WHAT’S MEXICAN FOOD got to do with it? Or, for that matter, Japanese animation or Apple computers? Turns out, a lot. Together, they’re three indispensable ingredients for a total nerd-fest. But, taken on their own merits, the seemingly incomparable trio comprises just a few tools of the color analyst’s trade. “I think a lot of people think forecasters sit in an ivory tower and dream up these things and hoist them on the public,” said Leatrice Eiseman, author of Color: Messages & Meanings and director of the Pantone Color Institute, the Carlstadt, New Jersey-based color research and information center. In fact, the “it”
Read MoreAuthor: Christen Gruebel
Safety Dance
If one thing became clear this year regarding product responsibility, it’s there will never be a time when suppliers can sit back and sigh in relief that they’ve finally mastered the safety jive everyone’s been talking about. The reason is simple: just when a company feels it’s got its groove down pat, a few new moves get thrown in, the music falls out of time and toes are inevitably squashed. But the beat goes on. Product-safety education is an ever-evolving quagmire of state and federal legislation, new studies uncovering the next potentially dangerous chemical and pending product recalls. This article is a comprehensive overview
Read MoreEvery Second Counts
When referencing such a broad concept as time, there are so many puns and expressions available to a writer, coming up with one on the fly is second nature. (There’s one, get it? “Second” nature?) As such, this paragraph represents a moment of truth (two) for its author—an exercise in candor that may or may not backfire, but here goes. The jig is up. The following article overuses clever catchphrases about time. Yes, it details great tips for selling clocks and watches, but collateral damage is done in the form of exuberant quippy-ness. So read on, and learn the latest time trends down
Read MoreA Coat for All Seasons
What does Sir Thomas More have to do with coats? Nothing, actually. But, to get literary for a second, “A Man for All Seasons” was the title of a play about him, written in 1954 by Robert Bolt, and naturally, brought to film in 1966. Neither one of these have anything to do with coats, though, either. The phraseology surrounding him, however? Well, that’s another story. Should coats somehow become personified, the idiom so closely associated with More could very easily apply. Why? Because, simply, they allow companies to advertise year-round with their employees as spokespeople, affirmed Alisa Buckner, merchandise and marketing director at
Read MoreThe Incredible, Edible Sale
BLAME IT ON simple biology—humans just can’t get by without food. As the building blocks of life, nutrients are intrinsic to the survival of every individual. But these facts are common knowledge. What nutrients can do for the life expectancy of a marketing campaign, however, now that’s something to chew on. When promotional products are gracing the table, end-users are getting their daily recommended allowance of brand messaging in an easy-to-swallow format. By extension, a company gets much-coveted visibility, not to mention greater probability of retention. The simple health benefits of three squares a day? That’s science. The marketing possibilities associated with each
Read MoreGETTING WARMER
WHAT CAN ANYONE say about sweatshirts that hasn’t already been beaten to death? They’re warm, casual and have pretty much maintained status quo since their inception, right? Well, maybe. The developments might not be earth- shattering, but they’ve happened—helping to make the sweatshirt not only an item of utility, but a garment that’s fashionably viable. Here are four new ways to position the sweatshirt as a solid addition to any apparel program. 1) Vintage styling transcends all apparel categories. The concept of “vintage” is very nearly as popular as the ever-salable green phenomenon. Rather unsurprisingly, these little style details are now being seen
Read MoreSave the Date
WOE TO SIDEKICKS. The ever-underrated second banana never gets his moment in the sun. Worse, they’re the ones who usually have to take the bullet so the hero can live to fight another day. Replaceable, that’s what they are. Sure, time can fly, heal all wounds and save nine in a single stitch. But without its partner, the calendar, what would be there to bring order to time’s crazy impulses? OK, so the calendar has a tendency to run out when time has seemingly met its match (i.e. December 31, every year), but it always comes back renewed, and ready to face another day.
Read MoreFollow the Leaders
GEORGE W. BUSH. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Franklin D. Roosevelt. What do all these men have in common, aside from the obvious? Need another clue? These are not the only famous faces to have this shared pastime on their resume. To name but a few, Katie Couric, Madonna and Meryl Streep also have their roots in similar soil. Giving up already? These well-known folks, all at the apex of their respective industries, got their start as the original No. 1 fans—cheerleaders. The connection is no coincidence. Regardless of whether it’s yelling out cheers, dominating the box office, topping the music charts or even
Read MoreEmbellish: THE TRUTH
DON’T ANGER OPRAH. Despite the fact the point’s been hammered home to us mere mortals ever since Ms. Winfrey took over the world, memoirist James Frey still believed he could “enhance” a few pesky details with his formerly Winfrey-approved tale, “A Million Little Pieces.” We all know what happened next. He’s on the express train to obscurity. And the ticket is not round-trip. For better or (more often) worse, embellishment gets things noticed—after all, the National Enquirer staff has to eat, too. Luckily for the honest-living promotional industry folk, the power can be harnessed for good. Chosen with the right amount of care,
Read MoreSTREET Smarts
RETAIL TRENDS HAVE been inching their way into the promotional apparel market for some time now, but none have made quite as much headway as urban wear (comparatively speaking, of course). For the past two years especially, it’s been the embodiment of what is considered fashion-forward in the current market, and is showing no signs of fatigue. To help distributors ride the wave successfully, Promo Marketing has developed a primer for integrating the latest urban trends into today’s apparel promotions. LESSON 1: MARKING TERRITORY The argument’s as old as that one about the chicken and the egg. The demand for trendy
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