This Veterans Day, take the time to say thank-you to a veteran who has served America. A simple gesture such as a thank-you card or flowers means a lot to those who have fought for the country’s causes. Today is also a good opportunity to teach our children about the significance of the holiday for them to appreciate the sacrifices that others have made to uphold liberty. Show some pride with these patriotic giveaways today and every day of the year.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. Have you thought of a good recipe to make sure your customers remember you on this special holiday? If you haven’t, better hurry now because time is running out.

These promotional kitchen aids will make sure your loyal patrons remember you while they prepare and enjoy their Thanksgiving feast:

• They say too many cooks spoil the broth, so leave the cooking to the one running the kitchen. Promotional kitchen mitts and customized potholders will make sure all the cooking doesn’t burn them.
• Can’t take the heat in the kitchen? This one’s a sweet giveaway that will make sure your brand’s visible, every slice it makes.
• Those wanting to go traditional all the way need to get all geared up for the cooking. The Grill Master apron kit comes with an apron, detachable bottle opener, padded oven mitt, and towel to make sure one’s equipped.
• A well-seasoned turkey will be cooked just right when one has this trusty award-winning kitchen timer in the kitchen.

Now that the temperature is starting to dip, there’s another reason to have lip balm within easy reach. More than its cosmetic use, lip balm acts as a moisturizer to relieve dry and chapped lips that are caused by heat, dry air, wind, and extreme cold. So if you’re looking for a handy giveaway that is quite useful this season, lip balm is one of the cheapest and most effective promotional items you can have for $2 or less.

The lip balm has come a long way since it was first made. The original lip balm was made from a mixture of ear and candle wax–quite unpalatable. Thankfully, the ones available now come in attractive–and edible–flavors, from fruit to coffee.

If you’re clueless about what lip balm to choose for your next event, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• Flavor. Turn prospects into fans with the right flavor. Guys generally don’t care about how lip balm tastes so peppermint-flavored lip balm is a safe choice. Impress your female recipients with this promotional lip balm, which comes in vanilla and orange flavors.
• Portability. A lip balm that one can wear around the neck is perfect for physically active people such as mountaineers and campers who would need moisturizers within easy reach. This model will surely bring your brand to new heights! On the other hand, the Surf ‘n Ski lip balm comes with a carabiner clip that attaches to belt loops and backpacks.
• Sun protection. SPF, or sun protection factor, refers to a product’s ability to block the sun’s rays. An SPF 15 lip balm is good for days when one gets minimal sun exposure, but when one’s at the beach or playing outdoor sports, something with SPF 30 and higher is required. Know your recipients’ needs so you can decide on what type of lip balm to purchase.

Less than two months and 2010 will be rolling in. Have you put in your orders for promotional calendars yet?

Calendars are one of the most inexpensive yet effective ways to build brand recall. The cheapest mini calendars are available for a little over five cents, while the desktop calendar that’s  great for office workers starts at one dollar.

And how far that one dollar goes! Because people look at their calendars every day, that’s 365 days of exposure for your brand–at a little over a dollar!

If you haven’t decided  on what promotional calendar to get, here’s a buying guide to help you decide:

• Conspicuous. Mini calendars that one can place on top of a computer monitor will ensure that desk-bound recipients will always see your name and number. Some of the cheapest cost at least $0.10. Savings tip: Buy in bulk and you can get them for a dime each.
• Small and lightweight. Pocket calendars that are about the size of a credit card are cheap and perfect as handouts for shoppers, pedestrians, and trade show guests.
• Large and noticeable. Wall calendars will cost you a little more than a dollar, but they’re ideal gifts for offices and homes, where people will post them in a conspicuous spot for everyone to see. Choose from a range of themes for every industry or company: muscle cars, American landmarks,  Mexico images (for your Latino market), and safety.
• Personal and intimate. For a more personalized giveaway, choose this desktop calendar in a CD jewel case. Recipients will be proud enough to display it at their stations or homes. Monthly tips for a stress-free life make this product a winner.
• Organizing aid. Calendars are of no use if you don’t have a planner to jot down lists, plans, and schedules. Make organizing a breeze by giving out planners that come in all sizes.

It’s not every day that you get to receive a stuffed animal from a company, so I was quite impressed with how Illinois-based K-Patents utilized an adorable-looking teddy bear for one of its trade shows.

The company, which manufactures measuring instruments for liquid chemicals, wanted to emphasize the importance of always getting the right blend of chemicals. Its tagline, “Rest easy with K-Patents,” fit the teddy bear to a tee. We heard it was a success in their last trade show. (Another company also got a positive reaction from customers by giving out stuffed monkeys.)

Giving plush toys can help change your customers’ impression of your brand. Customers will see a gentler side to your business. It may even enhance consumer trust in your company.

Here are other ways to use promotional plush toys:

• Sell teddy bears to raise funds for a charity that’s focused on children. It may be an orphanage or an organization that fights for children’s rights.
• Thank children’s charity donors by giving each of them a teddy bear to take home.
• If your organization is working on seeking sponsors for children in impoverished countries, you can order personalized teddy bears that carry each child’s name to symbolically represent each child you’re helping. A sponsor can take home each teddy bear as a reminder of the child he or she helped to feed or send to school.
• Museums and theme parks  can earn some profit by selling personalized plush animals with their logo as souvenirs.
• Manufacturers of laundry detergents or infant products can emphasize that they’re baby friendly by giving out child-safe plush toys.

One of the easiest ways to get your brand in front of customers is by adding your logo to promotional desk clocks. This ensures that your logo is the first thing people see when they wake up—and the last thing they see before they fall asleep.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the different types of promotional desk clocks available online. Narrow down your choices by keeping these three promotional tips in mind:

• Buy good-quality promotional desk clocks. Such an investment will make sure your logo is around for years to come, helping you build brand recall and giving you more than your money’s worth.
• Choose multifunction promotional desk clocks such as those that come with photo frames and thermometers. Such features increase the value of your gift, which recipients are more likely to keep.
• Explore various designs and colors. The promotional desk clock you choose will be your brand’s ambassador, so select a design that will attract attention. Color-changing promotional mood clocks will be quite a hit with your recipients and are sure to be noticed even when the lights are out.

Thanksgiving is a little more than a month away, so plan your gift giving early to save yourself the stress. Here are a few Thanksgiving suggestions so you can buy your giveaways early and enjoy the holiday:

• Be present at every dinner table across America this Thanksgiving by giving loyal customers promotional wine with your brand name on the label.
• Say thank-you in so many ways, in various language with this photo frame, which is embossed and debossed with “thank you” in various languages.
• With winter just around the corner, this season is the best time to give out winter-themed items, such as this luxurious lambswool muffler, which is as useful as it is fashionable. Having your logo embroidered on it will assure your presence every winter.
• Gadget-loving homemakers will appreciate this kitchen wonder and are sure to come up with a more delectable Thanksgiving feast.

It’s true: There are fly-by-night e-commerce sites that don’t deliver as promised, giving others a bad rep. How, then, do you pick out the bad apples from the good ones?

Aside from reading the product reviews, you can be a more involved promotional items buyer by calling your account manager and asking for a sample. (What, you didn’t think that was possible?)

It’s easy to be misled by what you see on the Internet, so the best way to judge the quality of an item is getting an actual sample of it, which you can get for free.

See a sample before you buy. Call 877-BRANDERS and ask for one now.

Well, according to this recent study, prenatal exposure to Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, a chemical found in most polycarbonate water bottles, makes girls aggressive. Previous studies have also claimed that exposure to BPA slows down synapses, which, if proven true, will explain why some of us are a little, uh, slow and on the chubby side. (Does this mean we should let mean people get off the hook?)

While these claims need stronger proof to back them up, I think it’s but wise to be on the safe side and make sure your sports bottle is BPA free. (Doesn’t hurt to be safe. Ask your mom.)

So the next time you call your Branders rep to order some logo-imprinted sports bottles for your next promotion, make sure you ask for the BPA-free ones.

Check out our BPA-free drinkware selection

What does your brand or organization have in the pipeline to celebrate breast cancer awareness month this October?

Breast cancer is a serious topic–it hits males and females, young and old–but an awareness event doesn’t need to be all stiff, somber, and sentimental.

Here are three ways to make Breast Cancer Awareness month more fun for everyone:

• Host a cookoff. One of the more enjoyable breast cancer events I attended organized a cookoff pitting journalists against breast cancer survivors. Unlike the usual seminar-type event, this one was fun because we got our hands dirty in the kitchen. At the end of the day, we left with these pink promotional aprons and some knowledge on how to cook healthy meals to minimize the risk of cancer.
• Organize a fun run to raise community awareness. Send participants home with personalized pink T-shirts to thank participants for their support. This one was an edgy but effective way to bring the message across.
• Do a fund-raiser. Help your local cancer group raise funds by selling homemade pink cupcakes or customized pink totes.

Find more cancer awareness items here.