Promotion, Branding & Marketing

We all do it. We get caught up in the rush of too much to do, too little time and OMG I just need to buy this right now because I have too much other stuff to do. Now that there's a lull, you might have time to work out - and plan - how not to do it all again next holidays, starting with kids wristbands. Here's our tips: Write down everyone you just gave a gift to, and what you gave. (Include teachers, the postie, whatever.) List a budget for each and start buying those same gifts now, during sales, and when items are discounted. Set them aside in a big storage box. Decorations. Buy next year's now, when they're half price. Continue reading →

The most fun about Christmas and the holiday season is the memories you give your kids.  Dressing the tree, the big deal meal on the day itself and maybe the other traditions and events you create yourself which become your holiday season ideas repertoire. Cheap & Easy Holiday Season Ideas How about making a gingerbread house for Christmas with the kids? They'll love the drama of it all, it's not actually that hard and hey presto, you've created a brand new tradition in your house and built something really tasty to treat the relatives with into the bargain. Here's how the folk at epicurious do it (easy to follow recipe - don't worry!)  Are you still quivering with horror at what to buy various people for Christmas and the new year period? How about a foodie centred spree? Guessing what decorative items people want or need is next to impossible; letting them discover some brand new taste is wonderful!   Here are some ideas on how to do it and what to get. Of course, the holiday season is all about parties Continue reading →

The theory of touch points in advertising and business marketing has been around for some time. McKinsey & Company have defined it with the use of the 'funnel' metaphor whereby consumers start with a large range of product choices at the big end of the funnel and gradually refine that selection to end up at the narrow end with the purchase decision.   Continue reading →

Running a business, a not-for-profit group, an event or even the local school is a constant juggle between budgets, awareness and how best to spend your marketing energy. Maybe the secret is to understand how others use a promotional tool like Handband's silicone bracelets? The Willoughby Community preschool  use them as an assist to staff to remind them that a child in their care may have an allergy or potentially prone to anaphylactic shock. They're unobtrusive and the ability to print  a specific message on the silicone bracelets was crucial in their choice. Continue reading →

So you run a small business and you're busy, right? Yup, well  the busy-ness isn't going to go away anytime soon, so maybe there are some smart apps out there to increase your productivity. Indeed there are: 1. Evernote is just... brilliant. Register it on your phone, your ipad and your pc and you're away, clipping content, making notes and setting reminders and having them all synch to each other. 2. Dropbox makes the cloud work for you. Store your big files here and access them anytime, from anywhere. Build a presentation at home, fine tune it at the office and present it across the country - no more dodgy flash drives, no more compatibility issues. Continue reading →