All decorating methods have their usefulness and we use our knowledge and experience to help you select the method that will work best for you.

Screen Printing: Screen printing is great for T-shirts, hats, towels and bags.  Jersey knit sport shirts will also work well with screen printing if you want the sport shirt look at minimal cost.   Recent years have brought great advances in screen printing techniques and now allow for special effects such as metallic ink, texture print, leather look and distressed finishes, just to name a few. 

Embroidery: Gives your apparel a rich, dimensional look and is recommended on dress and sport shirts as well as jackets and many hats.  Embroidery gives an added quality and elegance to the garments you select.  Charges for embroidery are based on the number of stitches in your design not the number of colors.   In most instances you can have up to 6 thread colors at no additional charge (with screen printing you pay additional for each color).   Emboridery holds up well and is a great choice for items that will be used as client gifts or for employee apparel, multi-color logos and uniforms.

Digital Printing on garments is becoming more popular as it allows for full color designs that are usually more cost effective than screen printing.  For the most part digital printing looks best on white material.  This method is most effective if a full color design is what you need for your marketing message.  Some drawbacks are that PMS matches are not possible and that the print is not always the most vibrant.

Laser Print is a newer print method that works great on polar fleece type material and some shirts & jackets.  It gives a rich, tone-on-tone look with a soft hand.  This is a great imprint method for logos with a lot of detail and has a very professional look.

These are just a few of the imprint methods available for your decorated garments, hats, bags and towels.  Call or email us today to find out how your logo can look it’s best!  rhreedy@aol.com

The month of June is:

• National Safety Month

• Dairy Month

• Professional Wellness Month

• Clean Air Month

• Home Safety Month

• Internet Safety Month

National Weekly Observances:

• 6/1-6/7- Sun Safety Week

• 6/6-6/14- National Fishing Week

• 6/7-6/13- National Headache Awareness Week

• 6/11-6/18- Nursing Assistant’s Week

• 6/15-6/21- National Men’s Health Week

• 6/27-7/5- Eye Safety Awareness Week

Daily Events/Holidays

• 5th- National Hunger Awareness Day

• 7th- Cancer Survivors Day

• 14th- Flag Day

• 14th- World Blood Donor Day

• 21st- Father’s Day

• 22nd- Summer Solstice

• 21st- National Ask Day

• 23rd- Public Service Day

Let us help you get creative and plan your next promotion.

At the conclusion of trade shows, exhibitors most often will write a “thank you for stopping by our booth” letter and may include a brochure and/or catalog of their products. Stand out. Let Barefoot Promotions create a Personalized (with your customer’s name) Private labeled (with your company logo and contact information) Gourmet Coffee Gift. We will ship the coffee gift, along with your letter, brochure and catalog, directly to your customer. There are no minimums, no setup fees. Just order as needed.

What do you have to do? Just email us the names and addresses of your prospects or existing customers and we roast, grind, label, package and ship the customer appreciation thank you gourmet coffee gift.  Rhonda@barefootpp.com

Today our calendars are not just paper.  They’re on our phones, computers, watches, blackberries & ipods.  But I still rely on my paper calendar more than anything else. 

I have a frog calendar on my wall, a small desk calendar and a planner calendar that all my appointments and important dates get written in.  There’s something about glancing at that calendar and knowing what is going on for the week or month that gives me so much satisfaction.

I know there are many people that feel the same way and that is why calendars remain one of my favorite methods of advertising.  If you do a cost-per-impression analysis calendars are pennies a day, and that’s if only the recipient sees it.  Think about all the other people that may see your company information over the course of a year. 

This is one of the most unique calendars on the market today:

www.theredk.com

Place your logo in the corner of every page then the picture is customized for the recipient.  Love these!  For more information, call or email.

Another site I love for inexpensive wall calendars:

www.hotlineproducts.com

From desk calendar pads to custom wall calendars, we cover all your needs and help you find the right calendar to fit your budget and purpose. 

Early order discounts are going on now (order now, receive your calendars in October/November).  Call or email today for more info.  rhreedy@aol.com

Whether your company sponsors a tournament or you just play in several throughout the season, it’s important for you and your staff to be comfortable & look great.  These rapid dry shirts will help you do both while showing off your corporate logo beautifully. 

http://tinyurl.com/bmoqx9 

Available in many colors and sizes up to 6XL these shirts are the perfect way to stay cool and comfortable on the grueling golf course! 

Email today for pricing:  rhreedy@aol.com

You could fill a bowl with candy and pounce on people as they try to grab a piece without being noticed.  Or you could have a hook that gets people to stop and talk to you.  While there are many options out there to increase your trade show booth traffic let’s look at just one today: Chocolate.  ‘Nuf said?

We will completely custom imprint the wrapper on a 1 3/4 oz. milk or dark chocolate bar with your logo and other company information:

Standing at the edge of your booth with a few chocolate bars will be really tempting to those passing by, but what if you have one of those chocolate bars that has a coupon for something free (such as a laptop, ipod, TV, etc)?  Not only do attendees get something they want (delicious chocolate to curb the hunger pains and re-energize from the show floor) but they have to pause long enough to take the chocolate from you and hear that one of the bars contains a coupon.  Now their mind is more open and receptive.  It’s the perfect time to qualify them with an open ended question relating to your product or service.  Engage them in conversation about your product and get your information in their hands while they munch away on chocolate.  And if they won?  Make sure you have a camera handy for pictures and have them sign a waiver so you can post it on your website or in newsletters. 

Another option is to have coupons inside the wrapper.  You could have a 25% off coupon inside all the bars.  You still hand them out individually to create the opportunity to qualify the attendees.

Now, what’s better:  returning from a trade show with piles of business cards dropped randomly in a bowl or a stack of qualified leads that will generate sales?

For more information on using custom wrapped chocolate bars or other items to increase your trade show ROI contact us at: rhreedy@barefootpp.com

Today’s blog is all about product.  Actually just one product.  It’s the…drumroll please… Frosty Towel.

Sample packaging-fully customizable

These are great for marathons, company picnics, golf outings, school camps/practices, hiking, amusement parks, etc.

Just open the Frosty Towel package, wave the towel in the air and begin to feel the cooling effects immediately.  With no harmful chemicals (see below) the Frosty Towel is safe to wipe down kids and adults feeling the effects of the hot sun or humidity.  It’s not necessary to chill the Frosty Towel first, but doing so could extend the cooling benefits. 

 The pre-moistened Frosty Towel is made of 100% natural premium cotton and comes in two useful sizes, 12″ x 12″ or 12″ x 27″.  Alcohol and menthol mixture is added as a basis for the cooling agents and to kill germs and bacteria.  Lemon Grass and Citronella are added for natural insect deterrents then other essential oils extracts, such as Mandarin and Grape Fruit, are added to give the towels a refreshing tropical sent.  For softening the skin glycerin is added.  A natural preservative is added to give the towels a 2 year shelf life.

Suggested uses:

Marathons, Charity runs/walks

Golf Tournament/Corporate Outings

Hiking/Biking events

Corporate Events (picnics, outing to amusement parks)

Outdoor Concerts

Employees working outside

Tennis Tournaments

Sporting events and games (Professional, College, High School or Little League)

Not only will everyone be cooled off and in a better mood (I get grumpy when I’m hot and miserable), but these will help prevent bug bites and could help prevent heat exhaustion, etc.

Call or email today to order with your company logo on the package or towel.  www.barefootpp.com

While cutting costs is certainly understandable,  McGraw-Hill Research looked at several 100 companies during the 80′s recession and found that the ones who maintained or increased their ad spending had significantly higher sales after the slump.  There was a 256% increase in sales for those that were aggressive in their sales vs. the ones that didn’t advertise. 

Now is not the time to stop advertising, but it may be the time to change the way you advertise.  Now more than ever it’s important to have lasting value, be useful and be relevant to your products or services. 

Buy quality over quantity.  You don’t want something cheap that is going to break and be thrown away.  Spend the same amount of money but get an item that is of better quality that will last, keeping your message alive much longer and increasing your ROI.

We can help your business survive with promotional products that will get your message across and create goodwill with your client.  Call or email today for creative ideas.

Let me know what creative ways you are marketing your business.

According to a recent survey these are the top reason business gifts are given:

To thank customers – 70%

To build goodwill – 66%

To develop business – 50%

To recognize employee performance or longevity – 50%

To generate referrals – 31%

To really achieve your goals, select a gift that fits your customers or employees needs or lifestyle.  Whatever your goal, whatever your reason we have solutions to help you fill it.  www.barefootpp.com

No first visit to Vegas is complete without a visit to “old” Downtown Vegas, which of course requires taking a taxi.  So we grab a taxi outside our hotel around 5:30 and he heads for the freeway, the best way to get from the south end of the strip to downtown during rush hour.  The big draw, besides the nostalgia of the old casinos, is definately the light show and we were lucky enough to see two different shows that night. After walking around, playing some roulette and black jack and loosing a little money (!) we grabbed a cab to head back.  Being 6’6″ my boyfriend usually gets the front seat because it’s too hard to fold him into the back and I gave him instructions that since we wanted to go to the north end of the strip I wanted to go back via the strip, not the freeway.  Since our friends had never been there I wanted them to see as many sights as possible and between dowtown and the beginning of the strip are some really interesting sights (and most of the famous wedding chapels).  So after we had all piled in the driver starts pulling out and Mark tells him that we want to go to the Wynn but via the strip not the freeway. 

So Seriously?  The cab driver starts raising his voice saying “You should told me before in my cab”.  Then he tells us he doesn’t want to go that way because he has to “stop at all lights.  Too many lights”.  Honest.  So all 6’6″ of my fiance raises his voice (and he has a really deep, scary voice) and says “I told you just now.”  The driver continues to argue and shake his head.  He pulls out onto the road and Mark asks which way he is going.  The driver says “I go freeway”. Mark replies back “No, we want to go down the strip and we’re the ones paying”.   At this point the cab driver turns up his music so it is impossible for even the 3 of us in the back seat to have a conversation.  He does take us down the strip but I honestly think he would rather have ran us over.  When we got to the hotel we were going to and got out I realized that the fare was almost 1/2 of what it would have been had we gone the freeway.  The fare was $14.10.  Mark handed him a $20 and got out as the driver gave him $6.00 back.  Then the driver yelled that he owed him .10.  So he gave it to him.  So then?  Yep…the cab driver threw the dime out the window at us!  Honest.  I couldn’t believe that someone who is in the service business and depends on tips (especially in a tourist area) would be so rude from the moment we got in the cab.  What happened to “The customer is always right?”.  How could he at least not be civil and salvage his tip after his first outburst?  He didn’t get a tip.  And I was a little worried as we walked down the strip later that he would see us and run over us.

So I was telling this story to someone and started thinking that there really are alot of  businesses out there that do business in a similar way.  They are rigid, don’t really think about what the customer wants or about making the experience of dealing with them pleasant for the client.  Sometimes it’s hard to hear that something we are doing is not what our customers want, or they want it in a different way…but think about it…if they aren’t getting what they want from you then someone else will be listening and make it easier, more comfortable and more satisfying.  Take the time to listen to suggestions…especially if you hear them more than once.  Don’t be offended or defensive.  Tweak what you are doing if needed.  There’s no harm in that.  We all know that customer service is key so step back and look at the people you do business with.  What makes you go back?  What has someone done that you thought was above and beyond and it gained your loyalty?  Find ways to make your customers know that they come first, that you are constantly willing to adapt to fill their needs and you will earn their loyalty.

Give your customers what they want…don’t turn up the ‘music’ so much you can’t hear!