Most branded merchandise doesn’t end up in the trash.

In fact, people tend to hold onto useful branded items far longer than many marketers realize. That’s one of the reasons branded merchandise continues to be such an effective way to keep a company visible long after an event, campaign, or purchase.

The key isn’t simply putting a logo on something. It’s choosing an item that people genuinely find useful.

A good reminder that the best marketing often sticks around longer than we think.

 

Turns out colour matching is a lot more emotional than people think.

That’s why Pantone numbers matter.

If your brand colours aren’t specified properly, one supplier’s “red” can become another supplier’s “slightly angry tomato soup.”

Pantone gives printers, apparel decorators, sign companies, and promotional product suppliers a universal colour language so your branding stays consistent across everything you produce.

Because consistency builds recognition.

And recognition builds trust.

Proud to share that I’ve now earned my MAS (Master Advertising Specialist) designation through PPAI.
The program covers a wide range of advanced topics within the promotional products industry and builds on the CAS designation I recently completed.
While I moved through the coursework quickly, that really speaks to the benefit of having more than 20 years of hands-on experience in the industry. Much of the material reflected real-world situations, client challenges, and solutions I’ve worked through throughout my career.
For me, this wasn’t about collecting letters after my name. It was about reinforcing that experience with continued professional development and industry-recognized accreditation.
Always learning. Always evolving.

Most recruitment campaigns at trade shows look the same.
Booth. Banner. Brochures.
And then everyone wonders why nothing stands out.
I worked with an Ontario government agency that needed to recruit nurses in the GTA.
The mandate was simple:
Get attention.
Drive interest.
And most importantly, track results.
So instead of handing out another flyer…
We handed out fortune cookies.
Custom made. Individually wrapped.
Inside each one was a message, their logo, and a dedicated email address created specifically for that event.
That was the key.
Not just creative… measurable.
If someone followed up, they knew exactly where it came from.
No guessing. No “we think it worked.”
After the show at the Toronto Convention Centre, I checked in a couple of weeks later.
They were overwhelmed with responses.
And every single one tied back to that one simple idea.
Low cost.
High impact.
Fully trackable.
That’s the difference between showing up at a trade show…
…and actually making it work.

Most workplace incentives fail for one reason:

They feel like… work.

A few years back, I worked with a call centre with more than 1,000 employees.

They wanted to boost performance around a specific internal goal, but more importantly, they wanted people to actually care.

So instead of:
“Hit this target, get this reward…”

…we built anticipation.

Every time someone hit the goal, they earned a scratch-and-win card.

Simple.
Instant.
Fun.

Each card revealed a prize, from smaller giveaways all the way up to bigger rewards.

We even had posters around the office showing what people could win.

Suddenly, it wasn’t just about hitting a target anymore.

It became a game.

Energy went up.
Participation went up.
People started talking about it on the floor.

And the results?

Strong enough that what started in one Ontario office eventually rolled out nationally.

Same company.
Same people.
Different approach.

That’s the difference between handing out rewards…

…and creating something people actually want to be part of. 

Most people think promotional products means pens and mugs.

It doesn’t.

I came across a list of the top 100 categories in our industry, and it was a good reminder of how much gets overlooked.

Here are just a few:

Apparel, bags, drinkware, tech
coolers, blankets, socks, sunglasses
lip balm, hand sanitizer, first aid kits
flash drives, speakers, chargers
tents, banners, table covers
games, toys, candy
golf tools, measuring tapes
candles, organizers, even sunscreen and bottled water

The product isn’t the starting point.

The situation is.

Who is it for?
What’s the setting?
What do you want it to do?

A golf tournament, a job fair, a staff thank-you, a community event… those should all lead to completely different choices.

That’s how you stop handing out items and start using products that actually work. 

Most milestone gifts are forgettable.
Year one? Something small.
Year five? A bit better.
Year 10? Now it should mean something.
15, 20, 25 years? That’s where it really matters.
But too often, it all feels the same.
That’s not recognition. That’s routine.
If you want milestone gifts to actually land, you need a bit more thought behind them.
Start with the person.
Not everyone wants the same thing. Some people want something they can use every day. Some want something they can display. Some would rather have an experience.
Then build it over time.
A proper tiered approach gives each milestone more weight. If every year looks the same, nothing stands out.
And yes, your logo can be on it, but that’s not the reason it works.
If the logo is doing all the heavy lifting, you’ve missed the point.
The goal isn’t to give a gift.
It’s to recognize someone in a way that actually means something.
Because the right gift gets used, kept, or talked about.
And that’s what people remember.