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In recent years, becoming environmentally responsible is a force that has been introduced in the promotional world and it is coming to stay! Consumers are more and more likely to gravitate towards going green to reduce their carbon footprint. Companies all over the country have stepped up in replacing their promotional items to those that are eco-friendly. Some may find it difficult to get started, but we are here to help you with some easy swaps. By: Stephanie Lopez What is an eco-friendly product? For a product to be categorized as "eco-friendly", it must be safe for the environment, meaning, the item should be biodegradable, recyclable, compostable, or sustainable. For a full list of true definitions of these words and others among them, visit Green Glossary for further insight. Instead of using plastic bags, try using a reusable bag made from recycled cotton. Most reusable bags today are made from recycled materials anyway, so that is a great way to becoming environmenta...

It's that time of the season. We're excited for all the future food we want to indulge in, but we have the pressure of gift purchases left to make. Let us help you generate gift ideas for the holiday season! By: Stephanie Lopez Leave it to Leisure Since last year, the want for ultimate comfort became so common that wearing leisure items were also acceptable when going outdoors. Engaging in self-care and ultimate comfort has been encouraged recently since working from home became the norm. People love receiving items they can use when they want to unwind. Items like blankets or robes are timeless. They are always needed and always used! Take it to a new level by gifting a blanket hoodie that can be lounged in during the winter months whether it's indoors or at the next sporting event. Gifting some wine tumblers or whiskey glasses with a meat and cheese board from Maple Ridge Farms is also a nice gift for people to enjoy during the holiday months. Trending in Tech Year after ...

In the world of interactive marketing it's extremely important to remember that the product that you print your name or logo on represents your organization. We get so caught up in finding products that are cost effective that sometimes we forget about the lasting effect it will have in your customers' hands. By: Stephanie Lopez Finding the best products for some may mean finding the products that will give you the most bang for your buck. Ordering a cheaper item may not always be the best value when the utility of the product is also considered. Let's look at a shirt example in terms of price, material, and longevity. Shirt A costs $15.00 - It is made of unfiltered polyester and the material feels comfortable. - Because it is made with cheaper materials, the shirt has a 10% shrinkage rate after being washed and dried. - On average, the consumer may keep this shirt but may not wear it often. Shirt B costs $23.00 - It is made with filtered heirloom cotton and feels very ...

As travel is inching towards normalcy, people are becoming eager to travel to new and exciting places. Some people never stopped traveling because their jobs still required them to. Either way, if you are out of practice or not, let's recap on what you shouldn't forget on your next trip! By: Stephanie Lopez An item that can be overlooked are luggage tags . While it seems like something as small and simple, buying one once will last you a long time. Instead of using the paper tags the airport provides that are prone to being ripped off, having a sturdy luggage tag is a one-time purchase that will help if something as unfortunate as your bag getting lost, will help. Another essential item would be a reusable water bottle . Security doesn't allow you to pass any liquids that are greater than 3.4 oz. But once you have passed security you can refill your water bottle and avoid paying for a bottled water. Not to mention how ridiculous prices are inside the airport for a b...

Summer is just around the corner. It is about that time when planning takes place for any upcoming festivals, outdoor events, fundraisers and more! Plan with ease by making sure you include these items at your next event. By: Stephanie Lopez Spread Cheer, Not Germs More than ever, everyone has become extra cautious about spreading germs. Make sure your guests at your event have hand sanitizer readily available to them. A great way to ensure people are constantly reminded to sanitize their hands is by having several hand sanitizing stations around. Since they are battery operated, there is no hassle in trying to hide any wires and they can be displayed just about anywhere. The hand sanitizing station is also automatic, so with a wave of your hand, you can dispense hand sanitizer. The best part is that it is reusable! Even after your event you will get so much use out of this item. Check out more details on this Hand sanitizer station. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwYKLmAKO9g Say Chee...

Companies, Organizations and businesses are rapidly growing as more young adults are entering the work force; filling entry level jobs everyone once started out doing. With the office compiled with different age groups, the various communication styles may cause some confusion or issues when it comes to interaction. A refresher on the types of Generation age groups are as follows: Baby Boomers: 1946 - 1964 Generation X: 1965 - 1980 Generation Y (Millennials): 1981 - 1996 Generation Z: 1997 - 2012 Every generation is presumed to have certain qualities that others are not aligned with but in some instances some age groups are quite similar. Be aware of generational differences and participating in generational bias. Getting to know your employees individually will help facilitate work relationships that will help instead of hinder interaction with other co-workers. By assuming someone's qualities according to their generation, you are basing a significant group of pe...

What are these logos anyways?  Logos are a company's first point of contact with the world. A logo is a range of elements that work together to form a distinctive picture. A logo is brand identity. By Shirleyann Cameron With a logo comes branding, they go hand in hand. Together with logos and branding there leads to a plethora of business possibilities. When you think about it what do you first notice in a logo?  You see shape, colors, and if you are still focused you explore what it's about. The use of a logo is a  prehistoric  identity practice.  History shows us the deeply rooted and vast cultures all had the need for communicating identity, visually, in common. Looking a the past's ideas leaves much room for interpretation on a broader aspect of future designs in branding for a company logo. So when you are ready to choose something that will bring your company some recognition look into hiring a graphic designer to burst out creativity for ...

By, Victoria Martinez Studies have shown that the average consumer in America sees thousands of advertisements every day. With that kind of competition out there, how do you make sure that your business/organization stands out? 1. Customer Service Customer service is arguably one of the most important aspects of a business.  If a customer leaves your business feeling negatively, this will reflect poorly on your business as a whole.  Clients and consumers like to have positive feelings when they finish doing business with a company. If you have superior customer service at your company, positive word of mouth will be spread about your company thus increasing profits! One easy way of improving your customer service is to implement surveys. By asking your clients & customers about their experiences, you can learn what you do well and what you can improve on.  2. Competitive Advantage What makes your company different from other businesses? Why should custom...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Although July is over, summer in Texas is far from gone. With each day in the 90's, it's important to remember to stay cool! Promotional Products offer a great way to keep your business cool all summer long! I have picked out my 5 favorite products to help you and your customers keep cool in the heat: 1. Sunglasses Lets start with the basics, no one likes having the hot sun beating down on their eyes. So why not try a pair of sunglasses ? While you're at it, why not add some spice to your sunglasses to really make your outfit POP ? Sunglasses have many different designs to choose from whether its the frame, the arms or even the eyepieces themselves, the options are endless!  2. Cooler  No one likes to have a hot drink when they're out and about, so why not offer them a cooler ! Not only do coolers offer a large area for you to add your logo, but they are also a very useful product for your customers. Whether is small or large, e...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Salespeople are arguably the foundation of many great businesses. Without talented, outgoing, positive people reaching out to new clients for us, we would find ourselves in a lull during business days!  So what are some key aspects of being a successful sales person? I had the pleasure of interviewing one of YNIS best, Georgie Wiebe. Georgie is not only a successful salesperson but she is also an extreme NASCAR and cat enthusiast! Georgie started out at YNIS as the Front Desk and Admin Assistant and then moved to a Production Manager and then later the Owners Assistant. Because of her strong foundation within the company, she was able to continue and enhance the relationships with many of the clients when her boss retired. Georgie is now an Inside Sales Manager at YNIS and loves her work. What words come to mind when you think of yourself as a sales person? Achiever Projects Deadlines Multitasker Follow-ups  Explain the typica...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Technology has become such a prominent part of our everyday lives. Sometimes, the best way to escape from the never ending emails and phone calls is to go on an adventure! People love to travel. So why not provide them with really cool traveling products emblazoned with your logo on them? In this blog, I am only going to mention my top 3 favorite travel products. However, there are hundreds more that you can find on our website . While on any adventure, I love to eat! That's why the first traveling products I will mention are mugs/thermos' . There are so many different options for you to choose from! You can get anything from a classic plastic mug, to a 3-in-1 thermos. Not only are these essential to any trip, but they can also be really fun to show off to your friends. After I have planned out all of my meals for my  adventure, I think it's a great idea to grab a travel kit with all of my traveling necessities already ready to go. If you...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Summer is upon us! Here in Texas, we're already up in the triple digit heat. With the heat moving in, vacations are on the rise. Instead of allowing your brand to take a break during the summer time, your company should embrace the heat and enhance your summer marketing campaign! Below I go into more detail on how to revamp your summer marketing campaign in 2018: Social Media Social Media is a great way to market your company. So why slow it down during the summer time? By pulling on your creative strings, there are endless ways to effectively use social media during the summer time. Start off by taking some photos outside. Highlight products in images with cute "beachy" vibes. Not only will your social media platforms stay active and engaging, but they will also keep your followers excited about what you want to post next! Videos People LOVE videos. Not only are they visually pleasing, but they are also a great way to learn/spread...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Did you know that 88% of promotional product recipients remember  the name of the advertiser on the products? Promotional Products are the best way to increase brand recognition! Last week was Promotional Products Work Week . We have dedicated an entire week to celebrating promotional products because they actually work! Not only do promotional products get your company's logo in the hands of your consumer, but they also provide practical uses for many of your consumers. Still not convinced? Here are 5 reasons why promotional products work: 1. Useful Promotional products are one of the only forms of advertising that creates a way for the consumer to actually interact with a brand. By providing this unique form of interaction, your brand is much more likely to be remembered. For example, if you were given a really cool pen that you really liked, you would be more likely to use this pen everyday. This would then result with you using the pen constant...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ Social Media is arguably one of the best ways to reach millennials today. With millenials moving into adulthood, it is really important to market to them as a business! Not only are they bringing in new business, but they are also really excited to spend money! So why don't more businesses have a strong social media presence?  If you know your company isn't properly utilizing social media then I hope to inform you on all the benefits you can get from social media by the end of this blog. IT'S FREE Okay, first things first. Social media is FREE! So why not get some platforms for your business? It won't even cost you a penny! There is honestly no harm in signing your company up for a Facebook business page. Not only is this a great way to build relationships with your customer base, but it is also FREE marketing! What could possibly be better than FREE marketing?! Networking As many business people already know, networking is super i...

BY VICTORIA MARTINEZ No matter what kind of business you're in, you always hear people talking about Brand Awareness. But what is brand awareness? Why is it important? How do you increase brand awareness for your company?  In this blog, I will answer all three of these questions and more!  So what is brand awareness? Brand awareness is "the extent to which consumers are familiar with the distinctive qualities or image of a particular brand of goods or services" Basically, brand awareness is how well known your company is to your consumers. When people see your logo or hear about your products/services, you want them to be able to make connections with your company and your company's purpose.  Now that you know what brand awareness is, lets talk about how to implement it into your company and increase it within your community so you can maximize your profits.  Promotional Products Everyone likes free things! So why not hand out free things with your lo...