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We all know the story… you have time to plan for gift giving during the holidays… then it is suddenly December and you and your brand are SOL – no inventory is left of the items you want and production time is high, leaving your clients and employees gift-less. Not cute!

We suggest to start planning your holiday gift strategy NOW. Let’s get creative, make an impact and end your marketing year with a memorable branded experience!

Whether you give to your top five employees or everyone on your client list, branded holiday gifts add value in several ways:

1. Create loyal clients and employees – gifts make someone feel appreciated and special.
2. Gain organic brand ambassadors and user generated content by encouraging social media unboxings.
3. Increase referrals and future business by gifting a functional conversation piece.
4. Ensure brand recall with a positive and memorable gift experience.
5. Win additional impressions with curated items and custom designs that get used, not tossed.

Now you know WHY you need to include holiday gifts in your marketing strategy. Here’s HOW – access our top ten gift ideas for 2022. Implement our strategies and watch your brand value increase when you leverage branded merch items during the holidays!

The Summer months are coming in HOT with events and marketing opportunities – is your brand ready?

We curated a shop of our top 10 Summer favorite branding pieces. All of our suggested items follow our guidelines for successful promo and increase ROI across so many industries.

• Functional
• Visible (Impressions!)
• Quality
• Aligned
• Memorable

Want to grow your business this season? Contact us to learn more, get free virtual mockups and turn up the heat for your brand!

NEW: Shop direct from our website! Ready to take the plunge? Now you can browse items, see details and pricing, select quantities and start the branding process all in one shop. Click here to try it out!

When was your last brand audit? Download our free interactive checklist to check in, evaluate what’s working and where to focus your efforts.

So, what elements make up a strong brand? Here are 6 key areas we suggest you regularly evaluate to keep your brand relevant and fresh!

1. Establish a primary logo, fonts & colors.
A strong logo is the nucleus of a successful brand. Having a horizontal AND a stacked version ensures that it can be used across all media and is less likely to get altered and create inconsistencies. Establishing and being strict with brand colors and fonts makes it easier for your clients to recognize your brand and increases recall. Following a brand guide increases the value of your business – first impressions are everything!

2. Present your mission clearly.
Make it fool-proof for your clients to believe they need your product or service. State exactly what it is that you are offering and how it will add value to their lives. Eliminate any chance of second guessing by being transparent and and to the point.

3. Create a brand voice that relates to your ideal client.
Brand voice is anything put out into the world that represents your brand – text in your website, social media content and marketing materials like flyers and promo are all pieces that need to be cohesive and emulate the same vibe. That vibe needs to be one that your ideal client can relate to and trust. Do some research on your target market and adjust your voice to speak their language.

4. Engage in social media & the local community.
The more you engage, the more your business will achieve growth. Keep word of mouth positive. DM organic followers on social media to thank them for the support and ask if they have any questions for you – make real connections with people who are already showing interest in your brand. Donate time, products or services to local causes that align with your brand and are important to you. Sponsoring events, offering discounts to service men and women or teachers or volunteering as a team is another way to engage and show you care while generating multiple touch points that bring awareness to your brand.

5. Show the love to your clients with branded swag.
There is major marketing strength in promotional products. Giving away merch that aligns with your brand in a memorable way will pay for itself when you gain organic ambassadors. Showing appreciation to existing clients with branded swag will keep you top of mind for repeat purchases. Get a dream clients’ attention by treating them to something creative and special that makes you unforgettable. Promotional products have staying power and generate additional impressions when re-used.

We incorporate promo into ALL of our marketing strategies. Learn more about how to use branded swag to elevate your next campaign HERE.

6. BE CONSISTENT.
This applies to each of the check points above and to everything you do in marketing. If you are consistent in keeping all of these brand fundamentals in check, it will be easy for clients to find your business, recall your business, develop trust and become brand ambassadors. Your brand value will increase and sales and income will follow.

With this printable checklist and Big Bunny Creative on speed-dial, your brand will be in tip-top shape!

Subscribe to our mailing list below to get your free download!

We are in a new era of business casual – branded apparel has taken on a whole new value as we realize it doesn’t have to be boring, basic or uncomfortable.

Internally, branded apparel can give your team a sense of unity, purpose and company pride. Externally, branded apparel can effectively promote and heighten the perceived value of your brand when quality garments and modern designs are used.

Here, we go into detail on fabric composition, identifying industry trends, branding, differentiation methods and selling techniques that we use daily to grow strong brands for our clients!

1. 1. 1. C.O.E. (Carded Open Ended) fabrics are what most of the inexpensive garments offered for promo are made of. But guess what? Major retail stores have BANNED this fabric from being sold in their stores for years. Inexpensive is not always a benefit.
      2. Quality garments have the ability to get a sharper, more defined imprint because the tight knit in the fabrics prevent ink from bleeding.
      3. Studies prove that people buy from companies who have shared values. They will spend extra money on items that are environmentally and socially responsible and ethical. We do the research and can guide our clients in the right direction.
      4. What people wear effects their mood. When it comes to apparel, consumers experience the whole shirt, not just the design on it. How they FEEL when they wear the garment will evoke an emotion that in turn gets attached to your brand. Make it a good one!
      5. BIG BUNNY ADVANTAGE! We were thrilled to hear these facts from the experts: creative decoration enhances final goods. Not only do we specialize in graphic design, we also have the expertise to skillfully recommend complimentary color combinations, unique decoration techniques and creative design placement. We got that retail vibe! Our favorites are tone-on-tone, puff ink and mixed media.
      6. End users want QUALITY and associate negativity with poorly made garments. Align your high quality brand that you work so hard on with apparel of equal quality. Don’t devalue your brand with a cheaply constructed piece.
      7. Apparel is largely psychological – we learned that our customers need to see and physically feel in order to make a connection and justify paying more for a quality piece. Virtual mockups and physical samples are available to make this easier on our clients.
      8. Retail trends SELL. We align ourselves with industry experts on trending silhouettes, colors, cuts and fabrics to ensure our clients stay looking fresh!
      9. A fit for every body type. Gone are the days of mass ordered, ill-fitting garments. One size and silhouette does not fit all and it is time we recognize that. Our vendors have mens/ladies fit companions for most pieces as well as youth and plus size!
      10. Cost per impression is lower on a more expensive piece. You read that correctly. When a quality piece is used for promo apparel, even if it is more expensive initially, there is added value in impressions. You are investing in more impressions with a garment that will get worn and seen multiple times (have you heard the term “walking billboard”?) versus investing in a garment that will get trashed and not supply you with the impressions you thought you were paying for. Make the most of your branding efforts!

   Are you ready to implement these methods into your branding strategy? Contact us to get on the path to branded apparel success!

No Throw Promo – (noun) Promotional products that don’t suck, that people want to keep, hang onto for years, use regularly and DON’T THROW AWAY!

The beginning of spring weather reminds us to appreciate Mother Nature. Earth day is April 22 – we honor the day by sharing a sampling of our favorite eco-friendly products.

1. Apparel
Made from organic cotton and using sustainable production, these super comfy options for apparel are Earth Day approved.

2. RPET Cooling Towels
RPET stands for recycled polyethylene terephthalate…meaning these towels are made out of recycled plastic bottles! So COOL!

3. Recycled Paper Journals
Exactly what it sounds like – journals make from recycled paper! Fun fact: paper can be recycled up to 7 times before the fibers lose stability.

4. Multi-Use Food Items
Meaning anything that is NOT a single use, landfill item! Points for non-plastic materials like silicone, glass, bamboo and our newest obsession – wheat straw.

5. Planters
Bring some green into your office space with a desk sized planter and enjoy the extra oxygen and mood boost.

These items are more eco-friendly, NOT more expensive. Contact us for a custom curated item presentation and with any questions on how to get your brand Earth Day ready!

Imagine this: You have decided to sponsor a large event that your target audience will be attending. You spend months curating the ideal customer experience for them to learn all about your brand, build awareness and gain their trust and loyalty. Your goal is to present your brand and gain new clients. The next question is, how will you get them to remember the brand experience once the event is over? How do you stand out among the other sponsors as a brand the attendees will purchase from?

This is where promotional products come in. Reserve part of your marketing budget to be dedicated to a promo item that will serve a purpose far past the event day and extend the shelf life of the event efforts.

To ensure your promotional product item selection is a success, make sure it has each of these 5 qualities:

Usability
We like to call this “no-throw promo”. In a nutshell, you do not want to select and spend marketing dollars on an item that will be taken straight to the trash can. Not only is it a waste of your time and money, it is bad for the environment! Spend time researching what your target audience cares about, what their values are and where their time is spent. This will narrow down your list and allow you to creatively determine a promo item you can be sure your clients will use and love.

Visibility
Promo is all about IMPRESSIONS. This is the number of times your brand will be seen. Wether it is seen by the same person every day when they sit down at their desk, seen by others who come in contact with your client who is wearing your t-shirt running errands, or seen by tons of people at a festival where your brand is on a party-goers phone accessory, choose something that will be out and about, displayed prominently on a body or desktop and SEEN!

Quality
Impress your clients by presenting them with an item that makes them feel special and cared about. Gifting quality promotional products reflects the quality of your brand and creates a connection between you, your client and high perceived value. WIN!

Alignment
This is a 2 part characteristic – the promotional product needs to not only align with your brand but align with the event or campaign as well. For example, if your brand values eco-friendly practices, ensure that your items and their factories do too. Communicate this to your recipients to deepen the connection with them. This is brand alignment. Event/campaign alignment comes in the form of choosing an item that will be used by its recipient AND in choosing a design to imprint and brand the item with that makes sense. An easy way to think of this is to pick a theme, then make sure that theme is something your brand can be proud of.

Memorability
Promo item selection should have a strong emphasis on customer experience – present the items creatively to etch the positive feeling into the recipients memory and the promo will pay for itself in a happy, loyal customer! That is VALUE.

With all of these attributes checked off, your target audience will have gone home from this event with a branded item they will hang on to, be proud of, show off and use. It will give them all the feelz when they whip it out and remind them to always turn to your company when the time comes for them to purchase. Your marketing campaign and promotional product was a success!

Creating success stories like these are our passion. Let us know how we can support your next promo campaign!

When you speak about your brand, do you feel confident? Is it easy? Does it bring you joy?

Without getting all Marie Kondo, if speaking about your brand doesn’t bring on feelings of passion, excitement and pride, it may be time for a brand revamp!

The strongest brands (think Apple or Macy’s for example) are established, easily recognizable, and consistent. These brands can be spotted a mile away and have a high recall, even at just a glimpse.

How does one achieve these brand goals?
1. Establish a primary logo (AND a secondary if you’re feeling like a boss!)
2. Define a brand font
3. Use only approved, specific PMS colors

Strong brands aren’t all about good looks. What’s on the inside counts too! Take a look around, and when you see a logo, pay attention to how it makes you feel. We associate and attach feelings to brands that come from our experiences, good and bad. Keeping customer service on point is key for the success of the tips below.

Want to integrate good vibes into your brand?
4. Make the problem you solve very obvious
5. Present your mission clearly
6. Establish a brand voice your ideal client is comfortable with and can relate to

The final brand confidence booster may seem like a no-brainer, but it is very powerful – connect your brand with real clients. All the marketing tricks in the book won’t bring any ROI if it’s not being presented to and connected with ideal clients.

Get your brand out there!
7. Create an active presence on social media
8. Engage in the local community
9. Show the love to your clients (new AND existing… hello, referrals!)

10. The number one thing that will increase the impact of all of these tips and make your brand a success is CONSISTENCY.

Bring it in, get it together, and set your sights on a prosperous 2022!

For an in-depth analysis, take our brand assessment quiz! We will send you a more specific diagnosis along with services we see that align with your branding needs.