Baby it's hot outside! Temps in Portland will be over 100 degrees for the 2nd day in a row today, which I thought might call for a swag idea that's all about keeping it cool while promoting your brand.

Since this blog is all about showing you swag ideas that are a little out of the ordinary, I thought today would be a perfect day to talk about coolers. Not dinky little giveway coolers (although we've got those too). No, today I'm talking about BIG coolers for your comporate events, like these Double Ad-Coolers:

This style is a fully portable mini-bar with imprinted attachable banners. It measures 36" wide, 19" deep & 40" tall. Here's a picture of what it looks like from the back:

These can be purchased from Swag Connection in quantities as low as 1 cooler - or as high as several hundred for national branding campaigns. Perfect for beverage company promotions, company picnics, corporate hospitality, hosting sporting events or even high-end private parties. Prices on this model range from $212-$544/ea depending on quantity, with turnaround time of about 1 month.

If the double-sized cooler is a bit more than you need, here's the single-size version:

The dimensions on this one are 19" wide x 19" deep x 33" tall. This style comes in a price range of between $133-$355 depending on quantity, with a minimum of 1 cooler.

Lastly, the Jumbo Flexi AdCooler is a great choice for more of a self-serve event cooler. Popular for sports teams & schools, these sturdy and compact coolers hold 50-60 bottles or cans and up to 100 lbs of combined product & ice, yet they collapse into an easily portable size and come with a carry case:

The dimensions of the Jumbo AdCooler are 24" wide x 24" deep x 28" tall. Fully insulated & watertight, it's a great choice in an affordable price range - $66 to $146/ea depending on quantity with a minimum order of one cooler.

All of these custom logo event coolers can be purchased through Swag Connection, just give us a call or send us an email if you're interested in ordering these for your company. Thanks for reading & keep coming back for new, interesting & unusual swag ideas!

Here's a cool and useful swag idea for promotional campaigns targeted to a female audience:

Logo-Customized Purse Pal Handbag Hooks

My client & winemaking friend Kelley Styring of Insight Farm was one of the first to explore the connections between brands, women and what women carry in ther handbags. The results of her study were really quite fascinating - and are well presented in this article on CNN titled: The Power of the Purse. Did you know that 95% of women aged 18-64 carry a purse every day? Getting your brand connected with a woman's purse is one way to gain favorable daily exposure for your brand or cause.

Now there are lots of things you could give out that go into a purse - tins of breath mints, pens, lip balms, hand sanitizers and compact mirrors are popular swag choices - but they're also commonplace items most women already own, so they may not make much of an impression.

That's why I really like this Purse Pal handbag hook - it's a classy purse item that not many women currently own. It perches on the edge of a table or counter at restaurants and lounges and keeps a woman's purse in easy reach. The clever design rolls up as shown here when it's not in use, and the velvet gift bag is a nice touch that also keeps it from getting scratched up in the purse.

One of the other things I like about this as a marketing swag idea is that it has the potential to become a conversation piece when women get together socially. I know if I whipped one of these out to hang my bag when meeting the gals for cocktails it would certainly be noticed & commented on. Giving a smart little gadget like this is a great way to enhance your brand's image for a female audience.

INTERESTED IN PURSE PALS WITH YOUR CUSTOM LOGO?

I just started a "Diane's Top Picks" section on SwagConnection.com and added this item, so click the link to view product details and pricing online. This gift item comes from IMC-Miracles which is one of my favorite business gift lines here at Swag Connection. Anything you see on their website can be purchased through my company.

As always, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email if you are interested in any of the swag ideas I feature on my blog. I love hearing from my blog readers and many of them have become clients over the years.

Phone: 866-247-4320
Email: Diane@Swagconnection.com

Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more cool & unusual swag ideas - Ciao!

Here's another useful, everyday item you probably never thought of as a swag idea before...

Custom Logo Tire Caps:

At first glance these may not look like great marketing swag to you. I'll admit these didn't get my creative juices flowing when I first saw them either - although as far as swag goes, they certainly are one of the more unusual items I've seen lately.

My first thought was that these would only be interesting to people or companies that have something to do with the auto industry. That was quickly followed by my second thought, that no one would ever even NOTICE a logo on a tire cap... so why on earth would companies be interested in them as a swag idea?

But then I started to think about it... and came to this conclusion: If you look beyond that first impression and think creatively, these could actually be part of some very creative marketing campaigns.

First, the obvious: Not every logo is going to work on such a small item. These are only going to play nicely with simple, iconic logos containing little or no text or small details.

Second, the not-so-obvious: The branding impact of this swag idea will not occur when people notice them on someone's tires. In fact, no one may notice them at all because they're very small. These are an item where the branding impact will occur at the time you give it to the recipient - and they can have a big impact - especially if they are accompanied by some clever messaging.

There's a high pun fun-factor here for fearless marketers... "TIRELESS dedication to your needs", "There's NO CAP on how much money you can save you" or "We're DRIVING down prices". Now that I've got you started, I'll bet you can find more clever ways to tie these custom tire caps in with lots of non-automotive marketing messages.

If you do happen to be in a vehicle-related business, these would be a great giveaway item for multiple marketing purposes. Send them out with Thank You cards to new customers or those who refer others. They'd also be a fun 'reward' for test-drivers or service customers. If you want to get really creative, these could be a very interesting direct-mail "teaser"... send one tire cap out on a shrink-wrapped postcard with a special offer... and offer to complete the set by promising another 3 caps to all who stop by with their postcards by a certain date.

These could also be used effectively in a Green Marketing campaign. Here's an example: Give out or mail a set of custom-logo tire caps with a tire pressure gauge & info about how proper tire pressure helps maximize fuel efficiency. This type of promotional campaign is a win/win - it subtly promotes your brand while helping conserve the earth's resources AND helping your recipients save money on gas. It's hard not to feel good about a company that conducts a campaign such as that.

If you honestly wouldn't have thought of half this stuff yourself, perhaps you should think about working with Swag Connection for your next marketing promotion that involves swag. We'll help you take your promotional marketing beyond 'trinkets & giveaways' and give you creative ideas that will boost your brand AND resonate with your target audience.

INTERESTED IN CUSTOM TIRE CAPS WITH YOUR LOGO?

They come in sets of 4, and a set is priced between $2.99 & $4.30 depending on quantity. The minimum order is 250 sets. If you'd like more details or want to talk about a custom order, give me a call or email me directly:

Phone: 866-247-4320
My Email: Diane@Swagconnection.com

Thanks for reading & keep coming back for new, innovative & unusual swag ideas!

Diane Nudelman - "The Swag Queen"

Here's a hot retail product you can now have customized with your logo:

The Driin Cellphone Charging Station

Simple and ingenious, the Driin Mobile Phone Charging Station is a top-selling item at retail stores & on the web. It's light and easy to travel with, and it solves the problem of where to keep a phone or PDA while it's plugged in and charging. Just wrap the cord around the Driin and rest the phone or other device on the little shelf. Your phone is neat & easy to spot - making it less likely you'll forget to charge it or accidently leave your charger behind in hotel rooms, etc.

You'll find these selling on Amazon.com, Delight.com and other web retailers for anywhere between $6-$10.

If your company is looking for a leading-edge swag idea for gifts & giveaways, take note. This is one of those relatively rare opportunties to brand a swag item that everyone wants. The simple and modern design of the Driin makes it the perfect canvas for your company logo. This is one of those inexpensive & useful swag ideas that will be kept, used and appreciated by nearly everyone who receives one.

Best of all is the high perceived value of this item relative to your cost. For companies buying in bulk with a custom logo, cost is in the $2.50-$3.00 range (minimum order: 50). If you Google this item you'll see it selling for between $5-$10. This high perceived value creates a positive impression in the mind of those who receive it, and it also makes this a nearly perfect giveaway item if you want to impress your target audience.

These custom Driinn Cellphone Holders come in White, Black, Blue, Red & Green (shown). If you'd like to see more information, pricing & pictures of them in different colors click here to see them on our supplier's website.

INTERESTED IN CUSTOM LOGO DRIIN MOBILE PHONE CHARGERS FOR YOUR COMPANY SWAG?

These are just one of the very cool swag items we sell at Swag Connection. Simply contact us by phone or email for more information, to get a quote, or to get started on your order:

Phone: 866-247-4320 (toll-free)   503-281-6420 (in Portland)

Email me directly: Diane@SwagConnection.com