Opportunity Vs. Insensitive Opportunism

Events occur and daily life evolves into a history that unfolds itself before our very eyes. It seems that the most prominent news, and in today's world, the hottest trending online posts, tend to deal with the bad, the ugly, the catastrophic.

There are certain words or phrases that require no additional description for most people to conjure images, emotions and even fear. Today it is "swine flu." Here is another one for you, "Katrina." (We had a whole list but we are not after sensationalism here.)

And there are others that feel much more personal when you hear them. It really depends much more on your private experience and exposure. For example, "Cancer." Or "Alzheimer's."

We create a line of kits that can literally make a difference in somebody's life. A difference in which organizations and merchants, in essence, help sponsor the health and well-being of members of our communities. Our products can help individuals, their families and their communities deal with things similar to the buzzwords in the previous paragraphs. We want to help people see that value, but putting in context of high fear levels does not feel right.

And this is the fine line we are trying to find. We also know we are not alone in this dilemma. These events, this unfolding history, can actually help raise awareness of various needs. If done right, this raised awareness can be harnessed to make positive change. If not done so well, it can be worse than just a squandered chance to make a difference, it can leave such a bad taste that it closes off all future chances as well.

We absolutely believe that there is a need for self-identification and self-care through items like Personal Health Records. Ask emergency responders how difficult their job can be when information is scarce or absent but the case is urgent. Having prepared personal information can make a huge difference in both personal situations and community-wide ones. Our company, Medi-Facts, was founded on this belief.

We want to educate business leaders, civic leaders, community organizations and others that we can help them make a huge difference. We want to encourage promotional product professionals to help their clients see the possibilities that await. We are trying to help all to see the opportunity for positive change while we stay away from insensitive opportunism that simply pursues a buck regardless of the sacrifice of ethical principles.

By chance, and I really do mean that given editorial calendars are built so far in advance, Identity Marketing magazine's just-released May issue's lead story is "Healthy and Safe Sales." Results of an earlier interview with their writers yield some pretty good coverage for Medi-Facts. I especially enjoyed that they used one of my quotes to close the article. (Hint, if you are in the promotional products business, go read it.) I bring this up though because this represents a case of providing some education in a positive light. It is an example of what we try to do year around and not just during a (real or perceived) crisis.

Without creating panic, without exploiting fears, we would love for the people with raised awareness seek an opportunity to make a difference.

You are encouraged to post your comments and ideas on how anyone, not just our company, can find that fine line. Whether you are viewer or "end-user" individual, a leader or organization, a specialty advertising distributor, or even a fellow promotional products supplier, we ask that you share. Together we can do a better job of harnessing raised awareness.

Family Wellness -- And A Visit By My Mom

I was browsing upcoming observances such as National Teacher Day (May 5, which happens to also be Cinco De Mayo), National Nurses Week (May 6 - May 12) and National Safety Month (June). I stumbled across an observation called National Family Wellness Month and it just struck a big, loud chord.

So what really struck that chord with me? We just had a fantastic, endearing, week-long visit by my Mom. What I want to share with you is what an accomplishment this visit represents.

My Mom is in her late seventies and has been through a few difficult, painful years with some family losses. She may not be as sprightly as some other septuagenarians but is still able to self-manage with day-to-day activities. On the other hand, she uses a cane for assistance in walking any distance and tires very easily. She lives alone in a triplex by choice while my siblings and I would really prefer her unit would be in a community with other seniors. I think that helps paint the picture.

You see, she has not really been out of the house for more than a couple of days at the most since my father died a few years ago. They were married 54 years and did everything together. Her trips since then have been basically to attend special family events and holidays, or for healthcare, but she has not been on a "vacation" at all. And that's what makes last week so special.

She finally accepted our invitation to stay with us a full week, Sunday to Sunday. We made only a couple of minor, simple accommodations but other than that, it was a case of "here is how we live, just make yourself at home." And she loved it! She absolutely adored being out of her home and having company, when she wanted it, day in and day out.

We showed her some of the local sights and sounds of our town (a coastal town in California is a pretty good place for such things), took her to a couple of our local hangouts, and shared meals both in and out. She went shopping with my wife and even splurged a little on herself for the first time that any of us could remember. We sat and talked, watched TV, read the paper, relaxed and took naps (at least she did!). She took walks and got sunshine in our backyard, something she cannot do at home. And our local Farmers Market was just the right size for her and we happened to have perfect weather too.

My Mom took a week and she "lived" it.

That, right there, is what was so special. Despite all of her self-consciousness concerns about her special needs (again, only the most minor of accommodation on our part) she felt extremely comfortable. She never once had to worry about being judged that she was weak or a bother. She allowed herself and got a taste of life again. The great accomplishment I alluded to in the opening is, that after all this time, my Mom really "lived" the week.

The objective of "Family Wellness," as found on the Words of Wellness website: Spend more time with family and appreciate those closest to you. Love is the glue that binds.

It has taken years of effort by all of my siblings and our families to get to this week. More importantly, it took a huge effort by her. And of course, it really is a credit to and acknowledgement of how we, as a family, were raised. At the end of the week, the contentment in her voice, the glow in her face and the smile in her eyes were priceless.

In the name of Family Wellness, I ask that you please be patient an persevere with family. We know that it isn't always easy. We know it isn't always fun. But when you get to moments like these, they are always priceless. May is Family Wellness Month, please do something special with it.

A personal note in closing, Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching us so well what family, what love, really means.

Links in this post:
Words of Wellness

Some Fun Observances Since Tax Day Is Never Fun

We all know the dreaded April 15th Deadline as Tax Day, but what else gets observed in April? Here are a few items a bit lighter than Tax Day:

April Fools Day

- April 1 - Most of you already knew this one and if not, well you might be somebody's easy target!

No Housework Day

- April 7 - Did you happen to miss this one? Or did you accidentally "celebrate" without knowing about it!

National Egg Salad Week

- This Week! - Of course this is going to follow Easter with all those hard-boiled eggs. It wouldn't make sense for it to be after Halloween, unless of course, it was call Egg Toss Week.

International "Louie Louie" Day

- April 11 - Yes, that "Louie Louie" song, and it is even supported by an organization called LLAMAS (Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society).

National High Five Day

- April 16 - You've heard the phrase or quote "Random Acts of Kindness" before, well, this is sort of a similar deal originated at the University of Virginia.

National Jelly Bean Day

- April 22 - I don't make this stuff up even though I really do like jelly beans!

Sense of Smell Day

- Late April (25ish - 29ish) - It just sounded funny even though it really is an educational event at children’s museums

National Karaoke Week

- Last Week of April - Great fun if you enjoy Karaoke, a week to avoid neighborhood bars if you don't!

You can look these up on your favorite search engine to find more info.

This post is done with a sense of wonder and humor. After all, in line with wellness, "laughter is the best medicine." I hope this helped lighten your outlook for the month of April.

Promotional Products, Specialty Advertising, Incentive Marketing -- in the On-Line Age

The tools of the Internet are rapidly changing how we do business. For all of us. There are a great number of benefits from this that include a reduction in the number of printed catalogs (which is gaining great momentum), the ability to throw a much wider net as we look for sources and deals, and reducing the number of gallons of gas spent in search of that perfect item.

Probably the most telling factor is how many times phrases such as "Oh, I'll just do a search and get a better price" are spoken. That search can be a double edged sword. Getting search results is also a bit like the proverbial trying to take a sip from a fire hose. How many pages deep into search results can you go before you've feel like you're getting way too much water up your nostrils?

When we come to promotional advertising items in particular, we ask, do you really get a better value? With on-line searches you might find a better price, but do you find a better value?

What we cover here is how to blend the resources of the Internet with the resourcefulness of your promotional products consultant or distributor.

A note for end-buyers not familiar with the industry: A promotional products consultant develops solutions to your marketing challenges. They specialize in building promotions and campaigns for corporate buyers, marketing professionals and others wanting to create brand affinity, increase brand awareness, generate trade show traffic, retain employees, etc. They work on your behalf with a network of approximately 3,500 promotional product suppliers (this is the category are company falls into) that imprint or customize items they have manufactured, imported, converted, or otherwise adapted for incentive programs, trade show giveaways, premium gifts and more.

Why should you use a consultant/distributor of promotional products?

• A seasoned marketer knows there is a difference between investing in a promotional campaign and buying an item with your organization's good name on it. The creative ideas delivered by an innovative consult will bring you brilliant ways you may have never considered for using a product or series of products to support your campaign.
• Consultants have chosen a vast network of resources they can turn to for help. There are colleagues in over 20,000 firms; there are national industry organizations such as Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) and SAGE which provide training, tools, resources and lots of real people with tremendous experience. There are approximately twenty-eight regional associations across the U.S. alone, plus distributor groups and affiliations.
• A qualified consultant or distributor listens to what you want but then helps you understand and find what you need. These are more than just salespeople, like some PR specialists and marketing departments, we suggest you bring them in during planning strategies.
• They work to develop programs that can measure your success.
• And of course they can help you with the other pieces of a successful project: Helping ensure you get accurate, reproducible artwork with correct colors, fonts, proportions for the selected materials; quoting the total price and realistic delivery times up-front reducing surprises, and monitoring the progress of your order.

Taking advantage of on-line resources.
Rather than necessarily searching for best prices, use the Internet to become an informed buyer. Online catalogs can give you starting points to make suggestions or to ask questions. In fact, a couple of extracts from a post on about.com help illustrate the point:

Event planners spend a lot of money on promotional products and corporate gifts used at trade shows, seminars, conferences, product launches and other special events. However, many don't know if they are buying the best products at cost effective prices... Instead, search the items and discuss the pros and cons associated with various suppliers with your promotional products distributor in order to achieve maximum value.

In addition to the tools available to distributors, more and more services are being made available to help the end-buyer. Most of these that support end-buyers provide information for finding consultants in addition to a catalogs from a collection of suppliers. In addition to industry association Internet tools, you will see new arrivals too. One such site is a new Promotional Product eCatalog search engine, ZOOMcatalog that is in testing now. This one comes from new a senior at University of Colorado Leeds School Of Business working with a veteran distributor.

Where else can you find distributors or consultants? The industry trade groups mentioned earlier provide a great start. There is PromoMart, linked from ASI, that is sponsored by a large group of both national and international advertising specialty distributors. A visit PPAI's Buyer page will help you find a member consultant assist you with promotional products or ideas for your next campaign. There are basic tools too, such as ThomasNet (Thomas Publishing Company) Search and even Google. I suggest you put in a location or maybe a product specialty in addition to "Promotion Products Distributors" or you get an even bigger fire hose.

Links in this post:
PPAI
ASI
SAGE
ZOOMcatalog (coming soon / testing only)
PromoMart (find a distributor)
PPAI's Buyer page (find a distributor)
ThomasNet (Thomas Publishing Company) Search
Google (search: promotional product distributors)