You Got An App For That?

I belong to a business organization that focuses around networking and referrals.  I have my usual group every Friday morning, where I diligently (and trust me when I say this – I’m the President and I run the meeting) attend every week.  The other day I was asked to be a substitute for someone in another group (on another day).  Happened to be this morning, a Thursday, when I’m not used to getting up at such an early hour.  OK, I’m totally lying. . . I’m an early riser anyway, but let’s just say I’m not used to getting up and LEAVING THE HOUSE that early.  But, I made a commitment and went.

Part of the agenda in these meetings is that two members get to give 10 minute presentation about their business.  It’s an opportunity for them to teach the rest of the group on how to better refer them to people they know (it’s NOT a forum to sell themselves to others in the group – the idea is to train them to be your sales force).

Anyway, this morning I was awarded with a very well put together presentation.  No, it wasn’t all flashy with photos and cool PowerPoint graphics and all that.  It was simply a guy standing in front of us, extremely well prepared, and completely confident in his talents and his ability to tell us WHAT and WHY he does what he does.

His name: Christopher Fox

His Company: Sly Fox Applications

His Job: building iPhone & iPad apps

OOH. . APPS. . I got your attention didn’t I?  Yeah. .those apps. . the ones all of us smartphone users have become obsessed with.  I love myself a good iPad application, and when I had my iPhone (I love and miss it, but I won’t get into why I’m currently using the Droid – blech – it’s a long story).  . . I loved playing with it. . there was always something to download, check out and actually USE.  So, needless to say, when this guy started talking, I was intrigued, and you would have been too.  I could go on and on about the when and the why (1994 – “computer journalism” class) and all that, but I won’t.  Maybe you should ask him yourself. . I was quite entertained, and interested in learning more.  I grabbed his card, patted him on the back and congratulated him on his well executed presentation, and went on my way.

I encourage you to check out his website – www.slyfoxapps.com – but better yet, give him a call and have coffee or something, as a human touch is always better.

Oh, and the one thing he said that stuck out – in 10 years (don’t quote me on the time period he used), apps will have taken over websites in popularity.  Sound crazy?  Maybe – but so did Facebook.

At Long Last. . .

Here I am!  Where have I been you ask?  No where in particular.  I’ve been around.  No vacation or crazy trips to faraway places or anything.  I’ve just been doing what I do – and keeping busy doing it.  That’s a GOOD thing in our industry, where Summertime (I know it’s not technically Summer, but school’s let out hasn’t it?) tends to show a slow down period for us.  Not so this year. . yay!  We’ve got a steady stream of companies large and small printing like mad. . we even have a few individuals who just want a couple shirts for a funny joke or a birthday present.  That makes me happy.

What people asking for these days. . .

1) Apparel – I have a sneaking suspicion that companies are tired of wearing tired looking apparel.  With all the name brands we have access to (Adidas, Ping, Nike. . . ), there’s no reason for your logo apparel to LOOK cheap.

2) Fliers – The old standby.  Most are using for specific purposes for distribution at local events (farmers markets, wine tasting events, etc.), to market a special offer or discount.

3) Bags – who doesn’t like a bag?  And with digital print available now on fabric, minimums can be much lower without the set up fees.  Tote bags are the biggest mover for sure. . . I’m sure you’re probably seen them. . you know. . in every single grocery store you go into.  Yeah. . we can print one those.

4) Note Pads – probably one of the best “leave behind” pieces out there.  These things get used.  We have boxes of them, and we hand them out all the time.  It’s great when I go to visit someone and see my notepad sitting in the middle of their desk.  Guess  who they *subconsciously* think of every day?

5) Business Cards – I shouldn’t have to explain this one.  Everyone in business should have one.  ’nuff said.

5 Years of Wine

That’s a little misleading.  We’ve been drinking wine for WAY more than five years, but what I mean to say is – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!  On May 15th, New Vintage Print officially hit the 5 year mark in our little adventure we call work.  As you know, and can tell from our website, we’re heavily involved in the wine industry, constantly looking for ways to improve the look, the feel, the function of wine labels for wineries in the Russian River, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, as well as Sonoma Coast, American Canyon – well, you get the idea right?

So, what better way to celebrate 5 years of successful business?  Well, a winery event of course.  Our friends at Wilson Winery put on this event every year for the Children of the Vineyard Workers.  It’s a scholarship fund for them to go to school . . .a little background:

 

In 2002 the Wilson family and Wilson Winery established the “Children of Vineyard Workers Scholarship Fund.” Our ambitious goal is to raise enough money to meet the demands of all deserving applicants and to build the endowment fund for a legacy of ongoing success. We believe that the children of those who work the vineyards of Sonoma County should not be limited in their pursuit of educational opportunities by financial constraints.  The Wilson Family will match all funds up to $100,000.  100% of your dollars go directly to the scholarship fund.

So, it’s a good cause and we wanted to help support that cause.  So this last Saturday night the four of us (my husband Chris, and my parents, Carl & Joanie) headed out to Soda Rock Winery for a silent (and also a live) auction that included good appetizers, dinner and the best part of all. . self pour wines.  Talk about trust!  OH, and they had a miniature pony there to bid on.  He was awfully cute, but . . probably wouldn’t fly.  Anyway, we had a good time, and we bid on (and won) a few things.  We figured since we were celebrating 5 years of business, we should buy ourselves something right?

How about a wine fridge and 52 bottles of wine to fill it?  Yes please.

Happy Birthday to us.

5 Promo Products Everyone Should Love

We get a lot of promotional product mailers, magazines, emails, and Facebook posts about the “newest”, “coolest”, or most “innovative” promotional product on the market.  We get these every. . .single. . .day.  Some we immediately delete, pass over or ignore.  These are the items that we have no interest in selling, simply won’t sell, or don’t think we have an audience for.  Every now and then however, we run across some pretty cool stuff.  Those items that we absolutely LOVE and think everyone should love and buy too.  So, here I give you a very subjective account of the five promotional products WE THINK everyone should love. 

1) Lip Balm – who doesn’t love a good lip balm?  Notice I didn’t say Chapstick.  That’s an actual brand name, and it’s waxy.  I said this was subjective (it’s just my opinion), so if you love your Chapstick. . .well go ahead and love it, but contact me for a sample of our organic lip balm and I’m sure you’ll become a convert too.  Lip Balm is a great giveaway for dentists, charity events and schools to name just a few.  It’s an inexpensive way to get your name out there and keep it out there.  I’m farily certain most people hang on to a good lip balm, which increases brand exposure every time it’s used.  What’s even better, there are lots of flavors and they can be wrapped in a full color (ie. fully customizable) label, so whatever marketing message you want on there is fair game.  OH, and there are always sales on overstocked flavors, which reduces the normal cost by about $0.20/ea at the minimum quantity of 250 pieces.  Overstock flavors change all the time, so contact me to find out what they are.

2) Stainless Steel Water Bottles – I’m going to spare you the save the environment talk.  At this point, it just makes sense.  Why buy cases upon cases of bottled water?  Aside from the landfill issue, it’s expensive.  We invested in a Brita water filter and got some of these awesome stainless steel water bottles.  We have several clients order these, and not one of them has been disappointed.  This is personally my absolute FAVORITE promo product, and I simply cannot understand why not everyone wants to buy them.  Lots of different sizes and shapes, and cool new colors coming out all the time.  Low minimums too so an order doesn’t have to break the bank or take up every bit of your storage space.

3) Tee Shirts – I don’t have any statistics or anything, but I’m guessing that the Tee Shirt is probably the most popular promotional product on the market.  I recently came across this great new Bella (for her) & Canvas (for him) shirt that I love love love!  It’s my go to recommendation on tee shirts.  I have a giant box of them sitting behind me as I write this, waiting for the Fusion Fitness logo to be put on them. . .again. . they were so popular they needed to order more.  It’s a 50% poly / 50% cotton blend, lightweight and so soft.  They’ve got a great cut to them and fit both men and women perfectly.  No more boxy look. . . and they’re affordable too! YAY!

 4) Journal Books – I’m a list maker and these are cool.  Quality construction and can be fully customizable with die cut covers, foil, emboss, spot gloss, etc. etc. etc.  The possibilities are endless.  This is the ultimate ”holder on-er” promo product.  Yeah, I just made up a word.  What I  mean it, no one will throw these away.  I went to a trade show in January and there were tables and tables of these things for us to take so that we’d have something to write in.  I’m not gonna say how many we brought home, but let’s just say there’s one in my office, one in my kitchen. . well, you get the idea.

5) Coffee Mugs – yes, back to the drinkware.  We got some of these for our own promotional products.  They’re ceramic mugs with a silicone lid that actually stays put and doesn’t leak!  They are awesome, and they look really good.  There are a lot of coffee drinkers out there, so why aren’t people buying these?  Your guess is as good as mine.

So there you have it.  My top 5 promotional products.  I think they are all awesome and think everyone else should think the same thing.  Agree?  Disagree?  What’s the best promotional product you’ve ever received?

Why We Love Blatant Product Placement

You know what I’m talking about when I say blatant product placement right?  That’s when you’re watching TV or a movie and you find yourself being bombarded with corporate logos.  It’s the strategically placed Coca Cola can or the close up on an American Express Card (I think that was a Bond movie that did that).  Sometimes we won’t realize what’s happening as the placement is subtle.  That is NOT what I’m talking about. . . I’m referring to the blatant, obvious and borderline ridiculously in your face placement of product.  Remember the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks? Other than Wilson the volleyball of course (yes, THAT’S blatant product placement too), we were bombarded with FedEx.  Obvious.  The Sopranos was filled with blatant product placement.  Well, maybe they thought they were being subtle, but by that point in my life, it seemed I had a trained eye to notice that sort of stuff.  Let’s reach back a little further. . back to where it all started, or at least the first instance in the movies that I can think of. . .

Yes, I’m talking about E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.  You all remember his love of a certain candy don’t you?

“I love Reese’s Pieces. . . but I still want to phone home”

So why are we talking about product placement?  Well, simple. . . products are all about branding, and branding is our business.  Yes, we are the people you call when you need something printed – wine labels, business cards, custom note books, water bottles, etc. etc. etc., but have you ever stopped to think about what printing is and why businesses print “stuff”?  To put their logo, name or likeness on something to help build their BRAND!  There is a misconception, however, that simply slapping a logo on something is branding. . . Yes, you read that correctly – misconception.

Branding. . . as explained by the American Marketing Association is the feel of your business card, the way the company’s phone is answered, the tone of a letter, the package that’s almost impossible to open, the receptionist at the corporate office who continues to chat with a fellow worker when a customer arrives, the instructions that are too hard to follow, the lane-hogging driver of a corporation’s truck.  The BRAND is every touch point, every thought, and every experience the customer has.”

Keep that in mind when you see a recognizable logo (Starbucks, Coca Cola, FedEx).  What is your experience with all these companies?  For me?  Starbucks – I remember the barista that gave me free coffee because I had to wait five minutes for them to brew some more.  When I think of Coca Cola, and this may date me, I think of “Coke Is It!” and the catchy little tune that goes with it.  FedEx – well, I can’t think of any bad experiences with them. . . but nothing to really endear me to them either.  I suppose I’m a UPS girl, but that doesn’t really matter.  You get the idea.  It’s all in the experiences and memories that are conjured up when you see a logo. . that’s the brand.

wow – 1984 - I’m starting to feel old

So, back to why we love the blatant product placement.  It’s simple.  It’s so completely and brazenly obvious that it makes us laugh when we see it. . .and we’re all about being entertained.  Now that you’ve read this, you’ll be looking for it in every TV show and movie you watch.  Even if you don’t realize it, you’ll be looking.  And I bet you laugh a little when you notice it. 

We’d love to hear back from you one your favorite (or not so favorite) product placement examples. . . let’s hear them!

What Makes Me Happy. . .

It makes me happy when. . . .I wake up and the sun is shining. . .but it’s still sort of cold and crisp out.  When someone calls to say that someone else was raving about me and/or my product and that they would now like to work with me.  When someone I haven’t heard from in a while says that they’d like to work with me again.  My dog pulls all my product samples out of the closet.  Printed shirts and bags. . . everywhere.  My tedius “to do” list gets smaller and my list of pending client projects gets larger.  When one of my suppliers calls me and says “consider it taken care of”.  When one of my college friends shoots me an email just to tell me it’s baseball season.  When I go to get my teeth cleaned and as I’m walking out the door, the dentist says “Kim!  I need to call you. . I need more promo products”  When I realize the tulips I planted three years ago have shown their first bloom of the season.  All of these things happened to me today.  Makes for a good day.  What makes you happy?