Did you know April is Cancer Control Month?  This is a great time to analyze our lifestyles and test them against commonly repeated measures of Cancer Prevention and Control.  Here are the top 10:

1. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.
2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
3. Avoid sugary drinks while increasing your intake of water.
4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.
5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.
6. If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day.
7. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).
8. Don’t use supplements to protect against cancer.
9. It is best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for up to 6 months and then add other liquids and foods.
10. Don’t smoke or use chew tobacco.

So many of these cancer prevention recommendations include living healthy lifestyles.  What better place to encourage healthy living than the office?  Employees who know their company supports healthy living are more likely to participate in these types of lifestyles.  Walking groups, healthy lunch options, and even reduced health care costs are great incentives to employees.  If you are looking for a employee gift, why not make it one that lets them know healthy living is important to you.

In considering shifts to a healthy lifestyle it is so important to remember any small change for the good is a step in the right direction.  You don’t need to go from couch potato to gym rat in one week, or even one month.  A pedometer can help you calculate your small changes and gain confidence over time.  Add a simple walk on your lunch break or park further away from the office—even these small changes can make a huge difference.

There are simple ways to add a little exercise to your regular schedule and many promotional fitness products can be easily toted around.  Ever consider the time in your cubicle as one to exercise?  Have you considered resistance bands?  Resistance bands come in different strengths and can be used right at your desk.  Simply run them under your chair and use them for bicep curls, or take a second on your next bathroom break to do a couple quick stretches. The options are endless and with this stylish carrier anyone can have a set ready to go anywhere!

Have you considered yoga at lunch?  Carry your promotional yoga mat to work, find a secluded hallway or space and do a quick 10 minute yoga routine.In our society, cancer prevention is an important subject to anyone at any age.  Prevention is not impossible, why not start today!!

We’ve been there, done that and in this article we have created a line up of fashion forward logo wear for any industry. Take a note of the array of styles that can be embroidered with your company logo.

Style 1: The Smart Blouse – perfect to dress up with a jacket and skirt for the boardroom or dress down with slacks and pumps for daily wear.

Style 2: The Trend Setter – for the professional who wants to be trendy and casual at the same time. The ¾ length sleeves sets the trend for modern day wear. The look is timeless.

Style 3: Play Off, Work Off or Show Off – This comfy polo with logo sets can double for work or play. It is sporty enough for a good game of tennis and professional enough for those dress down Fridays or making deals on the golf course. Also makes a great choice for trade show apparel.

Style 4: Timeless Casuals – Demin button down shirt with pocket makes a great professional and comfortable look everyday for contractors and dress down days for traditional offices. Demin is a timeless material and can be worn for years without looking dated. Blends well with slacks or khakis.

Style 5: Uniformly Unique – These options are a great way to bring uniformity to your business without the hospital medical look. These timeless shirts are so diverse that they work well across industries. Makes great options for restaurants and cafes, flower shops, day cares, hotels and the list goes on.

Style 6: The Executive – This look says I’m here to make a deal and I’m serious about business. Simply put, well made dress shirts and timeless. This look is traditional, yet has a modern appeal. Remove the tie and pair it with khakis for a dressed down comfortable look. Your logo on this shirt says “classy”.

These options should give you an idea of what type of logo shirt best fits your brand. If you are still having trouble deciding, check our this article; 5 Steps to Choose the Right Look for Logo Apparel. This article takes you through five easy steps to help you become the avatar of your customer and hone in on examining you brand image.

When searching for logo wear, it may be sometimes difficult to hone in on the exact style you are targeting. Today, corporate apparel has taken a huge leap into becoming fashion friendly and designers have incorporated current trends into what is known as “shirts with logos”, thus making the search for the right fit that speaks to your brand easier and easier as each passing year provides more options for businesses.

How to Choose the Right Look

For many businesses owners, choosing a look that marries your ideal brand and image can be daunting. Actually, it is very easy to do; just follow these simple steps. Warning: you may need your imagination for this task.

Step 1.) Breathe deeply and relax any tension in your body. Relax your mind and clear it of any conflicting thoughts.

Step 2.) Think of where you shop for clothes, toiletries, shoes. Imagine yourself walking through the store just as if you presently there.

Step 3.) Next, what is the first thing that comes to mind when as you are looking around? See the employees, the stock, the signs and the decor. What type of store do you consider this to be?

Step 4.) What are the branded items you buy from these stores? What do you think of the branded items you purchased; premium quality, mediocre, or on a budget?

Step 5.) Now, think of your brand. Think of your customer. Step outside of yourself and become your customer. Be the avatar. Mentally walk into your store, see yourself at a trade show, walk into your office, etc. What do you see; blouses and ties or embroidered polos and logo t shirts? What don’t you see? What do you want to see? Are you Nieman Marcus or TJ Maxx; Target or Walmart; Harley or Honda?

The first thing that comes to mind is most likely what your brand image portrays. Is it trendy, metro, traditional, executive, sporty, casual or even uniformed?

Following the steps noted is very important when laying out the foundation of your brand image and defining the line between what you are and what you want to be. It is imperative to use your imagination to examine your brand from your customer’s perspective. You will gain a deeper perspective on the message you are conveying or want to convey to your targeted customers and clients. If you dig really deeply, you will find that many questions, concerns and even ideas will come forward and you will gain a broader and deeper insight of choosing the right look for your brand.

We’ve assembled in a collection a variety of these looks in an array of different styles that can be purchased with corporate logo embroidered or blank to help you in searching for the right look. These options will give you an idea of the vast amount of styles you can choose from when searching for your branded apparel and industry specific trends to get you thinking outside of the box. After you’ve completed this excercise, see these styles in our article 6 Timeless & Classic Logo Shirt Options.

We have all seen examples of good and bad brochures. If you can think back to when you received the less than impressive brochure, you probably didn’t go much further with pursuing the product or service. Appearances matter and content definitely matters. A brochure is a key piece of your marketing materials, so shouldn’t you put your best (and most informative) foot forward with your brochure?

Brochures can be found all over. From brochures touting tourist locations, to brochures in your doctor’s waiting room promoting the latest medication, brochures are a powerful player in marketing. So when it comes to your brochure, what makes a good brochure?

Know Your Target

Before you jump into the creation of your brochure, you must know one key piece of information. Who Is Your Audience? If you are creating a brochure that will be geared towards the general public, you need to usually write your content towards the 8th grade level. Of course, if you are writing for a specific genre, you can alter your writing levels to the appropriate levels.  

Make the First Impression Stand Out

So now we begin at the beginning.  The brochure cover is your chance to draw the reader in. This first page is where you hook your audience. You want to make it count! Make it spectacular so that someone will be enticed to open the cover and read more.  

Consider the following:

• Entice the reader with a statement that conveys to the need in your niche – “2,000 Ways to Take your Business to the Next Level”.
• Ask a question – “Did you know that coffee has over 10 health benefits?”
• State a Fact – “10,000 Americans will face foreclosure this year.  Save your home.”
• Evoke an Emotion – “Over 10,000 children are starving each day.  You can help.”
• Make an Offer – “Jo Blow Windows – Get your Free Ipad.  Details inside.”

Of all things to consider on your cover, the photo or artwork needs to be inviting. Just as photos are a dynamic engagement tool on social media, they also play a crucial role in your brochure. Use the photos as a visual descriptive tool. Above all, try to avoid using stock photography in a brochure.

If your brochure is promoting your winery, use the best shot you have of your winery. Whether it is a landscape shot of plush rolling hills filled with grapevines, or an incredible view into your cellar with rows upon rows of perfectly lined barrels of aging wine, the cover photo is what is going to pull the reader in to learn more about your winery. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Make it count!

Highlight the Benefits

Your brochure serves as an introduction.  It can be, by far, the most informative piece of marketing material you own. Whether it is selling your business to a new customer or selling new products to an established customer base, you have to focus on benefits rather than features. Why should someone switch their accounting needs to your firm? Why does your existing customer need to add on a new service you are offering?

Don’t say that you are an accounting firm.  It is likely the reader already knows this.  Instead, market directly to the reader with a solution to a need.  For instance:

We Dare to be Different – state the reasons why.
You’re in Good Hands – tell them how.
Leave them with the image of having to have your product or service and follow up the brochure with a specific call to action. Write these details with a voice that projects authority.

Give Bite Sized Chunks

Make your writing approach specific. You have very limited real estate in a brochure and it’s definitely a priceless commodity. Keep that in mind as you write. If your company manufacture’s several lines of products, you will not be able to create a brochure that efficiently and adequately covers all of the products. A more appropriate approach would be creating a brochure for each specific line. Even then, you might need to refine the content to only a specific item within a line.
Avoid TMI. Remember it’s a brochure, not an encyclopedia. If you get too detailed, you’ll lose the reader. Use the brochure to drive traffic to the product page on your website or to a social media location where the product or service can be elaborated on in greater detail.

 
With all of the advances in social media marketing, there’s still nothing as powerful as something your potential customer can hold. The brochure will always be a key part of your marketing material. Taking steps up front to create the best material possible will generate results on the backside.

Apple is not wasting any time in launching the product. The new iPad will be available next Friday (March 16^th). Expecting a huge rush from the new iPad, pre-orders are now being taken. You can now protect your iPad investment even better thanks to one of our newest additions to our family of products. BUILT has an excellent Neoprene Sleeve for your iPad that will definitely conform to the newly announced specs of the latest iPad.

So what can be expected from the new iPad that can’t be found in the iPad 2? A lot. Say hello to 4G. Most everyone recognizes 3G technology, but did you know that with 4G, the speed is nearly 10 times faster than 3G?  For everyone who has come to expect leading tech breakthroughs from Apple, the new iPad will not disappoint!

Many users have come to love the simplicity of watching their favorite television shows (or movies) on their iPad. Apple has created the new iPad with a higher resolution than what you get with high-def televisions. Whether you are watching Netflix, Hulu Plus, or your favorite movie from iTunes, everything is going to look better on the new iPad.

Fans of iPad photography will appreciate the fact that the new iPad is equipped with a 5-megapixel iSight camera. Apple, on their website touts “The iSight camera uses advanced optics to give you the best picture possible. With an ƒ/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens, it captures light efficiently to produce a sharper overall image. And the hybrid infrared filter — typically reserved for expensive SLR cameras — keeps out harmful IR light for more accurate, uniform colors.” It certainly will keep Instagram, and all iPad photo apps, busy in the coming weeks as fans begin loading up their new iPad with a collection of apps.

There are many more cool features on the iPad that will help rocket it to immediate success when it launches next week. As you gear up to take your new gear home, we can’t stress how important it is to protect your investment. Whether it’s the Neoprene Sleeve we previously mentioned, on this stylish messenger bag, you can depend on CorporateSNOBS to continually provide you with a great selection of products to protect your iPad.

Just like the Scouting motto teaches everyone to Be Prepared, that concept is certainly a lesson to learn for the spring weather season. While storms are not as apt to “pop up” without much notice in the spring as they do in the summer months, you don’t always know the details of when downpours will hit. So be prepared with a light weight rain jacket that is easy to tote around while you go about your daily routine.

Spring also signals the start of golfing season. Golf fans from around the globe turn their eyes to Augusta, Georgia each spring to watch another rite of spring, The Masters. As fans watch professional golfers pursue that elusive Green Jacket, they also begin to think about hitting the links themselves. It’s the time of year that courses across the country begin to watch fairways green back up from winter’s dullness. Tee times begin to be penciled in on business calendars from coast to coast. Don’t miss the chance to tee off your branding initiatives for the year with our complete lineup of promotional umbrellas.

As spring is in the process of, well…springing, rest assured that with proper preparation, you won’t be singing the blues but instead, you’ll definitely be singing in the rain!

Get Organized
Organizing a trade show takes time. Many shows will begin planning the following year’s show shortly after the current year show concludes. If you are considering getting involved on the sponsorship level, you will want to contact the organization that is responsible for producing the trade show, well in advance, to ensure the sponsorship slots are still available. Chances are the organization will have different levels of opportunity ranging from overall presenting sponsor to various lower level sponsorship opportunities.

Securing a sponsor spot at major trade shows could take years of advance planning, while more regional trade show sponsorships can simply be a phone call away. Regardless of the time it takes, one thing is certain – it takes planning.

Get Noticed
Trade shows have to advertise in order to attract exhibitors and attendees. Why not let their advertising initiatives help promote your brand? From industry trade publications to local newspapers, trade shows actively advertise (and a lot of times with sponsored logos included). Explore all options in your potential sponsorship discussions with the organization. Leave no stone unturned because you never know where your next customer will find you!

It’s In the Bag
Another key sponsorship location, that also creates a mobile billboard for your brand, is sponsoring the convention totes. A staple of every convention is the trade show giveaway tote. As you enter those convention halls, nothing is more valuable to you than the tote. Hundreds of booths await you with product materials, promotional pens, and other unique trade show giveaways. The convention tote becomes your new best friend for the next few hours as you explore the convention halls.

As convention goers leave the site and the trade show host city, your brand goes with them…on planes, trains, and automobiles. So as the show ends and you pick up the phone to call the trade organization to talk about next year’s sponsorship, make sure you have call waiting…because your next customer is calling from across the country – all because you sponsored the convention tote bag!

Trade show attendees are also looking for swag as they canvas your booth. Your choice of trade show giveaways might range from something very inexpensive (like branded pens with your company logo on it) – to premium promotional giveaways (like a branded t-shirt or other apparel).

Short of turning your booth table into a trade show trick or treat buffet, try to build on what has worked for you in the past for capturing customer data, and what you have seen work at other booths your have visited. Trade show attendees, that are repeat yearly attendees, will remember seeing the same thing over and over at your booth each year, meaning you also have to keep that variable in mind when determining your booth’s activities. So, considering all of those factors, what options do you have?

Visitors are looking for something that grabs their attention and pulls them into the  booth. For you, that means the chance to interact with potential customers while keeping them in your booth (and in front of your product or brand) for several minutes. Whether you choose to have a Vegas themed booth and blackjack table for visitors, or the ever popular prize wheel, make your booth the buzz of the show with quality chances to win premium trade show giveaway items.

In exchange for being able to play a hand of blackjack or to be able to spin the wheel, a booth visitor has to fill out a game form which serves as his/her game ticket to the blackjack table or the prize wheel. This game ticket contains all of the relevant information you seek to capture from all of your sales leads that you will be able to follow up on after the trade show is complete.

The creativity possibilities are endless and are only bound by your imagination. Remember, the goal is to attract people to your booth. Use the same presentation you have used in year’s past, and you will probably see the same results (or worse) that you have seen in year’s past. New ideas will potentially yield new results. Don’t be afraid to try something new. It will certainly make your booth more enjoyable to your employees, but most importantly, to your customers. Reach your customers and your trade show presence is a complete success!

The hardest step to take in preventing heart disease is the first step! Here are some suggestions to make that first step easier! If fitness is not your thing, take that first step to making it part of your day. A simple action that benefits your heart is walking. Exercise can be fun, especially when you do it in a group setting, so consider a lunch break walking group. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes! You can track of your progress by easily counting your steps each day with a pedometer!

Did you know that walking can:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood

Weight is certainly a concern for heart health. Did you know something as simple as cutting soda from your diet could improve your heart? How? Well, estimates show that two cans or glasses of soda per day add approximately 24 to 35 pounds per year. Dropping the soda means dropping those pounds.

Replace the soda with water! Water is crucial to your health. It makes up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. You can make it easy on yourself by keeping a water bottle with you during the day.

At CorporateSNOBS.com, we want to invite you join in on the fight to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke! We have a great collection of themed products in support of National Heart Month. We will donate a percentage of sales from the collection to the American Heart Association. Find out more and check out all of the great products on our website. Don’t forget to wear Red on Friday, February 3, 2012!

- Choose a shirt that you would wear. A shirt that is comfortable and one that will stand the test of time. You don’t want a shirt that shrinks or falls apart after the first wash.

- Design your t-shirt with simplicity in mind. Remember your shirt is not a work of art hanging in famous museums, requiring detailed understanding. Sometimes the loudest message comes with the fewest words. Create a design that can be read within a few seconds to ensure maximum effectiveness for your marketing (i.e. bold fonts, contrasting ink, good spacing and flow).

- Take it social. Incorporate social media addresses into the design of the logo t-shirt. While the t-shirt may promote your logo and brand, once someone is active on your social media sites, you have a potential customer for years to come. Consider adding a QR code to the design. QR codes are great additions because a simple snap of the code and visitors are delivered right to your doorstep! You can control where users arrive via the code and can also change out the destination.

- Kick up the t-shirt style with tie dye designs available at CorporateSNOBS.com. All of the shirts are unisex and can be ordered blank or customized with a screen printed logo or message. These shirts are excellent for your events!

Whatever your need, depend on CorporateSNOBS.com to provide you with brands you know and trust.