New Federal Guidelines for Promotional Products

Beginning in 2009, there will be new federal guidelines governing promotional products. They are set to take effect in February 2009 and may affect the promotional items that you purchase. The new guidelines are primarily focused on Phthalates and lead in products that are intended for children under the age of 13.
These new guidelines will require a Certificate of Conformity for all products intended for children that fall into this age group stating that the product complies with these guidelines. This certificate must accompany the product through US Customs as well as with every domestic shipment. Proof of conformity must be provided for all components and inks from a legitimate testing lab if the product is intended for children under the age of 13. Also, depending on the product category, things like flammability, packaging and FDA standards might apply. Lead levels are set at 600 parts per million for fabric and inks but they will eventually get lower. The target date for the new lower levels to be implemented is August 2009.
Artina Promotional Products will keep posting updates on this blog as they become available, as the guidelines are still evolving and we are still learning how this will effect our industry and you as the consumer of our products.

Artina wins BBB Integrity Award

On Wednesday, October 29th, Artina Promotional Products was awarded the Better Business Bureau Integrity Award. The award has several stringent criteria that involve various aspects of the business including supplier, employee and customer relations. General operational integrity is also a major factor. Founder and President, Chris Bouzounis, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
With 41 years of service under it's belt, Artina is looking forward to continuing to serve the Central Ohio community that made this honor possible. Bouzounis is especially proud of this award, as he believes that without integrity, you have nothing.
To learn more about Artina Promotional Products, visit our website at www.artina.com. Check out the news section to learn more about the company and other honors.

Food gifts for the holidays

It is that time of year again...time to think about how you are going to thank your clients for their support in 2008. Did you know that your promotional products distributor can help you if food gifts are on the top of your list? Purchasing food gifts through your distributor is efficient and best of all, the items are branded with your logo in creative ways so the recipient will remember the gift long after the food is gone.

Food gifts are great ways to thank your customers and vendors. They are easily shareable with the entire office and a wide range of fresh, great tasting food is available. You will be surprised with the freshness and quality of the food and often times, the food is fresher than the leading mail order companies. It is typically not packed until the day it is to ship. Check with your distributor to get some tasting samples.

Artina Promotional Products is proud to offer Maple Ridge Farms for food gifts. They offer everything from food towers to ham and turkey. Call 800-433-5587 to learn more.

Corporate Gift Giving

The holidays are fast-approaching and as they do, many companies are thinking about corporate gifts. While December remains the most popular month to give gifts, many companies are trying to set themselves apart with gifts to clients throughout the year. There are many reasons to give a gift to a client that are not limited to thanking them for their business.

Here are a few reasons:
1. Your client received a promotion. What a great time to send a personalized gift that they can use in their new role.
2. Your client stopped by your trade show booth. They are already your client but took the time out of their day to swing by, so send them a small token to thank them.
3. Your client placed an order with you. Just a small item to say thanks for your continued support can go a long way in terms of customer loyalty.
4. Your client or someone in their family had a child. There are a plethora of baby items in our industry, send a diaper bag, blanket or a nice photo frame to congratulate them.
5. Referrals...wow, no easier way to build your business. So, be sure your client knows you appreciate that they think enough of you to refer you to one of their associates.

These are just a few of the reasons to give a client a gift, there are many more. Corporate gifts leave a lasting impression for your clients and show that you value the relationship past getting the order. This will help to build loyalty and hopefully your business as well.

BPA - What is it and is it dangerous?

We have all heard the news regarding BPA in water bottles, baby bottles and canned foods. The story is that the BPA leeches into the food or beverage that is placed in these containers, thereby harming the consumer. A recent study by the FDA found however, that the trace amounts of BPA that does leech into the consumables is not harmful to adults or children.

The promotional products industry immediately responded to the BPA scare by offering many products that are BPA free. Those products are still available, however, consumers should not hesitate to continue to purchase the old stand by products as well.

Several states are working on legislation to regulate the amount of BPA that can be in a product that will be used by children three years and younger, so when you are purchasing products, check the state you will be using them in to see if they have enacted legislation.

Imprinted promotional products v. blank corporate gifts

There is not a right or wrong answer when it comes to this question. The best answer is to take care in selecting an appropriate item and think twice about whether or not to put your corporate logo on it.
The ultimate success of a promotional product as a gift for an employee, client or vendor, is whether the recipient uses it or not. Certainly having your logo on it gets more advertising miles out of the product. However, that is assuming they are using the product and seeing the logo each time. If they throw it in their box of junk in the garage, or trash it, then not only did your advertising dollars go down the tube, but so did the recipient’s feeling of appreciation.
Some things to think about when deciding whether or not to imprint the item:
What is the message you are trying to convey?
Cost of item (the higher the price, consider, no imprint or a more subtle imprint such as deboss or tone on tone)
Consider an add on item that can hold the logo (for example – a nice duffle bag with no imprint accompanied with a luggage tag that has the logo)
If you choose not to put the logo, don’t be afraid that the recipient will not remember where it came from – in fact they will likely never forget.

The new and improved Artina website

As you may have noticed, it has been a while since a new blog has been posted. That is because we have been very busy with the design and rollout of the new and improved Artina Promotional Products website (www.artina.com). The new site features an improved search feature with some advanced options that were not previously available. For those that are budget conscious or in a time crunch, you can search by price range or lead time as well. For quick answers, there is an on-line chat. Operators are available from 8:15 to 5:00 EST...so get online and chat with us! Along with the improved search features the entire site is more user friendly and easier to navigate. The new site has been a long time in coming and we are pleased to offer this new level of online service to our current and new clients.
Check us out online frequently as the website is a work in progress and we hope to make continuous improvements as well as additions to the products that are available via the site. Currently there are over 10,000 products to choose from. As always, if you don't see what you are looking for on the site, just give us a call...or better yet...chat with us online!