Woke up this morning and checked out the forecast. It looks like we’ll be in the ’90s again today. Yikes! Now that we’re officially in summer, we have a few cool products to recommend for your next promotion.

Beach Towels
Available in a many great colors, beach towels are appreciated gifts. Your clients will use them for years to come. My favorite beach towels are the 70″ x 40″ heavyweight towels that are decorated with a tone on tone technique. They’re stylish, durable and effective promotional gifts. Very nice indeed.

BBQ Sets
Ideal for company picnics or just a unique summer promotional gift, BBQ sets are a personal favorite of mine. They come in all shapes and sizes, from a practical 3-piece set wrapped in a nylon bag to this awesome 24-piece Executive BBQ Set which includes a beautiful metal case. Makes my head swim just thinking about this arsenal of BBQ-ing utensils. Or combine a BBQ set with a custom decorated BBQ Apron and you’ll make any grill master flush with excitement.

Beach Balls
Fun at the beach, the lake, the pool or virtually any outdoor event, promotional beach balls are a cost-effective giveaway and a classic summer favorite. Available in a variety of sizes and color combinations, let your imagination run wild. One of our most popular summer promotional items.

Umbrellas
Promotional umbrellas can stop the rain or protect you from the sun. And this year in Kansas, we’ve already needed protection from both. Umbrellas come in a variety of sizes, and virtually every color combination imaginable. Mini umbrellas are a fun giveaway and can easily fit in a briefcase or glove box. Standard sized umbrellas are useful fundraisers and can be sold at outdoor events. And if you’re sponsoring a golf tournament this summer, the 60″ golf umbrellas provide a huge imprint area for your logo and promotional message.

Remember that not all umbrellas are created equally. My personal favorites are Stromberg Umbrellas. They’re very well constructed. Are available in many great colors, sizes and styles. And can be decorated with your logo.

Sport Bottles
Traditionally used during the summer, promotional sport bottles have become popular year round. And talk about variety — there are tons of options for materials, styles, sizes and colors. Nalgene Bottles and Camelbak Bottles are BPA free and are made from an incredibly durable material called Tritan copolyester. Soft-sided bike bottles have followed the trend towards BPA free materials, and are now typically made from recyclable PET. Aluminum bottles are light weight, competitively priced, and carry a high perceived value. And if you want the cream of the crop, stainless steel water bottles are durable and stylish.

Flyers
Custom flyers are among our most popular summer promotional items. They come in several sizes and tons of great colors. The most popular size is the 9″ flyer, but my favorite is the 117 gram 9.625″ Ultimate Flyer. It’s heavier and more durable than other promotional flyers and is available in an eco-friendly option made from 100% home recycled material. Other options include a Dog Safe Ultimate Flyer, Foam Flyers, Glow-in-the-Dark Flyers, Collapsible Flyers and Fling Rings.

Can Coolers
Koozie remains the premier line of can coolers, and the Original Koozie Can Cooler is still our most popular style. Made from high-quality durable foam, the Original Koozie can maintain your beverage can at 40-degrees or below for 35 minutes. Koozie offers a broad line of can coolers including Collapsible Koozies (ideal for mailings), Metallic Reflections Koozies, Koozie Jersey Can Coolers, Metal Koozies and a cool Football Koozie. But we don’t stop there. Another popular style of can cooler is the Neoprene Collapsible Can Cooler. Neoprene is a scuba-like material that insulates well and is very durable.

Sun Screen
Help your customers protect themselves from the harsh rays of the summer sun with promotional sun screen. One of our most popular styles is the Shady .5 oz. Carabiner Bottle. Your choice of SPF 15 or SPF 30 sun screen, this product is both water-resistant and sweat-resistant. A smart promotional giveaway.

Insulated Bags and Totes
From a simple insulated lunch sack to a rolling insulated cooler with a 34″ extending handle, insulated bags and totes make great promotional gifts. With prices that range from a couple bucks to $50 each, you can find the right style to fit any budget and promotion. One of my favorites is the Koozie Kombo Kooler. This combination backpack and kooler is ideal for sporting and recreational activities. The mesh upper compartment and spacious lower compartment makes this bag very user-friendly. Available in red, blue and black.

Sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products increased 35% in 2009 to $4.3 billion, according to a report released this week. Over the past decade, beginning in 2001, the annual average growth rate for organic cotton sales is 40%. “Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, senior director of the Organic Exchange, which produced the report.

Organic Exchange, which released the 2009 sales data, projects the global organic cotton market will increase an additional 20%-40% in both 2010 and 2011, resulting in an estimated $6 billion market by next year.

While the list of top organic cotton buyers features retail giants like Walmart and Nike, it also includes a few of our favorite promotional products, including the Organic Economy Tote. Made from 100% organic cotton, we liked these totes so much we bought them for our own self promo.

Research has shown that scent enhances consumer product memories. According to the website Lets Get Scented, “Scent marketing is becoming an incredible tool as brands discover the role scent plays in connecting with customers on an emotional level. It is most effective when combined with other sensory triggers, such as sight, sound and textures to create a unique customer experience. Scent can trigger a memory or desire that influences a purchase decision. Across industries, businesses are using scent as part of multi-sensory marketing strategies to enhance customers’ experiences of a location and its products or services.”

The promotional products industry has been expanding into scented products. One of my favorites are these new Good Scents Pens.  They’re available in several wonderful scents including chocolate chips, mocha latte, strawberry fields, vanilla dream (my favorite), green meadow, lemon zest and orange crush (available soon).

And better yet, these pens are made in the USA with 50% renewable plastic. Eco-friendly and USA made make these pens a Scentsational promotion.

Utilizing promotional products is a great way to build brand awareness for your organization. There are thousands of products available at virtually every price point imaginable. So where do you start? How about leaning on somebody else’s brand to help build your own brand awareness. When a name brand product is used as part of your promotional campaign, the good will of the name brand will help support your own brand. And a name brand product typically provides for a higher perceived value than other promotional gifts. Here are a few of my favorite brands available through promotional marketing.

3M
This is a company with a great history of innovation beginning in 1902.  3M invented a number of interesting products from waterproof sandpaper in the early ’20s to Post-it Notes in 1980. You know that a product has achieved a great level of success when the name of the product is ingrained into our consciousness like Post-it Notes. We offer some less expensive alternatives such as BIC Sticky Notes, but in our opinion, 3M’s Post-it Notes are still the best adhesive notes on the market today. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be imprinted with your company information.

Nalgene and Camelbak
Two of the most recognizable brand names in drinkware, Nalgene and Camelbak produce the best water bottles available.  They’re nearly indestructible and are now made from BPA-free materials. Durable water bottles are also eco-friendly. Did you know that 8 in every 10 plastic water bottles end up in a landfill? And that we use more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually to make these water bottles? Just imagine if we all started using refillable water bottles instead. And then imagine if everyone had a refillable water bottle with your logo on it.

Buck Knives and Swiss Army Knives
There are a number of name brands available, but when it comes to knives, give me a Buck or a Swiss Army every time. Buck makes a great assortment of hunting knives and folding pocket knives that can be engraved with your logo. And haven’t we all had a Swiss Army Knife at some point in our lives? Their multi-function knives make awesome gifts. I’ve got a couple of them. They are still among the most popular knives in the industry.

Fossil Watches
Another name brand I have a personal fondness for is Fossil. I wear a Fossil watch, as does my wife. At my last business, we used to give Fossil Watches to our employees on their fifth anniversary with the company. They offer a nice variety of high-quality watches. Most brands of watches including Timex and Callaway are available and can be decorated with your organization’s logo.

Coleman
Yes, that Coleman. The makers of Coleman coolers! Coleman was founded more than 100 years ago in Wichita, Kansas. Originally a manufacturer of lanterns, Coleman expanded into leisure and camping products when they introduced a galvanized steel cooler in 1954. By the ’60s, Coleman had become the biggest name in the camping business. A great and trusted brand. And a great promotional gift that can be imprinted with your brand.

Nike
In our book, Nike is a winner all the way. The brand carries more oomph than virtually any other brand on the market today. The Nike swoosh is possibly the most recognizable logo ever created. And there are a number of Nike products available to the promotional products industry including apparel, golf balls, golf bags, sunglasses, golf shoes and golf clubs.

M&Ms
Edibles are often overlooked as promotional gifts, but there’s typically no faster way to a client’s heart than through their stomach. And it doesn’t stop with the M&Ms. We’ve got Skittles, Jelly Belly, LifeSavers and much more. Yum. Great packaging and decoration ideas. All you’ve got to do is ask.

All of this is just the beginning. We’ve got Alicia Klein, Baden, BIC, Case Logic, Cutter & Buck, FootJoy, Jockey, Munsingwear, Pinnacle, Prang, RCC Koozie, Sharpie, Slinky, Tervis Tumbler, Thermos, Titleist, uni-ball, Wilson, Zippo and much more. Utilizing a name brand will help you build your own brand awareness.

The Eco Water Saver™ Shower Timer is a fun way to promote water conservation. This eco-friendly product is a twist-action five-minute shower timer with suction mount. Perfect for hotels, water districts, cities, schools, plumbers and conservationists. Made from a shatter-resistant timer and 70% recycled plastic body.

As Earth Day quickly approaches, we continue to look for interesting items that fit well within an eco-friendly promotional campaign. This week we’ll focus on products made from recycled content.

There are two types of recycled material available for manufacturing: post-consumer and post-manufacturing. Post-consumer is previously used material that comes directly from products such as used water bottles that have been shredded, purified and reformed into another product. Post-manufacturing material comes from scrap raw material left over from producing another product. This material otherwise would be thrown away.

Did You Know: Recycling plastic saves 70% of the energy used to create new plastic. Paper recycling saves 40% of the energy required to make a new product.

Recycled Piggy Bank
A fun promotional novelty, take your pick from piggy banks made partially from retired currency, denim scraps, yellow pages or electronics.

Recycled Notebook Jotter Set
Take note – on recycled paper, that is! The natural, 60-page, top spiral bound mini jotter and matching pen are held neatly in a transparent snap pouch.

Recycled Duffel Bag (made from water bottles)
Carrying this black duffel will feel so natural! Eco-friendly, the overall bag is made of 90% recycled material, 80% post-consumer recycled pet, has 26″ handles, 56″ adjustable webbed shoulder strap, zip closure, and a front pocket.

Recycled 4” x 6” Photo Frame
Eco-friendly frames are as meaningful as the photos within them. This one is 4”x6” and has a hinged easel back made from recycled Kraft paper and backing board.

Recycled Messenger Bag (made from water bottles)
Be the messenger for going green! This black messenger bag is made of 90% recycled material, Fabric: 80% post-consumer recycled PET. The removable/adjustable webbed shoulder strap makes it easy to carry all the items you tuck into the front flap pocket with Velcro closure, zippered front pocket, side elastic pocket and side pen holders.

Recycled Sport Bag (made from recycled PET)
A bag worth sporting! Perfect for the gym, sports field or any adventure, it features a drawstring closure, front pocket, and comes in black, blue and red.

Recycled Notebook Journal Set
Writing has never felt this natural! This eco-friendly spiral notebook, equipped with a matching pen and transparent snap pouch, is filled with 60 pages of recycled paper.

Recycled Note and Flag Set
Post it again! Made of recycled paper, this flag and note set appeals to an eco-friendly lifestyle. It comes with five colors of flags (20 each) and a 65×65mm light yellow note pad with 20 sheets.

Encore Recycled Pens & Pencils
A great line of pens and pencils made from at least 30% post-consumer waste. These items are made from recycled denim, currency and newspapers. Get write on it.

Newsprencil
Made from 75% recycled newspaper and 25% new paper, five colors to choose from and brass-colored ferrules with green erasers make this an ecological sound investment in our future. Easy to sharpen and splinter free. Taper reveals recycled newsprint!

Recycled Tote (made from water bottles)
Promote the three R’s with this eco-friendly tote! Reduce, reuse and carry around this bag made with 98% recycled material. Fabric: 80% post-consumer recycled PET. It has 26″ handles, 4″ gusset and comes in classic black or white.

Still need more ideas? Just give us a call. We’re full of them!

Founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, Earth Day was created to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. On April 22nd we will celebrate another Earth Day and recognize there is still much work to be done. We continue to strive to protect our planet and our resources. We’ve been happy to watch our industry move towards utilizing more eco-friendly materials and renewable resources.

The key to sustainable resources is that they naturally replenish at a quicker pace than other resources. Good examples include products that are made from bamboo and cotton.

Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth. It has been clocked surging skyward as fast as 121 cm (47.6 inches) in a 24-hour period. Here are some of our favorite bamboo products:

Turkish Bamboo/Cotton Robe
Environmentally friendly bamboo has many qualities that make it an excellent choice for fabric. More absorbent than cotton, bamboo is soft to the touch and exceptionally durable. A choice that is certain to make a lasting impression.

Bamboo Pen
Write down more ways to recycle, reduce and reuse with this eco-friendly pen! The bamboo gives it a natural feel, while the black, blue or green plastic parts are completely biodegradable.

Bamboo Keyring
The key to being eco-friendly! Give any set of keys a natural, earthy feel with this rectangular bamboo keyring.

Bamboo USB Drive
USB drives have been among our most popular corporate gifts these last few years. And this Bamboo USB Drive is a great addition to our bamboo line of products.

Bamboo Frame and Clock
Candid – a natural moment of time! Capture that idea with this bamboo photo frame and clock. With its neutral appeal, it will look lovely anywhere you put it.

Bamboo Kitchen Set
The natural way to cook! This eco-friendly, 4-piece bamboo kitchen utensil set will keep you cooking for years. It includes an FDA compliant fork, spoon, spatula, and tongs in a matching bamboo holder.

Bamboo 4-Coaster Set
Any drink will sit naturally on one of these bamboo coasters. This eco-friendly set includes 4 coasters and a matching holder.

Bamboo Card Holder
Your business cards will fit naturally in this eco-friendly, arch design desktop business card holder. It is carefully constructed from sustainable bamboo.

Bamboo BBQ Set
Fire up the grill and cook el natural! The utensil handles and even the case in this eco-friendly, 5-piece BBQ set are made of bamboo and steel. It includes a serrated-edge spatula with bottle opener, BBQ fork, tongs, knife, and a basting brush.

Bamboo Pen Holder
A natural look! This eco-friendly, two-tone striped desktop pen holder is made of sustainable bamboo. Your favorite writing instruments will be sure to stay secure.

Cotton is another great example of a sustainable resource. And like bamboo, there are plenty of great promotional items made from cotton.

Natural Cotton and Organic Cotton Totes
Lots of natural cotton and organic cotton totes available in many shapes and sizes. The Pulire Organic Cotton Tote is one of our favorites. This lovely tote has 29″ strong rope handles secured with durable metal eyelets, an extra wide 8″ gusset, and a nice black trim.

All Cotton Oven Mitts
No need to play hot potato with this oven mitt! It has a thick quilted texture and a small hanging loop for easy storage. Available in classic black, blue and red.

All Cotton Aprons
Keep clean while you whisk around the kitchen or grill! This eco-friendly indoor/outdoor apron has two front pockets, a neck strap and waist tie straps. Choose from three great colors: black, blue and red.

Cotton Canvas Messenger Bags
Military inspired messenger in more ways than one! Durable and eco-friendly, it has a zippered pocket on under the front flap, several more pockets with Velcro and zip closures for accessories, and a large main compartment.

Organic Cotton T-Shirts
There’s nothing more comfortable than a good cotton t-shirt. And apparel is still the most purchased of all promotional merchandise.

These are just a few of the unique and innovative earth-friendly products you can tie into your next promotional campaign. Next time we’ll talk about some great products made from recycled content!