Promotional Products, Guided

Happy Turkey Day!

2010-11-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Yeah, we went there! Custom toy turkeys! This is what we mean when we say we can imprint just about anything! HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

T-Shirt Special

2010-07-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

On special through Aug 31st, Gildan Ultra Cotton T-Shirts with a 1 color imprint on front or back. $5.69 per, min order of 24 shirts.

Scottsdale 20-30 Club - NITE FLITE

2010-07-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

We just bought our ticket package!! We're supporting the Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club and their signature event, Nite Flite 2010. Come out and join us on Oct 8th and 9th. For more details, check out www.scotsdale2030.org.

GuideLight 3 Year Anniversary Party Gift

2010-06-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

We're finalizing the GuideLight Gifts for our 3 year anniversary party next week at the Valley Ho. Here's a contender. Great for summertime!

2010-05-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

This week's Smoking Deal! Custom Koozies, 200 items w/ 1 color imprint @ $0.78 per. Great summertime promo!

GuideLight supports Brokers for Kids 2010

2010-01-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

We're supporting Brokers For Kids and Scottsdale Active 20-30 by entering into the Toyota Car Raffle. $25 gets you a chance to win a new car!! All for a great cause! Join us!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2009-09-19T11:54:00.001-07:00

Promote your business at an upcoming event and get into the football spirit. With a 1 color imprint, these 3" mini footballs start below $1 per.

100% Recycled Deluxe Padfolio

2009-07-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Promote your business while making an environmental statement. Made from 100% post-consumer recycled material (product label on inside back pocket affirms this claim). Zippered closure. Interior organizer with gusseted pocket, zippered pocket, four elastic USB holder and pen loops, Velcro pocket, and five business card holders. Includes 8.5"x11" Owl writing tablet consisting of 100% recycled sheets of lined paper. Each page features the Owl logo watermark. US certified.

Bring Your Dog To Work

2009-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

When's your next "Bring your dog to work" day? Promote your company while giving a great gift to your employees and clients. This pet accessory bag includes a 600D polyester carrying bag, 2 collapsible bowls for food and water, and a detachable zippered case for storing treats and waste bags. Imprint area 6" x 4". From $9.99 per.

Medical Journal Proves Power Of Promotional Products

2009-05-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Archives of Internal Medicine published a comprehensive research study last week entitled "Effect of Exposure to Small Pharmaceutical Promotional Items on Treatment Preferences." The goal was to find out whether or not ad specialties influenced the attitudes of medical students toward the products that were being marketed. The findings: Yes they do. Distributors aren't surprised. "I think it's true. A lot of people at a lot of companies and businesses appreciate a gift," says Kathleen Patton, president of Foley Associates, who often lectures about the effectiveness of promotional products at colleges. Lisa Davila, president of Bdazle Promotions, agrees with the findings of the study about the impact of low-cost promotional items. "It makes complete sense," she says. "The more familiar you are with a brand, the more comfortable you are using it. The more you see a label or logo, the more it makes you feel warm and fuzzy."

Because of the tightening guidelines regarding the use of promotional products in the medical field, four doctors decided to attempt to find out if the restrictions were really necessary. Their premise was that you "often assume that small promotional items are unlikely to influence prescribing behavior," says the report. This attitude is, according to their findings, incorrect. They wanted to know: Do promotional products produce a more favorable attitude and do the policies against them work? The controlled experiment involved 352 third- and fourth-year med students at the University of Miami School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (where restrictive policies are in place limiting drug marketing). They were all exposed to branded Lipitor items without knowledge that they were part of a study. Fourth-year students at Miami had a more favorable attitude (by a score of 0.66) toward Lipitor compared to the control group (0.47). The scores were derived from an Implicit Association Test.

While the findings are powerful, the debate as to whether such influence is in fact harmful is an entirely different story, says Davila. "It's a double edged sword," she says. "There are plenty of products that work but they may not think of it. If it's an allergy medication, many of which are the same, which will they prescribe? Probably the one that's sitting on their desk [in the form of an ad specialty]. On the negative side, it could hurt smaller companies that have a good product and aren't spending on promotional products."

Waiting is a Trap

2009-05-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

"Waiting is a trap. There will always be a reason to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count." - Dr. Robert Anthony

In the face of this down economy, businesses across the country have lost confidence and increased fears about their future, leading many of them to implement a new and dangerous strategy: The Waiting Game. Even companies spared thus far from the worst financial impact of the recession are reining in their marketing and advertising efforts. Fear is the new black. Pulling ads, skipping tradeshows, and canceling marketing campaigns have become "safe" ways for businesses to try to survive the storm. However, these actions beg the question: What kind of position will the business have when things do turn around?

The time to gain brand awareness, harness new relationships, and solidify existing relationships is now! In the face of great adversity, now is the time to define yourself and your company. Are your budgets cut? Talk to your marketing partners. You'd be amazed at the leverage you can achieve with the dollars you do have, when full disclosure is on the table. Watch your dollars go to work for you by creating result driven promotions (ie. increase web traffic, gain Twitter followers, track redeemable coupons). Keep marketing yourself!

Happy Hunting!

www.GuideLightMarketing.com

Screen Printing vs Embroidery

2009-04-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

When it comes to apparel decoration there are two main directions our clients typically go. Each has its pros and cons.

Screen Printing - decorating an item by printing in ink, one color at a time, through a tight silk mesh.

Set Up: The creation of the screens typically runs $20 per color. For larger quantity orders, these charges are dropped.

Cost: Based on number of colors in the design. Printing on dark colors is more expensive because it requires a white base coat. For simple designs or high quantity orders, screen printing is much more affordable than embroidery.

Pros / Cons: Screen printing is affordable and looks sharp on t-shirts however it typically doesn't provide the desired effect when placed on polo shirts, jackets, and hats. Pricing is not based on the size of the design, only the # of colors in it. This allows for large impact at a great price.

Embroidery - decorating an item by sewing a design into it using colored thread.

Set Up: Each design must be digitized to determine the stitch count. This process is a 1 time fee and typically runs $12 per 1000 stitches of embroidery.

Cost: Based on the number of stitches in the design. Design can be multicolored at no additional cost.

Pros / Cons: Embroidery gives a higher end/corporate look to golf polo shirts, hats, jackets, ect. Fine details and small fonts may lose their resolution. Because the cost is determined by the # of stitches, the larger designs are going to be more expensive.

Still not sure which imprint method is best for your project? Give us a call and let us work our magic!

2009-03-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

In today's economic climate, making the most out of your marketing budget is paramount. Now, more than ever, it is critical to keep your name in front of existing clients and make your presence known to potential prospects. Do budget cuts have you fearful that your promotion won't have an impact? Has your company decided to stray from traditional media in favor of a more grassroots marketing plan? If so, contact us today for a budget analysis and strategy session. Let us put your marketing dollars to work for you!

Earth-Friendly Promotions
GuideLight Marketing introduces the EcoSmart Line - the newest way to promote your business while showing Mother Earth a little love. From 100% organic cotton tote bags (from $6), to recycled cardboard jotters (from $4), to growable bamboo shoots in biodegradable fiber pots (from $9), let GuideLight help your company make a statement.

Super Bowl Losers T-Shirts and Hats

2009-01-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

-Great Article in the NY Times-

What Happens to the Super Bowl Losers T-Shirts and Hats

The Super Bowl will end about 10 p.m. Sunday, and by 10:01 every player on the winning team — along with coaches, executives, family members and ball boys — could be outfitted in colorful T-shirts and caps proclaiming them champions.

The other set of championship gear — the 288 T-shirts and caps made for the team that did not win — will be hidden behind a locked door at Dolphin Stadium. By order of the National Football League, those items are never to appear on television or on eBay. They are never even to be seen on American soil.

The rest of the article: http://tinyurl.com/8d5t54

Promotional Products More Effective Than Ads

2008-11-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

A great article from www.Brandweek.com

Promotional Swag More Effective Than Ads
Nov 10, 2008
-By Elaine Wong

As marketers continue their debate over the next great advertising medium, a new study released today by the Advertising Specialty Institute found it's not TV, print or radio that gets consumers' attention, but good old promotional swag.

This includes coffee mugs, pencils, retractable solar-powered flashlights or any other product bearing a company logo. Promotional products made up a $19.6 billion industry in 2007, per the ASI. Through surveys conducted both online and in-person in major cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, the institute also found that promotional products generate a cost-per-impression average of $0.004, compared to $.033 for national magazine ads or $0.019 for prime time TV ads.

The surveys asked 600 participants (who were mostly businesspeople over the age of 21) to recall promotional swag received over the last 12 months. Key findings include:

• 84 percent of consumers remembered an advertiser based on a product they received.
• 42 percent had a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving a promotional product.
• Nearly one quarter (24 percent) indicated they are more likely to do business with an advertiser based on items they receive.
• The majority of respondents (62 percent) have done business with an advertiser after receiving a product.
• Writing instruments are the most commonly owned tchotchkes, with 54 percent of respondents owning them, followed by shirts, caps and bags.
• Most (81 percent) promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.
• More than three-quarters of respondents have kept their items for about seven months.
• Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently, with respondents indicating that they use their bags on average nine times per month. • Bags deliver the most impressions, with 1,038 impressions per month on average.

ASI president and CEO Timothy Andrews said the findings indicate that promotional products yield a higher ROI, along with very low cost-per-impression, compared to other advertising media. Moreover, items received this year still generated a high recall rate among recipients, leading to greater purchase intent.

"During a time when we're facing turbulent economic conditions, this research advises marketers and business owners to invest in advertising specialties (promotional products) now more than ever," Andrews said. "Advertising specialties provide measurable results for a very reasonable investment."

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/promotion/e3if0819d6addd2a0fe6c44a118900920fc

Holiday Gift Idea

2008-10-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

The holidays will be upon us before we know it so let's talk about client gifts. Throughout late December your clients receive gifts nearly everyday. With that being said, without proper planning, your well thoughtout promotional item may be lost in the shuffle.

Here's a couple of suggestions:

Be early! There's is nothing wrong with having your gift arrive the first week of December. You can even tie your early delivery into your gift e.g. delivering an embossed leather day planner with a note saying "Here's to getting things done early in 2009!"

Find a promotional gift that can be of use throughout the holiday season. One new item out this year is our Leatherette Travel Mug Gift Set. (see below) If delivered to your clients with hot chocolate or coffee, these can go into use immediately and last throughout the season.

Our popular stainless steel Alta Tumbler paired with a matching leatherette coaster packaged in a beautiful black leatherette gift bag. All three items are debossed with your logo or message while the tumbler can be screen printed as well.

Available colors:
Dark Brown, Forest Green, Goldenrod, Harvest Green, Light Brown, Naval Blue, Plum, Rustic Brick, Slate, Tangerine.

~$16-$22 dependent on quantity ordered.

GuideLight Supports Scottsdale Active 20-30

2008-09-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club was founded with the named objective to support children's charities. By hosting special events, this non-profit Club draws the community together to raise funds for and to educate our citizens about the financial, medical, and emotional needs of Arizona's children. The Club provides young adults with an opportunity to impact the community by improving the quality of life for special needs children while fostering personal growth, friendships, networking skills and leadership development. The Club's marquee event is Nite Flite which takes place on October 5th in Old Town Scottsdale. Come join us for an amazing night for an important cause. A great venue, open bar, live music, and delicious local restaurants make for an amazing night. What's more, every event ticket includes a raffle ticket into the Grand Prize Raffle. This years prize...a Smart Car!!

For more info vist http://www.scottsdaleniteflite.com or contact us at GuideLight Marketing.

See you there!

Great Summer Golf Shirts

2008-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cool summer golf shirt? Antigua's Excellence sport shirt is a light weight and great looking option. Its micropolyester Desert Dry material allows you to stay cool even in the sweltering Southwest.

Available in black, navy, white, gold, sahara, NC blue, mango, Texas orange, dark red, cabernet, maroon, dark pine, royal blue, and silver.

~$30 per including a 1 location embroidery.

It's Hot, Stay Cool

2008-08-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

With the environmental issues surrounding plastic bottles of water, more and more people are making the move to reusable water bottles. Keep your clients and prospects hydrated while showcasing your company brand with these stylish polycarbonate water bottles. Both the bottle and the neoprene sleeve can be imprinted.

Bottle color options:

smoke, clear, blue, or red

Neoprene sleeve color options:

Black, Royal, Navy, Red, Maroon, Forest Green, Lime Green, Camo, Pink, Purple, Orange, Yellow, and Teal.

From $5.99 per