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!

The 21st century can well be termed the “green century” since the “Think Green, Act Green” movement started gaining real momentum within the last decade or so. People have become more aware of environmental issues, such as global warming and pollution, and their consequences. The wasteful use of natural resources and the dumping of non-biodegradable refuse is coming to an end, and now the need for environmental preservation and conservation of resources is fast becoming recognized as a necessity.

This movement started with regular people protesting against the global indifference shown towards the environment, but it quickly grew to include businesses which changed their practices and introduced new products that were more eco-friendly. This cause now extends to the selection of promotional products that raise awareness of these initiatives. Giving out a product that promotes a company’s name and its commitment to the use of recycled materials has an additional benefit. Along with promoting your company, these products also send out the message that your company cares about the environment.

When the promotional products industry joined the eco-friendly bandwagon, it came up with quite a variety of products ranging from paper pens to metal/paper to-go cups to products made of corn plastic. But one particular product that I think is quite interesting and innovative is the seeded music download gift card. These cards are packed with handfuls of high-quality seeds. When the cards are planted and watered, the paper biodegrades away and the seeds are left to germinate.

What a novel idea! Similar products include seeded party favors, seeded stationery, seeded invitations, and more. Now all that is needed is for businesses to realize the enormous PR value of using these gift cards and replacing the plastic cards with these eco-friendly options.

In any business, there are certain qualities that every salesman must have. Being personable is first; if you’re not good at talking to people or making idle chatter to get to know someone, you may want to consider a profession that involves a desk and a cubicle. Being approachable and able to engage in conversation with all types of people is imperative in this business. Of course, there is also responsibility. We all know that. Then there’s memorability. Being forgettable won’t get you clients. To round yourself out, you should have a decent sense of humor. You don’t have to be humorous, but you should at least have a good idea of what’s funny and what’s not.

A good business card should be a little bit of all of these qualities. If you are a straightforward, all-business-all-the-time type of person, then you would probably be alright with the traditional one-sided business card that everyone in the world uses. But, if you want to be personable, memorable, responsible and show your good sense of humor, you should think about doing something different.

Let’s say that you are at a trade show and you’re trying to attract new clients. You know that everyone looks for free stuff. But what if your “free stuff” was also your business card? Check out these business cards that double as magnets for all of your contact information – and can even print a photograph. These freebies are different enough that they will be memorable to a lot of people and aren’t as easy to lose as traditional business cards since they can be stuck somewhere in plain sight.

Or maybe you’ve been in contact with a potential client whom you know will give you some really great business. You have a meeting with them and you want to leave a lasting impression. As the meeting comes to an end and you bust out this chocolate business card, it’s not likely that they will forget you. This chocolate card is a delicious treat that would also show off your sense of humor and personality.

Of course, there will be people who don’t like chocolate or don’t use magnets to clutter their refrigerators, but there are plenty of other options to spice up your business card. Just remember that your business card should be a slice of you. By using a different model than the traditional business card, it’s likely that you will gain an advantage. Your clients will be impressed by your creativity and want to know more about you. And isn’t that the main point of a business card anyway?

If you’ve been here before, well, you may not recognize much, as we’re redeveloping this site as a blog. But we hope you’ll still find us your one-stop resource for information about the promotional products industry.

The promotional products industry can overwhelm anyone with its sheer mass of products, suppliers, distributors and information. This is why we’ve created the Promotional Products Knowledge Base. We’ll update this site regularly with new content designed to help you get acquainted with the wide world of promotional products. Our intention remains to give you the information you need to make intelligent decisions – to help you get the most use out of your money AND your promotional products.

The value of promotional products

With the economy in its current unsettled state, it’s easy to overlook the power of promotional products because purchasing budgets have gotten smaller. But promotional products can pack a lot of advertising punch into a small budget. According to the Advertising Specialties Institute Impressions Study, released in 2008, the average cost-per-impression of a promotional product is just $0.004 – much less than just about any other advertising means. People tend to hang on to promotional products, too. The survey shows that more than 75 percent of respondents kept the item for more than six months. Just think about tote bags, for instance: They’re useful, reusable, and will keep your logo visible for as long as the bag lasts.

And promotional products can be fun! Sure, there will always be pens and notepads and coffee mugs, but with thousands of items that can be customized with your logo, any campaign can be made a lot more memorable with the right kind of product. As a bonus, people who get free promotional products from you will remember your business in a more positive light, simply because you gave them something. The ASI study showed that 42 percent of respondents had a more favorable impression after receiving an item, and 24 percent of respondents said they were more likely to do business with the advertiser who gave them the product.

A little history

Promotional products have been around for nearly 200 years, in one form or another. The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), a trade association for promotional item distributors, says that the promotional market dates back to when George Washington created buttons for his campaign! Although the promotions market has changed and expanded a great deal since then, the original concept behind the message remains the same: Make your message visible.

Promotional items are increasingly becoming a regular part of companies’ budgets. People are realizing that potential business growth can be directly related to the use of promotional products and creative advertising. Sometimes this means having to spend a little bit more on promotional products while creatively thinking outside the box for new ways to express your message. The promotional products industry is currently one of the fasting growing industries in the nation with total sales exceeding $18 billion in 2008.