Texas boasts the largest state fair with an estimated annual attendance of 3,000,000. The largest paid state fair is in Minnesota, which drew nearly 1.8 million visitors in 2010.

These attendance numbers add up to one thing for those in the advertising specialty industry: extra eyes on your brand. State fairs represent an extraordinary opportunity for the advertising specialty industry. While Texas and Minnesota win the blue ribbon attendance prizes, state fairs all around the country attract people in droves. Attendees are ripe for a good time — and for free goodies!

Why not consider capitalizing on the throngs of fun-seeking fairgoers with a branded promotional product? Give away highly coveted beads, and you’ll have fairgoers asking each other, “Where did you get that?” Offer branded drawstring backpacks and your logo will be loud, clear and mobile as fairgoers carry your backpack around all day.

Consider these additional “fair-ready” promotional product ideas:

• Spirit stix (perfect for a concert at the fair!)
• Beads with the optional addition of an attached sample cup
• Hats
• Novelty headwear
• Wigs
• Light-up buttons

But for every way to get it right, there are certainly a handful of ways to get it wrong. Let’s take a look at five of the most common mistakes:

1) Getting late to market with a trend
In the advertising specialties world, showing up late is almost as bad as never showing up at all – and in some cases, it can be worse. Trends are fickle, and while some have incredible staying power (Mardi Gras beads, anyone?), others pass the peak and are quickly regulated to the dreaded ‘out of style’ status. Only two outcomes can come from arriving to market post-peak: 1) the market is over-saturated and your product isn’t new or exciting, and 2) You risk being overtly un-cool if the trend has passed. 

2) Refusing to innovate/refresh your approach
So how do you avoid getting late to market with a trend?  You pay attention. You remain always willing to mix it up and get on board with the hot new thing as it’s heating up. Doing the same old thing will yield the same old results, so watch for those trends – or partner with people who will watch on your behalf.

3) Failing to differentiate your brand identity
I have no fewer than fifteen branded pens in my drawer. Why should I grab yours to carry around use in public, exposing both myself and others to your brand? What makes yours special? Figure it out, or risk being an also-ran.

4) Sacrificing quality
We’ve talked about quality before, but the importance it simply can’t be overstated. You’re putting your logo – your brand identity – on a promotional product and allowing that product to speak to your consumers. What do you want the message to be?

5) Not targeting your key audience
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s shocking how frequently companies miss the mark. Who gets excited about your brand? Who gets excited about the promotional product under consideration? Make sure those two consumer segments match up. Nobody wants to be company handing out branded beer glasses to pre-teens or offering Silly Bandz to retirees.

You want all eyes on your brand.

You want dazzle consumers with a top-quality, on-trend promotional product.

Now if only you could figure out what that product should be…

It’s the curse of the blinking cursor: you have all the drive and none of the ideas, and you’re left with a blank page staring back at you.

We’ve been turning blinking cursors into celebrated promotional products for twenty years. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to stimulate creativity and help you start brainstorming ideas:

Dump out your bag
Chances are, you carry advertising specialty products around with you every day. What products were memorable or functional enough to make you incorporate them into your daily life? Why?

Get inspired
Think of a time when you’ve witnessed active demand for a promotional product. T-shirts tossed into the crowd at a baseball game? Branded glasses on a special night at the bar? What created that demand?

Be trend-savvy
Watch the people around you. What’s the must-have item this year? In our trend post we discussed how to capitalize on a hot pop culture trend. Which hot trend could connect with your brand?

Be your own market research subject
What grabs your attention when you’re out and about? Are you swayed by an on-pack promotion? Distracted by dealer loaders? Do you catch yourself reading the branded signs in bars or the display enhancers at stores? Imagine your logo on one of those items. What fits? What doesn’t? What would cause you to stop in your tracks?

Here are some fun findings from the Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study (released in 2010 by the Advertising Specialties Institute) that underscore the return on investment in promotional products.

#1  Affordable
At $0.005 in the United States and $0.004 in Canada, the cost per impression of promotional products was significantly less expensive than TV, National Magazines, and Spot Radio.

#2  Mindshare
83% of those surveyed indicated they could identify the advertiser on a promotional product they owned.

#3  Engagement
41% of respondents in the United States indicated that their opinion of the advertiser was more favorable after receiving a promotional product. 47% of Canadians thought more highly of the advertiser.

#4  Staying Power
The average length of time a respondent from the United States reported keeping an item was 5.4 months. Canadian respondents kept theirs slightly longer at 5.7 months.

#5  Usefulness
Respondents from the United States and Canada reported using their promotional products 18.2 times a month.

#6  Perceived Value
62% of respondent in the United States indicated that they will pass along a promotional item they do not intend to keep for themselves to others.

Still don’t buy it? Test the theory. Check your bag, cupboard, desk, or closet. Bet you discover that you have more promotional products than you knew!

Why Mardi Gras Beads?

1. They are just down-right fun! Easy to wear and festive. High brand visibility and easily customized to suit.

2. Highly sought after – folks collect ‘em! We see beads we produced years ago show up at various events. People hold on to them and reuse again and again.

3. Inexpensive to produce – lots of options! Beads run the gammit in price. You can go from standard round hanging medallions, to inline medallions, to brand specific designs with custom shape medallions and inline ornaments.

4. Never know who will be wearing them! From left to right: Jerry Rice, Fred Biletnikoff, Joey Chestnut (Man vs. Food Hot Dog Eating Champion,)  Tim Brown, Angela Biletnikoff and Gorilla Rilla.

The Biletnikoff Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth, primarily from low to moderate income neighborhoods or backgrounds, who are “at risk” particularly to the realities of drug and alcohol addiction as well as domestic and gender violence. The foundation was established by Fred and his wife Angela to commemorate their daughter Tracey Biletnikoff, who was brutally murdered in 1999 at a very young age.

The Biletnikoff Foundation also proudly supports STAND! Since they began in 1977, STAND! has helped over 15,000 crisis victims and their children annually by offering emergency shelter, counseling and support groups, and transitional housing. Their Battered treatment programs provide offenders with the opportunity to make meaningful changes in their lives and, more importantly, in the lives of their families.

One event involves a motorcycle parade around Pikeville. Part of their awareness building campaign was a terry cloth wristband give-away.

Kudos to event organizers for coming up with such a perfect promotional idea for the event. Choosing a product that reflects the spirit of the event will drive engagement with the brand.

What can spur higher levels of engagement?
    – Pride in belonging to a group, organization, or cause
    – Novelty in the way that pride is expressed (the coolness factor)
    – Usefulness to the recipient

Ability to achieve the sponsor’s objectives is the end game of any promotional outreach. Just throwing something out there with a brand label on it does not always serve the greater purpose. Thoughtful reflection can make a whole lot of difference in the return on your promotional investment.

For more information regarding this event, visit the website at hillbillychristmasinjuly.org.

If we want to look on the bright side the possibility may be evidenced in the government’s demonstrated inclination for promotional communications. The development of an official logo for stimulus-based projects seems to underscore the push to promote these efforts with high visibility.

Agencies like the Social Security Administration, Border Patrol, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the state-based 2010 Census are poised to receive stimulus funding. We believe there will be potential opportunities for our industry as part of integrated marketing plans. Complex issues are best communicated to a mass audience when condensed into easy to understand slogans or icons. Most often they look to the promotional products industry as part of an integrated communications strategy. A few areas of potential opportunity are listed below.

Environmental

Communication of stimulus-funded “green” efforts will be in strong demand. When looking at options for our internal efforts, I have found advertising for anything “green” is trending up. Large scale environmental issues are firmly on the front-burner. Hot button issues include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, reducing our carbon footprint and clean water initiatives.

Energy & Conservation

Alternative energy development has also come center-stage. Funding for home weatherization projects and green building efforts are beginning to make an appearance. Development of new energy resources like solar, wind, and bio-fuels will most certainly be on the promotional forefront.

2010 Census

The 2010 Census is just around the corner and slated to receive stimulus funding. Educating the general public about the role of the census, usage of information and outcomes is essential to encourage full public participation. Getting the public to trust in the mission of the census has been highly promoted in the past. Another potential opportunity would be identifying census workers as they participate in community outreach.

Infrastructure Projects

Infrastructure building, maintenance, public transportation projects and shovel-ready community projects will also present opportunities. Promotion on federal, state and local levels demonstrating tax dollars at work is highly likely. The stimulus bill has been likened to New Deal strategies for mass improvements to the country’s infrastructure and job creation. Historically New Deal projects, implemented by the Civilian Conservation Corps, were promoted and highly visible. It would follow that the government agencies would emulate this strategy as these programs get underway.

Healthcare

The way Americans think about and receive healthcare is another front-burner issue. The healthcare industry is looking for ways to respond to changes on a variety of levels. Increasing needs of aging boomers and their parents spur research into new technologies and clinical innovations. Boomers represent one of the largest population groups in the country. The need to develop infrastructure such as hospitals, outpatient care, long-term care and hospice facilities to handle demand will be paramount going forward. Continuing efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle for this population segment also offers opportunities for our industry.

Non-profits

On the opposite side of the coin, decreased funding due to federal, state and local budget cuts creates more demand on private sector efforts to fill the gap. Non-profits are always looking for ways to communicate their mission. Increase in competition over available charitable dollars requires non-profits to stand out even more in this challenging economy.