Even though I see hundreds of promotional products every day at 4imprint, it’s always exciting for me to get new ones to dress up my desk! This new addition to my personal collection is from a supplier visit last week (they love spoiling us with samples!), and it’s our Bob ‘N Magnetic Clip Holder.

Since Bob’s got magnets inside his hands, I like to slip a paperclip onto my day’s to-do list and let him hang onto it until I’m finished up. His enthusiasm helps my keep energy up….even on tough Friday afternoons!

I figured I’d begin my first official blog post with a brief introduction. I am the primary product copywriter for the  US 4imprint website. Writing is my greatest pleasure in and outside of work. I am also a health and fitness buff, so I’m sure that will shine through in my writing from time to time. I figured I’d start things off with an insider look into my own personal store of promotional items that I use on a regular basis.

I love this cotton botanical print tote. I keep one in my cubby at work for quick runs to the library or drugstore on my lunch break. I love a reusable shopping bag with a little bit of personality.

I also get really good use out of my Sportline heart rate watch. It lets me know when I’m “in-the-zone” to maximize my workouts. See, I told you I was a fitness fanatic!

Finally, I enjoy walking to work whenever I can, so I keep one snazzy Expressions Umbrella at work and one at home, just in case the weather takes a turn during the workday. I enjoy the cheerful colors, so I have one in red and one in navy.

Check back regularly for more great advertising ideas and creative promotional applications. I look forward to your visits!

The web team and the merchandising team here have been collaborating on a project to redefine all of our product categories on our site. The goal is to make the process of finding the right product (especially when there are thousands to choose from) much, much easier.  We’ve added more categories to help narrow the selection and we’re now in the process of really upgrading the filtering capabilities of the site as well (you can see an example of this here – try filtering by the color blue for example).

In addition, Becky from our marketing team has launched specific sites for our education, healthcare and government customers.

Watch this space – more good stuff to come!

OK, I’ll start by offering a ‘shameless self promotion’ warning to this post, but I am actually pretty excited about a couple of new things we’ve put on our site that I thought I’d share:

We’re lucky to have a great web development team – just a really good group of creative, sharp people. They’ve been busy lately adding new pieces to our various web initiatives, many of which come straight from customer feedback. They’ve recently added ‘compare’ and ‘wishlist’ functionality, better filtering of search results and a host of other tweaks – with more on the way.

One of the new additions I think is very cool is our new ‘fit’ reviews for logo’d apparel items. We’ve had customer product reviews for ages and they’re very, very helpful. Nothing like getting feedback from people who have actually purchased the product! This new addition asks people who have ordered apparel an additional question as part of our post-order survey about ‘fit’ – do the garments run small or large? We’ll be adding more information (sizing charts, etc.), but I’m betting real customer feedback, plus the ability to receive a free sample products (just ask, we’re happy to oblige!) will be the most helpful of all.

Check out the new ‘fit’ functionality here (you’ll see it right below the ‘stars’ from the customer reviews under the product photo – click on ‘read all customer fit comments’).

Every business day we give $500 in promotional products to charitable organizations as part of our one by one® program. I’m constantly amazed by the number of fantastic organizations out there trying to make the world a better place – it’s really quite amazing. What’s also amazing is how they choose to use promotional products to achieve their objectives.

If you’re part of a charitable organization, or know someone who is, please tell them about one by one®. To get a feel for what I’m talking about you can read a profile of two one by one grant recipients here.

I have said to anyone who will listen – I work with the best people.  They are the reason behind any success we’ve enjoyed.  They’re thoughtful, creative, courteous and come in every day wanting to do the best they can and treat others as they would like to be treated.

So I should not have been surprised, but definitely was, when a large gathering of associates (like 200+!) formed outside my cube today – all to wish me a happy birthday and offer congratulations (and have a good laugh about…) my recent inclusion on a ‘hot list’ in our industry (I know, my name and ‘hot’ in the same sentence…makes me laugh too!).

There was cake, ice cream, some gag gifts, but best of all a real barbershop quartet to seranade everyone. The fact that one of the voices in the quartet  is our own Orien (or Big O) from our web development team made it all the better. The guys hit it out of the park!

If you work with us, these are the folks who are here to support you – and as you can see you, and I, are in good hands.

One of the fastest growing trends in medicine is not a specific treatment, but an approach to care. The existence of medical spas is on the rise, and offer patients relaxation during procedures which can be nerve-racking. Dermatologic and cosmetic treatments are the most common types performed at medical spas, but there are many other specialties that are beginning to use the medical spa strategy. Patients dealing with dialysis, cancer, and even fertility issues can find comfort and care in a spa setting. There are even spas popping up in hospitals, in an effort to provide overall health and wellness to patients.

For some ideas on making your practice more spa-like, check out 4imprint’s latest Healthcare newsletter.

Congrats to our team across the Atlantic and our Oshkosh-based development team. They’ve been working hard to launch our new website serving customers in the Republic of Ireland. First products are up and available – well done guys…!

www.4imprint.ie

The cover of our latest catalog features Coogan’s Restuarant in NYC. Coogan’s represents all the good things that happen when the ownership of a business sees the difference between being in a community and being part of it.  For example, next door you’ll find the Amory Track, a place Coogan’s devotes some serious energy to their annual children’s track-and-field program.

If you live in New York, or even just passing through, stop at Coogan’s.  Peter, Dania and the Coogan’s crew will make sure you get a good meal and leave with a smile.  Thanks also to the Coogan’s crew for letting our photography team get in the way to get some great shots. We’re lucky to be able to call Coogan’s our customer (if you see some good looking green Coogan’s Tote Bags around town those came from us – as did the green polos Peter and Dania are modeling on the cover)!

Peter & Dania on the 4imprint Cover - They Look Great!

One of the things we’ve done for years is include our folks in much of our marketing efforts. We hope it gives you a chance to put 4imprint faces to names and realize you’re buying from real people!

Of course this means lots of photo shoots.

We’re lucky we have such a great (and patient!) photography team. They make everyone look good – even when there isn’t much to work with, as in these photos from one of my recent shoots.

Thank goodness for digital photography. At the ratio of ‘usable-to-unusable’ shown above we’d have to shoot rolls and rolls of film just to get something we could use.  And that’s before all the work getting the photo into Photoshop so someone can get rid of that bad hair thing on the upper right side of my noggin.

Looking at these photos I’m lucky our associates are such good sports about becoming models. Although I’ll bet if we used these photos sales of promotional blindfolds would skyrocket.