Best Branded Promotional Items

by Erik D. Rosenstrauch, Founder and CEO of  FUEL Partnerships In approaching the COVID-19 crisis from the marketer’s perspective, the question is how, not if, the world will change when the restrictions are lifted. My intuition relies on what marketers believe and researchers have proven – the repeated behavior learned during this several month crisis will form new consumer habits. In particular, we think the post-COVID world will see a permanent shift in the way people shop for groceries, personal goods, and other essentials; the retailers that provide a tech-enabled, multi-channel approach will gain a larger share. Consumers have demonstrated massive trial and adoption of these purchase methods over the past five weeks.  Walmart reported online grocery sales of over $900 million in March, an increase of 21% from February 2020 and an astounding 99% increase from March 2019. The Walmart Grocery app has now grabbed the number one ranking position across all Shopping app do...

With every year that passes, data becomes more and more important to businesses of every size in every industry. Consumer profiles, usage metrics, web traffic — everything that can be quantized into discrete data points is totted up and gathered into silos, where huge computational resources are used, milling it into useful metrics. Trying to get a grasp on these data processes is daunting: Here are three common pitfalls to avoid as you begin using data in your business. 1. Poor Quality. The first and most obvious issue you may have with your data is its quality. Data is an odd resource because one way — the simplest way, in fact — to improve its quality is to improve its quantity. The laws of probability indicate that the more information you gather on a population, the closer your basic metrics (like averages) are to the real values for the population. That said, some thought should go into the sources for your data as well. Customer surveys, for instance, tend to capture the e...

The work-from-home (WFH) culture has officially come of age. With masses of employees huddled at home, safe from the ravages of the novel coronavirus threat looming on our horizon, remote work is no longer an option for millions of companies across the globe. However, there’s a big challenge that faces most employers who are unfamiliar with the remote work setup: what software tools do your staff need in order to stay in the game and run your day to day operations with minimal business impact? This is a question every employer in 2020 must ask themselves to maintain and boost productivity levels in such a scenario. To help you in that quest, we’ve curated some of the top remote work utilities that have become absolute essentials for today’s transformed workforce. Let’s take a look at what they are and what they can do to empower your work-at-home employees. #1: PDFelement 7 Pro . Regardless of the nature of your operation and your industry segment, there is bound to be some amount ...

There is more to marketing than just selling a product. You need to sell an idea. Who your customer can be if they buy your products. What solution you can offer that no one else can. Marketing needs to hit directly, which means that you need to use your marketing to build a relationship with each and every customer. One loyal customer is worth it. They will bring in repeat sales. They are the ones that advertise your store to their friends and family. You don’t need to pay to keep targeting ads towards them, and instead can instead use quality customer service to keep them coming back again and again. With that definition of marketing in mind, try out these top ideas to help you boost sales now and in the long term: 1. Invest in Demographic Research. It is a good idea to understand the behavior behind a one-time purchase and the behavior of loyal customers. How you get this information will differ in both cases. A loyal customer is likely to complete a quiz either for free or for...

An MBA may seem like the next step in your career plan – a credential you need to advance your career. However, that doesn’t mean an MBA is the right choice. What if the MBA is necessary to follow your dream job or move into a new profession? You may not be ready for the MBA and the opportunities it opens up. If you’re not sure whether you’re ready or not, here are 6 things you should know first. 1. Your Intended Career Path. College students really shouldn’t use their years in undergraduate studies to find themselves. However, graduate school is definitely not the place to “find yourself”. You should know how the MBA furthers your career plans and be confident in your decision. On the flipside, you shouldn’t earn an MBA in the mere hope it will help your career. For example, an MBA from a top school won’t matter if it doesn’t apply to your next job. You may also want to earn a specialized degree like an MBA focused on human resources, international business, finance, marketing or...

One of the gravest threats to modern businesses operating in the digital space are cyber attacks. Though they can take many forms – including deliberate hacks, or senseless malware intrusions – you need to find ways in which to protect from all of these threats to your business. By protecting your data, your programs, and your network from these threats, you’ll avoid damaging leaks, business downtime, and the damaging PR that goes with it. Read on, then, to learn how you can protect your business from cyberattacks in 2020. Training. As many cybersecurity firms will tell you, one of the key weaknesses in your IT infrastructure, when it comes to cyberattacks, isn’t actually the attacks themselves. In fact, the gateway through which malware arrives into your company’s digital network is often provided, unintentionally, by an employee. That is because emails, messages, and websites often carry damaging downloads that poorly trained employees cannot spot. The solution, of course, is to ...

The costs associated with operating a small business can weigh heavily on growth and the ability to compete with other companies. Streamlining some of those tasks can help ease the burdens, and there are many ways your company could be streamlining which not only saves you money but increases productivity and customer service. Here are some ways your business could streamline some of its day to day functions. 1. Business to Business Communication. Also know as B2B, business to business is a form of commerce that takes place between two businesses rather than business to consumer. Business to business relationships are just as important as business to consumer relationships, as these businesses work together to bring the finished product to the consumer. The communications between businesses working to meet an end goal is vital to the success of each business, and these communications can be improved through e-commerce. Sharing information virtually will speed up communication, inc...

by Douglas Ferguson, founder of Voltage Control and author of “ Beyond The Prototype: A roadmap for navigating the fuzzy area between ideas and outcomes “ At a startup, while you are just starting to define practices and company culture , I would recommend adopting an optional meeting policy like we practice at Voltage Control. That’s right, we’ve made all meetings optional. If a team member doesn’t think they need to attend a meeting, they’re free to decline it. It’s a small gesture, but a reflection of our belief that many meetings just don’t need to happen. It leads to an increase in quick and direct conversations and, ultimately, to fewer meetings and more space and time for the things we want (and need) to do. That’s because we’re on a personal mission to rid the world of shitty meetings , and we encourage you to do the same for optimum success. More efficient and productive meetings are not only possible, they’re essential to flourishing business. Why? For one, effective meet...

Freelancing is a popular career track for many Americans these days. The old 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs are great, but contracting gives workers a lot of freedom. For people who love to travel, getting degrees in higher education like masters in school counseling , criminal justice, or something else, picking when you want to work is really important. Sometimes, you just won’t be able to sit in an office all day, five days a week. On the other hand, freelancing from home can be a little difficult. Corporate offices are designed to maximize productivity and profitability. Chances are, your house just isn’t. That makes it a little bit harder to concentrate. Freelance writers often complain about falling into meme or YouTube holes while they are researching. The struggle is real. If you are a freelancer who’s been experiencing this problem, don’t fret. There are steps you can take to create an environment that’ll help you concentrate on what you are doing. Create a Dedicated Workspace. Fi...

Las Vegas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country and, indeed, around the world. There’s simply so much to love about Vegas and people just keep coming back for more. Aside from being a travel mecca, the Entertainment Capital of the World is also a great destination for events. In fact, Vegas has been a choice MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) venue since the opening of the Las Vegas Convention Center in 1959. Indeed, the size and the date of the event doesn’t matter; Las Vegas is the perfect place to conduct it. Why? Here a just a few reasons to convince you. 1. A Wealth of Accommodations and Venues. One of the primary considerations when holding events, especially multi-day ones, is where the guests will stay. In Vegas, you won’t have this problem. There are close to 150,000 rooms in the city, so you can easily accommodate 50, 500, or 5,000 guests. You don’t have to think too much about your budget, either, because there are hotels ...

by Shannon Tucker, Vice President of Media Relations at SSPR Two words that make me cringe: “No comment.” I’ve been working in PR for close to 15 years, and I still spend more time than I’d like trying to get clients to understand the importance of crisis planning. Many see it as an afterthought, others prefer the, “No comment,” approach and want to run as fast as they can in the opposite direction. Let’s change that. COVID-19 has given all businesses a reason to pay closer attention to crisis planning. Here, I’ve compiled the biggest crisis-related mistakes businesses make and how to solve for them. 1. You’re running from the crisis. Your company may have been featured negatively in the press or your team made a mistake that went public on social media. Don’t hide and hope it will blow over. Lean into the fear! In most cases, going radio silent on your social media channels or telling a reporter, “No comment,” is a major misstep. A crisis can be scary, but it also represents an...

In an always-connected digital landscape, consumers have more power than ever. Now, the average consumer will compare companies before they commit to a purchase, and the right experience will see them returning again and again. Startups are uniquely placed in the online world because they have to work hard to get noticed, and being visible when competing against established brands is always going to be a challenge. In a time when it is reviews and reputation that can make or break a startup, taking control of the brand narrative is essential. If you want your startup to last the distance, then having a more thorough understanding of brand reputation and how to manage it is more important than ever. Understanding Reputation Management. When your startup is in its early days, you will usually have a blank slate on which to build your reputation. There are no existing, visible mishaps, inappropriate tweets, or negative online reviews simply because you have had little chance to make t...

Going global is often a requisite growth path for businesses seeking to expand and whilst the model of setting up satellite offices is a tried and tested way to expand overseas a more recent organizational model is that of ‘distributed’ teams or companies. What exactly defined a distributed company though and what are some of the challenges in running a company using this relatively new organizational model? Distributed Teams: An Overview. Also referred to as a virtual or geographically dispersed team, a distributed team is a group of people who work as a team across time, space, and organizational boundaries. Some equate distributed teams to remote teams, but they are not always the same. Creating remote teams, however, does not usually have the conscious intention of dispersing team members across different geographical locations. Remote workers are hired regardless of their location (e.g., it can be in the same city, but not within the same physical office). In contrast, distrib...

As beginners, it’s easy to jump straight into designing a website’s interface. However, working offline should be carried out first to generate a good foundation that you can build on. You can use this time to inform your web design, add more structure to simplify your design process, and articulate a clear purpose for the entire design. Of course, one crucial consideration is user experience. Since your users have varying levels of expertise in website navigation ranging from newbie to proficient, you have to outline key paths and interactions and satisfy wireframes with rough or preliminary web design to iterate it without undue consequences. This article summarizes the five (5) most common website design mistakes that you should avoid in your own output. 1. Using a Single Web Design Software. Before getting too excited to create and design a website, it’s important to compare software the programs that are available to you so that you can identify one that can give you the bes...