Promotional products can be the most cost-effective tool in your marketing toolbox. But they can also be a complete waste of time, resources and money—unless you do your homework. With more staying power than a 30-second television or radio commercial, and less expensive than a full-page colored ad in a publication, promotional products go outside the box of traditional advertising. So how can you possibly go wrong? There are many temptations in the world of promotional marketing that can lead even the best of marketing professionals astray. Stay away from these 5 “do-nots” of promotional marketing to help increase your bottom line.

#1. Do not wait until the stroke of midnight

Although awesome promotional product companies (i.e. Bullpen Marketing) can turn orders on a dime, some unknown factors can be hard to control such as inventory, shipping errors and acts of God. Also, waiting to the very last minute on orders can incur hefty expedited shipping costs, not to mention unhealthy stress and agitation levels. If possible, allow time for unforeseen events and place orders well in advance to avoid these last-minute headaches.

#2. Do not give a pork chop to a vegetarian

Not knowing your targeted audience for your promotional product campaign is a disastrous mistake leading to wasted time and money. There’s a simple reason for this: People will not keep something that doesn’t resonate with them. You wouldn’t give a vegetarian a pork chop, would you? No matter the case, the promotional items you’re handing out should have the goal of getting more sales and better customer response. Take some time to think about your intended audience and ask yourself “Would they like this item?” Better yet, use your promotional product company (such as Bullpen) as a resource for product selection advice. This isn’t our first rodeo…or trade show…or client appreciation dinner…or employee safety program…or…well—you get the picture.

#3. Do not have unrealistic expectations

If it feels looks like a $0.25 pen, and writes like a $0.25 pen—it’s probably a $0.25 pen… Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the holiday season and your clients and employees will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. The heart of the home is the kitchen and gifts to use in this area are often overlooked. ‘Tis the season to consider a different type of gift. Check out this 1.2 minute video which gives some great facts about gifts for the kitchen…

Bullpen has a large offering of different products for you to choose from.  Let us help you find the perfect corporate gifts for your clients, prospects, boards and employees.

In this day and age, most people have heard of e-blast newsletters. The pros of this popular marketing tool include being cost-effective, having a targeted audience, overall flexibility and an outlet to get creative. But as with everything in life, where there’s an up—there’s most certainly a down. The cons of this electronic medium all revolve around the message actually getting through to the intended audience. The over usage and abuse by spammers and overly aggressive marketers have sprung a variety of smart, protective and effective email spam blockers. Some a little too over protective—blocking perfectly legitimate and harmles emails from YOU, the sender. Here are some quick and dirty tips to help you have an effective e-blast campaign. Are these 100% proven to get your email where it needs to go? Of course not! But it certainly does raise your chances.

Tip #1. Don’t do it alone. Email marketing service providers are your friend. They can help you maintain and segment your lists, provide you with nifty design templates, connect to social media,  track performance and much more. We’re big fans of MailChimp here. They even offer an absolutely free (no joke) level of service. What’s better than free?

Tip #2. Back to basics. When you get into the design portion of your eblasts, make sure you stick to old school tables to get the best cross platform compatibility. CSS is great for web sites, but don’t you dare use it for your eblast. After your programming is done, don’t think you’re done. Test it. Then test it again. And then test it some more. You’ll want to test on the major online email readers like Yahoo and Gmail, not to mention the very stinky desktop readers such PC platform Microsoft Outlook and the very awesome Mac platform Entourage. (What bias?!)

Tip #3. Don’t be sketchy. Always make sure to include a one-click “unsubscribe” link to give your readers the options of opting out. Ideally, your e-blasts will be so awesome and helpful that no one will want to unsubscribe—but let people make their own decisions. Also, if your company has a private policy online, go ahead and provide that link to your readers.

Tip #4. The bold and the beautiful. You’re sending an email, not building a fancy pants website. At most, you’ll have text and images. No javascript, no flash, no embedded videos. You’ll want to keep images to a minimum if possible. Keep in mind that email programs and mobile devices have a tendency of stripping out images. And when you do use images, make sure you have your alt tags setup. Make sure your emails make sense—even without the pretty pictures.

Tip #5. Don’t be annoying. Make sure before you send out an e-blast you actually have something to say that people want to listen to. Be concise with your words, get to the point and again, keep it simple. And remember—the only person who wants a daily e-blast from you is your mother.

Tip #6. Only bad people buy lists. If the people you’re emailing didn’t ask to get an email from you, don’t send one. You’re just setting yourself up for failure at that point, and even worse, you risk losing your email marketing service provider if you get one too many unsubscribes or complaints. And if that happens, people will point, laugh and make fun of you. Rightly so.

Tip #7. Viagra! While it gets your attention, it will not reach any inbox. Stay away from spammy words or phrases that might raise an electronic eyebrow—especially in your subject line. Words to avoid include viagra, free, limited time, click here, sales, sample, trial, quote…well, you get the point. Also, ALL CAPS is a no-no. (That and it reads like you’re yelling at your reader—SO STOP IT!)

Still confused? Have questions? Or would rather let someone else worry about tables, alt tags and getting everything right? Give Bullpen a call today at 713.652.2030.

Posted by: Robert Melvin

The upcoming holiday season is the perfect time to let your clients know how much you think of them. A stylish pen set with your logo and your client’s name or initials is a personal way to make a long lasting impression. Below are five classy pen sets that cost $40 or less. Best of all, the laser engraved personalization is free until the end of the year.

Cutter & Buck Facet Pen Set

This handsome set includes the Cutter & Buck Facet Roller Ball and Cutter & Buck Facet Twist. It comes with a standard European black roller ball and black ballpoint ink cartridges. The set comes with a genuine-top-grain leather gift box with Cutter & Buck signature snap. $40.00 (click thumbnail for larger image)

Cutter & Buck Parallel Pen Set

The Cutter & Buck Parallel Pen Set adds elegant styling with handcrafted Italian resin. The set includes the Cutter & Buck Parallel Roller Ball with removable cap and standard European black roller ball ink cartridge along with the Cutter & Buck Parallel Twist with twist action mechanism and standard European black ballpoint ink cartridge. The set comes with a signature Cutter & Buck leather gift box. $40.00 (click thumbnail for larger image)

Cutter & Buck Collectors Edition Pen Set

The Cutter & Buck Collectors Edition Pen Set includes the Cutter & Buck Collector’s Edition Twist and Roller Ball pens. Both of these pens use standard European black ink cartridges. The pen set is packaged handsomely in a Cutter & Buck leather gift box. $36.00 (click thumbnail for larger image)

Cutter & Buck Legacy Pen Set

The Cutter & Buck Legacy Pen Set includes the Cutter & Buck Legacy Twist and Roller Ball pens. This exclusive Cutter & Buck design features a tungsten carbide tip and a black standard European black ink cartridge. The roller ball has a screw on, threaded brass cap and it showcases the Cutter & Buck crest intricately etched into the pen tip. The twist pen has a retractable twist action mechanism. The pen set is packaged handsomely in a Cutter & Buck leather gift box. $30.00 (click thumbnail for larger image)

Balmain Narbonne Pen Set

The Balmain Narbonne Pen Set is another favorite of Bullpen Marketing. The two-piece set includes an elegant twist and roller ball pen. The pens include a standard European black ink cartridge. This pen set is packaged in a smart presentation gift box. $35.00 (click thumbnail for larger image)

Please note there is a minimum order requirement of 12 pen sets and a set-up charge of $30 for all of the pen sets above.

Call Bullpen today and let us help you get up close and personal, 713.652.2030.

Posted by: Colin Hageney

“Going Green” is more than a trendy slogan – it’s a way to share the holiday spirit. Many corporations and consumers alike are looking for eco-friendly ways to make a difference. Make Plant-A-Tree Cards part of your holiday gift and enhance your company’s image while assisting the Earth. Printed on recycled or seed-embedded paper that grows wild flowers when planted, Plant-A-Tree Cards donate a tree to a global re-forestation project once they are redeemed. Seed a brighter future with Plant-A-Tree Cards!

Why Choose Plant-A-Tree Cards for Your Holiday Gift?

• Plant-A-Tree Cards show your brand’s green initiative and help your customers or employees “Go Green” as well!
• Plant-A-Tree Cards are a unique gift that recipients will appreciate and remember.
• With an interactive redemption experience, this gift makes recipients part of the process and allows them to plant a tree in an area they choose.
• Recipients will feel good about helping the Earth by having a tree planted in their name in one of many global re-forestation projects.

To see how it works, watch this video

We’ve got school spirit—yes we do. We’ve got school spirit, how about you? Bullpen is offering special pricing on these item below. Each items offer a low price tag, but a high value. Bullpen Marketing can work with you to find the perfect fundraising item or idea for your school. These special prices are valid until Nov. 25, 2011.

Mega Hand Clapper
Give a hand and make some noise with this large hand clapper. This item is great to sell in spirit stores, before pep rallies and sporting events. Make some noise for your favorite team! Available in white, black, blue and red.

Price: $0.99 ea. with a minimum of 300 piece order. Includes 1-color imprint, 1-location printing. Shipping not included.

24 oz Aluminum water bottle
Clip it on and go! This BPA-free, stylish water bottle with carabiner can be conveniently clipped to backpacks and is terrific at promoting eco-conscious living. Available in aluminum, blue, red, apple green, white, black, tangerine, aqua, fuchsia and graphite.

Price: $3.48 ea. with a minimum of 144 piece order. Includes 1-color imprint, 1-location printing. Shipping not included.

Drawstring Cinch Bag
Safety First! Wide reflective strips on top and bottom of this bag is great to keep your students visible at night. This drawstring rope closure converts bag from a tote to a backpack. Available in black, blue, hunter green, lime green, orange, purple, red and yellow.

Price: $2.19 ea. With a minimum of 150 piece order. Includes 1-color imprint, 1-location printing. Shipping not included.

7.5” Plastic Megaphone
Rah Rah RAH! Let’s make some noise and eat a snack. This item can be filled with popcorn, peanuts or other goodies and sold at school games as a fun snack and noise maker. Megaphones come with bottom cap and top lid to make snacks easy to hold and carry. Available in black, blue, green, orange, purple, red and yellow.

Price: $1.77 ea. With a minimum of 100 piece order. Includes 1-color imprint, 1-location printing. Shipping not included.

Post by: Colin Hageney

It’s that time of year to start thinking about holiday gifts for your clients and employees. Without question, food gifts are a holiday favorite with just about everyone! Below are 9 helpful tips about purchasing food gifts:

1. The holiday season tends to be stressful; make things easier for yourself whenever you can. Instead of sending an employee to the local retail store or having that employee spend hours on the web trying to find the right food gifts, you can purchase your food gifts from Bullpen Marketing.

2. Make sure you receive the deserved credit for your gifts by promoting your brand and not someone else’s brand. Purchase your food gifts from Bullpen Marketing — we will make sure that when your client or employee opens their present, the first thing they will see is your logo, not a food brand.

3. Take advantage of volume and value driven pricing. Everyone deserves a better price when buying larger quantities. And more importantly, there is no need to purchase overpriced brand names when you can receive better quality gifts for less money….

Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something to be learned from ASPCA and other animal shelters when it comes to non-profit advertising and asking for donations. Most times they pack a punch, hit you where it hurts and have you begging for the pain to stop.

Those animal groups sure have a way of putting out a message that send chills down your spine and tears down your face within a span of 30 seconds. How do they do it? And how can any marketer learn from their success?

The effectiveness of most of these campaigns come from the emotional appeal that they create. For example, this Shelter Project Ad for 2 kitties who just haven’t been chosen yet.

Targeted. Direct. Heart-wrenching. And how about the ASPCA commercial starring singer/song writer Sarah McLachlan?

Manipulative?—Perhaps. Effective?—Absolutely!

Taking a step back from animated cats and one-eyed dogs, the story is at the heart of the message and is essentially what “sells” the message. Both these examples go above and beyond simply conveying information. They take you on a journey, triggering an emotional response, all the while, effectively (directly or indirectly) making a call to action. “Tomorrow—guaranteed!”

Any non-profit business can appropriate this model to work for them—as long as they can tell a convincing enough story.

Posted by: Colin Hageney

Many people in the United States think that the majority of manufactured goods are made in China.  In fact, the USA remains by far the No. 1 manufacturing country. It out-produces No. 2 China by more than 40 percent. U.S. manufacturers cranked out nearly $1.7 trillion in goods in 2009. The promotional product industry is dominated by products that are made overseas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t brand your company with something Made in the USA.

People buy American for many reasons, and for many companies, it is to support their corporate culture or philosophy.  Just because a product is Made in the USA doesn’t mean it’s more expensive.  In recent years, the high cost of fuel to transport goods around the globe has helped American manufacturers level the playing field.  Let us help you find the perfect products that fit your company best.  If you’re looking for American-made products or green products or even American-made green products, contact Bullpen and let us help you out.

A few products Made in the USA…

Click here to see a more options in the Bullpen “Made in the USA” Showcase.

Posted by: Colin Hageney

Energy is the key component to getting any kind of work done making this solar backpack a perfect tool for the professional on the go! The backpack allows you to charge all of your portable devices. A charger kit includes: USB adapter, USB charger, AC adapter, 3600 MAH battery and multiple adapters for charging iPad, iPod, iPhone, Blackberry and most other smartphones.  The solar panel stores up to 5 hours of energy with just a few rays of sunshine or any direct or indirect light. Not only are you being energy efficient, but you also have the ability to be efficient with your daily tasks.

To make things easy at the airport, the bag is checkpoint friendly allowing you to breeze through airport security.  The bag is constructed of rugged, ballistic and ripsock fabrics; it also features rugged adjustable shoulder straps with overbuilt padding and a grab handle.  The front zippered pocket has a multi-function organizer which is a great place for your phone or other electronic gadgets.  The large main compartment holds up to a 14-inch laptop and a special pocket for a tablet making this backpack comfortable and convenient. Prices are as low as $150 and include your company or school’s logo.

Take a tour of this cool bag now with this product video!