Ladies and gents, please give a warm welcome to Ultra Violet 18-3838. Pantone has declared it our color of the year. If you are not freaking out right now you should be, this is phenomenal news! Our life is so dull without color. As artist Vincent Van Gough said, “Color in a painting is like enthusiasm in life.” Colors motivate us, they make us feel and they inspire us. They give us a direction and purpose. We can use color strategically in business to better our marketing ef

The first Asics Gel-Nimbus was released back in 1999. Through the years many changes were made, from new technology to the overall appearance. This year Asics released its Gel-Nimbus 20. The Recon GRP. had the opportunity to create a launch kit that celebrated 20 years of innovation along with the launch of the 20th shoe. This is what we created. The launch kits went along with the “I Move Me” campaign that Asics recently launched. This campaign states, “We urge you, encourag

Chew on this: No one wants a drill, they want a hole. When I first began in sales, I remember many long (and hot!) cold-call “outings” in the local businesses. Cold calling probably wasn’t the best approach in hind-sight but the lessons I learned were invaluable and character-developing. One such lesson learned (regrettably it took me longer than it should have) was the shift from: SELLING to SOLVING. The “early-day” cold calls were solely targeted around explaining (as quick

From the Production Department: You Know Your Brand, Now How Do You Make It Known Your brand guidelines have been finished and published. The hard part is over, right? Maybe not so much… When it comes to translating your brand onto hard goods and soft goods, a lot of companies begin to fumble. Embellishment techniques are constantly evolving as the industry adapts to new trends and technological capabilities. You may be unaware of the fact that printing capabilities can drast

Chew on this: We’ve all heard the popular song lyrics, “Shut up and Dance with Me”. Catchy song? Let’s debate that another time. But what can we learn from the lyricist in these 6 (somewhat intrusive) words? I spot 3 subliminal messages that shed light on the “art of selling”. 1) Listening 2) Doing 3) Being #1 LISTENING: I was once told the best advise for modern salespeople (and to quote the song) is to quite simply, “Shut Up”. We sales-folk can speak far too much and listen

We live in a world with unlimited marketing advertisements clawing for our attention ALL THE TIME. We can’t help it and we know these ads aren’t leaving any time soon. Baited billboards and marketing strategies all attempt to get us on the hook; uniquely forcing the beholder to decide whether to “catch it” or “release it”. Most companies know that if there’s no initial appeal – consumers will move on to the next alternative choice and leave “Mr. Marketing Fisherman” constantl

The quick and easy answer: YES! Let’s break it down, make it tangible, and see why promo products are worth the investment to every company. Throughout school, sports, business, or even personal relationships we know all too well the principle – “out of sight, out of mind”. Unfortunately, absence doesn’t always make the heart “grow fonder” – but more often than not, absence creates forgetfulness. Sorry to all you braving those long-distance relationships. It’s not easy! Conse

Technology, Technology, Technology. We want it and we know it; we use it and we love it – but technology harnessed to deliver efficient processes in one consolidated branding arena can seem a little far-fetched for these two “polar opposites” to exist effectively together. Think about it. Companies have a “printer guy”, creative design firm, trade show/event vendor, promotional item/collateral vendor, apparel embellishment vendor, a warehouse/distribution vendor, and then a d