Bruce Fox Blog

Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

How do you evaluate and target prospective clients? Do you choose willy-nilly or do you have key markets and audiences that you have researched, analyzed, and campaigned for?

Ok, so sometimes you stumble upon clients, but the majority of the time, you work for them, right?

That’s why it is good to be thankful when a prospect does fall in your lap, but it’s best to plan and have a strategy.

On the subject of strategy, one strategy that our 80 years of experience has found successful is niche marketing.  

Estimated Read Time: 2.5 Minutes

Color is vital in this industry.

Whether you want navy and white branded sunglasses or the perfect shade of maroon for pens, color defines our products and industry. The more color choices and options with color, the better, right?

So why isn’t that the case for the awards and plaques segment? I can’t even begin on how many boring plaques or hanging awards that I’ve seen that don’t even bother with such a classic and basic element. Don’t get me wrong, I like the classy black and white look, but at least spice it up every once and a while.

Estimated Read Time: 5.5 Minutes

When you picture a successful awards event, what do you see? The room decorated perfectly? Happy chatter as party people mingle around the room? The speaker delivering a rousing speech that inspires the crowd to their feet?

What about the awards?

What about the awards delivering that “wow factor” that turns into the talk of the night?

Who wouldn’t want that? Giving an award that inspires awe, happiness, and excitement, while still being on point with the branding, purpose, and all other requirements.

Sounds like a dream come true, right? It doesn’t have to be just a dream.

That’s why I’ve put together two lists – one to help you get the ROI that only an effective award can bring and the other on how to deliver that “wow factor” that you’ve been dreaming about.

Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes

I’m an awkward bird.

Yes, I have some sales experience and have worked with clients for many years; I also have made quite a few presentations and speeches in front on hundreds of people. However, if I haven’t mentally prepared myself, I typically feel off my game. This means my awkward duck self comes out, the dork that thinks to herself, “What the heck did you just say?” after some odd phrase pops out of my mouth. Trust me, I know better, but I still do it.

How many of us have done that? We’re put off guard and say something just odd. Welcome to the world of being human.

Now, let me ask you another question. How often do you forget to clarify something?

You’re talking about a project, going over important details or changes and then someone suddenly stop you, asking what in the world you are talking about. Oh yea, you know what you’re talking about because you’ve been thinking about it for the past hour but they haven’t. They can’t read your mind.

Yep, it happens to the best of us.

Estimated Read Time: 7.5 minutes

There’s no secret code passed by ships late in the night or notes hidden behind a statue in an old city. It doesn’t take a spy or some intelligence gathering operative to figure out what clients want.

Though, sometimes it feels like it, doesn’t it?

Estimated Read Time: 8 Minutes

Design a custom award from scratch? It must mean that you pick from a few colors and throw in some “custom text” and a logo, right?

Not exactly.

That’s a DYR project, and that’s what we call “customizable stock.”

A true custom project is completely different. How much? It’s like comparing building a house from scratch versus buying a pre-built home.

Estimated read time: 4 minutes

Do you like our spam? It’s a nice picture isn’t it? Does it make you hungry?

If you said yes, then great; I hope it’s almost time for you to eat. However, if you’re like me and don’t like spam, then you’re probably wondering why the heck I’m talking about spam.

Well, the reason is because I’m tired of spam, the canned meat and the clutter in my inbox. I’m tired of tasting nasty recipes that never try to actually make the meat taste good, as well as getting junk I don’t need or want. It takes too much time sifting through what’s useful and what is spam.

So, that’s why I’ve decided to assist you with sifting through the spam of quick turn-around promotional products, specifically awards and recognition. There’s just too much spammy material out there. #Punny

Estimated Read Time: 6.5 minutes

I worked at a pizza place for many years; it paid for a poor college kid’s ramen noodle diet and I’m thankful.  

Working there was busy, frantic, loud, and smelled of pizza – I loved it.

That chain pizza place wasn’t my first job, but it certainly taught me quite a bit and prepared me for my future jobs.

Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

Valentine’s Day is considered a day of love for some and is called “Single Awareness Day” by others. Obviously, there is a stark contrast between the names for this day.

 I started thinking about these two and then it hit me. There is also a parallel between the two names for Valentine's Day to showing employees some love and being ignored by management.

Estimated Read Time: 3.5 minutes

Incentive gifts, they are useful for increasing employee engagement and retention. Yes, those hot button topics and phrases that have been drilled into your head and you regularly get questioned about. But, isn’t that your bread and butter?

So your portfolio has a wide array of products, from blenders and headphones to handbags and golf balls. When your client names something; you get it for them or find an alternative, which is part of your job, right?