Why do flash drives vary in price?

If you think you are getting a bargain on inexpensive flash drives...you may want to think again. There are several ways that you can get taken unaware when you are purchasing flash drives, especially if you are getting them from an online resource. One rule of thumb, if you get three bids and one is significantly lower, beware. It is likely to be a fake.
Industrial hackers target the low cost flash drive market and with some simple software they can make a 32MB flash drive appear to be as valuable as a 4GIG drive. Another thing to beware of when purchasing flash drives is recycled memory. Recycling memory allows for the production of very low cost flash drives, but the quality is never as good as a first run piece and therefore, is likely to fail.
So, you are thinking about purchasing flash drives for your upcoming promotion. It is important to ask your promotional products distributor about the things referenced above. They should be able to get the information for you if they do not already know the answers. Most of the suppliers of memory to the promotional products industry are reputable and are using first quality items. You should always consider getting a sample, especially if you are planning to upload files before you hand out the items. Be sure that the file fits on the drive and that it works properly. The cost of flash drives has come down significantly over the past year, so do not be afraid of a low cost item. But, do be very cautious. Also, keep in mind that the cost of memory changes weekly, so the price you get this week may be different next week.
You can visit our website to check out some of the latest memory stick styles...http://www.artina.com/taxonomySearch/87/780.

Coop advertising

So, you want to order promotional products to leave behind on sales calls or give out at trade shows but your budget has been reduced. There is a creative way that you can still get these items and...not have to pay for them! If your business is a distributor of various brands, there may be opportunities that you are missing. Many companies offer coop dollars to their distributors to aid in the marketing of their lines. Promotional products are a great way to accomplish this, your logo and the manufacturer's logo can both go on the item. You get your name out there, they get there name out there and you didn't have to pay for anything. It is obviously a great benefit to your manufacturers to have you pushing their product lines first, so they are more than willing to partner with you in marketing efforts.

If you are not sure if your partners offer coop advertising dollars, just ask. Of course, with multiple logos on the items, your promotional products professional can steer you towards the appropriate items that allow adequate imprint area.

In this economy, advertising is more important than ever, so don't miss out on an excellent opportunity to maximize your partnerships.

BPA...toxic or not

By now everyone has heard the debate over BPA (bishpenol A) and plastic containers. According to Fast Company magazine, over 7 billion pounds of the chemical were produced in 2007. It is used in everything from dental fillings to baby bottles. The debate centers around the chemical leaching into our food and drink from the containers that we consume them from. There are a multitude of studies out there and Fast Company found that there are a significant number of studies that find on both sides of this debate. However, the studies that find the chemical to be harmless to humans seem to be funded by interested parties. These range from chemical associations to companies that use BPA in the production of their products. The article in Fast Company is informative and lengthy, and I recommend that everyone read it.

So, how does this impact promotional products. Well, you are about to purchase water bottles for your company picnic and you don't know what to do. Fortunately, manufacturers in the promotional products industry have responded to the controversy by manufacturing a wide range of bottles and other plastic products that are BPA free. As a matter of fact, the majority of water bottles offered are in fact BPA free. So, you can order water bottles and other plastic items without the worry over this questionable chemical. Be sure to ask your promotional products professional for BPA free items as well as FDA compliant products. And of course, if your state is under Prop 65 legislation or you are shipping to a state that is, be sure to let your promotional products professional know that as well. There are specific products that meet Prop 65 guidelines and they need to be labeled in a specific way as well.

Artina Promotional Products is proud to offer Prop 65 compliant and BPA free products. Feel free to check us out at www.artina.com or give us a call at 800-433-5587.

What's new for 2009?

So, you are planning your promotional products budget for the year and you need to decide on the products you are going to purchase. Are you tired of the same old things? Want something that is going to grab your prospect's attention? Now is the time to sit down with your promotional products professional and learn about the new items for the year. The industry's big event was held last week and all of our vendors launched their new products. The catalogs are coming in every day full of new ideas. So, give your rep a call and see if you can get some catalogs.
Also, if you would like an opportunity to see these products in person, just check out www.ideasinpromotion.com. Each year Artina invites a select group of vendors to exhibit in a trade show format especially for you...the promotional products user. This is a great opportunity to network and brainstorm for the events that you have coming up this year. The event is April 2nd this year, be sure to mark your calendar. You can RSVP on the Ideas in Promotion site or you can send an email to info@artina.com.

Custom Promotional Products

So here it is, another year has come and gone and it is time to get down to the business of planning 2009. No matter the industry you are in, the competition is fierce and will get more so in 2009. Everyone is looking for the next great promotional item, in their budget, that sets them apart. Well, have you ever thought about making it? That's right....Artina can help you design your own promotional products, manufacture them overseas and deliver them at a cost much lower than domestic production. Is there a bag that you love but it must have another pocket? That's fine, let's make it. We can also take bags and other promotional products and tweak the designs to fit your specific needs and budget.
Pricing is typically better on these items than domestic production, so it helps stretch your budget. A couple of things to consider when you are thinking about doing a custom, overseas project. Do I have the lead time needed? Typical lead time for an overseas project can range from 60-120 days, so be sure to allow that amount of time when planning the project. Can I order enough to meet the minimum quantity needed to produce the item overseas? Quantities in the past have been much higher than they are now to produce items overseas. The best way to determine if you meet the minimum requirements is to have a discussion with your promotional products professional.
Call your Artina rep today to start discussing how to get a unique, cost-effective promotional item done overseas to meet your 2009 needs. 800-433-5587, you can also check us out at www.artina.com.

Are promotional products a good value?

So, it's the end of the year and you are planning your 2009 marketing budget. Did the promotional products that you used in 2008 make an impact? Should you do more in 2009? A recent study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) recently outlined the impact and cost per impression of promotional items with interesting results. The study included business/professionals that had received promotional items within the last 12 months and were all 21 or older. Here are a few of the results:
More than 84% of the respondents recalled the advertisers of the promotional items they had received. Furthermore, 42% of the respondents had a more favorable impression of the advertiser after receiving the item. Nearly 25% said they were more likely to do business with that advertiser. A whopping 62% of the respondents had done business with the advertiser after receiving the promotional item.
Not only do promotional products work, but they have staying power. According to the study, pens are the most recalled items, followed by shirts, caps and bags. 81% of the promotional items that were kept were kept because the recipient considered the item to be useful. More than three-quarters of those surveyed said that they had kept their promotional items for more than 6 months!
Bags were reported as the most often used promotional items with an average of 9 times a month. Which also delivers the most impressions with an average of 1,038 impressions per month. The average cost per impression of an ad specialty item is $0.004. Therefore, marketers get a much more favorable return on their investment from ad specialties than nearly any other popular advertising media.
For more information and details from this study, contact your Artina rep at 800.433.5587 or www.artina.com.

Shirts - cotton/poly v. cotton

So, it's time to get shirts for your staff. First you have to decide whether you want a woven shirt or a golf shirt. Once you decide that, then you have to choose between a cotton/poly blend and a 100% cotton shirt. How do you decide? Which is better?
Overall, the cotton/poly blend shirts are more popular when it comes to corporate apparel. The blended items feature an enhanced level of durability that can lengthen the life of a garment by as much as three times. Polyester can also withstand high-temperature laundering, which makes the blends hold their color longer. Cotton/poly blends also have a stain release feature and they are often wrinkle-free.
So, in short cotton/polyester blends are a logical choice when it comes to corporate apparel. They last longer, wash better and wear more easily than 100% cotton shirts.
Check out www.artina.com for options or get in touch with your Artina rep at 800.433.5587.