Trending in the World of Branded Products - Merch Kits!
Have you ever tried to think of something unique to give your employees to celebrate a company milestone or to reward or recognize a loyal customer?
This year's trend is merch kits! Companies all over are engaging their employees, customers, event attendees, and high-value prospects with goodwill gift packs filled with useful products that make them feel valued – it also leaves them with something to remember you by! Anything you can think of can be branded with your logo and packaged for person-to-person or mail delivery. Ideas include:
Golf Outing with a Prospect
Quality Polo Shirt and Hat, Golf Tees, Golf Balls, Embroidered Towel.
Event Attendees
Notepad and Pen, Drink Tumbler, Journal, Container of mints, Wireless phone charger, and a Business Card Holder.
Company Anniversary Celebration – All employees
Embroidered Shirt, Sweatshirt, Jacket, or Fleece Throw, Soft-sided Cooler, or Coffee Mug – all with the Company Anniversary logo on them.
Group Beach Outing
Flip-flops, Beach Ball, Umbrella, Blanket, Cooler Tote Bag, or Sand Bucket with Shovel for the kids.
Loyal Client Day at the Ball Park
T-shirt, Hat, Stadium Cushions, Ball Gloves, Beverage Koozies, Soft-sided Cooler, and Sunglasses.
If you want to show one person (or many people) how much you appreciate them, try putting together a personalized merch kit they will love. Call Allegra for more branded product ideas. Our promotional products specialist, Lori Heimburger, will help you find and deliver the perfect gift.
“Everything Has a Purpose”
— From planning to packing to traveling and back, Wonderland Family Vacations ensures that every aspect of their client’s travel experience is the best they will ever have!
Margie Lenau, Owner of Wonderland Family Vacations LLC, started her own business 16 years ago. Self-taught, she instinctively understood the most important part of her job was simplifying people’s travel planning process and making their journeys more enjoyable. She leaned fully into her new business, spending years building industry connections across the globe and paying attention to even the smallest of details.
“Knowing everything you possibly can about the destinations you are planning for, and having local connections at every destination, is vital to delivering a great traveler experience!”
According to Margie, building her agency wasn’t just about knowing how to navigate all the travel platforms, it was also about knowing everything there was to know about the destinations and the people who provide the services she would be offering to her clients – across the United States, and the World. “My Agents and I have visited every destination we send people to, and we have face-to-face meetings and attend excursions with our service providers—we don’t send people anywhere we haven’t gone ourselves,” she explains.
Most of the trips Wonderland Family Vacations plans are for families and groups. Margie gets to know her clients personally and has built client relationships that have lasted through generations - “I have worked with some families for so many years that I have seen their kids grow up and have kids of their own!” Along with planning every aspect of a client's vacation, including booking private transportation and making group dinner reservations, she and her team are also on-call 24 hours a day. “We are available to answer questions or handle any problems our clients might have while on vacation,” she states, “and my network of worldwide service providers are on-call for my travelers as well.”
"Everything has Purpose" Before a traveler leaves on their journey, Margie likes to add special touches to their experience. “Because I have visited all the destinations I have booked, I understand completely what my visitors will experience when they arrive.”
With this knowledge, Margie creates travel kits for her clients that include their itinerary, reservation, and excursion information, on-ground contact directory, and a variety of branded, travel-sized products she knows they may need on their vacation. “Everything I give them has a purpose,” says Margie.
For example, she gives everyone a trip count-down Refrigerator Magnet, a packet of Disinfectant Wipes, and Luggage Tags. Also, a Passport Wallet for those traveling out of the country. Beachgoers get Flip-flops, and Disney Resort visitors might get a hat and a cell phone charger. Margie explains, “Knowing everything a person does at Disney requires them to use their cell phones, I wanted to make sure my travelers could keep their phones charged while still walking around the park and enjoying themselves!”
Besides giving her clients items they will need while traveling, she also gives them branded Chip Clips, Post-it Notepads, and Ink Pens they can keep or pass on to their friends who are looking for a travel advisor. Margie concludes, “I like my clients to have something in front of them with my name on it so when they need me, they have my number at hand! – like I said earlier “Everything has a purpose!”"
ALLEGRA ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT: Lori Heimburger
This month, we shine our light on Lori Heimburger (Lori H. as we like to call her,) our Senior Project Manager and expert Promotional Products Specialist.
Lori H. has been in the printing services business since 1997 and has been with Allegra for nearly eighteen years. For sixteen of those years, she has worn the badge of Promotional Products Specialist, and from what our clients say, she is the best at what she does!
“[Allegra] Always professional with excellent quality. Fast and easy to work with. Lori Heimburger makes this easy. She always knows what I like and that I like high quality with great pricing. If she sees something she thinks may enhance my business, she presents it to me for consideration. My clients love our products, and we love the quality.” – Customer Comment from LoyaltyLoop.
One of the reasons Lori H. is successful at her job is that she builds relationships with her product vendors and stays current on what’s new in brandable merchandise. Because she knows her products and suppliers so well, she is able to easily find her clients exactly what they need. When asked how she would describe what she does for her clients, her answer was, “I try to make them look like the superstar! I offer suggestions that will fit their promotion, event, budget, and timeline.”
Another reason Lori H. is so good at what she does is she has a system she uses to guide her clients through the process. She outlines it as follows:
- If my clients aren't sure what they want, I will first direct them to our online catalog for ideas.
- If they have an idea of what they want, I ask them three very important questions – What is your Price Range, Quantity, and In-Hand Date?
- I will provide them with a few options, including quotes and expected delivery times.
- When a product is chosen, my client gets an initial rendering of the item with their brand imprint.
- Once approved, I will place the order with the vendor, get a final virtual proof for client sign-off, and track the progress from production to delivery!
When asked what she liked best about being a Promotional Products Specialist, Lori H. humbly said, “When I can get a client the perfect item and they let me know they love it, or they pass on to me that the recipients loved what they were given, it is the most rewarding part of what I do!”
Some of Lori's Favorite Products Over Time:
A metal memorial plaque with a
full color photo
3-way Phone-Watch-Earbud Charger
