This past Saturday, my family and I took a trip to Liberty Island to view the Statue of Liberty.  The statue is a national treasure which was presented to the United States as a gift from France in 1886.  Throughout the world the Statue of Liberty is the most recognizable icon of America, representing liberty, freedom, and the escape from oppression for many people and kindred's.  While there, we enjoyed lunch at a very fine restaurant and took many pictures of the statue and the beautiful scenery surrounding the island, in breathtaking view of lower Manhattan.  The cost of entry onto the island was $12.00 per person which included the ferry ride to and from the island.  Also, for sale, were many wonderful promotional items that were available as souvenirs; one of the items is part of the Motivators Catalog, the Liberty Visor, which seemed to be a big hit with souvenir buyers.

 

 

        

Victor Hugo, the late French writer, of works such as Les Miserable and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said…” This is true to life. A good soundtrack can give you goose bumps when the guy finally gets the girl. A favorite mixed CD can bring you back to three summers ago when there was nothing to worry about. And listening to one song can be more therapeutic then talking to 239052905 different people for advice.

Classic & New Prodigy, a new post-production recording studio has utilized the sense of sound in order to attract new clients in their new direct marketing campaign.  A black box filled with sound proofed materials inside, was addressed and mailed to different music firms in. Inside the sound hall was a crumpled up piece of onionskin paper. Once unraveled, the word “Rain” appeared along with Class and New studio’s logo. The sound made while flattening out the piece of paper was a replica of rain - pouring down, dampening grass and collecting on the road to form puddles.  

Those who received the package would each have their own take on the product. Were they brought back to a terrible rainstorm months ago? Or did they fantasize of running around like a kid in a summery shower? No matter how you look at it, the sound said what a page of text could never. Classic&New Prodigy Recording Studio will produce music that will inspire and sound just as crisp as rain.

This promotional product gives a new spin to the use of custom imprinted noise makers. Production studios are known for having promotional stickers and custom apparel. Both are great promotional giveaways…if only they made cool noises.

 

I like to snack on chips. I love a fresh crispy bag of doritos with a diet coke and a fun TV show. But being that I have cut back on my snacking I have stocked up on Chip Clips to keep things fresh. My favorite bag clip is the toughie magnet 3" bag clip. I like the magnet on the back because I also use the clip on the fridge to hold coupons and invitations/pictures. It's a handy MUST for me.

My red '93 station wagon housed four giggly chicks and our very own concession stand. We neared the entrance to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration, and Michael Jackson's voice quieted as I rolled my finger over my iPod. The scent of fresh cut lawn poured in through our cracked windows. You don’t need air conditioning on a cool breezy summer night.

After handing a teenager 20 bucks and receiving a Long Island event promotional calendar, we we’re directed to our very own parking spot. In a sea of cars, ranging from mini-vans to old Chevy convertibles, my engine stopped rumbling. I kept my promotional keychain adorned keys in the ignition and stared wide eyed at the scene that surrounded me. Big families, young couples, and old friends had filled the vacant green field with their cars and excited sprits.                                 

Custom foldable chairs sat outside of some cars, allowing for a more outdoorsy movie experience. But it was my sister’s old floral comforter that would be our prime seat tonight. No cup holders. No sticky floors. No popcorn eaters crunching in my ears.

The Nassau County Drive-In movie event is sponsored by Nassau County. “Drive-in movies are a distinct part of Long Island’s entertainment history and for thousands of Long Islanders they evoke a very warm, nostalgic feeling,” said Country Executive Tom Suozzi. “This program at Old Bethpage will allow Long Islanders of all ages to relive that tradition and enjoy some terrific films.” This event has brought on positive publicity to Nassau County.

The event that’s promoted in both Newsday and on local radio stations has been drawing a big crowd and giving everyone on Long Island something to look forward to every Tuesday night this summer. I know it was a highlight of my summer nights. Sitting under the stars on a blanket in a feel-good state of mind with good friends and family is something everyone should be promoting.

The radio station promotional van from WCBSFM 101.1 “New York’s Greatest Hits,” was present all night. With an event opened to 500 packed cars, I thought there would be more promoting. But the van stood still and no promotional tee shirts or custom imprinted water bottles we’re handed out. None the less, the vans presence got me to tune into their radio station.

Any one that helps sponsor a flash from the past event will get my attention. So load up your car and head to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration any Tuesday in August. Take advantage of what the Island has to offer. Regardless of the movie being shown on the huge inflatable screen, it’s going to be a good time.

                                                  

 

I was just browsing through our website and saw Anthony's awesome demonstration of the mesh folding chair with carrying bag on Motivators TV. I have to say, I love this item (and would like to add Anthony did a great job in his demonstration). Not only is this chair with carrying bag light and easy to carry, but it is also one of the most practical beach items you can own. I mean, the cup holder, the mesh center that gets rid of sand, and quick drying material. It is all perfect for the day out on the beach!

This year marks the 50^th Anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In celebration of its establishment and the many achievements made thus far, NASA’s gift store and on-line store has been offering special 50^th Anniversary promotional products. Commemorative NASA memorabilia includes custom imprinted chocolate, collectible NASA coins and everything in between.  

Outer space has always mystified me. Looking up into the dark sky and seeing uncountable stars reveals the reality that we are only a small part of the big picture. To comprehend the advances made in the past 50 years is amazing. We’ve walked on the moon, circled the world, and set up the International Space Station to explore our earth while we are still on it. These amazing accomplishments are now being celebrated in many ways.  

A 50^th Anniversary Gala, which will include speeches from astronauts, will take place in September to celebrate the occasion. A special magazine has been put to the printer for wide release. And even Google has even dedicated its search engine image to the special anniversary today.  

                                                                                    

Take the time to appreciate the universe we live in. Everyone can celebrate the 50 years of NASA on their own time. Even Motivators has promotional outer space giveaways including shuttle and space ship promotional stress relievers to contribute to the celebration.

Get out of the city and appreciate the natural beauty of the night sky. Lie out in your backyard and look at the stars, visit a local planetarium, and educate your friends and family on the special 50^th anniversary of NASA.                

                                                                                        

Like I’ve said many times before, once I find something I love, I stick to it.  Which would explain why on Friday night, instead of going out, I stayed home and watched Super Troopers for the 254^th time. Alright, alright, I have no idea how many times I’ve actually seen it, but 254 seems close.  Suffice it to say, I’ve seen the movie enough times to start laughing in anticipation of a joke or gag.  

 

Most of the content of Super Troopers is a little too R rated for this blog, but all in all, a logo saved the day!  That’s right, one small little logo led the hero state troopers to victory. This led me to think how important a great eye-catching logo really is. 

 

In case you don’t know, Motivators has a fabulous in-house art team that can help you create your very own memorable logo.  Just give us a call and we’d be happy to share our creativity. 

And while it has doesn't have much to do with promotional products, anyone with a sense of humor should totally check out this movie. You'll enjoy the shenanigans.

A candle lit dinner and sweet talking is one way to win your self a pretty lady. Flowers and chocolate will continue to be the ultimate, "I messed up." gift. And jewelry is what a girl will always want to celebrate your anniversary. However, candles will melt down, sweet talking becomes transparent, flowers die, chocolate melts, and you always end up losing that charm necklace that you once clung to. 

So when I think of the ultimate gift, for any good chick, it’s a mixed tape. Yeah- that might seem a little 80’s…maybe even a bit early 90’s. But if your cassette player is growing cob webs - or you don’t feel like sitting by a radio, waiting for your favorite song to play and pressing record - try a Mixed CD.   

Music has a huge impact on everyone’s lives. One song can bring you back to 5 summers’ ago. So a great compilation of songs can definitely woo someone’s heart. No to mention, I’ve transformed a ton of blank CD’s into ultimate dance party mixes that continue to spin in CD players everywhere - well atleast in my bedroom.   

The only problem I’ve found with Mixed CD’s is that they can be hard to organize. They all have the same basic look which is why you need to personally customize each. That’s why I love the promotional CD/DVD Accessory Pack. It comes with disc scratch repair lotion, a cleaning cloth, and your choice of 3 quick drying, permanent disc marking pens, disc. Now, everything you need to create and maintain the perfect Mixed CD is stored in a translucent box.  

 

You can keep trying to win over the beach babes by “accidently” hitting them with your promotional beach ball- or you can make a good call and make Mixed CD of summery sweet tunes.

And yes, I know everyone has an iPod these days, but a playlist just doesn’t seem as personable.  So if you’re planning on finding the love of your life by just sharing your favorite tunes across the internet, you should pick up some promotional chocolate or a heart shaped, forget me not, custom plantable ornament to seal the deal. That eco-friendly promotional product is creative and combined with a sweet Mixed Tape (CD, playlist) there’s a chance that flowers and your love will be blooming for springs to come.

 

According to advertisingprinciples.com public relations is defined as:

Communication with various sectors of the public to influence their attitudes and opinions in the interest of promoting a person, product, or idea.

As a PR major in college, I was responsible for several PR campaigns for everything from on campus events to off campus not-for-profit organizations. While advertising fell heavily into the marketing mix in these campaigns, I didn't interchange brand loyalty with brand awareness. It's one thing to have everyone know who you are but it's quite another to have everyone like you. It's for this reason that I'm a little disheartened by the 2007 Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Sales Volume Study. According to the research, PR attributed for only 7.05% of sales volume of advertising specialtiess in 2007, down from 8.75% in 2006. Brand awareness, however, showed a major increase from 8.87% to 12.84%.

With social media now being a highly focused market in the advertising sector, it makes sense that the use of promotional products for brand awareness would increase as well. Consumers are seeing hundreds of ads on a daily basis, so advertisers and marketers want to become personal again. Distributing promotional bags or mailing out other promotional products allows them to reach their customer in a more personal way. But at what cost? Are these companies focusing too much on the need to sell products rather than the actions they need to take should something go wrong?

Case in point, this past weekend I went to the movies to go check out The Dark Knight with Jenn (who you may know from such blogs as "Dr. Suess is for Grownups, too" and " Promotional Products Hit the Slammer.") We arrived at 7:30 in an attempt to get tickets to the 8 o'clock show (yeah, right). When that and several others after it were sold out, we finally decided on the 10:20 showing. I headed to the Fandango machine and inserted my debit card. Out popped a receipt that said Purchase $0.00, Card Not Valid. I was stumped. So I tried another machine, same response. I returned to the car, dejected and Jenn headed in to purchase our tickets.  After her success, we went to Commerce Bank which was luckily about 500 feet away and I popped my debit card into the machine. I hit Balance Inquiry and out popped a receipt that said, "Account Inactive. Balance 0.00" I returned to the car, dejected and called the bank. It was after 8 on a Saturday, I wasn't expecting to get a human interaction. I expected an automated call that would end in me being frustrated and unable to access my account until the next day. I was wrong.

Within seconds I was speaking to a customer service rep, who told me that my account had been turned off just minutes prior to my phone call because of a fraud alert. As she was going over my charges with me, an interesting thing occurred. Jenn's debit card was declined at the gas station. We quickly realized: It had been the Fandango Machine.

We returned to the movie theater and asked to speak to a manager. He was abrupt and rude. We had each used the same machine and he explained that no one else had complained, but we countered with the fact that the majority of people who had purchased tickets had headed directly inside to see The Dark Knight. Who knew how many people were sitting in the theatre watching Heath Ledger's last iconic performance as the deranged joker? They would head out afterwards to get food or perhaps some drinks and find out that they had no way of accessing their funds. The rude manager told me to take it up with Fandango and refused to even put up a sign stating that the machine was out of order. It was more important to sell tickets to the biggest box office hit than to spare some customers the unfortunate pain of being without funds due to a sketchy Fandango machine.

That is some bad PR right there, but it's just a true case study about how brand awareness is more important than brand loyalty. Jenn and I didn't bother calling Fandango, because the theater manager had already left a sour taste in our mouths. Let's hope that marketers get their act together and realize that long term loyalty is worth a lot more than a one time purchase.

I really enjoy watching The Office. One of my favorite parts of the show is the first skit before the episode actually begins. Recently I caught a repeat on TV and remembered that we sell the object in the skit, the Exercise Gym Ball - 25 Inch! But you MUST check out the video as well!