Turning Needs into Leads™

Welcome to the January NewsAlert from Promotional Merchandise USA: 10th Edition

Trends for 2009: Travel Products

The lighter the better

Travelers are looking to buy lighter bags and because airlines are changing their policies on luggage weight, most travelers are looking for a solution.

Green — This trend is here to stay...

The global population is passionate about ecologically sound and environmentally worthy products. Therefore, the manufacturing industry has responded and created travel items utilizing recycled PET for bags and laptop cases, bamboo for super-soft travel blankets and some manufacturers are even using vegetable dyes in order to be more eco-friendly.

Recycled content is also a sought after commodity; it's a trend we expect to see grow even more in the next several years.

Wheels are turning on the minds of travelers:

When you think of wheeled pieces, what usually comes to mind is luggage and carry-ons. Duffel bags and backpacks are also equipped with wheels these days as another good alternative. Laptop carriers and totes are even sprouting wheels these days.

Travelers seem to like the stability of four-wheel bags, most of which use four swiveling casters for smooth maneuverability. That trend is sure to continue to grow now that more air carriers are charging for a second checked bag and could mean that travelers may opt to check one larger bag rather than two smaller bags.

Travel products are becoming a fashion accessory...

Manufacturers are offering options for those customers looking for an alternative to conservative bags. Just think how many people notice a cool bag with a logo on it as it circles around the baggage claim area!

Repeat Business Opportunity?

Even if a company premise isn't naturally predisposed to green practices, promotion, imagination and research can generate alternatives. David Engel, owner of Toronto-based Innovative Graphics Group, unveiled the world's first eco-friendly customer loyalty and gift card that looks and feels like a credit card.

Click here to read more.

SEO Tips from a Fellow Distributor

WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT

By: John McWilliams, MAS, Keystone Specialties Inc.

The web has presented some awesome opportunities for those willing to embrace new technology. Make no mistake. The web is changing the face of the world. Some are good changes and some are bad ones, but when it comes to growing your business, learning the basics of internet marketing will enable you to leave your competition in the dust.

Over the last two years the search engines have given us so many tools to actually measure how successful our web based marketing is and adjust quickly. Within a few days and sometimes within just a few hours, we can see the results. Recently we have tracked people visiting our web site from at least 30 countries, even though our present business model focuses on just North America and the UK.

Click here to read more.

Peer Success Story

Michael Fink made $150,000 in 3-4 hours!

Mike's clients have learned to turn to him for killer promotions. Recently one of his clients needed to run a promotion for a line of golf clothing found in department stores nationwide. Michael came up with the idea of using putting greens to help draw attention to the apparel.

Click here to read more.

Best Practices

The Top 10 All-time Promotions

Promotions & Incentives

A few years ago, P&I asked Matt Haig, author of Brand Royalty: How the world's top 100 brands thrive and survive, to define what marks out a successful promotion, and subsequently a successful brand. His answer was simple: although marketers would cite ROI as a significant measure of a successful promotion, "a trawl through big-brand heritage throws up a more ethereal definition. The most successful promotions, like the best brands, are those that do something new."

Haig knows his onions: his book takes in the entire lexicon of marketing to build a brand. But since Haig put this list of SP brand royalty together in October 2004, we've learned a thing or two and evolved in the process. As P&I's bestSPever initiative showed in December 2006, when it comes to successful and enticing work, as well as the new it is the Big Idea that sets the best apart from the rest.

Successful marketing today - like successful promotions - is driven by campaigns that capture the public imagination with creative that is entertaining and interactive.

Click here to see how.

Obama's Plan: 3 Key Tax Breaks for Small Biz

Small-business owners, prepare to rejoice. The huge economic-stimulus package promised by President Barack Obama will likely have three major tax breaks for your business. Even better news? According to Barbara Weltman, a tax attorney in Millwood, N.Y., you might see that money faster than you think.

Among the planned tax breaks are:

• A longer window for businesses to "carry back" losses, whereby business owners who claim a net operating loss (NOL) can use it to offset (or lower) previous years' income. This could result in an immediate cash refund on taxes paid. Obama's plan would extend that carry back period from two to five years.
• An incentive to invest in machinery, equipment and other capital improvements
• A tax credit for job creation.

Click here to read the full article for more on how Obama's stimulus package could help small businesses. The emergency plan is expected to be passed quickly after Obama is sworn into office.

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