Best New Promotional Products for 2013

At the start of each year, I like to highlight my top 10 picks for the best new promotional products for the year.  Some of the things I look for in an effective promotional product are:

• Usefulness of the promotional product.  Is it something people can use (and therefore want to keep around for awhile), or will it end up in a drawer (or even worse, the trash)?
• Relevance.  Is the promotional product something that the average person will find relevant in today's world?
• Approximate cost per impression.  The cost of the promotional product divided by how many times a person is likely to see the item (and your company's logo).
• Buzzworthiness.  Is the promotional product unique or cool enough that the end user will share or show the product to someone else, resulting in favorable brand appeal for your company or business?

Based on these criteria, here are my top 10 picks for the best new promotional products of 2013 (in no particular order).  You can click on the title of each promotional item for product details and pricing:

1.  SoundByte™ Imprinted iPhone Speaker Amplifiers

2.  Gadget Grippers™ for iPads, Tablets, and Laptops

3.  DöGo™ Logo Dough

4.  MicroBuff TAB™ Cleaning Pads for iPads, Tablets, and Laptops

5.  AdScents Auto Air Fresheners

6.  Gumbite® Clippi Cable Organizers

7.  Ballzee Golf Ball Cleaners

8.  MaxGlide Click Pens with Hybrid Ink

9.  On-The-Go Car Chargers

10.  Wired E-Padfolios

There's more where that came from!  There are lots of other unique, innovative and buzz-worthy promotional products that didn't appear on my "Best New Promotional Products for 2013" list, so please check out the Red Canoe Promotions website for more great ideas to help build your brand!

Using Awards and Recognition Programs to Get More Out of Your Team

One of the most important things you can do to increase your company's profits is is to increase efficiency, and the best way to do this is to maximize employee productivity.  How do you maximize your team's efficiency?  Motivate them!  This is more easily achieved than you might think when you have a solid rewards and recognition program in place.

Rewards and recognition programs boost esteem and performance.  They inspire people to perform to their fullest potential.  Nothing is more demoralizing than when one's hard work goes unnoticed.  In fact, the answer to the question "What would make your job more enjoyable?" almost always includes something about wanting to be recognized/rewarded for achieving goals or milestones.  Recognizing a job well done will motivate your team to improve their performance even further.  Recognizing an employee for exceptional performance also sends a message to their co-workers as to the type of performance that gets rewarded, and motivates them to strive for excellence as well, improving your team's overall efficiency.

Custom awards are a great place to start when trying to motivate your team.  They can be personalized with the person's name, so they're not something that people can just go out and buy.  They have special meaning.  Custom awards build self esteem and motivate the recipient to continue, or even further improve, their performance.  They work better than cash because they're seen as a "gift" rather than compensation.

Red Canoe Promotions of Denver is a great place to get started when implementing an awards and recognition program.  Get started today and take your company's productivity (and profits) to a new level!