Advertise? Why Bother!

People are constantly telling me that they have to cut back as business is slow and the one thing they always cut first is advertising. Cutting back (or eliminating) your advertising budget when business is slow is certainly the easiest thing to do, but it isn’t the right thing to do.

Advertising is not something you dabble in when things are good it should be a constant that you do throughout all of the ups and downs in the marketplace. Your advertising dollar is not what is left over after you’ve paid your “important” bills; it “is” one of your important bills.

You have to constantly tell your clients and the people you want to be your clients that you are still here and ready to do business with them. You need to be shouting from the roof tops that you are here.

I read recently that businesses should be spending between 3% and 5% of their gross sales on advertising. If you are not perhaps you should reexamine your advertising strategy. You can’t afford to stop advertising now.

Remember, this is part of “Branding” your business and “Promotional Products, help you Brand ‘YOUR’ business”.

Please feel free to call me to discuss different promotional ideas for your business.

Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Promotional Products for the Summer

Summer in the Okanagan; “The Heat is ON”. The summer conjures up lots of things for me, vacations, camping trips, boating, biking, barbeques, swimming in Okanagan Lake and spending quality time with my “new” Granddaughter. (Her Mom and Dad too). Summer should be all about long days in the sun and short days in the office. Golfing also comes to mind. The last thing we want to think about is work…..unfortunately, the vast majority of has still have to!

How do we make the most of the summer when it comes to an effective Promotional Product to give away at the next picnic, a trade show or meeting? Remember although the season has changed the game has not. Don’t fight the summer, use the season to your promotional advantage.

Give Promotional Products your clients and prospects will use. We all want to beat the heat in the Okanagan so why not give logoed lip bam or sun tan lotion or screen, fans or the all around baseball cap is always popular. By giving your clients an item that protects them from the sun or keeps them cool on a hot day is remembered while they are out on the water or golf course.

It doesn’t pay to give away the usual items that we give the rest of the year planners and desk accessories may not work for you at this time of year, save these for late September or October. Try to keep it fun and light, this is the time of year golf balls, golf apparel and almost anything related to golf are welcomed.
Remembering that at this time of year people just want to stay cool and have fun and giving the right Promotional item will help you “Brand” yourself at this time of year and help you stay remembered.
Please feel free to call me to discuss different promotiional ideas for your business.

Falkins Advertising Specialties
“Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business”
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Wow! Go Canada Go!

I can’t believe the Olympics are over, I think I’m going through Olympic withdrawal now that I can’t turn to it when I get home. We have lots to be proud of, 14 Gold medals, the all time high for a country in the Winter Olympics, plus Gold in the hockey. Our athletes win or lose really did us proud!

Back to the business of Promotion! The Olympics showed us just how valuable branding is. Everywhere you looked in Vancouver you saw a sea of red and white, our country looked wonderfully patriotic.

We can accomplish the same thing in our businesses, perhaps not on the same scale but whenever we are in our place of business, in a trade show, or attend a sales meeting or even go to the mall, if we are showing our corporate logos, we our showing ourselves at our best.

This doesn’t just apply to clothing. Mugs, pens, fridge magnets, lip balm, desk accessories etc. etc. These all allow us to show off our businesses.

Now is the time to start thinking about what we will be handing out or wearing to promote our brands this spring and summer, so please call at any time to discuss your Promotional or branding needs.

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Soles4Souls Canada - 25,000 Shoes 25 Days

I’m proud to announce that Falkins Advertising Specialties will be supporting Roy’s Shoes as they raise 25,000 shoes in 25 days. This is a worthy cause and I recommend all clients and friends to clean out your closets and help Roy’s, changing the world, on pair at a time.

February 24th to Saturday March 20th

Our goal is to collect 25,000 pairs of shoes in 25 days.

Local Okanagan social agencies as example; The Food Bank Store, Kelowna Gospel Mission, Now Canada, Kelowna’s Women’s Shelter etc. will all be offered footwear for their clients.

The remaining shoes will be shipped to the Soles4Souls distribution Center in Nevada where they will be sorted and shipped to where needed. Presently they have committed over 1 million pairs to Haiti.

Drop off locations

All Capri Insurance Locations: Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Pentiction
Roy’s Shoes
Ramada Hotel  Kelowna
Capital News
Astral Media - Sun Fm - 1150 Radio - Silk FM
Best Western Vernon Lodge
Penticton Lake Side Resort
OK Pizza
Wickerland Patio and Home
Spy vs Spy - The Spy Store

A $5.00 donation buys 2 pairs of NEW SANDALS

WE NEED YOU TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS
Estimates are that every person has 3 or 4 pairs at least in their closet that are not worn any more but still in good shape. We ask that you clean out your closets but convince your friends, neighbors and relatives to do the same. We ask that the shoes have no holes in the soles and in decent shape. All footwear including sandals and boots are accepted and needed.

It is also the GREEN thing to do. There are tons of discarded footwear in the landfills that when break down the toxic glue that holds our shoes together can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.

For more information call Jim Belshaw Roy’s Shoes
1627 Ellis St. Kelowna PBC 250-763-5696 cell 250-870-1191

Jim Belshaw
Roy’s Shoes Boots and Repair
1627 Ellis Street, Kelowna, V1Y2A8
250-763-5696
roysshoes@shaw.ca
http://www.roysshoes.com/
http://www.soles4soulscanada.com/



Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com

Promotional Products Kelowna - YouTube Video

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
www.falkinsadvertising.com

How do we create a Client Base?

Management guru Peter Drucker once observed that “the purpose of a business is to create a customer.” Did you notice that he didn’t say the purpose is to create a sale, or close a deal, he said “create a customer”.

I think, he is saying that a sale is a one off, but a customer (or client) is someone who will by or deal with us over and over again. When we create clients, rather than just sales, our whole approach changes. Everything we say should build value, customer satisfaction and customer service after the sale will become paramount, and the entire experience becomes so much more memorable for the clients we create.

How much time do you spend creating new clients? Most business people will say “not enough”. Yet creating new clients is what we live on.

What type of client do you create? Are you creating big money, high margin clients who understand the value you provide? Or are you creating poor quality, rush job clients who want cheap, cheap, cheap? These questions will help you determine success or failure.

Good clients help you build a successful business!

We work with large to mid size business throughout the Okanagan Valley specifically those clients who want to market effectively, increase brand awareness and promote their business.

What our clients have found is that by utilizing Promotional Products we can increase brand awareness in a very cost effective way.

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Corporate gift giving In Kelowna and the Okanagan

Are you planning on giving customers or staff a thank-you gift? Are you asking these questions, “what should we get, how much should we spend and what do we give”? When done correctly you are showing your clients that you really value their business, also as a staff gift they are a wonderful moral booster.

It is common to see corporate gifts handed out around Christmas or special occasions, but this doesn’t have to be the only time you give corporate gifts. Giving clients a gift as thanks for their loyalty and continued support is always appreciated. Also, you can create an employee incentive program to help increase sale.

You should also decide who gets what gift. Customers should not necessarily receive the same gift as you would give to an employee. If you are giving clothing try to give at least a different colour or style to differentiate the two. It’s also a bad idea to give too personal a gift as you may offend someone.

Be careful as to what you purchase, don’t make it too expensive or trendy because are you going to have to top it next year!

It’s also a good idea not to wait until the last minute, you can get into so much trouble if items are out of stock or out of a colour or size, remember most items take two to three weeks so its best to try to avoid last minute decisions. Planning ahead will give you peace of mind and your corporate gift will be appreciated by everyone.

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Promo Antibacterial Products, Promotional Hand Sanitizers, Custom Sanitizer

Today I got my H1N1 shot and I started to think about getting the word out about Promotional Hand Sanitizers. Like everyone else these days we are concerned with transfer of germs and the H1N1 virus, it seems this is on the news every night.

When you want to ensure a happy and healthy environment for everyone around you, why not consider using a promotional antibacterial product. Every day we come in to contact with harmful germs. When you give out a promotional hand sanitizer you help promote a healthy lifestyle. I think that everyone who receives these great healthcare promotional items will be impressed with your thoughtfulness. They will also give this to other people as well, which will help spread your name and logo around the community.

Why not use hand sanitizer as part of your next Promotional Campaign? We can put your logo and advertising message on the bottle, but even more important, you are presenting a gift that will be appreciated by the recipient. Hand sanitizers come in 1oz. and 2oz. bottles as well as spray containers and start at about $2.00 per item.

Hand sanitizers meet a current need and you can offer an answer to this need with a very worthwhile gift. I feel that this Promotional Product has a high perceived value and is something that will be appreciated and will be used regularly.

During this H1N1 season, handing out a logoed hand sanitizer will show that your company is; current and caring, up to date and in the know and able to meet the needs of its clients and employees.

This is probably one of the best ways to “Brand” your business and stay topical with what is going on in the world.


Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/