I know right now it’s hard to believe, but summer will be upon us before you know it! And while there is plenty of time left before you’ll have to squeeze your pale winter self into a bathing suit, now is actually the best time to begin planning your warm weather promotions.

Nearly all of our clients have some sort of beach- or pool-themed event planned each year. Whether it’s an employee picnic at the pool, a rewards trip to a beach destination, or sponsorship of a conference to be held in a tropical locale, it seems like every year we get requests for unique and creative giveaways that can tie into the warm weather theme.

This year, one of our favorite summer promotions is this cool surfboard-shaped towel. Available in more than ten different designs, a variety of colors and patterns, and versions sized for kids, juniors and adults, these unique towels are sure to become the recipients’ favorites this summer!

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Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. As I write this, the City of New Orleans is cleaning up from Mardi Gras, the days-long bacchanalian celebration that precedes the Lenten season. I’ve always been fascinated by Mardi Gras and how wild things get – especially when it comes to the SWAG that is thrown from the Mardi Gras floats during parades.

Most if not all of you are familiar with the famous Mardi Gras beads. They are essentially cheap plastic necklaces in a variety of colors that Mardi Gras krewes (the Carnival organizations that organize Mardi Gras parades and balls) throw to spectators during the parades. In any other environment, the beads – which probably cost around 10 cents a string – would barely warrant a second look. But during Mardi Gras, people do crazy things (including taking off their clothes in very public places) to get them and the other “throws” (as Mardi Gras SWAG is called) during parades.

So what is it about Mardi Gras beads that drives people into such a frenzy? I would argue that it has nothing to do with the beads themselves, but what the beads represent. After all, anyone could walk down the street and buy a bag of their own beads for a couple of dollars without having to expose themselves in public – but in New Orleans, given the option, most revelers would rather get them the hard way.

It’s all about good marketing and branding. The Mardi Gras “brand” is about letting loose, losing your inhibitions, and partying like it is the last night of your life – and the beads are “street cred” – the proof that you did it.

This is just another example of something that we’ve blogged about before. Whether it is beads at Mardi Gras, the t-shirt that a finisher gets after the New York marathon, or – here in our hometown of Annapolis – the red baseball hats that Mount Gay Rum gives to participants in sailing regattas, the best marketing and branding programs produce SWAG that has a significantly higher perceived value than actual value. The result is a lasting and tangible memory that people will carry with them for months or even years, and that will provide a constant reminder of your brand. That is what I consider great value for money!

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Annapolis, MD February 21, 2009 –

Brookfield Properties has selected Quintain Marketing of Annapolis, Maryland to produce a dimensional mailing marketing campaign to promote the state-of-the-art fitness center at the second completed building of Two Reston Crescent. Two Reston Crescent is one of suburban Washington’s premier office communities, set along the Dulles Corridor in Reston, Virginia. Located on 36-acres, the carefully phased master development reflects the meticulous, creative planning that is a hallmark of Reston, Virginia – one of the most acclaimed planned communities in the nation.

Recipients will receive North Face “Jester” backpacks, Harbinger jump ropes, and Nalgene 32oz gray water bottles branded with the Two Reston Crescent logo.

“The best promotional products are those that the recipient will keep and use on a regular basis in their daily life – this ensures that your brand will stay in front of your audience long after your promotion ends,” explained John Booth, Quintain Marketing’s President. “The backpack, jump rope, and water bottle selected by Brookfield are of really high quality, and I think that anyone who works out or goes to the gym will get great use out of them. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of the Two Reston Crescent logo at the fitness center in the coming years!”

About Brookfield Properties

Brookfield Properties Corporation (www.brookfieldproperties.com), one of North America’s largest commercial real estate companies, owns, develops and manages premier office properties. The portfolio comprises 58 commercial properties totaling 47 million square feet and ten development properties totaling eight million square feet in the downtown cores of New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa.

About Quintain Marketing

Quintain Marketing is a promotional strategy consulting firm located in Annapolis, MD, and offering unique, creative and high quality branded products, dimensional marketing, and web-based employee and customer gifting and incentive programs.

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By Kathleen Booth

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It seems that every time a news program has a segment on saving money, one of the first shots is taken at the $5.00 cup of coffee bought at Starbucks or another coffee retailer. True – this can be a source of savings (as much as $1,500 a year if you buy one cup a day), but most people aren’t likely to give coffee up altogether – they’ll just start brewing their own cup and take it to go.

If you are looking for a strategy that promotes savings in the home, consider the “Bean Counter.” A handy coffee bag clip that helps keep your beans fresh and measures them out for that perfect cup.

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With more and more travelers are opting to drive rather than fly to vacation destinations, incorporating auto accessories into your promotional strategies is a wise choice. We like the Tissues-to-Go cups. They fit conveniently in a car’s cup holder, keeping your brand on hand and visible to all – a much better place than in the glove box! And this time of year, when it seems like everyone we know has the sniffles, they are sure to get lots of use.

These would make a great giveaway for sales representatives who spend lots of time in their car, busy moms who always need tissues close at hand for their sniffly kids, or anyone who spends time in their car.

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These days, its not just our 401(k)’s that are shrinking (I don’t know about you, but mine is more like a 101(k)!). Small is the big news and the trend in a variety of sectors is moving in the direction of smaller, more efficient and compact. Commuters are trading in their SUV’s for smaller, fuel efficient cars – and those that are truly on the cutting edge are looking at options like the Smart Car. Green shoppers are purchasing items with smaller and/or less packaging. There seems to be a backlash against the 90’s “McMansion” mentality.

Why not stay ahead of the curve when developing your promotional strategies and consider small items for your giveaways? Gen X and Y’ers are more mobile and small items help maintain their on-the-go lifestyle.

One of our favorite is the egrips non-slip strip. It helps protect your cell phone or PDA from slipping when in the car and will remain in your customers’ and prospects’ hands every day.

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With the economy seeming to go from bad to worse, I know many of our customers are looking to optimize their advertising and promotion budgets. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) recently came out with new research that addresses just this point. Their study found that among businesspeople over age 21, advertising specialties beat out all forms of TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available.

The average cost-per-impression (CPI) of an advertising specialty item is $0.004, making it less expensive (per impression) than nearly any other form of media. For example, according to Nielsen Media data (the folks behind the Nielson TV ratings system), the CPI of a national magazine ad is $0.033; a newspaper ad is $0.0129; a prime time TV ad is $0.019; a cable TV ad is $0.007; a syndicated TV ad is $0.006; and a spot radio ad is $0.005.

Among key findings, results indicate that:

• 84% of people remember the advertiser of a product they receive;
• 42% have a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving an advertising specialty;
• 24% indicate that they are more likely to do business with the advertiser of a product they receive; and
• 62% of respondents have done business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it.

Writing instruments are the most commonly-owned advertising specialty, followed by shirts, caps and bags. In most cases where people kept the items they received, it was because they were useful to them in their day-to-day lives, and nearly three-quarters of respondents had their items for about seven months.

At a time when every dollar counts, this research demonstrates that you can get more bang for your buck by making smart choices about the marketing mix you employ on your projects. Call us today to discuss how to incorporate advertising specialties as a significant part of your promotional strategies and programs.

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I love bags – especially tote bags. Totes are great for work, school, and play. They’re a great way to expose your brand because, let’s face it, ladies always have a tote in-hand! Whether we’re headed to the grocery store, office, class, or the beach, we need something cute and functional to carry ALL of our stuff!

And, did you know that according to recent research by the Advertising Specialty Institute, of all promotional items, bags are the ones used most frequently (nine times a month, on average) by recipients? This means that your target audience will be consistently reminded of your brand when you put it on a tote!

Check out my favorite tote of the moment. The water/weather proof bags are available in black, navy, and grey and have seven different strap colors to choose from!

Spring and summer are just around the corner, making this the perfect time to give a promotional tote. Remind your customers that the cold winter days are nearly over, or get your employees excited for warm weather events. They’ll be sure to hang on to these great totes and use them when they thaw out at picnics and beach vacations.

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If you know us here at Quintain Marketing, then you know that we recognize the importance of creating a memorable experience as a part of your marketing campaign. As marketing budgets tighten and marketing teams are asked to consider new promotional strategies, we suggest looking at strategies that deliver your message and also offer real cost savings to the user.

One of our favorite new products, the Eco-button, makes a great branded giveaway that is kind to the environment and your bank account. The Eco-button is a simple device that connects to any laptop or workstation through a USB port. With the touch of a button, the Eco-button puts the user’s computer into energy-saving mode, helping to reduce electricity costs and eliminating tons of emitted CO2 gases per year.

The coolest feature of this simple power saving device is that it displays the user’s economic savings and the reduction in CO2 gases each time their computer is powered back up. We’ve been using Eco-buttons in our offices, and in just six months have been able to offset nearly all of the cost of the button in power savings. Eco-friendly promotions are all the rage right now, and when you find a product that is both environmentally friendly and budget conscious, you can imagine the many marketing applications it will have.

• Consider using the Eco-button in your office to start eco-friendly competitions between employees to see who can save the most electricity, then broadcast the results throughout your organization by posting a wall of fame or wall of shame!
• Send the Eco-button out to promote the development of a new LEED-certified building.
• Use it to generate buzz for the adoption of a new sustainability policy at your organization.

Today, more than ever, promotional strategies have to demonstrate a return on your investment or objectives. Give us a call to discuss the Ecobutton or any of our other green, energy-saving promotional strategies.

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Consider this – the most effective marketing strategies are those that leave a lasting impression on their target audience. But with so many images and messages bombarding people every day through direct mail, television, radio, the internet, and other mediums, it is getting harder and harder to rise above the marketing “clutter” and get your message heard. So what the is best way to make an impression without spending egregious sums of money on costly advertising campaigns that may or may not hit their mark? Believe it or not, the answer is simple – good marketing strategies appeal to all five senses.

A multi-sensory approach to marketing is one that taps into the target audience’s sense of taste, smell, touch, site, and sound to create the feeling of an “experience” rather than a simple marketing message. It does this by linking to the audience’s memory and tapping their emotions and even physical responses. By providing your target audience with a positive experience, you create lasting memories and feelings that build brand awareness and loyalty.

Using marketing to create a multisensory experience is easier – and more cost effective – than you might think. Did you know that of all forms of advertising and promotional media, only promotional products touch all five senses? In addition, they are tangible and long lasting, so that the “experience” you create with promotional products is one that will last more than a moment, an hour, or even a day. And while promotional products are easy to distribute and can be quite inexpensive, their perceived value is often much higher than their price. I recently attended a great presentation in which the speaker pointed out, “A t-shirt is underwear, but a marathon t-shirt is a memory.” How true! Just ask Quintain Marketing’s own John Booth, shown here finishing the New York City Marathon.

So the next time you are developing a marketing strategy, consider how you can use each of the five senses to engage your audience, create lasting memories, and build a better, stronger, more durable brand.

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