Whether you’re at a bar or in your friend’s basement, there are a few guidelines to a successful New Years Eve Celebration.

Drink Merrily

Whether it’s champagne, beer, or ginger ale be sure to have a glass in hand. One perk of New Years Eve is that you can take out the nice cups. Say, “Cheers!” and clinkity-clink your glasses with strangers and loved ones alike. If you’re celebrating at a bar they may even give out some promotional mugs and drinkware to bring in the New Year.  So drink on.

Dance

Leg’s walk and stand all the time. They deserve a celebration of their own. So make ‘em move. Don’t be afraid to try out those moves you’ve been working on all year long. If you’re feeling really fancy, whip out the promotional light sticks and turn the dance floor into an 80’s techno club.   You won’t look as stupid as you think you do. And even if you do look like a light-up flailing piece of meat… so will the other dancers. A quick fix to thinking you look dumb is to close your eyes. Chances are you’ll feel the beats better and your funky little self will be cool as a cat.  Women, please be advised not to do any leaping or jumping dance moves while wearing those pointy high heels. That could result in some kind of catastrophe (for another person’s feet.)  

Give Thanks

While you’re drinking your drink and dancing your dance, look around. You’ve chosen to celebrate your last few hours of 2008 with these people. Is it your best friend the DD? Is it your mom or your brother? Is it a drunk townie? Who ever it is, be thankful for them. Christmas kind of steals Thanksgivings thunder real quickly, but use New Years Eve as another reminder to be thankful for what you have and more importantly who you have.

Tip your glass to those people. Be nice and don’t laugh when they fall down on the dance floor. Or even consider purchasing a custom imprinted item for those who made 2008 worth every up and down.

Be sure to lock lips or embrace in hugs as the ball drops. Bang on pots and pans. Run out on the street and scream, “Hallelujah!” Ask someone to marry you. Play with promotional noisemakers. And while you may be advised to stop drinking later on in the night, never stop dancing.

Have a gosh-darn wonderfully splendid shin-diggin’ whoop-haaa of a New Years Eve.

                         Happy New Year.     2009 Here We Come.

Can’t guess yet? Well first of all, It has come to my attention this week that the topic of choice for my blog seems to be both popular and relevant, because the other day to my surprise, I found that my blog about the new Pepsi logo was already done for me! Woohoo! It is great to welcome aboard a new blogger, the more opinions and stories shared, the better. However, as long as we are making comparisons to ‘Scrubs’ characters, I considered using this blog to go into an endless rant about how my thunder was stolen from me when I realized I could no longer blog about the new Pepsi branding. Then I decided to take the advice of an old-school TV character named Danny Tanner. Some of you may remember wonderful little bits of advice such as, ‘when life gives you a dilemma, make dilemonade’. So that’s what I decided to do in lieu of the Coxian rant. Besides, it is nice to see that I have effectively raised logo awareness, so keep up the good work guys!

So if you’re an avid Motivators Company Blog reader, you already know that Pepsi has decided that it was time for a change for them as well. I won’t go into too much detail about the logo itself, but rather the decision to change it and how that decision undoubtedly makes promotional products a necessary part of their new branding. The purpose in changing a branding is usually to modernize an existing logo that may have become outdated, or even to reflect a new business model or company campaign. Regardless of the reason behind the change, such change always draws attention to their product or company, which in almost all cases is exactly what said company wants by making such a change. Even if someone notices the logo and brings it up in passing conversation, it has done its job by bringing that company to the forefront of their mind. The subconscious is a huge part of advertising, and even if you don’t realize it, you may have chosen a particular brand as your favorite because you are familiar with their advertising or logo. I think its safe to say that we are all familiar with both Pepsi and Coca-Cola, but the next time you have a choice, you may find yourself choosing Pepsi because you want to check out the new design on the can or bottle. It sounds silly, but a new branding very often sways buyers because it is something new and different from what they are used to seeing. Of course in this case, the taste can and will play a role in many buyers’ decision making and avid Coke drinkers will not likely be converted just because of a logo change. But word of mouth isn’t enough to ensure you are raising awareness for your company’s new logo, that’s where promotional products come into play. A soft drink company such as Pepsi would probably be inclined to printing their new logo on custom imprinted koozies, promotional cups or drinkware, or old favorites like promotional hats, promotional t-shirts, and promotional keychains.

This new Pepsi logo is a bit off the reservation in comparison to their last 3 logo changes, but then again it was a drastic change when they went from a text logo to the red, white and blue sphere we all know today. The logo change probably doesn’t affect the printability of their logo since it possesses many of the same elements as the last one, but it is likely that the Pepsi company has utilized the power of promotional products in the recent months and weeks.

If you spend some time in Australia, you may find that their cherished animal, the kangaroo, is a common victim of road kill. You'll also find that year after year, people loose their lives to drunk driving. To convey the message that life can change instantly by one wrong decision, wheelchair posters were attached to bar and restraunt chairs on a busy street in Adelaide, Australia.

On each wheel read the words, "Don't Drink and Drive this Festive Season."The ParaSquad SA, a charity group dedicated to servicing the lives of those affected by spinal chord injuries, received media attention for their awesome advertising. Alerting the public about important issues is what awareness events are all about. That's why Motivators serves everyone the greatest Awareness Event Promotional Products.

The New Year is right around the corner so check out January's awareness events. And check out January Awareness Event Articles.

Everyone's talking about how Christmas is over. How it took months of preparation; shopping, wrapping, decorating and fa la la la las.
But to me, No! Christmas is not yet over! We've got gifts to take out of their packages, chocolates to eat, and Christmas trees to admire. Sure New Years Eve is only a couple days away... so pick up some special event promotional products. But don't just make a resolution and jump into boring ole January. Bring that Holiday happiness with you. The Holiday happiness has brought me joy in playing the latest edition of Monopoly. My sister received it as a gift and since Christmas, we've been buying property and charging rent, regardless of the faltering economy.The World Edition includes the greatest cities in the world. The houses and hotels are actually specially made depending on the location and Chance cards and Community Chest cards all pertain to world events and fun facts. With all that buzz about the new Monopoly it’s hard to believe there’s something even more amazing. But there is. It’s a newly revamped electronic bank.

Here comes January and with it come another hectitc Tradeshow season. Which tradeshow do I go to and what is going to be the "Hot New Promotional Item"". Sure everyone is going to be handing out all of the usual Promotional Items such as Eco-friendly Tote Bags, Candy, Business Card Holders, Sport Stress Balls and so on. I love it when someone hands me a "Gumvelope", who does'nt love gum? Minty and refreshing it keeps my breath fresh even after all of the coffee I drink from my Tech Travel Mug on the way to the show. I always ask for extra Gumvelopes at the shows because I know my wife is going to take mine that way I have some extra's hidden just for me.

There's really no better gift than moolah. Admit it...you know you love the birthday cards that are just a little bit thicker than most, and you love the long skinny ones most of all. This past holiday season, while I truly enjoyed unwrapping presents, I think I got a bigger kick out of the envelopes. But one envelope in particular got me to thinking. My aunt gave me a Bed Bath and Beyond gift card complete with 5 coupons. As a former Bed Bath and Beyond employee, I can attest that to the BBB fan, there's nothing more valuable than a coupon. BBB's coupons never expire and aside from some slight restrictions (Nautica items, Yankee Candles, All Clad products...the list goes on), they're accepted on pretty much anything in the store. And while so many people often toss those those coupons in the garbage, they can add up. 20% off an Aero Bed ($99.99) saves you 20 bucks. And those $5 dollar off coupons are quite beneficial when buying a $15 item. And now, with the economy in the state its in, everyone will be clamoring for a deal.

It made me think about how much more enticing trade show giveaways would be if there was a coupon attached, or even imprinted on it. When people think they're getting a deal, it makes it all the more desirable.

In any emergency a family member or you yourself may be cut, burned or suffer other injuries. If you have these basic supplies you are better prepared to help your loved ones when they are hurt. Remember, many injuries are not life threatening and do not require immediate medical attention. Knowing how to treat minor injuries can make a difference in an emergency. Consider taking a first aid class or be prepared with First Aid Kit, but simply having the following things can help you stop bleeding, prevent infection and assist in decontamination. They also make a great trade show giveways because they come in handy.

As I am new to the universe that is blogging, I was unsure as to what I should write about.  Like any newbie, I looked to Dr. Cox on what he consistently writes about and I found several analayses on company logos, so I decided to write about the new pepsi logo.

I found the image below on the Advertising Age website.  As you can see, the Pepsi logo has come a long way from its creation in 1898.  As branding is a crucial part of a company's image, I'm not sure how much I agree with the design change.  I do, however, like the new design alot; it seems to use a retro feel to the font while still looking like a modern design.  The change to the circle portion of the logo I do not understand as they seemed to have stuck with the same proporitons on the curves since 1962 aside from re-sizing them a bit.   

As I am sitting at my desk today, I could inquire about the latest mortgage rates, how much it will cost me to get my bathroom done over, order some promotional products or book a day at the local paintball center.    All I have to do is go thru my pen drawer.  The pen is one of the oldest ways to get your message out there which makes it one of the hottest trade show giveaways.  Pens run the gamut in pricing from your $0.47 Bic Clic Stic Retractable for your everyday use to you  $21.12 Parker Frontier Stainless CT Ball Pen when it comes time to sign the important documents.  The collection of pens I have are from some of the most recent tradeshows I have gone to.  Everyone Everyone can use a pen.  My favorite pen today is the Uni-ball Jetstream.  It writes really well and has a stylish sleek black barrel with a blue accent.

Now that Christmas has passed, I wonder if it is too early to turn our attentions to the next commercialized holiday.  Has anyone yet thought of the Valentine's Day gift they will purchase for that special someone?  I know you just might be catching your breath from all the Christmas shopping you just did; however my friend, time does not stand still for any man and before you know it Valentine’s Day will be here!  If by chance you should be contemplating the best way to convey your sentiment of love and appreciation I recommend that you consider Motivators to help you express that message with our Promotional Valentine's Day products.  Leave that lasting impression with the ones you care for the most or get the attention of a future client as these items are great tradeshow giveaways.

Affection Candle