With ten thousand restaurants to choose from nationwide, eco friendly, digital dining cards by Media Tree give your clients a delectable treat. Choose from $25, $50, or $100 Dining Certificates. These branded certificates are the perfect premium, with their low cost to you, high value to recipients and ease of redemption.

Coasters have always been a basic necessity at restaurants and breweries, but can also be a fun promotional keepsake for your customers. Enduraline offers a vivid, full color logo on the front that leaves a lasting impression with nice, durable cork on the back. Your customers will keep your establishment fresh on their minds when the take these fun coasters home to use over and over again.

And for something to put on these cool coasters, The Express Line, established in 1986, has a great catalog that offers everything from shot glasses to sports mugs, unique water bottles to beer glasses, martini glasses to wine glasses in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Express Line prides itself on our exceptional screen-printing capabilities and strives to be the best drink ware supplier in the industry.

For the young diners, Fun For Kids makes fun activity and coloring books. They offer 16 pages of over 70 teachable topics to entertain your young customers and make a great item to present with your children’s menu. Fun packs including crayons are also available. Choose a title from their new environmental selection and these fun books will make a great eco statement about your establishment.

“When looking for a fabric that’s durable, it’s important to consider the following variables weight of fabric, fiber content, fabric construction and technological features,” says Jessica Strain, sales and marketing administrator at Dri Duck Traders.  “The weight of the fabric describes the density of the material or the thickness of the barrier between the wearer and the elements.  The fiber content and fabric construction go hand-in-hand in developing a well-built, durable garment.”

For the ultimate in rugged longevity, choose fabrics that combine natural fiber advantages with performance technologies.  “Technological features can play a large role in the durability of the fabric,” Strain says.  “Added features such as waterproofing, wind resistance and UPF sun protection can extend the life of the garment and protect the wearer from the elements.”

You should also consider the type of environment in which the fabric will be worn.  Is it hot or cold, sunny or rainy?  Strain recommends heavyweight cotton canvas and soft-shell polyester jackets for the cool-weather climates.  “Cotton canvas is durable and warm when constructed in a tightly woven pattern,” she says.  In contrast, she suggests a 6-oz., 100% cotton ridge cloth for warm weather environs.  Dri Duck uses this ridge cloth in its Brick 4286 short sleeve work shirt, with added benefit of UPF-50 protection.

Excerpt from Wearables Magazine – Article by Tonia Cook Kimbrough

Stand out when you’re in a box: five tips for a successful trade show.
Having a display booth in a trade show is a great way to promote your company, meet potential clients, and interact with other business owners. But, without careful planning and preparation, your booth will be pretty lonely.

To maximize your trade show time (and investment), consider the following tips:

1. Be visually appealing.
It’s just a hard fact of life: pretty things draw attention. If you want to stand out, your booth needs to look good. Get posters and banners created professionally. Add a table runner or colored tablecloth instead of using those drab white ones. Have all your booth employees wear the same logo apparel. These small touches go a long way toward creating a positive impression: don’t underestimate the importance of looking polished.

2. Be a resource.
Trade show attendees are looking for one thing: answers. Don’t waste your opportunity to create a positive impression by reciting a sales pitch to your prospect. Instead, listen. Answer your visitor’s questions. Don’t give them every piece of company literature you printed. Instead, only provide the information they need to solve their specific dilemma. Prospects will remember you when you listen and cater your interaction to accommodate their specific needs. Because you helped your prospect solve their problem, you’ve become a resource (in-stead of an annoying salesperson).

3. Be inviting.
Many trade show exhibitors unknowingly scare visitors away because they create an uninviting booth. Attendees need to feel that your booth has room for them. Move your display table to the back of your space and create a footpath for visitors. If you have a promotion, put it at the back of the booth so customers have to come in to get it. This way, you’ll never miss an opportunity to interact with clients. And, though it may be common sense: smile. A scowling face does nothing to attract customers.

4. Choose your promotion wisely.
Trade shows can be pretty chaotic places. But, here’s the good news: because they’re high traffic, you have the potential for instant viral marketing. You just need to have a promotional item that everyone wants. While pens and note pads are nice, they’re easy to shove in a purse or put in a folder. The result? No one sees them. Instead, get an eco-friendly or bright colored tote with your logo or tagline on it. Attendees will use it to store the promotional materials they gather and it will be noticed. Visitors will start to ask one another: “where did you get that bag?” and the traffic to your booth will explode. The moral of the story? Ask yourself what visitors will clamor to get, and then give it to them.

5. Be interactive.
A great way to get people into your booth and customers involved with your product is to provide an interactive experience. Create a game, have a contest, or provide an area where clients can “test-drive” your product. When prospects interact with your business, they’re more likely to purchase your product. Why? You’ve built trust. They’ve tested it themselves and now believe your claims. They’ve sold themselves on the value. On a side note, you should be interactive and enthusiastic, too. (Products don’t sell themselves.) Don’t let booth visitors aimlessly stroll around. Engage them, ask them questions, and get involved. The cumulative experience will win you clients.

Trade shows can be overwhelming, but they’re also a fantastic opportunity to win clients and create positive impressions on thousands of prospects. Implement these tips and your next exhibit is sure to be a success.

We’ve all seen Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen or one of the many great cooking shows on the Food Network.  Due to the popularity of these shows, chefs have now reached a celebrity status in the public eye. The wide variety of reality food shows has transformed many chefs into full-blown “rock stars”.  But being a chef involves more than just working hard over a hot oven all night while managing a restaurant staff.  Today’s chefs are expected to get out and mingle with customers and be the face of the establishment and the brand. “There’s an aura in food service for the chef like there never was 10 years ago,” says Janice Henry, VP of Design for Superior Uniform.
Restaurants are starting to use the chef mystique to breath new life into their business and brand with innovative and stylish restaurant apparel.   It’s not even unusual these days for a chef to have two or three different chef coats.  Some wear one to cook in, one for greeting the customers and one for transitional purposes.
The chef wear industry is also seeing an influx of great new colors, designs and fabric technology, as well as corporate branding.  However, the traditional white chef coat will always remain a standard in an industry that prides itself on tradition.  Some restaurants are actually changing the traditional boundaries by converting formal chef coat styles into apparel worn by front of the house servers that give the impression of chef apparel.  The new use of color is another change from traditional to modern as an outlet for expression.   Manufacturers of chef wear, while keeping the traditional muted tones, have begun adding colors such as brown, black, denim, light green and red jackets.  Chefs love color, but they want to be reserved with color, so it’s traditional with a twist.  Choosing a clean color palette allows chefs to maintain a level of professionalism while expressing their individual style.  Color will also work great with branded uniform programs, where the color of the chef coat goes with the logo.

Ok, so I’m probably not the best person to write this post: I like promotional products. Even worse? I sell promotional products. When it comes down to it, I’m quite biased.

But here’s the deal. I would use promotional products even if I wasn’t in the business of selling them. Why? Because I know that when they’re used strategically, promotional gifts can win clients, increase brand awareness and help grow your business.

Here are seven (good) reasons you should use promotional products:

1. Burn your brand into your customers minds
Unlike newspaper ads or blog posts, promotional products stick around a while. You can make just about any product you buy in a store into a promotion (everything from pens and mugs to large items like luggage). Many people will use your promotional products for daily tasks like writing notes or drinking coffee. Each time your customer interacts with your gift, they’re reminded of your brand and are having an interaction with your business. Nice.

2. They’re cost effective
Promotional products, while an investment at the outset turn out to be great marketing tools. Based on the residual exposure, and the amount of contact consumers have with your brand, promotional products can me more cost effective than buying ad space.

3. Attract new clients
Promotional pieces can make the process of winning clients easier. Whether you leave basic items like pens, note pads and magnets in grab bags at trade shows, or use a gift with your logo as a leave-behind at client meetings, promotional pieces demonstrate your level of professionalism. One lesson: be sure to put your contact information on your products! When I’m looking for a service provider, I always consult my refrigerator magnets before I jump on Google.

4. Employee incentives
To me, it’s common sense: happy employees are more productive. But, if you are one of those sticklers for “proof” and “data” here you go: according to the Association for Psychological Science, “people in high well-being later earn higher incomes and perform better at work than people who report low well being.” You can see the full report here. But, evidence aside, presents just make people happy. You can use promotional products as awards for meeting goals, incentives for employee contests, or just simply a way to say thanks for doing a good job. Not only will your employees think you’re cool, they’ll be motivated to work harder, too.

5. Launch a new product
If you’re looking for a unique way to promote a new product or service, use a fun promotional piece. Travel agents might send a beach ball or towel to announce a new itinerary, a new grocery store could send out eco-friendly shopping bags. Really, the possibilities here are only limited by your creativity. But, one thing is for sure: you’ll make an impression.

6. Client appreciation
Let your clients know that you appreciate them: send a gift. Virtually anything can be made into a promotional piece, so use your imagination. You could send personalized wine, golf tees, or travel games. The extra thought will show that you care and appreciate their loyalty.

7. Drive traffic
If you’re looking for a “real world” way to drive traffic to your website, promotional products could do the trick. Desk items like mouse pads, note pads, pens, and paper weights are all convenient places to prominently display your web address. In addition, if you’re launching a new site, a promotional piece could be used to advertise your new online presence (for more ideas see point five).

When it comes down to it, the uses for promotional products are endless. But, when you do use them, you solidify your brand identity, market your business, and improve your client interactions.

“We offer a variety of ladies vests because it’s a style statement that seems to often come and go,” says Taraynn Lloyd, the director of marketing at Edwards Garment. “And they are ideal in a variety of different marketplaces – high-end restaurants, car rental business, hotels, etc.”

So why is this throwback trend becoming popular again in company work uniforms? Lloyd says it’s for two reasons: It flatters a woman’s body shape and it’s a great alternative to wearing a suit coat. If you’re working in an office environment where it’s mandatory to wear business attire, those hot summer and fall months don’t look too appealing. But wearing a stylish lightweight vest can ease that burden.

Another reason for this predilection toward the vest is the mere reason that celebrities are wearing them. “Consumers will continue to be attracted to what’s on the back of their role models,” Lloyd says. “You wear what you see. And with more celebrities wearing vests, look for your costumers to request this revived trend in the near future.”

Sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products increased 35% in 2009 to $4.3 billion, according to a report released this week. Over the past decade, the annual average growth rate for organic cotton sales is 40%. “Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, senior director of the Organic Exchange, which produced the report.

While the list of top organic cotton buyers features retail giants like Wal-Mart, it also includes industry supplier Anvil Knitwear, which is ranked sixth for the second consecutive year. “More and more people understand the role the product plays at the promotional product distributor level,” said Anthony Corsano, Anvil president, in an interview with Counselor. “As corporations lay out sustainability philosophies they realize they need to market and put their messages on an environmentally friendly product. I’d be very surprised if we didn’t make a big jump on the list for 2010. Our business continues to grow.”

Organic Exchange, which released the 2009 sales data, projects the global organic cotton market will increase an additional 20%-40% in both 2010 and 2011, resulting in an estimated $6 billion market by next year.

If you’re looking for a promotion that is both cost efficient AND effective, consider promotional drink-ware. Travel mugs, coffee cups, and drinking glasses make excellent marketing mediums and can fit into most any budget.  Don’t believe me? Just consider a few of the benefits you and your clients will get from a branded mug or cup:

Longevity.
If you’re like me, you probably never throw away mugs or drinking glasses. In fact, I take my mug with me everywhere: to sporting events, on camping trips, to the office, and on everyday errands. The extra mugs I don’t use? I set on my desk and fill them with pens. Either way, I’m interacting with the product and exposing myself to the logo plastered on the side. When you give a coffee mug as a promotion, you’re giving a practical gift that will get a lot of use and give off a lot of brand exposure.

Residual impressions.
Like I just mentioned, I bring my mug with me everywhere. Every time a Barista fills it with coffee or a friend sees me with it, I’m marketing for the logo on the side. Your drink-ware promotion doesn’t just make an impression on the person you give it to, it impacts each person they interact with as well.

Convenient.
Who doesn’t need a coffee mug? When you give away drink-ware, you can bet that your clients will use it.

Eco-friendly.
When you give a travel mug, you’re actually contributing to a better environment. You’re providing your customers with an alternative to a paper or plastic cup that will end up in the landfill. If you’d like, you can go the extra step and purchase travel mugs and glasses that are made in an eco-friendly manner. In addition to helping mother nature, you’ll also help your clients save some pennies: when they use their own mug, coffee shops will usually offer a discount.

Flexible.
Drink-ware comes in virtually every size, shape, type, and color you can imagine. Even better? You can find solutions to meet just about any budget. With mugs, cups, and glasses you can customize to fit your branding and company style.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for a way to connect with customers on a daily basis, there’s no better gift than a mug or glass with your name on it. You’ll make an impression, and give your customers a means to enjoy their coffee (or beverage of choice). Bottoms up!

There may have been a time when uniforms, such as scrubs, diverged strongly from current fashion sensibilities. However, the divide is quickly narrowing, particularly when it comes to medical apparel. “Uniform styles are becoming more and more reflective of high-quality ladies wear,” says Michael Gann, executive vice president for White Swan Brands. Each year fashion looks are continually updated and elevated in style. “Fit is king, and comfort is second on the list,” says Gann. White Swan Brands’ Fusion line speaks to both the fit and style trends in 2010. “Fusion garments are crafted of tri-blend fabric that brings comfort to a new level with stretch capability, fashion and fit,” he says.

Looking forward to 2011, Gann predicts that scrub colors will take on softer, dustier shades. “Prints will also continue to move towards a retro, simple and modern look,” he says. In addition, not only will the color, style and print be important to wearers, according to Gann, but the name brand will also carry weight. “We’re starting to see known apparel brands breaking into the market,” he says. White Swan’s Jockey Scrubs line is just one of many brands to have done so, including Dickies, Izod and others. “It’s the evolution of the branding strategy,” says Gann.

The most important trend in health-care uniforms for the coming year seems to be value. Even though health care as an industry continues to thrive and add jobs, medical apparel buyers are being judicious in their choices. “With salary cuts and frozen wages,” Gann remarks, “a natural renewed focus is on quality and getting the best value for your money.”

He adds that high color fastness and durability are part of creating the highest quality scrubs in its Jockey line. “Our garments,” he says, “bring an entirely new degree of comfort and durability to the market and come straight from the dryer, virtually wrinkle-free and ready to go.”

Industries from bars to boutiques and high schools to non-profits are finding new and creative ways to promote their business through the use of custom designed promotional t-shirts.

Today’s high school student wants something a little more stylish than a basic cotton t-shirt if you expect them to proudly display their school colors.  Body hugging athletic tees for the males and shear, clingy fashionable tees for the girls, with a choice of styles from cap sleeve to ¾ sleeves and scoop neck to the retro ringer are the t-shirts of choice for this generation.

Bars are turning to the more vintage looking pigment dyed and distressed styles to promote their establishments.   The trend is to offer creative and fun designs that the customer will want to wear around town without feeling like a walking billboard.

Boutiques in the trendy parts of town appeal to a young crowd who don’t want to buy just a plain t-shirt.  The chic little shops that specialize in “bling” lean towards rhinestone embellished tees, as well as stylish designs that they see today’s stars wearing on their MySpace and Facebook pages.

Non-profit organizations have always found great ways to raises funds and awareness though walks and running events.  In Portland, bicycle events to help charities of all kinds are more popular than ever.  With increased competitiveness, the pressure is on for each event team to be as creative as possible with the promotional apparel they proudly wear.  Designs for each team are getting more unique and artistic with each new event.

Some corporations are tying to appeal to a younger workforce by mixing in contemporary t-shirts with the standard corporate polo shirt.  Retro ringer tees and the more stylish silk touch t-shirts are very popular, but 100% organic cotton tees are making their mark with the new eco friendly industries, as well as companies becoming more environmentally conscience.