, ­ it can be more difficult to comprehend the long-term value. The more familiar buyers are with your brand, the more likely they are to purchase the brand.

Your Favorite T-Shirt

Are you among the 91% of Americans who profess to owning a favorite t-shirt? What makes it a favorite?

• Color?
• Design?
• Fit?
• A memory associated with the t-shirt?

We would love to hear about your favorites!

T-shirt of the month: April

This t-shirt was printed for the Cumberland River Compact. The logo is yellow, green, blue and black and the design was printed on ash and natural 100% cotton t-shirts.

The printing is Direct to Garment printing which allows for multiple colors and the fine details of the river.

What's new in t-shirt printing?

T-shirt design by Katie Kosniewski

We've recently added a state-of-the-art Direct Garment Printer to our screen printing and embroidery services.

What does this mean for our clients?

• Full color designs are as easy to print as one color designs.
• No complicated artwork requirements. If it looks good on your desktop printer, it will look good on a t-shirt.
• Amazingly fast turnaround. We can even print while you wait!
• Low minimum quantities. In fact, we can print just one.
• Small detail and fine lines are no problem.
• Great washability. Color lasts as long as traditional screen printing.
• Soft feel. No stiff t-shirt art!

Watch the video. Better yet, stop by and watch this machine in action!

Logo Location

The traditional placement for a logo on a screen printed t-shirt is simple. On the front, the logo is either a full centered image or a small, left chest image. Designs on the back are usually a full centered image.

These days, we're getting more and more requests for logos in unusual places. Sleeve prints, small prints centered under the collar area in the back, and prints on the bottom hem line are popular requests.

Our favorite Pen

This is a picture of our favorite pen. It's the first pen we offer our clients, and it's usually the last. Why do we like it? Three reasons:

1. It's comfortable in your hand


2. It writes smoothly. Ink seems to flow better.


3. It costs about .50

We know there are thousands of pens out there. There are some that are a lot cheaper. There are some that are a lot more expensive. There are many that we could sell and make more money. Yet, this remains out favorite.

Want to try it? Let us know and we'll send you one!

Improving Direct Mail

Did you know that you can increase your direct mail response rate by 57% just by including an item that makes your sales letter feel as if there's something in there?

Next time you send a sales letter, try including a magnet, a small ruler, a pen, sticky notes, a token or a keychain.

Heavier items may increase your postage a bit, but if your response rates increase as well, it'll be well worth it!

Where Will Your Clients Be?

Where will your clients be when they need your services?

This is a great question to ask yourself when you're planning a promotion. The answer may help you decide which promotional items will have the greatest impact on your clients or potential clients.

Example one: The most common time to need a mechanic is when you're having car trouble. Good products for a mechanic are items that stay in the car. These might include mileage books, sunshades, or air fresheners.

Example two: The most common time to order pizza for delivery is when you're at home with nothing in the refridgerator. Thus, a fridge magnet makes a great promo for pizza delivery.

Example three: If your typical client tends to sit at a desk all day, the best promo might be a practical desk accessory such as a coaster, a pen caddy, or a calculator.

So start by answering the question, "Where are my clients most likely to be when they need my services?" You'll be one step closer to planning a great promotion!

PMS Colors

We often get calls from clients who want us to print t-shirts or embroider a logo using their PMS, or Pantone Matching System, colors. We have to explain that while it's possible to come close, it's impossible to get an exact match. Why? Because PMS colors are created by printing on white paper. Even if we match the color exactly, it will look different once it's printed on a black t-shirt or used to dye the embroidery thread.

So what do you do if one of your logo colors is Green #343? Consider being a bit flexible and go with standard dark green instead. We bet you won't be able to tell the difference!

What is Vectored artwork?

A lot of clients ask us what type of artwork file we need. And while there are several file types we can work with, the most important factor is that the artwork must be vectored.

Artwork is only as good as you provide. Only vector art (.cdr or .eps) can be edited to change the size or the colors. Faxed or scanned art, or art which has been reproduced numerous times, will not improve and will not look its best without additional clean up efforts.

So, what do you do if you only have "bad" artwork? Try contacting the designer. He or she should be able to email you the original file.

What if you just copied and pasted your logo from web graphics and you can't go back and find the originals or the originals were unvectored to begin with? Most businesses (like ours) will vector it for you for a charge. All you have to do is ask!

Do T-shirts Work??

Once, I was standing in Home Depot wearing a t-shirt that advertised my screening printing services.

Someone approached me and asked for a quote on t-shirts for a new painting business. I told him the price. He hemmed and hawed and said, "How do I know they'll work?"

The immediate response, "What do you want them to do?" sounds flippant, but it's a logical question. A bunch of screen printed t-shirts can "do" a multitude of things.

• They can help you and your employees look and feel more professional.
• They can help clients feel that your company is stable.
• They can be used as gifts to clients and employees.
• They can help with your overall company branding.
• They can simply remind people of what you do.
• And yes, they can even get you new business. Just ask the guy from Home Depot who bought t-shirts from me because he saw a t-shirt in Home Depot!

Top Promos

Most Popular Promotional Products

In no particular order, the 10 most popular promotional products:

Pens

Calendars
Mugs

Tote bags
T-shirts

Buttons
Hats

Key chains
Magnets

Note pads

Vehicle Advertising

This is a follow up story to the previous post. We have a client who installs hardwood floors. We helped him design and install vehicle lettering for his truck and trailer. He paid us $375.

The day after the lettering and logo were applied to his truck, he was on his way to a job, and he stopped to get gas. A contractor was pumping gas beside him. The contractor asked for a quote on installing floors in a large new house he was building. The quote was accepted, the job was completed and our client made $14,000.

Not bad for a $375 investment!

New Business Must Haves

So you’ve started a new business and you know you need to generate some interest, but you have a limited budget. What do you spend it on?

We get this question all the time and depending on your business and your budget, here are our top suggestions:

1. You absolutely must have business cards. Hand them out to everyone you come into contact with. One mortgage broker we work with has a goal of handing out ten cards a day!

2. Logoed apparel. T-shirts for casual wear, embroidered golf shirts and button downs for less casual wear. Once you get them made, wear them everywhere. Logoed apparel is great for networking events and subtly reminding everyone you come in contact with about your business. Be sure you get enough for employees, friends and family, and the new clients you’re about to get!


3. Car magnets. If you’re a home based business, don’t over look the advertising available on your vehicle. Whether you choose car door magnets or a full vehicle wrap, this is a great way to advertise your business at the grocery store, your kid’s school, and all the other places you drive daily.

You’ll notice that these three ideas have something in common. They can all be had for a small, ONE TIME investment. Then, they continue to work for you. Depending on your business, one new contact could pay for everything!

Sticky Business

Today a client asked me to recommend a promotional product that he could use in items that he mails such as invoices, thank you notes, announcements and sales letters.

I immediately suggested sticky notes. These are one of my favorite promos. Why? They’re useful, they’re easy to mail, they’re inexpensive (less than .50 each) and people love them. But my favorite thing about sticky notes is that they are like having little billboards with my business information all over the place! I send them to my client, he writes notes on them and they keep advertising for me.

My client ended up ordering 500. I’ll let you know what he thinks!

Our first blog

In this space, we'll discuss our business - screen printing, embroidery & promotional products - and how to use these items to build business!

We look forward to your participation. We hope you'll bookmark us and check in often.