by Kirby Hasseman
Recent data shows that 54% of Americans drink coffee every day. That’s a big number. In addition, their average consumption is around 3 8 ounce cups per day. Therefore, American coffee drinkers consume around 382 millions cups of joe per day.
Where some see big numbers, I see opportunity!
So how do you reach those folks (more than half) of Americans) right where they are? Here are a few products to target them while they get “their fix.”
Sure Grip Cup Sleeve: As a coffee drinker, I can tell you that grabbing a paper cup of coffee can be down right painful! It’s hard to drink and hard to hold…which makes it a very real possiblity to spill! No good. So here is the Sure Grip Cup Sleeve. It goes around most any size cup to keep the burnt fingers to a minimum!
Absorbent Stone Car Coaster Set: No matter how hard you try, sometimes you spill. So keep that from becoming a giant, sticky mess in the car with these cool items. The fit in most car cup holders and help to keep the mess to a minimum…and your brand front and center.
Multi Use Measuring Spoon: The best promo items are ones you use every day. I use this to make my pot of coffee every morning! This Multi Use Measuring Spoon has a pretty low price point and is very functional for the coffee maker!
14 oz Persona Vacuum Tumbler: Anyone that commutes to work will LOVE this tumbler. This will keep your coffee hot for hours so you can continue to enjoy your coffee long after most people have dumped theirs out. This will be come your customer’s favorite coffee cup for on the go.
Offero Ceramic Mug: This if for your lover of gourmet coffee (specifically the smell!). The offero is designed with a low front and higher back to the mug so you can really be surrounded by the smell of your coffee. Very cool! If you want people to really enjoy their coffee (or the coffee you sell) this is the mug for you! The coffee drinking audience in the United States is huge. So make sure you consider the best way to reach them. These are a great way to start! Hasseman Marketing is a promotional products distributor and full service marketing company that is the world leader on Delivering Marketing Joy!
by Kirby Hasseman
Kirby Hasseman, the owner of Hasseman Marketing, was recently named one of 10 “Rising Stars” in the Promotional Products Industry. Hasseman received recognition at a reception in Nashville at the opening of the PPAI North American Leadership Conference.
Since PPB launched the program in 2010, it has become one of the most sought-after honors in the industry.
“This year’s PPB Rising Stars are quite an impressive group,” says PPB Editor Tina Berres Filipski. “It’s exciting to see what these individuals have accomplished in their short time in the industry and refreshing to see the skills and initiatives they are bringing to it. These are the most watchable young pros in the industry and we are delighted to spotlight them at this point in their careers.” “It’s such a huge honor to be recognized in the Promotional Products industry,” says Hasseman. “And it’s great to a part of such a dynamic group.” All 10 were on hand to enjoy the celebration in their honor including:
Jill Albers, executive director of global sales, Shumsky
Kirby Hasseman, owner, Hasseman Marketing & Communications
Jessica Hutwelker, MAS, account manager, Sunrise Identity
Andrea Jaeckels, MAS, training and project coordinator, AIA Corporation
Ray Jimenez, national sales manager, Pacific Western Sales
Michael Marias, director of sales—Midwest Region, Hit Promotional Products
Ashley McCune, vice president of marketing and communications, Facilis Group
Sasha Pirrie, vice president of sales, western region, Logomark
Adam Taylor, vice president of development, Essent Corporation
Megan Zezzo, outside national account rep, Jetline
Hasseman was recognized for making an impact in the industry through content creation and education. Hasseman wrote the book Delivering Marketing Joy and has created a web show with the same name where he interviews business leaders around the world. More details on the award and individual profiles will be featured in the PPB magazine in the September issue.
by Kirby Hasseman
We get one particular question all the time when it comes to branded merchandise. “How long will it take for me to get my (fill in the blank)?” It’s a great question. It’s one that you should ask…and it’s tough to answer. So many times, the answer is “It depends.”
I am quite sure, this is not what you (or any customer) wants to hear. But let’s discuss why that is…and what you can do to improve it.
The first reason this is tough to answer is that each supplier is different. Some specialize in low prices. Some specialize in speedy delivery. Some specialize in meticulous detail. That’s all good. But as I have said many times in sales calls, You can have them:
1) right
2) fast or
3) cheap.
You get to pick 2 out of 3!
So we feel it’s the distributor’s job to guide the customer to a supplier that can best meet their needs. That’s good for everyone!
The other reason production times can be confusing is the simple understanding of what “production time” really means. Most of the time, “production time” means how long it will take to produce the item. This sounds simple enough. But the actual production does not start until:
1) The supplier has “good” art.
2) The proof has been approved.
Often these steps take the longest. So if it takes 2 weeks to get these steps complete, then a 10 day production time starts. So the order will take a month.
The final caveat in the delivery of goods has to do with shipping. Most of the time there will be shipping involved in the delivery of your promotional products. So where are the good shipping from? That’s a huge factor in the cost and in delivery.
So what can you do to help improve delivery? Simple.
1) Provide good clean “vector” art. Most people don’t.
2) Approve your proofs quickly.
3) Be smart and order early!
That removes the stress from you and your team and will create branded merchandise you will be proud of! Make sure you never miss an update. We have new content on our blog nearly every day.
by Kirby Hasseman
There is often confusion around Art files and what types we can accept. Terms like Vector Art, Camera Ready, etc… get thrown around. Most people, unless they are graphic artists, do not understand the differences. So, what is vector art and why does your logo or artwork need to be vector? Let’s answer that question now!
Vector art is created using vector illustration software programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw, among others. The art created with these programs can be blown up in size infinitely without any loss of quality. (Think of zooming into a picture and it becomes blurry.) 
Raster Graphics, such as photographs, and graphics files created in Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and other Raster editing programs, in most cases cannot be used. Notice how in the example picture that the edges of the art become blurry rigid and not smooth? With Vector Art you can blow up the image to any size with no loss of quality.
How Can I tell if what I have is Vector Art?
Vector art is usually created in Adobe Illustrator, and is commonly saved as a particular file type: .ai. Vector art can be saved in other file formats (such as .eps, .svg, or .pdf). But, it is important to remember that just because a file is saved in one of these formats, does not mean that it is truly vector art. Only art originally created in a vector editing program, such as Adobe Illustrator, is truly vector art. Also, you can identify vector art by process of elimination. There are some file formats that can only be Raster art, and therefore cannot be Vector art. The most common examples are .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .psd, .tif. These files cannot be vector art.
Art Charges
There are art charges that are incurred on some orders if Vector art is not able to be provided. In this case, we must either take the time internally to re-create your art, or send the provided art off to an outside designer that can re-create your artwork in a Vector-based program. If you see an art charge on your bill, this is most likely what has happened.There are also art charges, sometimes, for layouts and formatting even if you already have the vector file. For Example: If you have your logo in Vector format but you want to add specific text under it for a promotion. The text needs to be added in a Vector Based Program and sized appropriately for the item that it will be imprinted on. This might incur an art charge too.
Ask your Designer
Keep in mind that if a professional design created your art for you, chances are they may have your artwork saved as vector art, even if they have not sent that file to you. Some designers do not provide their clients with vector art, as they assume that the client will not be able to open the file. So, if you had a professional logo designed for you, but all you have is a JPEG, or something similar, contact your artist, and ask them for vector art.
Our hope is, this will helps shine a light on what Vector Art is, and why you need it! Please reach out to [email protected] if you have additional questions. If you want more ideas on art, marketing, promotions and content creation, make sure you check out our blog page here. Oh…and if you want to get valuable content delivered to your email once a week…sign up to become a VIP here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s not rocket science, really. Humans want to be recognized for the value they bring to a project, family or organization. Whether they are a trusted confidant, customer or employee, a smart leader will take the time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of others.
It has long been said (on this very blog) that studies show that 69% of customers that leave you will do so because of “perceived indifference.” This is one of those good news/bad news cases. The bad news is, it’s all your fault. The good news is, you can fix it. You do the little things (and sometimes big things) that let each of your customers know that you appreciate their business.
Ready? Go!
But a new study says the same is true for employees! A study conducted by Healthstream of 100,000 managers and employees revealed that 79% of people who quit their jobs cited “A lack of appreciation is a key reason for leaving.” Wow. 8 in 10 of your employees and co-workers leave because they simply don’t think anyone cares! It’s what I call “The Appreciation Gap.”
So what can you do to fix it? A lot, really.
The simple things (that are true for your customers) are true for employees. Just tell them. Stop by their work station and (sincerely) thank them for their work. Send them a card. Call them out in a positive way in front of the team. Show them appreciation.
You can also create programs that will recognize them on work anniversaries and birthdays. The fact is, there is a lot you can do. Need more ideas? Let us know!
But get out there and say “thank you” today. Recognition is KEY For Success.
Make sure you never miss a piece of content. We have videos, podcasts and blogs on our blog page here. And you can sign up for a FREE 5 Day Marketing Course here.
by Kirby Hasseman
When creating a promotional campaign, you want a creative powerful promotion that will wow customers and affect human behavior. That is what a great Promotional Products campaign can do…affect change. The best campaigns can create an increase in direct mail opens, engagement on social media, create a safer work place or increase sales!
But in addition to making sure you create a campaign that “hits the mark,” most organizations want to make sure they are getting a fair shake on price. No one wants to over pay…and no one wants to be taken advantage of! In order to solve this concern, many organizations create a bidding process to ensure the best price. While this is understandable, in theory, it’s important to consider the cost of such a campaign.
Yes…there is a cost.
First, it’s important to note that if the first part of this equation is NOT true (you have an effective promotional campaign), then the second part (the cost) really doesn’t matter. You are now just spending money to spend it. No good would come from that…agreed?
So if you have a trusted promotional advisor (and if you don’t, we can help!) then their job is to help you create those effective campaigns. The best relationships like this are like partnerships. You share the themes, goals, and budget with them (if you don’t create them together) and they provide you ideas that help you reach those goals. It’s a win-win, because you get great ideas (hopefully) and they get the business.
But when you take their creative concepts and bid them out on the individual products, it’s a different relationship entirely. The relationship becomes entirely transactional. That is fine (if that’s what you want) but you start to rob yourself of the value of the advisor.
If you take your partners ideas and bid them out, they are not likely to bring you ideas again. And if they do, they won’t put the time and effort into them. After all, you have told them (by your actions) that the ideas are not what you value. So they may decide not to provide you ideas at all.
“Let me know when you decide what you want,” they might say. “Then we will be glad to provide a bid.”
What does that mean, in dollars and cents?
Let’s say your hourly rate is $15 per hour. In order to get a creative and effective promotional campaign, you could easily spend a day looking for ideas. Then you might spend another day going through bids to make sure they are accurate (and comparing apples to apples). So that’s two days of your time. In most cases, pricing between competitive promotional distributors is going to be close. So you might save a nickel per piece. If you ordered 1000 of whatever promotional item you decide on, you have “saved” $50. But you spent $240 to do it.
Of course this does not factor in your creativity. It doesn’t call to attention that a good partner is probably attending industry shows (and seeing the latest and greatest promotional items) and you are not.
But at the end of the day, you have lost a free, trusted, creative, outside source. It’s a choice. And it’s yours to make. Of course if you don’t have that trusted source, that’s a different conversation. But if you do, you might be wise not to drive them away.
So just ask yourself…what is your time worth? Because, my friends, there IS a cost to bidding.
Want to make your marketing better? Sign up for our 5 Day Marketing Course here. We teach you how to find the perfect customer (right when they need you) and how to tell your story to them. And if you want more content just like this, head to our blog page nearly every day.
