Gemline has long been one of the industry leaders in custom coolers.  This month they have released a series of new products geared towards the budget minded shopper but also looking for a quality promotional cooler.  Starting at the lower end of the cooler spectrum the Catalyst Lunch Cooler has all the benefits of other mainstream corporate coolers but comes in at a lower price and with more colors available.  One of the real limitations in past years has been the fact that most coolers were available in black of blue.  Gemline was one of the first to market with vibrant colors and has continued that this season.   In addition they are one of the first to market kid friendly promotional products that are actually CPSIA certified with PDF certificate files available for download on their site.  Like the earlier model the Laguna Lunch Cooler has the same certifications and is also made from people safe non-PVC lining.  What I like about all of their coolers is the construction which usually involves heat welded seams which hopes to keep the cold in and more importantly melted ice on the inside so your car or house does not end up soaked. 

Gemline has gotten particularly aggressive with the mid-year launch after contracting the number of products heading in 2010.  It is possible we will see more items released as the year goes along.  Unlike some of the other major manufacturers such as Leeds and Bullet Line which continue to suffer from inventory problems Gemline is poised to deliver products in a timely fashion as we cruise into July and August.  When you are comparing coolers and especially coolers that may be given to children the fifty cents you may save on the bargain brand may backfire when your client realizes you saved a few cents and in turn sacrificed their safety.  Giving customers a potentially dangerous cooler does not relay a message of caring about their business.   When looking for your next promotional cooler give Gemline a good long look.

And there are a good amount of new products hitting the market this month.  Leeds a division of Polyconcepts has launched an entire umbrella line.  One of their newer offerings the 41" Classic Folding Umbrella is the very first custom printed umbrella Leeds has ever offered.  This is one of the first major leaps for Polyconcepts into a new market since they launched their technology line several years ago.  The umbrellas are scheduled to arrive in the coming days and as of this point there are no reports of difficulties in transit.  Meanwhile over at Bullet Line which is another division of the same parent company they have expanded their custom caps line.  Do you remember the big foam hats with a mesh back that were so popular thirty years ago?  They are back with a vengeance and the Solid Cotton Twill Trucker Cap is one of the additions to the offering this year.  Almost all of these hats and caps include custom embroidery in up to 7500 stitches which will cover almost all users.  A nice aspect off the foam hat is it presents a large decoration area, almost a billboard for that matter on the front.

It remains to be seen whether or not the big players in the industry will have problems with freight as the year goes along.  We should also be clear on another point.  It is not that the containers are totally unavailable it is that the prices have gone up so much for immediate shipments as they bring capacity back online that some manufacturers are electing to wait it out.   In some ways you cannot blame them if the alternative is shipping products that will eventually result in a loss or diminished profit.  Combined with what were some of the higher fuel prices in the past few years once products arrived in the States there is no choice for some producers but to wait it out.  Several of the major players have taken the time to write to their distributors explaining the shortages and this has gone a long way to repairing relationships and it also helps distributors maintain honest relationships with their end user clients.

As many of you may have read Google has announced that Caffeine is complete.  Like so many others online I have noticed a steady decline in the quality of search results.  One can only hope that in the coming weeks and months they fine tune this new product to bring it up to earlier higher standards.

With the increase in gas prices we will once again see people practicing staycations this year.  You have all heard the term now, instead of expensive trips people are electing to stay local.   This is where the Dunes Outdoor Game Set comes into play as it provides a unique branding opportunity on an item that has already sold out through May.  In fact this multiple piece set has been so popular so far it may well end up in short supply into June.  The true advantage of this type of corporate gift is that it provides a kid friendly summer promotion.   The Laguna Game Set which also is manufactured by Leeds has a slightly higher price tag do to the increased number of game pieces and does include the almost popular chess and checkers.  More importantly both game sets include a kite and beach ball as well as the Velcro paddle toss game.   The toss game is similar to the more extensive paddle ball game you have seen played on beaches for years.  Rather than decorate each piece in order to keep the acquisition costs down the carrying case or backpack is decorated.   This is both convenient and also not nearly as intrusive. 

The problem to date with both of these game sets is stock.  The manufacturer which is owned by Polyconcepts, continues to have severe stock issues partly attributable to the increase in economic activity.  As a result container ships have been delayed and that is resulting in long delays in getting products onto warehouse shelves.  It is still a little surprising that vendors were caught off guard particularly in light of how strong the economy was at the end of 2009 but that is where we stand today.  There are solid signs now that growth is slowing and with the increase in inventory dollars being spent and the subsequently increasing amounts of cargo capacity to and from Asia the favorable news is that stock issues should diminish as the year moves forward.

The title of todays post is a play on words from the show Lost which at this point has me totally confused and lost as to whether or not I even enjoying watching it at this stage.  The ceramic portion comes from excitement that the Promotional Double Wall Ceramic Tumbler has finally begun to show back up on the shelves of industry manufacturers.  It is still a bit of a puzzle as to why these particular tumblers took off in popularity.  Ceramic obvioiusly has the advantage of being a better insulator than less durable materials.  It also has the unfortunate property of being able to break easily  As a result most suppliers will only ship in specific and preset quantities with Hit Promo requiring seventy two piece increments.  This makes sense given the fact that they are packed in 72 piece lots and removing even a few of those pieces would weaken the structure that comprises the shipping container.  Whatever the issue these tumblers were gone in an instant from almost every manufacturer that made them and are only now beginning to return.  Shipping problems with these products getting out of Asia delayed restocking.  Afraid of a repeat performance later in the year we are seeing most of the big players bringing in stock approaching six figures in value which should relieve the shortages.   Hit Promo is leading the way by undercutting the others in ounce capacity which has allowed them to cut their cost and starting price point.

Now back to part two of this entry.  What is going on with Lost?  Tonight appeared to be one of those episodes where they had about twenty minutes of material for a forty minute show.  It brought back memories from the middle years of the show where we would watch and wonder why the show was moving so slowly.  Tonight had all the normal metaphors but very little substance.  I am sure when we are all watching it on the networks years from now on some weekend marathon it will make more sense but it has continued to waiver to the point of being almost difficult to watch.  With only a few episodes left let's hope it comes to a meaningful if not already predictable conclusion.

Please take a minute to read some of our earlier entries such as Keeping the Message Cool and the on topic insulating business growth with ceramics for additional reviews.  We will be adding multiple reviews of new products in the coming days.

That leaves three real possibilities all of which have their advantages.  First a business can elect to not advertise at all.  Obvioiusly this is not the ideal approach to gain market share.  A second option is simply to spend less.  The promotional products market is being dominated right now by products like the Fuzz from Leeds.  A couple of years ago nobody would have even taken a look at this product at the top firms.  They would easily have passed it over for more premium items.  Lint brushes are hardly the giveaway of choice for top executives but they will carry a logo and do it in an economical manner.   Along the same lines the lightbulb keychain has all of the virtues associated with LED type keychains which can provide an end user with safety at night but is affordable and will not be viewed as breaking the bank.    A final approach would be to replace an item used on a dialy basis such as the Leeds Double Wall Ceramic Tumbler which can be used in place of a regular coffee cup.  The advantage of this type of approach is that it serves two purposes, first it reduces the cost to the end user employee or client and actually helps to decrease the amount of trash and second although it is a premium item it does not carry the baggage a high end leather or desk gift might.

Meanwhile the imaginary world our politicians live in continues to provide evidence on a daily basis that the disconnect grows.  Treasury Secretary Geithner indicated on the Sunday talk shows that the economy is growing more rapidly than they expected.  Of course he glossed over the 10% unemployment rate, growing commercial real estate problem and also increasing fuel prices.  These are all factors that are going to continue to impact families and as a result will temper any recovery.  Instead we will be left with a recovery that has fits and starts much like we saw at the end of 2009.  In addition there appears to be no acknowledgement of the shift going on overseas.  Instead of shipping products to the USA we are finding factories overseas are either holding containers or are shipping products elsewhere to economies that are recovering more rapidly than we are domestically. 

To see more of the Leeds product line take a look at Leeds site.  They offer over two thousand promotional products and the number continues to grow each day.

An alternative to buying an item that may be recycled from materials made half way around the planet is to buy a one trip item.  By this we mean an item designed to degrade in the ground.  The Biodegradable BPA Free Sport Bottle not only has the advantage of falling into the eco-friendly category but it does so at a much lower cost to the environment.  Almost all of our current recycled promotional items manufactured by ASI suppliers are of questionable origins.  The underlying first use products such as the water bottle are used domestically before being piled into containers.  These containers often end up being loaded into larger containers before they are shipped to Asia.  At that point they are recycled into new products which are then again shipped back to suppliers throughout the country.   Rather than going through all that trouble and burning all that fuel it makes more sense instead to choose a product that will break down in a landfill at no additional cost to the environment.  This particular bottle is one of the few we have come across that is also BPA free.  Although the debate rages on about BPA there is no sense in having a product that contains it at this stage.

Last week witnessed some mediocre economic news.  There are several reports due out this week that will shed a lot of additional light on how business is going.  In our eyes it is pretty clear though that with job losses still mounting and gas prices also increasing there is little hope for a substantial recovery.   Instead we are in a pattern once again of fits and starts as the economy grows for short periods after intervention from the government only to slow again later.  We will begin daily updates on Monday and look forward to providing additional reviews.

It was only a few years ago that ABC started the nonsense by taking a popular show in NYPD Blue and putting it on a multi-month hiatus only to bring it back after winter ended.  The net result was a loss of audience as viewers got confused or just lost general interest.  It reminded me a lot of what a major soft drink manufacturer tried to do in telling consumers how they wanted to behave.  You will all remember the brightly colored bottles on store shelves that were gradually replaced by the "classic" version of the soda.  NYPD eventually ended up off the air even as some of the greatest episodes were being produced.  That same network continues to ruin shows that if given the chance may well have the success of classics such as Lost.  Instead of working to extend the brand and allow consumers to get into an established pattern of consumption they continue attempt to tell us how we want to view their product.  Anywhere north of about the 38th parallel is busy shoveling or being cold in December and January.  It is a great time of the year to cuddle up by a fire or with your family and watch television.  Unfortunately we are bombarded with repeats during that time or worse the dreaded middle of the season launches.

There is a lesson to be learned in all of this and in the next day or two we will tie this back to the promotional products industry which is suffering right now from major product shortages.   Part of that is due to major increases in business since last year but a good part of it is the same poor decision making that plagues the networks.   Give your customers what they demonstrate they want and more importantly give them time to determine whether or not they actually want your product or service.  If interest is shown continue a consistent approach and avoid the random and unsuccesful marketing strategies that continue to make failures out of what would be successful shows.  With news that Flash Foward is likely to be cancelled and with V struggling the long term guaranteed method of ruining ratings by boring customers for months at a time has struck again.

Economic news was wobbly at best yet we continue to see fuel prices accelerate northward.   Astounding that the major media outlets have ignored what was one of the warmest winters in recent memory over a good majority of the USA and instead continued to tow the line for the major oil companies.  Our economy will pay a steep price later this year.  We have talked about keeping your message cool and that is all that much more important as we head into the buying season where picnic items are important.  The same unfortunate marketing strategy was employed by Congress as we discussed in Proper Promotional Could Help Health Care Reform and in a few months they too will see there are consequences to not marketing a product properly.

When providing a proposal to your client be sure to check and make sure the inventory is deep.  If you are quoting a thousand piece order and the supplier only has a thousand pieces in stock your best bet is to find another product.  Nothing screams amateur more than giving your client a product to select and then having to go back and tell them it is out of stock.  Take the Colorband Stainless Bottle which is made in three colors.  All of these colors are available to the point of several thousand in immediate inventory.  Surely you cannot control quick and unexpected shortfalls but there are enough color options and enough pieces in each that you should be safe even if it takes a week to decide.  With deep availability in the same three colors the Leeds Deco Band Stainless Bottle is another choice that will provide you and your client with some level of security in the coming weeks and months.  If you are researching large orders you may want to even check with the manufacturer to check into overseas production at a discount.  Be aware though that there are some significant difficulties getting containers across from Asia as prices have skyrocketed.  In either case please remember to check inventory before recommending a product to your customer.  Almost all of the major vendors provide instant public access to this information so there is no excuse for leading your client down the wrong path.

Apple announced the release of their 4.0 software this Summer.  Hopefully it will take care of some of the existing problems such as the voice control issue I discussed earlier.  It is likely that the introduction of multi-tasking may get around the issue entirely as it would no longer overtake the other controls.  At the same time news of initial sales of their newest product have been strong but whether or not that continues in the weeks ahead remains to be seen.

That does not mean a popular or exciting product will go ignored.  Take for example the 11 Ounce Double Wall Ceramic Mug which was released this year by Hit.  There have been several other suppliers that have released similar products but what differentiates this offering from Hit is the fact that they actually have sufficient stock to sell during the busy season.  With dual wall insulation your hands are protected and your drink stays warm or cold.  Another interesting release is the Flexi-Vase which is something we have never seen before in the industry.  It is a combination flower vase and paper weight that folds completely flat when not in use but is water tight as soon as it is filled.  This is an ingenious idea and one that someone should patent as it eliminates the hassle of trying to store a bulk vase under the sink or in a cabinet.   Another important attribute of the vase is that it is resistant to breaking which is important for a hospital or other similar facilities.  Both of these products demonstrate that a popular or innovative product will sell even in a bad economy.

As I discussed yesterday the problems with my current phone continue to mount.  Today it went off into voice control no less than seven times in the course of two hours.  The only thing that seems to help is a hard reset.  If others have any ideas I am all ears but at this point I am resigned to the fact that my expensive smart phone is one of the dumbest devices I have ever purchased.  I talked awhile back about major retailers providing examples of poor customer service but today it appears a major international manufacturer is providing the best example of terrible service. With all the hype surrounding the new iPad I can only wonder how many deficiencies it will ship with and how tolerant customers will continue to be in that situation.  Look for further discussions in the next few days regarding new and popular products.

Little did I know I was just picking up another phone with a new set of problems.  After picking up the phone at the AT&T store I could not make calls for several hours.  Calls to the service center yielded apologies for problems with the activation servers which seemed strange as we were months from any product launches.  I took that time to update to the latest software and setup the phone.  That evening I headed to the gym with a phone that still would not make calls but at least a functional music player.  Upon arriving to the gym all seemed great until I accidentally bumped the voice control interrupting my workout and music.  Ten minutes later it happened again, five minutes after that it happened once again.  A month later it has probably happened a thousand times with no clear resolution available from the manufacturer and widespread forum reports of the problem.

The only fix to the iPhone voice control issues seems to be a hard reset.  At least in the case of my phone it buys me another twenty or thirty minutes of uninterrupted usage before it happens again.  I have tried new headphones and different model headphones to no avail.  I have tried to reset and restore the iPhone as the troubleshooting pages indicate without any success.  The only thing that seems to help is a hard restore which would seem to indicate a potential software problem. Between the issues of reduced battery life and inaccurate battery gauges I am at the point of wondering whether or not Apple® is back where they were in the 1990's where success went to their head.  With so many other smart phones touting higher resolution cameras, faster processors and greater battery life one of the key features that separates this device is the access to iTunes.  If that feature is defective as it is now for some users you have to wonder if the loyalty of customers will change down the road.