Why Buy Promotional Products? An In-Depth Study

An In-Depth Study of Ad Impressions of Promotional Products
Global Ad Impressions Study

Why should I give away branded freebies?
A recent study by the Advertising Specialty Institute finds that promotional products are the most high-impact, cost-effective advertising medium around for their clients. The findings in this study are based on thousands of in-person and online surveys taken by consumers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe. This survey answers questions about promotional products’ reach, consumers’ perceptions of them and how branded products influence buying decisions and products’ impact on consumer opinions of the advertiser.

U.S. consumers were asked which promo products they currently owned. Promotional items are defined as items that have an advertiser’s logo and/or message on them, that are usually given away for free by companies to consumers.

Promotional pens and drinkware are widely owned by consumers across the United States, nearly 9 in 10 consumers report owning each. In fact, most categories of promotional products are owned by more than half of consumers!

Promo Products Make an Impression

The study also reveals some interesting information about impressions made by each product. The number of impressions a product makes was derived from multiplying how long a recipient has the product by how many people they come in contact when using it by the frequency of its usage. In the U.S., outerwear generates the most impressions (6,100) of any item measured in the study. This is because outerwear is often worn in public places where it can be seen by many people. Other items that deliver a large number of impressions are headwear, T-shirts, bags and writing instruments.

Promotional products are the most highly regarded form of advertising

Promo products are the most highly regarded form of advertising, beating out traditional standbys like newspaper, magazine, internet, radio & television advertising. Consumers are about 2.5x more likely to favor promo products over internet advertising. Surveyers also asked respondents how many promotional products they owned. The results indicate the average household in the United States owns 30 promo items! Talk about reach! You can read the full study here.

Let us help you make an impression that lasts on your customers!
Call (918) 252-4110 today, or visit us at sundancepromos.com

8 Ways to Fight Cold and Flu at the Office

It is cold and flu season-that most wonderful time of the year when everyone at the office is sneezing and coughing and you wish you could wear a hazmat suit to work. While wearing coveralls and a gas mask may not be practical, there are easier ways to help reduce the risk of getting sick. Here are some small steps you can take to help keep everyone well at the office and reduce sick days.

Earth-Friendly Promotional Products

Celebrate Earth Day with Earth-Friendly Promotional Products from Sundance Office

Promote your business, organization, or cause with earth-friendly promotional products. Look for products made from recycled/recyclable materials, products that are biodegradable, and/or products that help reduce waste, such as reusable grocery bags.

Earth-Friendly Promotional Products

Earth Day is on April 22, but you don’t have to wait for a holiday to choose earth-friendly products for promotion. Here are some ideas of ways you can promote your business and do a small part to help the environment.

Biodegradable and Reusable Tote Bag

This cotton tote bag is the perfect earth-friendly promotional product! Sustainable and spacious, this tote bag is made of 6 oz. biodegradable cotton canvas. A reusable bag takes the place of hundreds of plastic grocery bags, saving landfill space, sea creatures, gas and oil, and more.

Biodegradable BagRecycled Cardboard Notebook and Pen

A recyclable and biodegradable spiral notebook, which also includes a recyclable and biodegradable cardboard pen! Includes 60 sheets of spiral bound, white, lined paper. Great for a conference giveaway.

Notebook and Pen SetSeed Paper Mini Cards

Plantable mini cards are a unique promotional idea. The seed card is made of wildflower seeds that you can simply plant the card, water it, and enjoy lovely flowers. Each one is handmade from 100% recycled paper.

seed cardIf you need more ideas for earth-friendly promotions, give us a call at 918-252-4100. We have many other options including recycled sticky note pads, recycled pens, plantable coasters, seed pencils, and more. Of course, we always have many “green” choices for office supplies, janitorial, and breakroom products. We can help you make sure everything your company uses is as eco-friendly as possible, from recycled clipboards and folders, to waste-reducing cleaning chemicals. Make every day Earth Day with earth-friendly products. Every little bit adds up to help make our planet healthy for us and for future generations.

Pantone Color of the Year: Greenery

greenery

Color authority Pantone has chosen the color Greenery as the color of the year for 2017. According to Pantone, the color is symbolic of new beginnings, freshness, and nature. The describe it as “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.”You can incorporate the freshness of Greenery in your office! Here are some basic office supplies in this lovely shade of zesty green. Click the photos to shop these items at Sundance.

PaperPro Stapler

greenery staplerSwingline Electric Pencil Sharpener

greenery_sharpenerScotch Expressions Tape

Tape in Greenery

Astrobrights Color Copy Paper

Green Copy Paper

Sharpie Highlighters

greenery highlighter

Print-Ready Art Part 3 - Bleed, Cut Line, and Safe Areas

If you are ordering any print items and are preparing your own artwork, here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your artwork is print-ready. For more information please see this post about resolution and this post about file types. Once you have the correct resolution and file type, make sure your file has the correct layout so the printer can cut it properly.

  1. Bleed

Make sure your file has at least .125 inches of bleed on each side. What this means is that the artwork for your postcard, brochure, business card, etc. must be .125 inches larger on all sides than the finished product. For example, a standard business card is 3.5 inches by 2 inches. Your artwork should therefore be 3.75 inches by 2.25 inches. This is to ensure that there is no white space around the card when it is cut by the printer.

bleed-picture

2. Safe Area

Make sure all text and important pictures are inside the “safe area.” This is to make sure that important pieces don’t accidentally get cut off. Text and logos should not be close to the edge.

safe-chart

3. Cut Line

Finally, look at your final artwork and make sure that you have .125 inches of bleed beyond the cut line. See the diagram below for a standard business card. Artwork should extend beyond the red line.

cutlines

Corporate Gifts - Ideas and Inspiration

corporate gifts

With the holidays rapidly approaching, now is the time to think about corporate gifts. Thoughtfully chosen corporate gifts show appreciation for employees or clients. Create a positive vibe around the office with gifts for the staff, or keep clients loyal with personalized luxury gifts.

The best corporate gifts are useful. Useful doesn’t necessarily mean the gift has to be practical. A luxurious, pampering gift such as a spa gift box engraved with your logo or scented candles will make the recipient feel appreciated. Food items such as chocolates or nuts are always appreciated, as well. Practical gifts are great, too, because the recipient may use the gift often-for example a mobile charger or thermal mug.

Gift Box with Logo

Corporate gifts can help keep your company on the mind of your customer, and associate your company with a positive feeling. Customers and clients will think of your company when they use the gift, and will feel valued. Send an elegant gift such as a leather journal personalized with his or her name embossed on the cover, or a gift basket tailored to his or her interests.

imahe

To truly make customers and employees feel appreciated and valued, include a personal, handwritten note with the gift. This shows more effort and will have a greater impact than simply sending out the same gift and generic card to everyone. A handwritten note makes the recipient feel that time and effort was put into the gift. Customized note cards with your company logo and message are a great, as long as a personal written note is inside.

handwrittennote

Don’t forget your employees who keep your business running. As with gifts for clients, the best gifts for employees are thoughtful and useful. Gifts such as a basket of gourmet snacks, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, or tech gadgets are popular corporate gift items.

employees

Corporate gifts are not just for the holidays! Gifts are even more appreciated at unexpected times. Surprise an employee with a gift recognizing an above-and-beyond effort, or send a client a fun gift on a different holiday such as St. Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day.

Need some more gift ideas? Give us a call at 918-252-4100 and we will be happy to help you come up with great ideas sure to make an impact!

New Website. New Look. Same Sundance.

sundance teamHave you noticed that Sundance has had a makeover? We have a new logo, a new look, and a new website, but we are still the same Sundance that has served the office supply needs of Eastern Oklahoma since 1989.

We hope that our new look will help emphasize that Sundance is more than an office supply company-we can help with just about everything an office or facility needs from promotional products to janitorial supplies to furniture.

Sundance Office means more WOW in your workday

Our new slogan, “more wow in your workday” is more than just a tagline. We have always worked to wow our customers with great prices, exceptional service, and our famous free cookies! We will continue to wow you as we expand our product selection and services.

At Sundance Office, we believe that everyone deserves more WOW in the workday. That’s why we bring more solutions to supply every part of your office; more savings to keep your budget in check; and more personalized service so you can accomplish more in your day.

More WOW makes your workday more productive and more fun.

Sundance means more wow in your workday

One source can supply the entire workplace. Sundance is the one source to save you time and money on everything in the workplace from office products and furniture to janitorial and breakroom supplies.

Wow! Cleaning supplies, furniture, paper and snacks all from one supplier.

Systematic savings you can count on. From our eagle- eye review of every order to our monthly “best value” reports, we make sure you always know your savings opportunities so you can manage your budget with confidence.

Wow! Someone double-checked my order and found even more savings.

Personal attention every day. Can’t find what you’re looking for? We’re on it. Need a special order? No problem. We’re flexible and responsive to your needs, delivered daily with a dose of happiness.

Wow! Fresh baked cookies with every $75 order.

How can we wow you today?

Custom Promotional Products: Print-Ready Art Part 2

When ordering custom promotional products, it is important to make sure that you have artwork in the correct format and size for printing. In a previous post, we discussed vector artwork which is needed for custom promotional products such as clothing, bags, drinkware, etc. This post will focus on printed paper products such as business cards, brochures, invitations, postcards, and folders.

A vector file is not necessary for most printed items. However, a high-resolution file is a must. A .pdf is the most common file format used for printed promotional products. For the tech savvy: the .pdf file needs to be in CMYK format, at least 300 dpi, and the same size or bigger as the final product.

If all of this is a foreign language to you, don’t worry! Give us a call and we can help.

To put it simply, a picture grabbed from a website will most likely not work for your print project. Sharp on the screen does not mean it will look sharp and crisp in print. Here is a visual example:

web images will not work for printing custom promotional products

The picture looked fine on the computer screen, but when it printed, it looked blurry and pixelated. We don’t want this to happen on your printed custom promotional products. When you place an order, we will check your artwork to see if it is print-ready and help you find or create* artwork that will work for your particular project.

Call us today so we can help you create eye-catching, professional business cards, promotional materials, brochures, mailers, and more to make your business or organization stand out. Also, browse our website for new custom products to help promote your business.

*there may be an artwork fee depending on the amount of work involved. We will provide an estimate before beginning any work if a fee is involved.