| Branding your comapny should be the first thing a | | | | giving out promotional products is a useful way of |
| company does. You have to convince potential | | | | staying on their minds. The trick is to find a great |
| customers to buy from you. Very few people have a | | | | promotional product, that fits you budget, is useful to |
| monopoly like Microsoft or Ebay, Everyone else need | | | | the end user and doesn't shout your name too boldly. |
| to steer business to their company or product. When | | | | Humour is a great way to have your customers keep |
| people think about your company, what is their | | | | your stuff. The items seen most times for an office |
| impression. For my company, Solutions Ink, I wanted to | | | | person are calendars and coffee mugs. To be |
| portray a fresh, professional, ease of use type of | | | | different in the Montreal Promotional Product market, |
| company whoose product meets their quality needs | | | | Solutions Ink sent out to all existing customers a 14 |
| while helping their business. I wanted to portray | | | | ounze special mug which was imprinted with |
| Solutions Ink as always on the fore front of the printing | | | | thermochromic ink. The ink is heat sensitive and |
| and promotional product industry's.To achieve this I | | | | evaporates on heat and returns on cold. With this you |
| needed to tell potential customers of new and | | | | can print something underneath the thermochromic ink |
| innovative products for the printing industry. Variable | | | | which is revealed when cold. On the outside we simply |
| data, large format digital printing, digital printing with | | | | put the word STRESS in red over a black background. |
| pantone colors, label and form combinations, magnet | | | | Most people who work know about stress. The |
| and form combinations and e-commerce ordering | | | | humour side was that when you poured your hot |
| systems. How best to show customers then actually | | | | coffee the message turned into stress free at |
| devise a campaign where the product you are trying | | | | Solutions Ink. A simple inexpensive idea that our |
| to educate your customers about is sent out to them | | | | customers really enjoyed and every time I stop at one |
| to give them ideas how to use this product to help | | | | of their offices I readily spot our mugs. On top of this I |
| their businesses. One campaign I organised was to | | | | received 4 orders from these customers for these |
| compile a list of fashion retailers whoose logo's were | | | | mugs with a different message for their |
| specific pantone colors that are not reproduced well in | | | | customers.Another great way for your company to |
| 4 color process printing. Today with 6,8 and 10 color | | | | be branded positively is to become associated with a |
| presses you can print in 4 color process and 2 | | | | worth while charity. Today we must give back to |
| pantone colors quite easily. This keeps the integrity of | | | | those less fortunate. Sponsering an event gives your |
| the company's logo intact in their big marketing or flyer | | | | company great exposure but the real treat is in |
| campaigns. This is OK for large run printing jobs. The | | | | knowing that you've helped others. Money is not the |
| problem is that even for large chains, you tend to have | | | | end all, all the time. A funny thing, helping others usually |
| regional sales in a small amount of stores. In store | | | | rewards yourself if not immediately some time in the |
| displays usually are done in small numbers and are | | | | future.The trick is to plan out your actions. Research |
| printed digitally. Today there are certain digital presses | | | | the market, research your company's attributes and |
| that can insert pantone colors on top of the 4 color | | | | brand your company's image positively and constantly. |
| process printing. After devising a mock up campaign | | | | Following these steps should help your company stand |
| and targetting by variable data the buyers of these | | | | out from the competition and make yourself more |
| retail fashion chains, I was able to secure 2 large | | | | successful Best of luck. If you need help you can |
| accounts for present and future business.This | | | | contact me at 514-337-2238 or visit us on the webb at |
| technique can be applied to any industry. The key is to | | | | SchneidmanSteven Schneidman has a B.A. in |
| really now your product and the strengths of your | | | | Psychology and an MBA from Canadian Universities. |
| company. The next step is to educate your customers | | | | He also served as a professor at a Montreal |
| on your company's merits. Then you must reinforce | | | | University and worked for the secong largest |
| your image constantly to stay in your existing | | | | Canadian bank. I have owned 2 very successful |
| customers mind, as well as peak the curiousity of | | | | printing and promotional product companies. My |
| potential new customers.Once you have achieved this, | | | | greatest achievement is my wife and 3 kids. |