For Your Consideration. . .

If you like wine, check out the two newest tasting rooms in Sonoma County.

Garagiste – what’s that mean?  A garagiste refers to a winemaker who makes small batches of wine in his (or her – we don’t discriminate) garage.  This tasting room is a joint venture between Stark Wines and one of our clients Cartograph.  Plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy their small-lot wines in a great, comfortable setting.  If you’re up in Northern Sonoma County, go check them out.  If you’re not. . make the trip anyway!  Garagiste Healdsburg. 439 Healdsburg Ave. 431-8023. Open: Thurs-Mon 11-6 p.m., and Tues-Wed by appointment. Twitter: @cartographwines

Vinoteca - This one is a collective tasting lounge offering limited production wines.  Includes Baker Lane, Bjornstad Cellars, Calluna Vineyards, Frostwatch Vineyards & Winery, Olson Ogden Wines and Super Sonoman Wines.  Open: 11am to 5pm on Friday- Sunday and Monday – Thursday by appt!  taste@vinotecataste.com 707-542-3292.  Twitter: @VinotecaTaste

Both are on Twitter (handles above) and have Facebook Pages too, so check them out!

kd

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!

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

It’s the million dollar question these days, isn’t it?   A few questions

• Are you on Twitter? 
• Do you even know what Twitter is? (hint: if you call it “twittering” rather than “tweeting”, you’re probably not so familiar)
• Do you think it’s effective for business?
• Or do you think its only good for celebrities?

Before I go on I’ll answer those for myself. 

• Yes, I’m on Twitter -  @nvpgirl  - go follow me – right now.
• Me being on it pretty much designates that yes, I know what it is. 
• Do I think it’s effective for business?  Well, let me get back to that. 
• The celebrities?  YES!  It’s spectacular for celebrities.  So much so that it exhausts me how much they tweet, and have actually stopped following a few because of it.

So back to the is it good for business question.  I’m not gonna lie.  I don’t really get it.  Twitter in general.  I mean, I GET it. . say what you want to say in 140 characters or less. . . . .preferably less because to get more exposure other Tweeps have to be able to RT you (that’s “re-tweet” for those of you new to Twitter).  If you’ve used up every last space, well, there’s no way you’re getting kudos for your mind blowing thoughts because they can’t fit the letters RT in there.

So as a concept, I get it, but I guess I just don’t really “get it, get it”.  I wonder every day how I can fit Twitter into our business and make it work for us.  I know that I need to be consistent and tweet some interesting stuff that other people want to hear about or find interesting, but I struggle with that.  I know no one cares that I had poached eggs for breakfast.  That’s sort of the joke isn’t it?  That’s what people who don’t get social media always say.  “Why do I care what so-in-so is having for breakfast?  Who cares!”  It’s a simple justification to not really wanting to change with the times and/or learn something new. . .some choose to just call it stupid and go on being oblivious to the changing world around us.

Well, I refused to do that, so I simply jumped right in.  I got a Twitter account and started following a few people.  Then it was like a symphony of crickets surrounded me.  “Now what?” I thought.  “Well, I guess I just start posting stuff; but what?”  Those crickets came back.  And so it went for a while.  I posted occassionaly, but my posts were never particularly interesting or anything that I even really cared about, let alone any of my few followers.  To be honest, I’m not even sure where those followers came from.  I picked up a few tips from an educational session I took at an industry trade show. My newfound knowledge worked a bit.  I started getting some followers, mostly because I was RT (re-tweeting remember?) other peoples stuff.  People like that and thank you publicly by, you guessed it, tweeting a thank you!

So yes, I use it. .  but not as often as I should, or as I want to.  I just don’t really know what I kind of info I should be sharing.  So, the past few weeks I’ve been on a recon mission.  I’m posting a tweet here and there, but really I’ve just been reading about what other people are tweeting.  Aside from my plethora of sports related information I’m getting and the occassional zinger from Denis Leary (@denisleary) or latest bit of humor from Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38), most of the other people I’m following are business related.

Guess what I found?

The vast majority of people using Twitter for business are tweeting about tweeting!  And all those tweets are being retweeted.  WHUCK?! 

I’m confused.  So I ask you, soon to be loyal followers of my blog – what do YOU want to hear about?  I’d love your feedback.  It does NOT have to be specifically about Twitter, as I realize that not everyone has a Twitter account.  We have this website/blog now, and a Facebook Page too you know. . and we post stuff there all the time, but would like to know what our fans want to see more of or hear more about.  We can’t do this without you, so please comment below, shoot me an email, post a comment on our Facebook wall or, here’s a concept, TWEET me!  Leave feedback and we will send you a New Vintage Print ceramic coffee mug.  Promise.

Thinking beyond printing on paper . . .

When most people think of print, they likely think “ink to paper”. It’s OK. If I weren’t in the industry, I’d probably think the same thing. But it’s our job to educate our clients, referral partners and even our friends and families (when applicable) that New Vintage Print doesn’t ONLY print on paper. Brochures, postcards, presentation folders, etc. etc. etc. Yes. . we print all of that kind of stuff. . . but the cool thing is that we don’t stop just there. We can print on any number of things. Metal? Yep. Plastic? Yep again. GLASS?! Of course!

We’re noticing a trend in the wine industry where many wineries are forgoing the traditional paper label to silk screening directly on the bottles. This isn’t necessarily “new”, meaning that the idea wasn’t dreamt up yesterday, it’s just that we’re getting a lot more requests for it lately.

So, how do you decide to screen or not? Simple. It’s all in personal preference. Some wineries screen the bottles on their reserve wines and label their non-reserve wines. Some feel that a screened bottle makes for a higher end look. Some simply don’t want to deal with the labeling process while they’re bottling. For others, perhaps it’s more cost effective. It’s different for everyone, and costs are really driven by quantity as well as the number of colors someone wants to screen onto the bottle.

We’ve done screened bottles for (Brutocao Cellars), just finished up an order for a new label, Dom Whitney and are currently printing one for another new label called Benevolo. I can’t wait to get pictures of that one, cause I totally dig the logo. Oh, and I should probably mention that it doesn’t have to be a wine bottle. We can print actual wine glasses, shot glasses, water glasses. . . well, you get the idea.