It’s getting close to seasonal madness and what will this include apart from copious amounts of alcohol? Promotional Balloons all over offices, halls and night clubs. Have you ever thought about how many balloons are used in one year? No nor have I! -  but now I think about it must be millions. Propaganda have a wonderful range of promotional balloons for all occasions, birthdays and other festive celebrations. So next time you want a balloon call Propaganda on 020 8200 1000 or why not just email us at sales@propa.net

Do you do any financial checks on your promotional gift supplier? Do you know how long they have been established? Do you know how financially stable they are? What professional accreditations do they hold? Many promotional companies are small independent style traders who often need your money up front especially for large orders as they are not in a strong enough financial position to found them purchase of goods themselves. In this fast changing economic environment it is essential that you check the credentials of your suppliers. If they ask you to pay upfront and then go out of business you have lost your money!. It’s reckless simply to give money to a company you have not checked, if you are taking a gamble on getting the goods delivered and the company not going bust you may as well go to the casino and see if you lucky number comes up on the roulette table. You would not be happy if you lost your promotional budget especially in these tougher economic climates. So don’t risk it and credit check them with companies house or other credit checking agencies before you order. Why take a chance when you can avoid many of these risks?

It is essential that you plan a promotional calendar well in advance of the event. This way you have the opportunity to really explore the market for the right promotional gift.

From pens, badges, sweets, t-shirts or promotional bags ensuring your budget is effectively used is essential for any successful promotional campaign. If you leave enough time you can ask for samples to be sent and view then in your office. If your campaign is well planned you allow for additional creativity that may make the promotion even more memorable, for example we could make a bespoke jacket or bespoke stress shape. So many buyers leave it to the last minute which is not a problem as we have a fast track service but the product options are more limited. So plan, leave time and choose your next product in leisure rather than in a stress filled time pressured way. Most of all enjoy the process as we think promotional merchandise is a great way to promote your brand.

Personal change is difficult in the best of times let alone when it is forced upon you suddenly and in some cases with drastic consequences. Life is full of surprises some good, some not so good but always try and look for some element of positivity in the situation you find yourself facing. The reality is that you really only have two options, stay positive or be negative about the situation you find yourself confronting. So trying to see all events as opportunities is the key to surviving fast paced change. I have heard wise me say it takes a diamond to polish a diamond and so the rougher the events the more opportunity you have to developed your personality positively . I have heard some say we are never facing a challenge that we can not handle and overcome, even though we initially feel it is simply not possible to succeed.

I am not for one second pretending that G-d forbid losing the house and starting again will be pleasant or easy, but in the same way a seed breaks down and decomposes and then re-grows into a entirely new and different entity the same can happen to a person. Although you did not choose the events you can certainly choose how you respond to them and what type of person will emerges from it all. If you lead a team of people it is essential you stay positive and motivational in spite of the harsh realities that you may face. This is also part of the learning curve and if you manage to stay calm and positive you will have a much more positive influence on those around you.

It’s easy to get carried away emotionally when you hear all the doom and gloom. Remember filter the news selectively, but do not ignore it. Keep to a tight predefined strategy reduce all unnecessary expenditure, spend wisely i.e. use low budget airlines, stay in low cost hotels and cut wasteful management meetings and external visits. Do not make rush decisions about cutting staff overheads but plan accordingly.

And finally I know its gonna be tough but this is all about survival.

In all shrinking markets there are opportunities. Make sure you are well placed to rake advantage of them when they appear. They will appear have no doubt. Your competitors may be going bust leaving you with more market share. Maybe different segments of your markets may open to you, but to take advantage you will need to move quickly and follow your own markets closely. Talk to suppliers, talk to your customers and find what is happening around you, basically be alert! For example mortgage companies may find they now evolve into mortgage debt divisors and advise on how best to stave off repossession and how to negotiate with the banks.

In a shrinking economy it may feel like last man standing scenario but the good companies will survive and come out stronger in the end. Watch and see what they may be offering and see if you can improve on their offers. Price cutting is crude so if they are slashing their prices you may have to reduce your margins but be clever, bundle products or service offering and try and hold your margins. After all as they say “turnover is vanity and PROFIT IS SANITY” very wise words in this market. No profit and you die its that simple, but you need to stay competitive. Not an easy path to tread but you need to remain profitable.

Additional product offering - may be you will have to bundle more additional services for free such as free artwork, free carriage or additional product sampling. If you are in a service environment maybe offer a free consultation which give you the excuse to go and see them.

Show your customers that you really care. You will definitely have to work harder for your money and showing that you care is vitally important. Send them small thank you gifts, you will also endorse you brand at the same time if you choose the right gift. This is where our own range of promotional gifts become a great marketing tool. Start giving to your customers - Gifts are powerful, your customers like them and they will not cost you a fortune. Please remember that Christmas is not the only time to give. In fact we feel its better to give all year rather then one big lump at Christmas.

Which adverts are the most successful? You need to look to see where you get the best rate of return from all your spend. Measure the ROI of all your advertising. I am not advocating cutting it but look at it very closely and see which publications pull in the best responses. I bet some of you have little or no statistics on which ads pull in the best responses! Now is the time to start collecting the evidence. You need to know which ads work the best.