We pulled some data from last year’s holiday sales and came up with a list to get your wheels turning on corporate gifts!

10. Watches -
Even though a lot of people use their cell phones to check the time, watches are still a popular gift.  Our casual watches are popular because they are mostly unisex. We also have Callaway, Fossil, and Swiss Army.

9. Gift Tins -
I love cinnamon popcorn!  We have gift tins that come with cookies, nuts, or popcorn.

8. Picture Frames -
People enjoy putting a picture of their loved ones on their desk. What’s even better is putting multiple pictures of loved ones.  We have digital picture frames!

7. Wine Gifts -
Bottle stoppers to wine carriers, wine gifts are a hot item this season and last.

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Spring is right around the corner, which means students are just waiting to close their textbooks and hit the warm beaches or cool slopes. Spring Break is the time for students and their families to escape bleak winter weather or to relax at new and exciting locales. Businesses that can’t reach their consumers at these Spring Break hot spots can use promotional products to keep their brand image on consumers’ minds even while they travel! Imprinting your brand’s logo on these products can remind consumers of your brand during their Spring Break escape.

- A Travel Vanity Bag is a great item for women or men who need a handy and space-saving bag to hold all their toiletry items.

-Duffel Bags are useful promotional products that generate extra brand exposure. Not only will your clients be reminded of your brand, other people at airports and hotels who see the imprinted logo will be exposed to the brand, as well.

-An imprinted Travel Toothbrush is an item consumers use day and night and is a sure way to keep your brand on consumers’ minds.

You may claim that St. Patrick’s Day is your favorite holiday, but what do you really know about it?

Here are 5 questions to test your knowledge.

First question:

Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day until which American movie producer created a friendly, cheerful leprechaun character?



Answer: Walt Disney. Irish folklore describes leprechauns as cranky souls known for their trickery and protectiveness over their treasure. The friendlier American version of the leprechaun quickly evolved into a St. Patrick’s Day and Irish symbol.

Second question:

Which city is home to a St. Patrick’s Day Parade that is the longest running civilian parade in the world?



Answer: Nope, it’s not Dublin. It’s New York City. The first parade started in 1762 and now draws more than 2 million spectators.

Third question:

In Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, Irish is the leading ancestral group. How many U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry?



Answer: 34.7 million-nearly 9 times the population of Ireland!

Fourth question:

What river is dyed green every year in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day?



Answer: The Chicago River. The city of Chicago uses 40 pounds of green vegetable dye to turn the river green for several hours.

Fifth question:

St. Patrick is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland. According to Irish mythology, which reptile did Saint Patrick banish from Ireland?



Answer: If you said snakes then you are correct. However, Ireland was never actually inhabited by snakes. The “banishing of the snakes” is symbolic of Saint Patrick’s eradication of pagan theology from the island.

PS: Please feel free to email this quiz to friends or family!

We went all out this year to celebrate the holidays! Each department came up with a way to decorate their section, and had a blast doing so. We’ve created a short video for our customers and friends to see how we got in on the fun this year!

Dear Santa.

How are you? I know that you and the elves are busy, but we’ve had some
difficulties tracking down a Wii for our kids. If you or the elves are able
to track one down for me, I’d be much obliged. I’ll even leave you some
extra Oreos this year.

And by the way, our kids are concerned that you won’t be able to find the
tree this year as it’s not right next to the fireplace. Once you come down
the chimney take a left into the sun room. You can’t miss it.

But that’s for the kids. Here’s my wish list for Christmas.

1. Our industry is facing an interesting challenge. Lead. It seems to be
everywhere. Certainly it’s everywhere in the news. Please help our industry
develop some clear cut guidelines concerning lead. And please help our
government agencies to develop ONE standard test so that we can get
consistent information across the board. We will be asking our suppliers to
provide us with documentation concerning their products, imprinting
techniques and testing procedures.

2. We need more green. And I don’t mean money. Though that would be nice
too. Our customers are wanting more eco-friendly products. And luckily our
suppliers seem to be stepping up to this challenge, slowly but surely. But
it would be really nice if our industry could develop some standards for
what is considered “green”. And if our suppliers could more easily supply us
with information concerning recycled content and a product’s ability to be
recycled.

3. Globalization is here to stay. And I understand the many benefits
including better pricing for our products for our customers. But we still
have a number of customers who would prefer to “buy American”. Plus when we
face certain challenges within our industry (see number one above), other
countries do not always play by the same set of rules. We need our suppliers
to be more transparent with their products. We need to know when products
are imported. And we especially need to know when products are imprinted
outside of our country.

Thank you and safe travels this holiday season. And I was just kidding about
the Oreos. You know that I always leave you plenty of Oreos and a Diet Coke.

Sincerely,

Lee Eldridge
Absorbent, Ink.

Keep the winter blues at bay

The holiday season is an extremely difficult time for anyone. According to therapist Joe Kort, “After the holiday season is over, many people suffer from depression. The fast pace to get presents, visit with family, send out cards and get school and work business done keeps the depression at bay. However, returning to work and school, dealing with the family issues which surfaced over the holidays and facing the winter blues can be very depressing.”

When the after-holiday doldrums set in, what is a manager to do? How can you motivate your employees to keep up the good work that they did all year long? Here are a few great ideas for your company to keep productivity up and the post-holiday doldrums down:

1. Candy gifts
After the holidays, everyone begins to miss the treats they received just a few days ago. Candy gifts are a great motivator and comfort to a worker who needs a little pick-me-up in the middle of the day. It is a small token of your company’s appreciation and can convince the employee that you care, even after the holidays.

2. Hand sanitizers and soaps
The period during and directly after the holidays is prime cold and flu territory. Keep your employees healthy by giving them hand sanitizers and soaps. Your employees will appreciate the gesture and the disease prevention.

3. Relaxation products
From bath salts to massagers, relaxation products are a great way to help your employees get through those post-holiday blues unscathed. Not only are they ideal after the relatives leave town, but they are a treat after a long day at the office. Relaxation products will be a reminder that the company cares about their mental health.

4. Yo-yos
It may sound silly, but a yo-yo is a timeless and ageless gift that your employee will enjoy for a long time. It is a great tool while brainstorming because it keeps the employee’s hands busy and eases the pressure exuded by deadlines. Yo-yos are a great break time accessory and an easyway to boost morale.

5. Ceramic mugs
The smell of freshly brewed coffee is always a great pick-me-up, but when coupled with a brand new ceramic mug, the effect is doubled because it is also aesthetically pleasing.

Pep talks are great for motivating employees, but they only go so far. A small gift can be a fantastic way to motivate and cheer up your employees. Let your employees know that you are thinking of them, even after the holidays have ended.

A couple of days ago the president of Absorbent, Ink. talked to Small Business Trends Radio about how to get the most out of giving gifts to clients. They were nice enough to post the interview on their website.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Hello. I am planning a holiday party for my office this year. I want to give attendees gifts for the occasion. Do you have any suggestions? Also, what could I do to promote the party? I do not know if I should make it holiday neutral or not. Thanks, Olive

Hello Olive,

Thanks for your question! Ah, the holiday party season. Fun, yet a bit stressful when you do not know what to give your employees and when you want to remain PC. I do, however, have a few suggestions that can help you in your planning process.

I will start by giving you suggestions about how to decide on a party theme. It is difficult to convey an all encompassing holiday theme with so many religious celebrations in one season. To avoid hurting any feelings or annoying anyone, you can go one to two ways:

1) Include all holidays in the party theme. Have a Christmas tree, Menorah, Kwanza lights and snowmen. This way, no one can complain; you have covered the holidays and have even included the non-religious snowman. The only downside to this is that the party decorations may look a bit cluttered.

2) Don’t include any holiday items and just use holiday colors. Luckily, red, green, blue, white, silver and gold all look nice together. You can then decorate with snowflakes. Basically, you are throwing a winter themed party before the New Year.

For both of these parties, you could use imprinted balloons, napkins, plates and glasses with holiday messages, like “Happy Holidays,” “Happy New Year” or “Seasons Greetings.”

As for a holiday gift for the office, consider giving something simple. For example, serve champagne or other beverages in glasses with an imprinted message, like, “Holiday Office Party 2007: A Night to Celebrate.” This is a simple and memorable gift that can be reused.

If you would like to get any of these items for your office party, contact our client services at 866-618-3471. They would be happy to help you figure out pricing, shipping and imprints. I hope these suggestions have helped take some of the stress out of your party planning.

Thanks,
Abby Ink
Editor’s note: Abby Ink is our resident Promotional Products Professional. She answers all questions and requests for ideas via email and selects some for publishing in this regular column on the blog. You can ask Abby a question using this form.