Come summertime and there is a flurry of libraries attempting to inculcate a love of reading among school children by starting summer reading programs. These reading programs are a commendable effort by public libraries to get school children to get into the habit of reading in their free time.

Libraries choose the summer to start reading programs for a couple of reasons. For one thing, students who need extra help or personal attention are able to receive it. Another advantage of summer reading programs is that they are not held in school buildings. This helps the children to perceive the reading as fun instead of academic or boring. Summer reading programs also allow the teachers to experiment a little regarding the various ways they can make reading more interesting for children.

According to a study conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, students who are recreational readers academically out-perform those who aren’t. The study also states that voluntary reading helps students become better spellers, readers and writers. Therefore, getting more students to join these programs will only be beneficial for their future.

If you are interested in increasing the attendance at your reading program but aren’t sure where to start, then imprinted promotional products are a good idea. Handing out Brass Slide Bookmarks, imprinted with your logo, to school children will not only ensure that they remember you, it’ll also see to it that they give the program more than a passing thought. For students who have almost made up their mind to join but need a final push, these Photo Bookmarks will make the program more personal (and, therefore, more real) for them.

Rewards for achievements make any program more fun. As students advance through the program, give them fun items like journals and jotters. If the members of your program are middle and high school children, you could encourage them to write out whatever they like about the books they read in the journals. They could also conduct some research and make a list of books they are interested in reading.

And don’t forget about the parents! Parents are critical to a strong reading program. Children won’t learn to enjoy books if their parents don’t encourage this. Try giving parents an imprinted gift like an unusual desk clock to remind them to make time for reading.

Summer reading programs are an excellent way to introduce children to the magical world of books in a relaxed and informal manner. It’s the best gift you can give the kids of your town.

Without needing to research too far, it can be assumed what some of the top-selling promotional products are across the world: pens, shirts, coffee mugs, water bottles. They are great products, in and of themselves, useful and often-used. But sometimes it seems everyone has promotional pens to give away!

This is why it is key to set your promotional product giveaways apart from the rest. It does not necessarily have to be by giving away an “out there” or completely random item. Instead, think about the way you present the free gift to your recipients. If you’ve got a selection of custom-imprinted pens, don’t just throw three of them in a bag; show your recipients all the pens you have available and allow them to choose which ones they would like. By doing something as simple as this, you are making the entire giveaway that much more personal in the most subtle, unsuspecting way possible. You are indirectly encouraging your clients to show a tiny piece of their personalities to you while also making it known that you put a little more thought into these promotional handouts.

The same idea goes for promotional items such as T-shirts. Most companies tend to give away promotional shirts in a couple of generically large sizes, keeping the idea in mind that it’s easier to receive something that’s too large than too small. However, offering a variety of shirts in sizes to accommodate all of your recipients is an easy way to impress them with your consideration. By being able to supply your clients with their favorite T-shirt size, it will not be just another promotional T-shirt that’s four sizes too big and sits in their sock drawer, buried at the bottom. They may actually wear it.

All of these “outside the box” ideas can be tweaked to suit your promotional product needs. It’s just about putting a spin on the everyday, same-old, same-old promotional products so your efforts as a company stand out and shine.

Old Faithful, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Times Square; these names are so closely associated with American history and identity that they make up the foundation of the American tourism industry. So it’s not much of a surprise that people within the United States, as well as other countries, travel extensively to take a look at these monuments, making tourism one of the largest retail sales industries in America.

According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), international travelers spend around $91.1 billion in the U.S. and, as a result, they generate a tourism surplus of $8.6 billion. The site also states that shopping is the favorite activity for American and foreign tourists alike. In such a case, what better way to ensure that tourists always remember you than handing out promotional products?

When attracting tourists to your state, imprinted lapel pins in the shape of your state or state-shaped mini-magnets are fun ideas. If you’re trying to remind people about a particular attraction, you have a wide variety of choices, such as custom stress balls that symbolize the highlights of your tourist attraction. If all these sound too mundane for you, there is definitely room for you to be adventurous. For example, if you need promotional items for a zoo, then you can try out plush toys or rubber ducks.

The NASAA says that, by 2010, tourism is slated to become the foremost service industry in America and you can be in line for your share of the pie. The key is to think like tourists in order to connect with them.

T-shirts have been extremely popular as promotional items for a long time, mainly because they are affordable, offer a lot of imprint options and shirt colors, and can be worn by anyone regardless of age and gender. But because they have been around as promotional items for so long, the novelty wore off long ago and now they are used mainly for their practicality and convenience. Is there any way to keep this promotional item from being dumped in the “boring and unoriginal” pile? Introducing the smashed, or compressed, T-shirt.

Smashed T-shirts are imprinted T-shirts compressed into a unique shape (with the application of 50,000 pounds of pressure) with an insert card affixed to the top of the shape. Put your logo on the shirts themselves, and use the card to offer other information relevant to the campaign. Smashed T-shirts have advantages: They are novel, portable because of their smashed shapes, and eco-friendly because they are generally made of 100 percent cotton.

In a case study published by distributor Aptco, steel manufacturer ClarkWestern used compressed T-shirts shaped like the cross-section of an I-beam to grab attention at trade shows and sales calls. The shirt’s compressed shape was designed to draw attention to ClarkWestern’s new construction framing product. The shirts were a hit because they were tangible products that the recipients could play with, and delivered an important message about the innovations the manufacturer was selling – before the shirt was even opened or worn!

So freshen up your campaigns with a new twist on a classic favorite.

Watching the space shuttle lift off to a new mission at the International Space Center or the Hubble Space Telescope reminds us all of one of the more inspiring American dreams. It seems logical that an organization that builds the space shuttle would sell souvenirs that are American-made as well. Somewhat surprisingly, many of the souvenirs you can find on a NASA tour are not made in the U.S.A.

Manufacturing products in the United States provides a lot of people job opportunities that they might not otherwise have. And there is some inherent value in simply being able to state that your product is American-made, as that’s one of the top things consumers are seeking.

If you look, you’ll find there are still some products that are manufactured in America, and other companies are following this practice by marketing new products or entire product lines that are solely made in America. The importance of “Made in the U.S.A.” has also hit the promotional products industry and many companies have now started marketing those products. So with the Fourth of July reminding us all of our patriotism, keep your eyes open for the latest “Made in the U.S.A.” products.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the top reason people leave a job is because they do not feel appreciated. Many companies give “Employee of the Month” awards, but is that enough positive recognition to make employees satisfied in their place of employment?

The “Employee of the Month” award is an old standby. While it recognizes individuals, it often makes some other employees feel overlooked, mainly because there are no specific standards to meet. At worst, it’s nothing more than a “manager’s pet” popularity contest. Yet studies show that it is critical to recognize employees for their good work. There’s a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction, and between customer satisfaction and improved financial performance, studies say. So what kind of recognition will satisfy employees?

More often than not, a simple “good job” or “congratulations” from a peer or supervisor can go a long way. A written thank you or compliment is even better, especially when it’s from upper level workers and it’s genuine and heartfelt. Often tangible rewards lead to a higher level of satisfaction. It’s best to set up a program for recognition that clearly constitutes what is rewardable behavior within the company. For instance, set standards for achievement, then have a rewards ceremony with certificates or employee gifts. Or start a sales competition and offer a bonus or a prize. Rewarding positive behavior is a great way to encourage positive attitudes in the workplace as well as decent or superior efforts in doing their jobs.

Positive reinforcement must start at the top, though it shouldn’t stop there. CEOs and supervisors alike should begin the chain of recognition. Over time, the company as a whole will develop a firm understanding that each employee should participate in recognizing accomplishments and hard work in the workplace.

In a recent Maritz Poll, only 10 percent of 1,000 full-time employees surveyed strongly agree that they are completely satisfied with their company’s employee recognition efforts. What would employees of your company say?

Bumper stickers have become some cars’ best source of individualism. Like most trends, it started out slow, but the bumper sticker frenzy has turned into a free speech free-for-all. It is amazing the types of stickers one can find nowadays. Stickers exists for all types of people with all kinds of beliefs and opinions. And if you’re lucky when you’re stuck in traffic, a bumper bedecked in stickers can provide amusing or interesting reading material!

Companies would be smart to invest in these promotional items. Not only are custom bumper stickers a great way to maximize exposure of your company, but they also provide infinite possibilities to be creative, express an opinion or endorse a specific message.

During the recent presidential campaign here, custom bumper stickers kept to party lines, helping to separate and distinguish the candidates. They allowed people to voice their views and opinions as members of society, not just repeating the manufactured messages of a particular campaign. Instead of bumper stickers that simply stated, “OBAMA” or “MCCAIN,” numerous companies came up with their own creative twists on the entire “political” idea and made the whole movement much more individualistic.

Over the last few years, the focus of many bumper stickers has shifted to “thinking green.” Bumper stickers now circulate through every city in America with messages of going green and being more environmentally sound. With so many concerns circulating around our planet, people are becoming more and more aware of making the efforts to better the one Earth we have. Although it seems ironic that people choose to display these messages on their exhaust-releasing cars, people can still set themselves apart by the particular bumper sticker they choose to display.

Companies reaching for a new way to express their messages and interact with clients should consider custom bumper stickers. Besides speaking politics and thinking green, bumper stickers are also inexpensive, result in high exposure rates after being applied to a vehicle, are extremely durable (meaning they can last for years), serve as elements of personality for many drivers and their vehicles, and, most importantly, encourage freedom of speech and original thinking.

So the next time your company is brainstorming about new ways to promote, perhaps instead of choosing pens or coffee mugs, these decals could be the smartest, most innovative way to make your company’s message wider-known and, well, stickier!

In a world with an infinite variety of companies and promotional products, choosing the best and most effective hand-outs for your specific company can be a daunting task. It is vitally important, however, to take the time to brainstorm about what kind of products will best represent your company. Promotional action plans that are not well thought out do not reflect well on your company’s endeavors to give back to your clients on a relevant level.

For example, if you’re a woman who frequents nail salons, how would you feel if your salon’s promotional gifts of choice were the standard pens, mugs and business card holders? Although these items are useful within themselves, they are not the ideal product to hand out when promoting your beauty parlor. Why not hand out Designer Manicure Kits or Make-Up Brush Sets? These promotional products obviously speak much more to women visiting a nail salon and will be much more useful AND memorable gift.

A second example could be that you’re the owner of a western wear store and looking to promote your name at a rodeo show. Handing out promotional products such as picture frames or USB flash drives is great, but may not appeal to the specific audience attending this event. For a fun approach, consider a Horse Stress Ball, or a nifty American West Calendar. Not only will the recipients appreciate the gifts, they will give your company credit for speaking directly to their interests and hobbies.

As long as you and your co-workers take the time to put your heads together and muster up lists of the “right” kind of promotional products for every kind of specific event, your clients (and potential clients) will respect your efforts even more.

How many times have you heard that the job market is suffering? It’s probably been mentioned in any conversation about the horrible economy, which seems to come up every other second. However, according to a survey by Monster, the online job board, the job market may not be as bad as you have been led to believe.

According to the survey of more than 820 large employers and 6,000 soon-to-be college graduates, 72 percent of employers plan to hire college graduates this year, compared to 64 percent last year. And college graduates are feeling confident about their prospects: 82 percent expect to receive at least one job offer by the time they graduate.

So, as an employer, what can you do to make sure that you are at the top of the job pool in terms of recruiting worthy employees?

Start with a plan. Know what you are looking for in a potential employee and what kind of benefits come with the opportunity to work at your company. Benefits do not necessarily mean medical and dental, although those aren’t bad; it can also mean nearby attractions such as lakes or ski resorts, or a discount to a local gym or spa. Capitalize on what you have to offer so that a potential employee will see it as well.

Next, you should bring something new to the table. After setting up an interview, you should be ready to show the interviewee why your company will be unlike any other place where they have interviewed or applied. A good way to do this is to bring a promotional product as an interview gift, such as a custom-printed desk caddy or flash drive. Interviewees will be impressed at your thoughtfulness. And the right products will go a long way in branding your company in their minds as a smart and fun place to work.

Try these two simple tips while showing your enthusiasm for what you do, and those recent college grads should have no problem seeing why your company should be their top choice.

Imagine this scenario: You go to a trade show and set up a stall representing your company. This trade show has over five hundred different stalls each promoting a different business, and each, therefore, competition for you. Every business there also has a large stock of freebies to attract people. Some of the promotional items are cute; some are funny; some might even be novelties; but very few, if any, will really stand out from the rest. So how can you ensure that your promotional item will be one of the few that screams “Look at me”? You need a promotional product that actually does scream, or at least one that can repeat the name of your business as people play with it.

Talking promotional products (products that can record sounds) have been around the industry for awhile, but business owners have not yet managed to fully utilize their potential. These products are often a better bet than regular products since they are able to engage the recipient effectively, and their novelty has not worn off yet. Also, since you can record the name of your company AND imprint your motto on them, the items can be used to reinforce your brand and ensure that your business is top-of-mind for recipients. If you do not want to record your own message, many come with pre-recorded messages.

There are quite a few kinds of talking promotional products available, so finding one that suits your business and your tastes shouldn’t be difficult. Talking buttons, talking business cards, and talking stress balls are quite affordable; if you’re willing to splurge, you might look into talking plush toys or talking photo albums. The recording time for most products is about 10-30 seconds, though photo albums are one of the exceptions. The recording time for albums can be 10-20 seconds per page, with a total of 2-3 minutes for the entire album. That’s a lot of potential branding!

These chatty products have made sound a new dimension of promotional products. Don’t be afraid to let your promotional products (literally) do the talking for you!