A good option to compete against the rising cost of cotton in clothing

By John A Stefani

On Monday, January 10, 2011 I wrote the article: Cotton Prices Driving Brands to Increase Prices, Alternative Fabrication. The promotional product industry has noticed an increase in t-shirt and other cotton made items prices and it is beginning to be seen in the prices the customer pays.

Texas drought last summer, super weeds, like the herbicide resistant Pig Weed (see the above video), within cotton crops in Arkansas added to the international shortages of cotton due to floods and poor crops is causing clothing prices to increase.

On Jan. 18, 2010, quotations for the base quality of cotton averaged 67.66 cents per pound in the seven designated markets measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On October 15, the average had increased to $1.06.52, the highest price recorded since May 26, 1995, when the average was $1.11.53 cents per pound.

As we watch cotton prices soar, we are left wondering "Now what?"

Opportunity for Synthetics?

With increased cotton prices and the resulting cost increases for cotton fabric we should see an upsurge in interest for a cost-effective, quality alternative: Microfiber.

What is microfiber and why does it out perform cotton?

Described to be hundred times thinner than a single strand of human hair and ten times finer than silk; microfibers are extremely fine compared to that of a cotton strand.

Microfiber out performs cotton because of its admirable polyester and polyamide fibers that are strong and ensure durability. It's resistance to stretching and shrinking that guarantees shape retention. Other than that, it is also wrinkle, mildew, abrasion resistant due to its highly elasticity.

Moreover, it is resistant to most chemicals, retains heat-set pleats and crease, and is easily washed even only with clear water or mild soapy water. In comparison to cotton, a microfiber will absorb 98% moisture, while cotton can only absorb at best 70%.

Why Freebie Products Are Cool

Promo products are great for any type of advertising. Freebie products are a very well known and well used form of advertising and marketing for corporations and individuals alike. It is a great way to "get the word out" of a specific merchandise or entire inventory of items for someone or some brand to promote and induce business. Many corporations use promo products in various ways. The main goal is to attract consumers to their business in hopes that the customer will take a look at other products and services that the organization sells and purchase those items. Promo items are also a good incentive for clients and establishes a good repoire between the seller and the buyer. Typically, when a consumer gets a good deal on something, or even receives a product for free, then the user will spread the word to family and friends. This has a positive effect on the business as those family and friends who were informed of the brand will be inclined to give the organization a try themselves. A domino effect of good business relationships then ensues.

How Does A Organization Utilize Promo Products

Organizations who use promo products are very strategic about their promotions. They are very detailed in the way they deliver the product or items to the customer. For instance, when one enters a particular place of business, one may notice that promo merchandise are set up in front of the establishment and immediately presented to the client by very friendly and courteous representatives. For example, restaurants whom offer promo merchandise are strategically set up at the entrance awaiting consumers to offer them free samples of a particular food item. They may have a platter of finger food attached to toothpicks for an immediate try for the consumer in attempts of the customer buying more of that item. Places where there are plenty of competition usually use this strategy, like malls and food chains. One may almost be bombarded by a sea of restaurants reps offering a free food sample in hopes that the consumer eats at their place of business over the competitor next door. Conventions of merchants is another place where one will see promo merchandise being used. Places like a flea market of convention center where several vendors are set up will offer promo items to passing spectators to include them in business.

Promo products are also a good incentive for returning customers. The feeling of being rewarded for their business is what most customers want from a corporation and a free promo gift is a great way to not only show appreciation, but to also keep customers loyal to that place of business. Some companies even go as far as to offer promo items exclusively to returning customers. This also inclines others to "join the club" when they see the abundance of perks one whom is a returning and loyal consumer receives for their good business.

Promotional Products Are Worth the Investment

The main reason why free merchandise are very common today is because they are a great way to raise awareness about your merchandise. To be perfectly honest, the main means through which organizations exist and succeed is by getting the world out there to be aware of what they have, therefore encouraging them to sell their items. Most brands are firm believers in the more ‘modern’ ways of marketing like using TV commercials, the internet, radio, posters, banners, car stickers and so on. Freebie products, however, are one way that will probably outlive all those other methods of marketing.

Freebie products are merchandise used day to day by consumers that have the logo, information and merchandise of a certain organization. Some of these products are pens, t-shirts, books, calendars and other merchandise. The biggest advantage of these items, as mentioned before, is that they are for every day use. A corporation could, for example, print the name of its products, services, prices, contacts or any other vital information on a t-shirt and then find ways of distributing these shirts free to the world out there. As people walk around wearing these t-shirts as they carry out their activities, they are accidentally marketing that business.

Another great advantage that these items have is that they are inexpensive. The price of printing a huge advertisement that is only seen by motorists and people who live within its locale is probably the same as the cost of printing ten thousand t-shirts. The same applies to say, the cost of airing a TV commercial is the same as the price of buying and engraving a specific number of thousands of pens with the company's website. Considering the number of customers who get to see the look of your items, then by all means, it is a great investment when one wants to advertise their merchandise. It is essential to point out, however, that this is not to say that TV ads and outdoor advertisements and other freebie products are not good enough.

Finally, another large advantage that these free products have is their longevity. A billboard could be used for a month or two and then replaced by another, simply because it becomes quite costly to have them up for long times. A calendar, however, will stay on someone’s wall or desk all year, and if the product is attractive enough, it constantly attracts the attention of a number of probable consumers of the merchandise. So if a brand is looking for a beneficial way to promote their products, these three reasons, among others, should be enough to convince them.

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Implementing Promo Items In School

By: Richard C Joseph

Schools are productive ground for the usefulness of advertising things. Kids need plenty of school supplies and these school supplies will travel with them from place to place, including places where potential customers of a enterprise might be found.

While establishments give away promo gear to schools, they increase their chances of being visible to a very large number of people. It's an especially good idea if working in an industry that makes any kind of children's things that children might want. A toy company would do well to hand out marketing things to school children.

The type of promotional gadgets can be everything from pencils, erasers, and pens, to T-shirts and drinking cups. The kind of advertising item should always be age appropriate and completely safe for use by children of the specified age.

When children get these free pieces, they feel extremely good. Children love gifts of all kinds, even cool pencils and T-shirts. Getting something for free is definitely on a to-do list for kids. Every marketing item that they can actually use will be something that they love.

Whenever children go home, they take these school supplies with them. This results in the people at home seeing the marketing gear, and therefore the name of the company on these gadgets. Parents, friends of parents, and extended family are able to view the advertising products and become familiar with the name of a business. A phone number might be attached to the enterprise. It's possible that some of the people will have heard of the enterprise and will use them in the future because of the confirmation of the promo item.

Kids are helping a firm to give them something great, while at the same time making the company more visible to everyone they come in contact with. The result is that there is a great chance for an increase in profits for the business, and a 100% chance that the kid will have received something that they can really use and love. This is a wonderful benefit for students and establishments. Teachers, likewise, can experience the joy of receiving advertising goods for free and use them to help out in everyday activities. They can also take their supplies home with them to be seen by their family members and friends.

Any company that wants to get its message out is doing itself a favor when it uses marketing things to spread the word. It's a quiet, simple way of marketing that helps schools, kids, and the businesses that support them in their hard work.

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Promo Products for the Youngsters

If you study the present trend of how business organizations approach their audiences, it would show a very focused measure that they take. They target that very segment of their audience to whom they provide their services. For example, the Youngsters who form a large section of the audience base are also catered separately. There are promotional products available in the market today that are meant particularly for this age group. So why would one settle for anything less? Addressing the youngsters specifically have a better impact resulting in an improved brand awareness. This is where the promotional items satisfy their basic intentions.

Let us discuss some of the popular promo products for youngsters:-

Keyrings & keychains:

Youngsters are generally more fond of riding, be it bicycles, scooters, motor bikes or cars for that matter. Keys are an integral part of operating these vehicles which are attached to keyrings and chains. Youngsters like keys with keyrings or chains for the reason that they prevent the keys from loosing as well as add some style to their carrying keys. Thus, being extremely preferred by youngsters, keyrings and chains are excellently used as promo products.

Pens:

It is the youngsters who use pens more than any other audience segment. Therefore, youngsters can be addressed both extensively and intensively with promotional pens. They use these promo items for writing, drawing, sketching, highlighting or scribbling to be precise. Every time these promo products are brought into application, the branding components come in visual contact, leading to a firm brand positioning in the youngsters’ minds.

Clothing & caps:

Matching clothing and caps to the latest fashion is what, the youngsters are fond of. Moreover, they use a more number of clothes and caps as they engage in many outdoor activities like sports, parties in clubs and other hangouts. Using clothing and caps as promo items thus acts as a proficient transit advertising medium.

Games & puzzles:

Games and puzzles are apt promo items for youngsters. In free time, youngsters involve in playing games and puzzles for enjoyment or just for whiling away time. They come in varieties of card games, chess games, puzzle trays, sudoku games and umpteen others. These team and individual games emphasize the brand identity in the mind of the user while informs potential audience about the brand presence respectively.

Computer Accessories:

Computers are a must have for youngsters. Not only do they help them in their studies, but they are widely used for playing games, pleasure reading and for listening to music. Thus, different computer accessories like Counter Mats, Mouse Mats, USB Drives & Products, and Wrist Rests serve as brilliant promotional merchandise.

For more information on promo items for youngsters or other promo products, visit www.adxpressimprints.com

Let's Get Motivated!

Leaders today, more than ever before, have to win people's cooperation. And there are two main ways of doing so:  motivation and inspiration. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, they actually mean quite different things depending on what you want to achieve.

Motivation is about moving people to act in a way that achieves a specific and immediate goal. When you're motivating people to do something they may not necessarily want to do, you have to offer them something they want in return.

When coaches give their teams a pep talk during halftime, they are using motivation. They want their players to charge back onto the field or the court with renewed energy and focus, even though they may be too tired or disheartened to try. Their reward? Victory.

• Tell people exactly what you want them to do. Motivation is all about getting people to take action, so don't be vague. Avoid generalities like, "I want everyone to do their best." Say, instead, "I need you to come in over the weekend so we can get this project done on time." 
• Limit the amount of time or effort that you're asking for. It's easier to ask people to work late work one night or even every night for a week than to expect them to work late indefinitely. Set an end date. 
• Share in the sacrifice. Leaders don't ask people to do what they themselves aren't willing to do. Roll up your sleeves and share the load. 
• Appeal to their emotions. People are also motivated by (and prefer to be motivated by) positive emotions such as excitement, pride, a sense of belonging and the thrill of achievement. 
• Give people multiple reasons for doing what you want them to do. You can give your own reason or the organization's reason for requesting the action. "If we don't get this project completed on schedule, we'll lose the contract." But the best reason of all is always personal. It would be nice if you could give your people extra days off or even a bonus.

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About the author: As an executive speech coach with more than 25 years of professional experience, Chris Witt is author of the newly released book, Real Leaders Don't Do PowerPoint, and founder of Witt Communications. He helps CEOs gain board approval and company-wide support for initiatives. Witt also empowers newly promoted managers and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses through the power of effective speaking and presenting. In addition, he works with technical experts to simplify their presentations to win multi-million dollar contracts.

Keep Your Workday Sanity

For information about Stress Balls, inquire with AdXPress Imprints.

With all the recent layoffs, those who are still employed face a tough dilemma. On the one hand, they're grateful for their job, but on the other hand, their workload may have become too much for one person to bear. In fact, many people are now doing the work of two or even three people. Their mantra has become, "There's simply never enough time."

Whether the issue is that you have too much to do, too little help, too daunting a task or all of the above, you can feel like there's no way to keep up. Fortunately, you can start to take control by learning to maximize your time.

Select from over 850,000 promotional products.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Strategy No 1: Go to the Calendar
You stop taking every e-mail, phone call, meeting and problem as it comes up, and instead you start scheduling things in a way that makes sense. Going to the calendar means literally opening up your calendar, turning on the PDA, getting out your schedule, and physically putting into place a written, concrete plan to use every hour in the most productive way.

The key to making this work is to start with a blank calendar and address the tasks, projects or activities that matter most to you first, before you take those calls and e-mails. Ask yourself, "What's the best use of my time?" and "Where am I going to get maximum value?" Schedule those things first. Then you can see where the other tasks can go in your calendar. You may find that not everything can fit, and that's okay. If you're focusing on what matters most, the secondary items can usually slide. Either you'll realize they are just "busy work" that doesn't really need to be done, or you'll suddenly see shortcuts to the tasks that you did not realize before.

Remember, just as you can control your time, you can also control your calendar. Don't let it control you.

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Source: Dr. Joelle K. Jay, Ph. D., is an executive coach and the senior managing partner of the leadership development firm, Pillar Consulting. She strategizes with business leaders to enhance their performance and maximize business results. Her clients include presidents, vice presidents, and C-level executives in Fortune 500 companies. Joelle is the author of The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership.