BR July 2009 Issuu

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RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

Martin Lindstromdives into

the human phyche to

see how LOGOS

make us react...

pages 24

Is the timeright?

pages 20

marketingoptics can

cloak reality!pages 28

BRANDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL

page 8

reaching the kindergarten to college crowd

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a long time on people’s desks because people can

Reaching the Kindergarten to College CrowdREACHING college students and faculty can often be

accomplished directly on campus through the college or

university bookstore. Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s

largest bookseller, has become a signifi cant presence

on the nation’s college and university campuses through

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, Inc. Building on

a name already known for quality, Barnes and Noble

College Booksellers, Inc. has renovated, redesigned,

revamped and revitalized more than 600 campus

bookstores.

8 Brilliant Results | July 2009www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

32

features: 8 Brands go back to school

reaching the kindergarten to college crowd

columns: 6 publisher's letter

7 contributors: who’s who in industry

14 After thought: BR concludes on cover story

18 incentives: is the time right?

20 marketing: target schools with a product & make a plan

22 travel: education comes in many forms

24 branding: lets kill the logo!

28 exhibit: marketing optics can cloak reality

31 ad-index

32 last word: illuminated branded apparel

34 off the cuff: quotes and trivia

20

24

Vol. 6, No. 07 2009

8

4 Brilliant Results | July 2009 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Summertime just got here, yet before you know it …

it will be Back to School. It is never too early to start

planning your campaigns and how you will reach into

the hearts, minds and pockets of the coveted Back to

School demographic. Our School Family Media cover

story interview will certainly give you a lot to think about

when targeting children and Moms.

I am a fi rm believer in education. With a 3 year old,

I fi nd he too loves to learn. As a Mom and someone

whom loves reading, I fi nd the summertime program

for reading at our local library a favorite. My son

enjoys all the special prizes he receives for books read

and we frequent the local businesses that partner with

the program so one might say it is a win-win. I must

also admit I am psyched that toys are fi nding their way

back into cereal boxes! I remember a time when the

toy inside decided which box to buy (read which one I

begged my Mom to buy). I often wonder why cereals

don’t put something educational inside. Not only

would it promote learning but would certainly make

their brand a defi nite purchase contender.

Don’t wait until the last minute, incent those parents

and students early and your company may not have to

wait for the proverbial “back to school” purchase.

I hope you enjoy the issue and fi nd many more ways

to incent, gift and make your brand a Back to School

winner.

Make it a brilliant campaign!

publisher’s letter

Brilliant Publishing LLC9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036Ph: 717.571.9233Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams

[email protected]

717-608-5869

EDITORIALEditor in ChiefMaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorMichelle Donofry

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMolly Anika

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMichael Merrick Crooks,

Mary English, Arnold Light, CTC, Martin LindstormEd Rigsbee, Barry Siskind, Dr. Peter Tarlow

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt DirectorJeremy Tingle

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant Publishing LLC,

9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax#

(717) 566-5431. Postage paid at Mechanicsburg PA and additional

offices. POSTMASTER please send address changes to Brilliant

Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036. Volume 6.

Number 07. Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120;

Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. All subscriptions

are non-refundable. Copyright © 2009 Brilliant Publishing LLC. All

rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject

any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents,

assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based

on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for

their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against

the publisher based on published work. No part of this publication can

be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,

including information storage and retrieval systems, without written

permission from the publisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Results

become the sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorial content

does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints, logos,

trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) displayed on

the products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustrative purposes

only and are not available for sale. The marks do not represent the

implied or actual endorsement by the owners of the Marks of the

product on which they appear. All of the Marks are the property of

the respective owners and is not the property of either the advertisers

using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

Maureen [email protected] 717-608-5869

brilliantresults™


contributors

a Mary English is the Vice President of Marketing for Hallmark Insights, the leader in providing business incentive solutions and personalized reward programs for employee recognition, customer acquisition and retention, sales and dealer incentives, and health and wellness programs. To learn more, go to HallmarkInsights.com.

d Arnold Light, CTC, Founder of Fire and Light has 35 years of marketing experience specializing in incentive and loyalty marketing helping multinational corporations develop and implement B2B and B2C results oriented performance improvement programs. For additional information visit www.incentivesmotivate.com.

e Martin Lindstrom, a respected branding and marketing expert, was selected as one of the world’s 100 most infl uential people by TIME magazine. The founder, CEO and Chairman of the LINDSTROM company (Sydney), Martin speaks to a global audience of approximately one million people every year. He has been featured in numerous publications, and on major broadcast and fi nancial television network programs, his previous book, BRAND sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the fi ve best marketing books ever published. His latest book; Buyology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy – a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book has been translated into 37 languages and is on almost all major best-seller lists worldwide.

g Ed Rigsbee, CSP, is the author of PartnerShift, Developing Strategic Alliances and The Art of Partnering. Ed travels internationally to deliver keynote presentations and workshops on profi table alliance relationships. In addition to serving as the president of Rigsbee Research Consulting Group, Ed also serves as the executive director of a (501 c 3) public non-profi t charity. For additional helpful information visit www.rigsbee.com

f Barry Siskind is an internationally recognized trade and consumer show expert. He is author of six bestselling business books including Powerful Exhibit Marketing. Read his newest book, Selling from the Inside Out for an in depth guide to a successful sales career. Visit Barry at www.siskindtraining.com.

j Dr. Peter Tarlow is a founder and president of Tourism & More Inc. Dr. Tarlow has appeared on National televised programs such as Dateline: NBC and on CNBC. Dr. Tarlow organizes conferences around the world dealing with visitor safety and security issues and with the economic importance of tourism and tourism marketing. He also works with numerous cities, states, and foreign governments to improve their tourism products and to train their tourism security professionals. For additional information visit www.tourismandmore.com

k Michael Merrick Crooks An advertising professional since 1984, Michael Crooks has written more than 50 articles on the subject of promotional marketing. Speaker and author of the soon to be published book, “Rethinking Trade Show Giveaways”, Crooks owns Crooks Advertising Alliance, a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem solving. Contact Crooks through www.CrooksAdvertising.com

a

d

g

f

j k

e

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

Reaching the Kindergarten to College CrowdREAChING college students and faculty can often be accomplished directly on campus through the college or university bookstore. Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s largest bookseller, has become a signifi cant presence on the nation’s college and university campuses through Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, Inc. Building on a name already known for quality, Barnes and Noble College Booksellers, Inc. has renovated, redesigned, revamped and revitalized more than 600 campus bookstores.


Reaching the Kindergarten to College Crowd

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers give the

brands in their stores the opportunity to reach

college students where they live, learn, and shop.

Through their Barnes & Noble College Marketing

Network division, they have leveraged the power

of their bookstores to reach over 4 million college

students in-store, on campus and online with their

well-targeted marketing programs. Their several

outreach tools permit brands to benefi t from

effective marketing programs aimed specifi cally

at college students. (For More Information See

Brilliant Results Interview July, 2005)

While the Barnes & Noble College Booksellers,

Inc., provide an opportunity to reach college age

students, reaching those families with students

in the K-12 grades is more diffi cult. With growing

concern arising over the use of commercial

advertising targeted to children, the ability for

corporate America to build brand awareness of

their products and services is challenging. One

organization, in conjunction with its over all focus

on helping parents and schools help children

succeed has developed a program that can assist

brands in this outreach.

School Family Media, Inc. is a marketing and

media services company whose principal connection

to school families is through its publication of PTO

Today. In addition to PTO Today, School Family

Media has developed the Back2School program,

which provides an opportunity to connect with this

demographic.

Brilliant Results had the opportunity to interview

John Driscoll, Vice President, Sales & Business

Development. For the past six years, John has

directed School Family Media’s Marketing Solutions

Group where he has led the growth and development

of programs such as School Family Nights® as

well as the launch of Back2School. he has been

instrumental in the development and creation of

custom programs that help companies such as

Procter & Gamble, American Express, Target,

Disney, and Kellogg’s connect with millions of moms

and families with school-age children through print,

online and unique event marketing opportunities.

BR: Given the sensitivity to advertising directed

at children. What, in your opinion, is the best way

for businesses to establish brand recognition with

the parents and children 5-14 that constitute the

Back to School demographic?

JD: It’s true that there is increased scrutiny

these days around marketing and advertising to

kids. Most major CPG companies for instance

have joined the Children’s Food and Beverage

Advertising Initiative, which looks to regulate the

amount and type of ads aimed at kids and includes

a pledge by member companies not to advertise to

kids through schools. I believe that there are still

responsible ways for brands to reach and engage

kids but I’ve also seen a not so subtle shift back

towards focusing more on moms.

John Driscol

July 2009 | Brilliant Results 9www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

I have 3 school-aged kids of my own and I do see that

they can have an infl uence on purchases but at the end of

the day in our family as in most, mom has a tremendous

infl uence as well as the fi nal say when it comes to

most household purchases. In fact a study by Ketchum

Communications in 2007 showed that moms made more

than 80% of all household purchases, which amounted to

more than $1.7 trillion annually.

In short I think in today’s environment that connecting

with moms should be part of every brand’s strategy.

The degree and extent to which you focus on moms vs.

kids depends on many factors including whether you

are a clothing brand, a retailer, or a consumer products

company as well as what specifi c age range you are

targeting. Obviously tween girls for instance are going to

have a pretty big infl uence in terms of what clothes they

purchase whereas mom takes much more of a lead role in

terms of food and beverage product purchases including

those aimed at kids.

Lastly l would look for opportunities where you can

really differentiate yourself from your competitors. For

several weeks leading up to back to school we receive

every conceivable FSI (free standing insert) in our Sunday

paper. It’s overwhelming for the consumer and it makes it

very diffi cult for anybody but the biggest brands to really

stand out. If you can fi nd ways to connect with moms in a

less cluttered environment and in a way that goes beyond

just a media impression then I think that can make a big

difference in terms of helping your brand build a deep and

more meaningful relationship with that audience.

BR: In the past School Family Media has offered a

vehicle entitled ‘Back2School’. Will you be offering this

program this year? If so, please describe for our readers

how it works?

JD: yes this is our 3rd year now offering the program.

Back2School 2009 is an integrated program that leverages

the deep relationships we’ve built over the past 10 years

with PTO and PTA groups at K-8 schools nationwide,

to help brands connect with the greater community of

moms/parents at K-8 schools. As with all our programs

it is offered out to groups and they then must request/

register to participate. If chosen they receive copies of

Jump In! magazine to distribute to all the moms/parents

who come to their back to school night. More than 1.5

million copies of Jump In! are distributed during August

and September. The magazine is designed to help moms

help their kids have a successful school year and the

topics covered include everything from healthy snacks

for the lunchbox/healthy after school snacks to what are

the best learning tools for your kids, to how to keep your

kids safe online.

In addition participating sponsors/brands also have

the opportunity to include a product sample or high value

coupon in the gift paks that are distributed to moms/

parents along with Jump In! magazine at these back to

school nights. It’s a great chance to reinforce the brand

messaging in the magazine and to connect with mom at a

time and place where she is thinking about her kids health,

well being and success.

Lastly sponsors also receive prominent exposure on

our website SchoolFamily.com where we offer a variety

of articles and tools that help parents help their kids have

a successful school year. Our print and use tools section

which includes everything from math worksheets to do

with your kids to holiday themed word searches has had

more than 1 million downloads in just the past six months.

We have a variety of ways for brands to interact with our

audience of involved/engaged moms including sponsored

content, sponsorship of certain sections with our print and

use tools area and sponsored polls and quizzes.

BR: Would you provide other examples of how School

Family Media has helped corporate America connect their

brand with parents of school age children?

JD: Beyond our Back2School program one of our

most successful programs is our School Family Nights

program (www.schoolfamilynights.com) . That works

along the same dynamic in terms of PTO and PTA groups

registering to participate and then activating the program

at their school where the greater community of moms/

families participate. For more than fi ve years Target has

sponsored Family Reading Nights and during that time

more than 25,000 schools have hosted Family Reading

Night events with more than 2.5 million parent and kids in

attendance.

JD: Beyond our Back2School program one of our

2007 showed that moms made more than 80% of all household purchases, which amounted to more than $1.7 trillion annually

Source: Ketchum Communications


EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION SOLUTIONS WITH YOUR CORPORATE OBJECTIVES IN MIND. Hallmark Insights offers incentive solutions that keep your employees engaged and help you achieve your corporate objectives. Our exclusive IRISTM technology offers the convenience you need to quickly and easily get started on your employee recognition program. Our solutions offer hundreds of great rewards that encourage employees to stay productive and engaged. For measurable results from your recognition program with very little effort on your part, call a Hallmark Insights Account executive at 800.765.4438 or visit HallmarkInsights.com today.

© 2009 Hallmark Insights. All rights reserved.

REWARDING FOR THEM. EASY FOR YOU.

In addition one of the fastest growing parts

of our business is our ability to do custom/

contextual sampling at PTO and PTA hosted

school events. For example we helped with a

recent launch of a new version of Tide detergent

by putting together a program whereby samples

of Tide were distributed to moms at school

carnivals, spaghetti suppers and school fi eld

days, all events attended by moms with school-

aged kids where there was a good likelihood

they would be getting dirty. We are also looking

to launch a new “healthy School Kids” program

that will include sampling and online as well as

custom print opportunities through school health

fairs and other school-family related events.

BR: Do you have any fi nal thoughts or

advice for our readers who wish to reach this

demographic audience?

JD: Reaching moms with school-aged

kids is more challenging than one might think.

There are a lot of vehicles out there that help

brands connect with moms with really young

kids (infants to 4-5 years old) but less for

those marketers interested in reaching moms

with kids 5-14 (grades K-8). In print and even

online it’s defi nitely worth asking what % of the

audience fi ts that specifi c target demographic if

indeed your brand caters to moms with slightly

older kids. Also there is evidence these days

that the back-to-school shopping timeframe is

less defi ned than it was 20+ years ago. I know

as one of six children growing up my mom

dragged us out all at once to get it done. These

days it appears the window is longer and less

defi ned with a good percentage of even the

clothing shopping happening after kids are back

in school and see what their peers are wearing

etc. For consumer products companies the

window is even less defi ned as the back to

school time frame is more broad and spread out

relative to how mom thinks about those kinds of

consumables vs. clothing or school supplies.

PHOTOS BY: SCHOOL FAMILY MEDIA


after thoughts

BR

Business Goes Back To SchoolAS our interview

with John Driscoll of

School Family Media

clearly illustrates, savvy

marketers are refocusing

their advertising from

children and going straight

to parents, especially

to mom who is most

often the top purchase

decision maker.

General Mills' Box Tops and

Campbell’s Labels for Education

have long been successful examples

of programs that target parents to

make a purchase rather than going

directly to children and are positively

rated. Other "winners" with parents

included Scholastic Book Fairs and

free educational materials/magazines

handed out by schools. Samples

distributed in parent gift bags on

special nights also scored well (91%

approval).

Creating direct-to-kids programs

that are viewed favorably is much

more diffi cult, with reward programs

being the only ones that scored well.

Pizza hut's Book It! (See Brilliant

Results August 2005 ‘The Last Word’

for more information and interview)

offers free pizza coupons for reading

books, and Topps of the Class,

offering free trading cards for good

grades were mentioned specifi cally

in a School Family Media survey

question regarding reward programs

and were rated acceptable by 85%.

In a different take on encouraging

reading, World Wrestling

Entertainment: Mattel and the Young

Adult Library Services Association

have partnered for the SummerSlam

Reading Jam. Some 500 libraries

across 47 states and the District of

Columbia are participating in the

program to encourage teens and

tweens to visit their local libraries

and read throughout the summer.

Two grand-prize winners will receive

airfare, accommodations, tickets and

$200 spending money for the WWE’s

SummerSlam event at the Staples

Center in Los Angelos. Ten fi rst-

prize winners get copies of the WWE

Encyclopedia.

Oracle Foundation’s ThinkQuest,

which is a protected, online learning

platform that enables teachers to

integrate learning projects into their

classroom curriculum and students to

develop critical 21st century skills has

been acclaimed by the educational

community. The global competition

aspect of the foundation’s ThinkQuest

program with prizes for winning teams

that include laptop computers, digital

cameras, school grants, and a trip to

the awards event in the San Francisco

Bay Area, depending on placement is

also well received.

To instill the importance of giving,

stationery retailer Staples is reprising

last summer’s “Do Something 101”

and teaming up with DoSomething.

org, a non-profi t group organizing

teens to make contributions to their

communities. But new this year are

the social media amenities to promote

engagement, including a Facebook

profi le. Those who complete a

Facebook backpack are entered into

an “Adopt a Pack” sweepstakes and

one winner, chosen at the end of the

drive, will be fl own to New york to help

stuff backpacks with celebrity R&B

singer Ciara.

A sampling of other offers from

corporate America include:

Apple’s Back to School Promotion •

“Buy a Mac, Get an iPod Touch”

A rebate for an 8GB iPod touch, is

being offered to college and

university students, as well as

public or private school staff, some

home-schooling teachers, school

board members, and the offi cers of

PTA and PTO groups.

PayPal’s launch of a back-to-school •

promotions website.

Featuring more than a dozen

merchants some of the promotions

are funded by PayPal, and others

by the participating merchant.

Kraft’s Back-to-School Promotions •

Get a sandwich taker, Wild

Adventure pack, or Pirates of the

Caribbean t-shirt for under $2.00

with proofs of purchase.

Kellogg's Fuel for School •

Find a printable morning checklist

and lunchbox notes.

Kroger’s College Savings •

Sign up for UPromise to save

money for your child's college when

you do your grocery shopping.

Quaker’s Back-To-School •

Promotion

Current promotion is a free

lunchbox with 4 UPC's and receipt.

BIC Corporation - Quality Comes In •

Writing A downloadable writing

workshop that is good for school or

home.

Avery’s Back to School Printables •

Print a back to school scrapbook or

decorate your school stuff.


insight

WRITER MARY ENGLISH

ThE caps and gowns from the

recent graduations have just recently

been put away, the sights and sounds

of 4th of July fi reworks are still fresh in

our memories and the summer season

is in full swing. So that must mean one

thing – it’s nearly time to start thinking

about back-to-school sales.

Many school-aged children can

barely comprehend thinking about

going back to school when it’s still only

July. If you were to ask, you would likely

fi nd that a good percentage of them

have just begun to get past fi nal exams

and are off to various summer camps

and vacation trips, so they certainly

aren’t ready to start preparing for a

brand new school right now. Parents,

however, may already be thinking

about the cost of back-to-school gear,

supplies and how to budget for those

upcoming expenses – knowing that

demands for the latest “in” items never

take a vacation.

But just because children aren’t

thinking about going back to school,

that doesn’t mean a company’s reward

and recognition program should

take its own summer vacation. In

fact, summer is the perfect time to

promote your company’s program

by using back-to-school as a way

to promote and encourage added

reward and recognition throughout the

organization.

Using back-to-school as a

method for promoting your employee

recognition program that offers team

members gift cards – or the ability to

use awards to select gift cards of their

choice – can have a positive impact

on employees in numerous ways. Not

only does it encourage managers and

employees to recognize their

coworkers, it can help those

with children in school

prepare for the upcoming

school year. As employees

receive awards, they are able

to reward themselves with a choice of

gift cards to various merchants that

carry the items a returning student

may need.

These choices go beyond the

typical tablet, packet of pencils and

the 64-color box of crayons that was

needed years ago. Today, employees

(and students) have a more extensive

wish list of items.

Computers – Students wanting

a new notebook for college aren’t

referring to the spiral-bound version.

Choosing a Dell.com gift card will allow

parents and students to select a new

notebook computer that the student

can take notes on, write term papers or

e-mail home.

Memories – Want to remember that

fi rst day of kindergarten or dropping

your child off at their dorm room? have

a Best Buy gift card as a selection

option so an employee can get that

new digital camera to capture all those

once-in-a-lifetime school moments.

Fashion – Nobody wants to be

caught going back to school wearing

jeans, tops or shoes that were so “last

year.” Whether it’s gift cards to retailers

like Kohl’s or JCPenny’s or athletic

shops such as Sports Authority or Nike.

com, giving your employees choices

like this will ensure their children will

go back to school in style.

Supplies – Naturally, every student

is going to need new pens, paper and

other school supplies. Let employees

select Target or Offi ce Depot gift cards

and they can stock up on all the items

their student needs to get the school

year started.

A reward and recognition program

that promotes back-to-school

purchases can have a positive impact

beyond just the respective employee.

The program not only benefi ts the

Incentives Build Excitement About “ ”


employee by letting them save

money through the use of awards to

purchase school items, it also brings

the employee’s family into the mix by

letting them choose their purchase

together – making the impact of the

award that much more meaningful and

memorable.

The benefi ts of this family-use

award even go down to the student –

and for more reasons than that they

are the ultimate recipient of the award

purchase.

Excitement – It can be tough to get

excited about going back to school.

After all, it means summer is over and

it’s back to homework and tests. But a

student who was able to purchase a

new laptop, new shoes or even a new

wardrobe thanks to a gift card their

parent received at work will go back to

school more excited than they would

have been otherwise.

Choice – A reward and recognition

program that offers employees choices

in their fi nal product selection benefi ts

the student as well. The student can

suggest to the parent whether they

want clothes, electronics or supplies

– or any combination of these items.

The freedom of choice puts the power

of selection into the employee’s and

student’s hands.

Independence – Lastly, students

are able to gain and show their

independence and decision-making

skills by letting the parent know what

they want and where they would like to

get it. This lets them play a larger role

in the fi nal decision-making process.

By following these simple guidelines

and incorporating back-to-school into

your reward and recognition program

– or offering employees the choice to

use awards for these types of

purchases – you can turn those back-

to-school sales from a dreaded

inevitability into an anticipated, exciting

event for the whole family.

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incentives

ON FEBRUARy 17, 2009, President Obama

signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,

which creates a $787 billion stimulus package comprised

of tax cuts and expenditure programs. Although the Act

implements spending programs in many different sectors, one

of the major allocations is for education initiatives. Part of the

fund is for addressing measures to be used for education

incentives.

What this means is that when some students

start the 2009/10 academic year they will receive

incentives for improving their attendance, grades

and test scores. There are many interesting

stories that are starting to crop up across

the nation relating to incentives for school

kids to do well. But of course there are

two sides to every story; on the one hand

there are the psychologists who warn that

incentive programs do not help students

do better and may even lead to cheating,

on the other side are the economists who

insist that offering rewards to students

might be a valuable incentive particularly

for impoverished or struggling students.

Regardless of who is correct, one thing is

certain programs that reward students with

prizes like iPods and cash are fl ourishing,

particularly in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Efforts are under way to study these programs

in a scientifi c manner so school offi cials and

educators can determine if they work. here then

are several examples of how incentives are being

used in various school systems:

In New york City and Dallas, high school students

are paid for doing well on Advance Placement (AP) tests.

Another experiment was started last fall in 14 public schools

in Washington, D.C., that are distributing checks for good

grades, attendance, and behavior. A New Jersey school

district offers rewards including free pizza for good grades

and model behavior.

Chicago started a privately funded pilot program last fall

offering cash for good grades to as many as 5,000 ninth-

graders at 20 high schools. Students can earn $50 for an A,

$35 for a B, and even a C brings $20. That means a straight-A

student could earn up to $4,000 by the end of the sophomore

year, with students getting half the money immediately, and

the other half when they graduate.

WRITER ARNOLD LIGHT, CTC

the time right?

s


“The majority of our students

don’t come from families with a lot

of economic wealth,” Arne Duncan,

Chicago’s school superintendent, told

the Chicago Tribune last fall.

Duncan, who is now the U.S.

Secretary of Education, said, “I’m

always trying to level the playing

fi eld. This is the kind of incentive that

middle-class families have had for

decades.”

It’s not all about cash though. At 80

tutoring centers in eight states run by

Score Educational Centers, a national

for-profi t company, students are

encouraged to rack up points for good

work and redeem them for prizes like

jump ropes, yoga mats, or chess sets.

Last year, Riverside high School in

Durham, N.C., began awarding iPods

to sophomores who earned top scores

on a statewide writing test.

And for certain students cash

rewards represent something more

than just money. At Amphitheater

high School in Tucson, where most

of the students are poor and hispanic,

some students shed tears when

they learned they had been selected

to be part of a cash-for-grades

experiment, says superintendent

Vicki Balentine. It was the fi rst time

they had received a message that the

outside world actually cared how they

did. This experiment requires perfect

attendance to win $25 a week, but it

also requires C-averages or better

and no discipline referrals. Students

making the honor roll at the end of the

semester can earn $100 bonuses.

With so much attention being paid

to incentives for education there is

most likely opportunities for those in

the incentive industry who are looking

for new markets and new challenges. It

won’t be easy and maybe not profi table

in the beginning, but when you fi gure

out how to design and structure a

reward program that motivates and

rewards students for achieving certain

goals it certainly will be rewarding for

you. And as word of mouth (the viral

effect) gets around to different school

districts that you know what you are

doing and are a trusted vendor your

business will fl ourish and become

profi table. Is the time right?

have a Rewarding Day!

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WRITER MICHAEL MERRICK CROOKS

marketing

AS state budgets tighten and

Intermediate School Districts trim

budgetary fat, more emphasis will be

placed on school fundraisers. But as

the need to raise funds increases,

cheerleaders, athletic/band boosters,

clubs and PTO's (school groups) will

fi nd that the standard fundraising

practices of the past, will no longer

adequately fund the future.

Bake sales and car washes will

no longer cut it. And as for the food

and cheap gifts offered through

"fundraising companies", the public

is starting to resent paying top dollar

for junk gift and food items that

aren't worth the price. And while this

all presents a problem for schools,

savvy educators will seek out quality

promotional marketing consultants.

These professionals will present

creative and effective ideas featuring

quality, branded merchandise that is

useful and supportive of the interests

of the school groups’ target audience.

They will also offer guidance on ways

an educational organization can

incorporate sponsorship opportunities

for corporations and community

businesses thus expanding their fund

raising opportunities.

School fundraisers should keep

in mind the following items when

considering a program to raise

money:

branDinG

The brand is the school logo,

mascot and/or words that set you

apart from your rivals. Whether

you’re Bulldogs, Trojans, Rams,

Dreadnaughts, Spartans or Dutchmen,

fans want the logo or brand on their

stuff … and they'll pay for it. But unlike

the unbranded cheap junk your school

groups have sold in the past, you'll

want to brand, quality items that are

useful and relevant to the interests of

your target audience.

tarGet aUDience

Who's the target audience for a

school group…students, parents,

alumni? Sure. But in addition, take

a good look at the audience or those

in the stands or bleachers at the next

game or event. There sits the perfect

target audience. They're there for a

reason. They have an interest in the

event or they wouldn't be there. A good

number of them will spend money to

show support for that interest; so don’t

neglect this fundraising opportunity.

PrODUct selectiOn: PrODUct anD a sales Plan

School fundraising projects need not

be complicated or expensive to start

up and be profi table. When starting

out, focus on simple branded products

that are relevant to the interest of the

target.

Take refrigerator magnets. The

secret to effective fundraising with a

magnet is to make the magnet a tool

that is relevant to the needs of parents.

For example, focus on the school

holiday and vacation schedule and

important school phone numbers. If

produced over the summer, both your

target audience and sponsor will have

the benefi t of them for an entire school

year. Keep in mind, one of your main

goals IS to sell a sponsorship on the

magnet to effectively underwrite the

cost, thus increasing your profi t margin

and maximizing the amount the school

will raise from sales.

If you imprint a magnet with

important school numbers, remember

to remind potential purchasers in your

target audience that everyone who

watches a parent's children should

have a magnet such as babysitter,

grandparents, aunts, uncles… etc.

This should encourage the parents

to buy more than one. In a perfect

world, they should have at least four: 1

for home, 1 each for mom and dad at

work and 1 for the babysitter. Consider

having the magnet manufactured so

that parents can write-in a couple of

their own important numbers such as

Target Schools With a Product… And A Plan

Brand, quality items that are useful and

relevant to the interests of your target audience.


their cell phone, work numbers or other

emergency contact number. Make sure

that this potential need is made a part

of the sale presentation – then even if 1

magnet is given to each family there is an

excellent chance that additional magnets

will be purchased. Other school groups

can focus on say the football schedule,

basketball schedule, band concert

schedule … you get the idea.

The types of branded products you

offer your target audiences can range

from inexpensive waterless tattoos

and writing instruments to more

expensive caps, scarves and gloves.

Cheering products that range from

megaphones and pom-poms to

noisemakers, pennants, banners,

bandanas and rally towels are a

natural. Cheering products also

present a great opportunity for

co-branding with a corporate

partner or local business.

Also consider products

that fans will fi nd useful away

from the event. A fan's allegiance

to the team, group or school doesn't

end when the game is over. There are

lots of useful, quality, brand name items

you can brand that fans and supporters

can use around the home or at work.

Mugs, coasters … even fl ashlights. how

many games get over after dark? Other

items include auto sunshades, imprinted

plastic leaf/garbage bags, cloth shopping

bags and other good-quality items such

as umbrellas, ice scrapers and fl ags.

When a team makes it to the fi nals

or wins a championship don’t miss the

opportunity that limited edition event or

accomplishment-specifi c products such

as coasters, t-shirts, hats, pennants,

buttons, pins for sale to die-hard fans

offer for fundraising.

PUsH Vs PUll

Most school groups have been relying

on a push strategy where they attempt

(or have the students attempt) to push

low-quality, banal products onto people

who buy begrudgingly. Or, they've

been relying on high effort/low return

fundraising events such as bake sales

and car washes.

Companies who supply or distribute

quality

branded items need to help school

fundraisers develop a pull system where

people actually want and seek out what

is offered. And when fans, alumni and

supporters have access to branded,

useful items — they’ll buy them.

Finally for companies offering these

quality branded products, the question

is, who is going to take the Product and

a Plan to the school group? You … or

your competitor?

basketball schedule, band concert

The types of branded products you

offer your target audiences can range

from inexpensive waterless tattoos

and writing instruments to more

expensive caps, scarves and gloves.

Cheering products that range from

megaphones and pom-poms to

noisemakers, pennants, banners,

bandanas and rally towels are a

natural. Cheering products also

present a great opportunity for

co-branding with a corporate

partner or local business.

Also consider products

that fans will fi nd useful away

from the event. A fan's allegiance

to the team, group or school doesn't

end when the game is over. There are

lots of useful, quality, brand name items

you can brand that fans and supporters

can use around the home or at work.

Mugs, coasters … even fl ashlights. how

many games get over after dark? Other

items include auto sunshades, imprinted

plastic leaf/garbage bags, cloth shopping

bags and other good-quality items such

as umbrellas, ice scrapers and fl ags.

When a team makes it to the fi nals

or wins a championship don’t miss the

opportunity that limited edition event or

accomplishment-specifi c products such

as coasters, t-shirts, hats, pennants,

buttons, pins for sale to die-hard fans

and car washes.

Companies who supply or distribute

quality your competitor?


WRITER DR. PETER TARLOW

travel

WE can almost argue that tourism is

education. Travel not only broadens

the mind but also produces a host of

what some call “the other education.”

Educational vacations are not only one

of the fastest growing areas of the travel

and tourism, but in a down economy

produce brilliant results not only for the

travel purchaser but also for the locale

being visited. One of the areas of

travel tourism that is often overlooked

is that of personal and professional

development through travel. To get

brilliant travel results consider some of

the following:

Develop for your employees and •

also for yourself lists of places,

which visited will increase your

professional skills. Refl ect a bit on

those areas in which you need to

grow. When making your list, think

of related parts of your industry, its

philosophy and its applied nature.

Visit places that are both similar and

different from your locale. how do

these locales solve some of the

same problems that you face? What

are they doing differently and what

can you learn from them?

Mix travel with seminar and •

conference attendance. Seek out

conferences and seminars that add

both professional knowledge and

personal growth. Choose locations

that offer both a conference and a

post-conference experience. That

way you can combine both business

and pleasure, and allow your family

to also learn from your travel

experience. If there is a subject

that will be benefi cial to you, take the

time to let your professional

organization know.

Establish regional tourism study •

groups. Gather colleagues together

from around your region on a regular

basis. Pick a topic for the year and

then have a different person lead the

discussion each month. These

conference groups can be held

around your region and can show off

not only your professional

achievements but also something of

the area’s attractions

Join with other city/regional offi cials •

to ways to create conferences plus

sites of common interest. Be

creative in bringing in guest

speakers. Often one industry or

locale cannot afford speakers’ fees

but creative planning allows for

regional learning. The bottom line is

that when you think outside of the

box, money fl ows in, when you think

inside the box, money tends to fl ow

away.

Seek out travel experiences that •

may pay off in ways never previously

considered. Learning a new athletic

skill may not only be benefi cial for

your stress levels, but also teach

teamwork and develop a new set of

work skills. There are numerous

“sports schools” around the world

that will accept both groups and

individuals. For example, Portugal’s

Pierre de Coubertin Soccer

Academy, located just outside of

Oporto will teach individuals how to

incorporate the art of soccer into a

person’s business life. While there

the student can not only learn

soccer, but sample Portuguese wine

and visit Portugal grape and wine

country. These skill enhancement

trips are a great way to de-stress

while learning a new skill.

Use a study abroad experience to •

build family relationships. Despite

some of the most famous Chevy

Chase movies, family learning is a

great way to promote togetherness.

Many universities promote some

form of foreign travel for their

students and some will also allow

parents to join. There is a whole

plethora of study abroad

experiences, from the adventurous

to the more urban, from agriculture

to art history.

Seek out educational cruises. A •

study cruise combines all of the fun

of a cruise with the joy of learning.

Educational cruises and convention

cruises are a great way to train

employees while at the same time

offering them incentive travel.

Cruises also have the advantage

that you know where your people

are when it is time to study. Cruises

also offer a great way for employees

to bond and for new friendships to

develop.

To travel is to learn and to learn. As

an educational tool tourism provides

employers with additional ways to gain

brilliant results

Educational Tourism Comes in Many Forms


Let’s Kill the

Let’s be frank – we live in a logo-

obsessed world. Pay a quick visit to

Times Square and you’ll see what I

mean. But is the magic still in the logo

as we are exposed to some 2 million

television commercials throughout

life until we reach the age of 66 – or

do we continue to be caught up in a

format, which once worked but, with

the passage of time and the changed

media picture, is now out of date?

I decided to fi nd out. Over the years

I’ve been stunned by the fact that we

smoke more – not less. Admittedly

the biggest increase of new smokers

takes place in Asian and Eastern

European countries. That said, even

in the U.S. increases in smoking

remain steady – not decreasing, as

we all want to convince each other

it is, and all this despite the fact that

we all know it is unhealthy. It is almost

impossible to light up a cigarette

indoors. Remember that advertising in

most countries was banned decades

ago, still brands like Marlboro rank in

the very top, one the most expensive

brands in the world – why?

The only way to fi nd out was to

understand what really goes on in our

subconscious mind. Project Buyology

– the largest NeuroMarketing project

of its kind in the world – scanning

some 2,000 consumers worldwide

– wanted to answer exactly that

question. What are the tricks the

tobacco industry knows which the rest

of the world somehow has missed?

Estimates today claim that 85 percent

of everything we do, every minute,

takes place in our subconscious

mind. Was this where the battle was

taking place?

The answer was to be found in a

small region in our brain called the

neuclus accombens – also called the

craving spot. It is a small area in our

brain, which controls our pleasures –

and addictions too, such as smoking.

It is a lie detector. It may be that

you claim not to be affected by ads

for tobacco smoking – the neuclus

accombens however will tell you the

truth.

branding

BY MARTIN LINDSTROM

Let’s Kill the “Make it bigger,” the executive screamed from the corner of the room as I desperately sought a sign-off for an ad featuring a major fashion brand. This wasn’t the fi rst time such a situation came up. In fact, every meeting I had always ended up in discussions about the placement and size of the logo – it was as if that one by one inch space, over time, had become the holy grail of branding – the rest was more or less an add-on.


Let’s Kill the Over the years I’ve observed

(and admittedly admired) the way

tobacco companies have crafted their

clever brand strategies. Marlboro’s

solid sponsorship of the European

Formula 1 – a race somewhat similar

to NASCAR race in the U.S. – had

become iconic for the brand with

its red Ferrari cars. Can cigarette

cravings be triggered by images

tied to a brand of cigarette but not

explicitly linked to smoking—say, the

sight of a Marlboro-red Ferrari or a

camel riding off into a mountainous

sunset? Do smokers even need to

read the words Marlboro or Camel

for the craving spots in their brains to

compel them to tear open a cigarette

pack? In the U.S. the cowboy did its

job. Joe Camel or the Camel Trophy

race – not to mention the Camel or

Marlboro merchandising line – all

seem to play an important role in

building a brand under circumstances

where advertising was totally banned.

But how powerful was it?

With the support of one of Britain’s

leading scientists, Dr. Gemma Calvert,

of Oxford – and by using the MRI –

arguably the most sophisticated brain

scanning technique in the world our

objective was to discover the answer.

One by one we would expose

smokers, former smokers, and people

considering smoking – in short a raft

of different scenarios all with some

relationship to smoking to the iconic

pictures while we scanned their brains

in order to understand the activation

in the neuclus accombens.

Over a two-month period, our

smokers fi led in and out of Dr. Calvert’s

Oxford laboratory. What parts of their

brains would light up as they watched

these logo-free images?

All of our subjects were asked to

refrain from smoking for two hours

preceding the test, to ensure that

their nicotine levels would be equal at

the start of the experiment. First, both

groups were shown subliminal images

that had no overt connection to

cigarette brands—the aforementioned

western style scenery, including

cowboys, beautiful sunsets and

arid deserts. Next, to establish a

comparison, they were shown explicit

cigarette advertising images like the

Marlboro Man and Joe Camel on his

motorbike, as well as Marlboro and

Camel logos. Dr. Calvert and I wanted

to fi nd out if the subliminal images

would generate similar cravings to

the images generated by the logos

and the clearly marked Marlboro and

Camel packs.

To no one’s surprise, the MRI

scans revealed a pronounced

response in the volunteers’ neuclus

accombens—the area we now know

to be involved with reward, craving,

and addiction—when they viewed the

actual cigarette packs. But what was

more interesting was that when the

smokers were exposed to the non-

explicit images—the red Ferrari, the

cowboys on horseback, the camel in

a desert—over a period of less than

fi ve seconds, there was an almost

immediate activity in the craving

regions of their brains in the exact

same regions that responded to the

explicit images of the packs and

logos. In fact, the only consistent

difference was that the subliminal

images prompted more activity in the

volunteers’ primary visual cortex—as

might be expected, given the more

complex visual task of processing

those images.

More fascinating still, when

Dr. Calvert compared the brain’s

responses to the two different types of

images, she found even more activity

in the reward and craving centres

when subjects viewed the subliminal

images than when they viewed the

overt images. In other words, the

logo-free images associated with

cigarettes, like the Ferrari and the

sunset, triggered more cravings among

smokers than the logos or the images


of the cigarette packs themselves—a

result that was consistent for both

Camel and Marlboro smokers.

But why is that? Come with me –

we have to go to the doctor’s offi ce –

let’s say you have a terrible headache.

Let’s imagine we enter the consultation

room which to our surprise is packed

with Panadol logos, on the wall, on the

desk, there’s even a neat decoration

of the latest Panadol packs displayed

behind the doctor as he’s sitting writing

notes wearing a Panadol hat. As you

explain about your terrible headache

– the doctor in response replies –

“hmmm – I’d probably recommend

Panadol to you.” What would your

reaction be? Guards up! That’s

exactly what happens in today’s world

of advertising. In order to survive our

guard goes up – this is not just the

case with tobacco smoking, but for

almost every category – this is our

defence mechanism.

So what does this mean in practical

terms? Let’s take an express train

back to the year 1915 – the year the

original counter Coca-Cola bottle

was invented. The original brief was

to develop a bottle so smart that if you

dropped the bottle on the fl oor and it

smashed into thousands of pieces of

glass you’d still be able to recognize

the brand. Grab any iPod and you

won’t be able to fi nd the logo on the

front – yet the iconic look is enough

for you to know what brand it is. The

same is the case with any picture

from United Colours of Benetton, a

McDonald’s roof, a Tiffany’s robin

blue box or Marlboro’s cowboy.

I call my theory Smash Your Brand

– a theory, which simply aims to move

on from the logo – and begin to have

what I call “Smashable” components.

A color, a shape, a sound, a smell –

you name it – indirect signals which

all tell a story about the brand –

without having to show the logo. So

why is this so much better – because

you bring the consumer with you on a

journey – you engage the consumer

in fi guring out who’s behind the

message – and most importantly you

talk to the subconscious mind. The

logo is not yet dead but I would claim

that its days are numbered – the fact

of the matter is that the battle ground

is no longer to take place in our

conscious mind – instead the true

decision making process will happen

at a level in our brain which, until

recently, was impossible to reach –

thanks to the marriage of science with

marketing we’ve now fi nally begun to

understand what our true Buyology is

all about.

A color, a shape, a sound, a smell – you name it – indirect signals which all tell a story about the brand – without having to show the logo.

26 Brilliant Results | July 2009 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.comwww.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

When I was young my parents told

me to study hard, I would sit at my desk

with a pile of books on one side, an

open workbook in front of me. When

my parents would peak into my room

they would say ”It’s nice to see you so

busy.” That’s optics.

Making decisions based on optics

alone can catch up with you sooner

or later resulting in bad grades, failed

campaigns and lost opportunities.

One of the concerns that many

marketers face in these troubled times

is a reduction in marketing budgets.

The knee jerk reaction is to chop the

number of shows and events. Other

marketers are reluctant to reduce

their face-to-face marketing exposure,

continue their program, albeit with a

reduced budget, for fear of creating

a negative impression on potential

buyers.

During the past few years there

has been much talk about the value

of face-to-face marketing. Industry

experts, including myself, have detailed

the process that will help exhibitors

calculate a return on investment and

return on objectives. Yet, surprisingly

few have adopted this basic business

tenet and integrated the practice into

their exhibit plans. Some opt out

when they learn that their efforts have

not been as good as they would have

imagined, other stay because they

are led by the mistaken idea that the

calculation of results are only for those

who sell products.

If more marketers would take the

time to calculate their results, they

would have the crucial answer on the

return of their exhibiting investment.

But the issue of optics involves one

more criteria. You also have to look

at the cost of not exhibiting. This

may seem a more diffi cult number to

calculate, but there is enough industry

data around to help. For example the

CEIR recently (Spring 2009) found that

the cost of obtaining a high value lead

at an exhibit was about half the cost of

obtaining a similar lead without a trade

show. The cost of an initial visit with a

high quality contact was about a fi fth of

the cost when compared to non-show

activity.

Statistics like these and the many

more that are available point to a

clear value for maintaining an exhibit

program. however, what about

those non-monetary values such as

reinforcing a brand or gaining market

share. Similar studies provide evidence

that there are defi nite values in these

non-monetary goals. In a recent

CEIR’s census, a survey of exhibitors

found the following:

With these numbers in mind the

issue of optics comes into play. When

you withdraw your support for your

face-to-face program you run the risk of

losing the direct advantage you sought

by choosing to be there in the fi rst

place but of equal importance is that

you also create a negative impression

in your customer and industry’s eyes

that can be irreparable. Even if you

can’t justify your show participation

by new contacts or orders written it is

important to let the rest of the world

know that you are not hurting. Stay

visible even if you participate in a

show with less space. however, don’t

shortchange your overall look and feel

of your display just to be there. Stay

visible in a smaller space but maintain

the optics of success. At the end of the

day your investment is sure to reap

rewards.

WRITER BARRY SISKIND

exhibit

Marketing Optics Can Cloak Reality

eXHibitiOns increase cOrPOrate anD/Or branD recOGnitiOn

67% aGree Or strOnGly aGree

eXHibitiOns assist in GaininG/retaininG Market sHare

67% aGree Or strOnGly aGree

SOURCE: CEIR, THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF EXHIBITION PARTICIPATION, SPRING 2009.


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Why do some people seem to

have the desirable ability to get things

done—to get results—while others

seem to continually spin their wheels?

I believe that the results getters

have three common qualities or traits:

great self-talk, great alliances, and

great ability. The complexity of these

three traits is part of the mix.

1. Great self-talk is driven by a number of factors

including; personal experiences both

positive and negative, environment,

personal goals, the prices that one is

willing to pay for their success, personal

desire to continually improve, minimal

concern for what others say about

them, and a host of other elements.

Together, these factors create in a

person something that most of us

would identify as passion.

The much talked about issue is

if passion can be taught or

acquired; or does it

have to be

innate? Many believe one has to be

born with passion. I, to the contrary,

do not believe this. There are too many

negative examples today of religious

fanatics that became passionate about

their cause after their conversion, or

perhaps better stated: indoctrination.

This is proof to me that passion can be

taught or learned.

If you, or your employees, are

not enjoying the results you need or

desire; positive self-talk is the first step

toward results.

2. Great alliances appear in many forms: camaraderie,

friendship, partnership, networks,

collaborative activities, masterminds

groups, and mentorships, depending

on the situation. The relationships you,

and your employees, enjoy will affect

your self-talk and also your abilities.

Great alliance relationships are the

glue between the first and third steps

to results.

Building great relationships comes

natural to some people, however it is

a skill that can be taught and learned.

Organizations that adopt

partnering as a key

strategy for

growth must learn the skills to develop

and implement profitable alliances.

The same goes for results driven

individuals.

3. Great ability is more than the sum of one’s God

given talents. Ability is the collective

body of your knowledge, skills,

experiences and talent synthesized

through your self-talk. The relationships

you build greatly affect your ability.

One’s abilities come from their

empirical knowledge and experiences.

Few people knew how to drive a car

upon leaving the womb. Similarly, few

people knew how to effectively run

multi-billion dollar companies when

they were in third grade. These skills

were taught to them. Ability comes

from the gained knowledge and skills

garnered from relationships with

others—paid or reciprocal, or through

trial and error. Trial and error is costly

and time consuming.

What does this mean to you?

you want results? What do you care

about? You can have results; if you are

willing to change your self-talk, build

better relationships and learn from the

people that currently embody the skills

you need. Volumes of books have

been written to explain the above, yet

it is as simple as 1—2—3.

strategies

WRITER ED RIGSBEE CSP

Business Is About Results, Not Excuses!


Free Product InformationFor free product information from these suppliers, please complete and mail this page to:

Brilliant Results Magazine, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown, PA 17036or fax to (717) 566-5431

Please circle items of interest.

Name Title

Company Industry

Address City State Zip

Phone Fax E-mail

Ad Index July 2009 Supplier ........................................................................ Page No.

3M ® ..........................................................................................................Back Cover

Aprons, Etc. ............................................................................................................. 29

Brilliant Publishing ...................................................................................................... 7

Display Solutions by Aprons, Etc ............................................................................. 29

GROLINE ................................................................................................13, 15, 23, 27

Hallmark Insights .................................................................................................11,29

MagiCubes ................................................................................................................. 3

Packntote ................................................................................................................. 29

PromoBiz USA ......................................................................................................... 29

USB Widgets ............................................................................................................. 5

Warwick Publishing .........................................................................................IFC, IBC

July

advertiser’sindex


Last word

Q&A WITH BR

LAST WORD: At a recent trade

show, members of the Brilliant Results

staff saw a ‘wow’ product that caught

their eye. Because this is an item that

we felt would have significant ‘young

thinkers’ appeal, we decided to follow

up with the manufacturer to find out

more about this ‘flashy’ new item.

Rich Butler is President and Co-

founder of US Branding Group, LLC.

he has been engaged in the Promo-

tional Products Industry for over 20

years and has been a leading supplier

and innovator of unique promotional

product initiatives. Brilliant Results

recently had the opportunity to ask

Rich some questions about this inno-

vative, new promotional product.

BR: Please tell our readers a little

bit about U.S. Branding Group LLC?

RB: U.S. Branding Group, LLC

(d/b/a The USB Group) is a leading

designer, supplier, manufacturer, inno-

vator and importer of unique technol-

ogy driven, custom branded products

for the promotional products, licensing

and retail industries.

The company is comprised of

unique, separate divisions, each with

its own goals, objectives and targeted

market strategies. Clearly, our Thread-

Lites™ - Illuminated Branded Apparel

initiative has been creating the most

buzz since our official launch in Atlan-

tic City in early June.

U.S. Branding Group, LLC has

recently signed a multi-year exclu-

sive agreement with Luminous Media

Optoelectronics, Ltd., Zhuhai, China,

to handle sales and marketing of elec-

troluminescent custom branded pro-

motional and retail products for North

America. Luminous Media Optoelec-

tronics Ltd. is the world leader and

pioneer in electroluminescent technol-

ogies. Their innovative, award-winning

electroluminescent products are re-in-

venting the advertising, billboard, point

of sale (POS) and promotional prod-

ucts and retail industries.

BR: What distinguishes Thread-

Lites™ and TechnoThreads™ from

other promotional products?

RB: ThreadLites™ Illuminated

Branded Apparel simply represents

the next big thing in branded outer-

wear. ThreadLites™ is the trade-

marked name given to the garments

that we manufacture that have the light

flashing technology integrated into the

garment to allow designs or text to

flash on the outer area in a predeter-

mined pattern.

Electroluminescent (EL) light

sources provide bright uniform light

over a large area and are extremely

thin. A ‘light-up’ or ‘animated’ t-shirt

is an ordinary t-shirt enhanced with a

graphic illuminating electrolumines-

cent (EL) panel. While glow-in-the-

dark apparel and apparel utilizing LED

or fiber optic displays have long been

popular novelty items, ThreadLites™

with electroluminescent displays are a

recent innovation.

ThreadLites™ allows any pattern,

graphic or text, to be illuminated and/

or flashed on any garment. Due to

its thinness it is more flexible, there-

fore it is more durable, lighter and less

bulky than other illuminated garments

that need to use LED’s, fiber optics, or

actual lamps. ThreadLites™ also has

an incredible advantage over the tra-

ditional and some would say outdated

‘glow-in-the-dark’ printed apparel or

clothing printed in day-glow colors

which offer no animated motion.

The unique characteristics of elec-

tro luminescent light-up technol-

ogy make ThREADLITES™ light-up

t-shirts a versatile and unique alterna-

tive to traditional light-up methods and

represent an exciting new wave in pro-

motional branded advertising apparel!

Using the same technology and hav-

ing all the advantages of Thread-

Lites™, TechnoThreadZ™ adapts any

logo to the form of a graphic equal-

izer. Using sound activation, Techno-

Threadz™ responds to audio and bass

sounds, pumping, pulsating and flash-

ing brightly along with the beat!

There is simply no better “wow

factor” advertising medium available

today! You’ve got to see it to believe it!

BR: Are there any other

ThreadLites™ products avail-

able for promotional, retail brand-

ing and licensing opportunities?

RB: Yes, we are currently

developing a line of headLites”™

Caps with EL panels, “BagLites™”

Backpacks, fanny packs and tote

Bags with EL panels, and “Plush-

Lites™”, plush toys with EL panels.


BR: Generally distributors repre-

sent suppliers to the end-user; how-

ever many Brilliant Results’ readers

are end-users. What would you like

to say about your products and ser-

vices to end-users, i.e. matching PMS

colors, logos, cost parameters, turn

around time, etc?

RB: Utilizing state-of-the-art

electroluminescence (EL) technology,

and after many years of research and

development, custom designed, cus-

tom logoed and custom branded illu-

minated Tee Shirts and Caps are now

available for North American promo-

tional product distributors, licensees

and retailers under the ThreadLites™,

headLites™ and TechnoThreadZ™

brands, exclusively through The USB

Group, LLC. EL plush toys, sewn

bags and other soft goods utilizing

the same technology are expected to

be introduced later this year.

ThreadLites™ and headLites™

(fl ashing and animated patterned

illuminated design) and Techno-

Threadz™ (with sound activated

equalizer) are ideal for both custom

branded retail programs as well as

promotional advertising campaigns

across a broad spectrum of market-

ing possibilities.

BR: On a personal side

what are your favorite activities,

social networks, books, etc?

RB: Married 25 years to Arlene, I

enjoy boating, traveling, networking on

Facebook and Linkedin, and spending

time with my three children (including

12 year old twins), and ideating “the

next big thing” in promotional and cus-

tom branded product marketing.

During our interview, Rich could

hardly contain his excitement and

enthusiasm. According to Rich, “We

expect this to be the hottest product

launch in years now corporate clients

can show their brand in a whole new

light with our innovative illuminated

branded products.” With full digital

color printing capability, he believes that

illuminated EL products, especially on

apparel, represent the next big thing in

both the branded retail and custom pro-

motional products markets. As Rich

says, “These products are perfectly

suited for just about any brand that

wants to shine in the spotlight. Con-

certs, entertainment, sports teams, Uni-

versities, nightclubs, liquor companies,

the list of potential applications for this

unique technology is endless”.

color printing capability, he believes that

illuminated EL products, especially on

apparel, represent the next big thing in

both the branded retail and custom pro-

motional products markets. As Rich

says, “These products are perfectly

suited for just about any brand that

wants to shine in the spotlight. Con-





Threadz™ (with sound activated

equalizer) are ideal for both custom

branded retail programs as well as

promotional advertising campaigns

across a broad spectrum of market-










off the cuff

Education's purpose is to replacean empty mind with an open one.

-MALCOLM S. FORBES

In education it isn't how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know.

It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.

It's knowing where to go to fi nd out what you need to know and it's knowing how to use the information you get.

-WILLIAM FEATHER

Information cannot replace education. -EARL KIOLE

It is possible to store the mind with a million factsand still be entirely uneducated.

-ALEC BOURNE

The Top 10 Most Irritating Phrases The researchers who compiled this list monitored the use of phrases in a database called the Oxford University Corpus, which comprises books, papers, magazines, broadcast, the Internet and other sources.

1. At the end of the day.2. Fairly unique3. I personally4. At this moment in time5. With all due respect6. Absolutely7. It’s a nightmare8. Shouldn’t of9. 24/710. It’s not rocket science

While it didn’t make the list we are really tired of hearing ‘It’s been a journey’

Top 10 phrases courtesy of Solutions Marketing and Consulting www.solutionsmc.net.


3M, P

ost-

it an

d th

e co

lor C

anar

y Ye

llow

are

trad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. ©3M

200

9.

For more information, please contact your 3M Promotional Products Distributor. 1-877-863-6961 or visit www.3M.com/promote

The Brand you trust. The Brand you rely on to get your message across.

Sheet after sheet, impression after impression, put your message on a Post-it® Note and get noticed everyday!

For more information, please contact your 3M Promotional Products Distributor. 1-877-863-6961 or visit www.3M.com/promote

Documents

BR July 2009 Issuu