Bankers Advertising Articles
Which Way Do We Go?
December 28, 2020
When stacked up against history, there are certainly at least a few moments we can point to as antecedents to our current era. But for most of us alive today, especially those out in the workforce, we have had no frame of reference for the kinds of radical changes our lives and businesses have had to go through over the past nine months. We may not all be in the same boat, but we are certainly in the same storm — and that storm has made our paths forward unclear.
So — as individuals and as businesses — we have had to become agile. Since the future became less predictable than ever, we’ve had to learn how to let each moment guide our choices. With our understanding of the novel coronavirus changing almost daily, with constantly shifting regulations and recommendations from national, state, and local authorities; with the needs and concerns of customers constantly getting rearranged — we have been standing on sand at high tide. We’ve had to learn to find new footing, repeatedly. We’ve had to learn to think in all directions at once, to be ready to choose the right course as it became clear.
In short, we’ve had to learn to pivot.
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Pantone announces another two-color year!
December 11, 2020
A sunbeam cracks through the gray clouds above. You turn your face toward it, basking in its unexpected warmth and beauty.
Congrats; you’ve just experienced Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2021!
For just the second time, the Pantone Color of the Year is in fact a pair of colors: PANTONE® 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE® 13-0647 Illuminating (this happened previously in 2016, when PANTONE® 13-1520 Rose Quartz and PANTONE® 15-3919 Serenity were featured). The Pantone Color Institute, which has selected a Color of the Year since 2000, regularly forecasts and consults on color trends, brand identities, and the leveraging of color psychology and emotion in design.
Pantone notes on their website that the two colors are exemplary of the way that “different elements come together to support one another,” a mood that they found valuable heading into 2021. They emphasize Ultimate Gray’s “deeper feelings of thoughtfulness” and Illuminating’s “promise of something sunny and friendly.”
In color theory, yellow is considered the color of happiness and optimism. It is recognized as the most attention-getting of any color. In Hinduism and ancient Egyptian religion, it was the color most associated with deity. Interestingly, yellow’s negative associations fall into illness and caution, two ideas that certainly lurk in the background of the coming year as well. But overwhelmingly, worldwide, it is a color of creativity and warmth.
Gray is a color associated with wisdom and compromise. It’s a color of stability, but with an eye toward the future, with echoes of industrial design and smooth, sleek efficiency. It can also be considered a color of boredom and ambiguity or uncertainty, which are also ahead for us — but at its best, it is a color of reaching a middle ground, something that would be a welcome respite from the many different types of extremes we’ve experienced in 2020.
“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude,” said Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman in the announcement of the colors. “Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”
In marketing and promotions, teaming these two colors together will give your customers a sensation of a steady foundation from which to launch into a joyful positivity. They work together to make consumers feel safe and secure enough to be hopeful again—something that will be invaluable as we work to lift the economy as well as our spirits. Consumer confidence is going to be crucial to everyone’s experience of the coming year, and pairing Ultimate Gray and Illuminating in marketing opportunities can help to foster that.
“Emboldening the spirit,” the announcement reads, “the pairing of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 [Illuminating] highlights our innate need to be seen, to be visible, to be recognized, to have our voices heard.”
This is the perfect opportunity for you to listen to your customers’ needs and highlight both your reliable infrastructure and your willingness to cast your eyes forward to a better future.
A Few of Our Favorite Things, Part 5
November 13, 2020
Molly’s Top Fall Guide Picks!
Our staff is beyond excited about our current fall guide, which is loaded up with the very best in giving. Over the course of several posts, we’ll be sharing their favorites with you. Share your favorites in the comments!
VP Marketing
Molly Beavers
Exclusive America Mug (pg. 5): This item is back by popular demand — a mug Made in the USA! It has the America eagle surrounded by “The United States” and “America” deep molded into the base. This is a great item to showcase a patriotic message. (more…)
And the winner is: PROMO!
November 9, 2020
As a tumultuous election season came to an apparent end over the weekend, one event rose to prominence in the public conscious: a press conference featuring members of President Trump’s team, held at Four Seasons.
No, not the Four Seasons, as in the hotel. At Four Seasons Total Landscaping — more precisely, in the parking lot behind the small, family-owned Philadelphia business. The business was proud to host the presser, and many members of the press showed up despite confusion about the unconventional location.
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A Few of Our Favorite Things, Part 4
November 5, 2020
Brenda’s Top Fall Guide Picks!
Our staff is beyond excited about our current fall guide, which is loaded up with the very best in giving. Over the course of several posts, we’ll be sharing their favorites with you. Share your favorites in the comments!
Sales Manager
Brenda Thurness
What’s Pop’N Gourmet Popcorn Gift Set (pg. 9): This makes a great gift for about anyone with a microwave. It comes with Pop ’N Wow Carnival Classic Popcorn and two seasonings: white cheddar and kettle corn. My favorite feature is that it folds up flat for easy storage. This is a perfect company employee gift or a special occasion gift. Banks with branches could use as a donation gift. Local businesses are frequently approached for donations. A main office could buy 20 and put three or four in each branch for when someone asks for a donation. (more…)
A Few of Our Favorite Things, Part 3
October 28, 2020
Kristin’s Top Fall Guide Picks!
Our staff is beyond excited about our current fall guide, which is loaded up with the very best in giving. Over the course of several posts, we’ll be sharing their favorites with you. Share your favorites in the comments!
Kristin Nalan
Sales Development
Bamboo Soy Candle (pg. 3): I love candles in the winter. They add a soft touch of festivity to the atmosphere. Also, when the house has been closed up tight staving off the winter chill, I find it refreshing to light a scented candle. This candle has a bamboo lid — and the candle can be screened on the glass or lasered on the lid; there is also a laser personalization option. This soy candle comes with a vanilla scent. As certain scents can appeal to some and not others, I suggest getting a sample.
Custom Back Playing Cards with Custom Box (pg. 3): Playing cards can be used as a game or as a keepsake. I am a game player, and I especially like to use playing cards that come from an event that has special meaning to me. Playing cards are timeless and appeal to all ages. These cards are available with a custom box as shown in our fall gift guide; a plain tuck box with a clear window is also an option. (more…)
A Few of Our Favorite Things, Part 2
October 21, 2020
Erica’s Top Fall Guide Picks!
Our staff is beyond excited about our current fall guide, which is loaded up with the very best in giving. Over the course of several posts, we’ll be sharing their favorites with you. Share your favorites in the comments!
VP Sales Erica Kelley-Gogel
Working at home or even in the office (with communal break room use discouraged), I would guess that many people, like me, are eating lunch or having snacks at their desk. I normally eat at my desk, so the Crumbee™ vacuum is just perfect! Helps to keep the desk area clean. Both are perfect gifts for employees still working from home and those who go into the office. It comes with a little brush for your keyboard or calculator. The speaker has a nice-sized imprint area, but the Crumbee™ provides for a full-color imprint on the full top of the item. (more…)
A Few of Our Favorite Things, Part 1
October 19, 2020
Mel’s Top Fall Guide Picks!
Our staff is beyond excited about our current fall guide, which is loaded up with the very best in giving. Over the course of several posts, we’ll be sharing their favorites with you. Share your favorites in the comments!
Sales Manager Melanie Lamb
Urban Peak® Trek Vacuum Camp Mug (pg. 5): This 14-ounce, double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel mug is perfect for your Keurig coffee maker. The lid features a push-on sip-through lid. The mug is available in white, navy, black, and grey, with a 2” x 2” imprint area that can be pad printed or laser engraved. Full-color printing available for an extra $1.00 each! This would make a great gift for employees working from home.
Drip Truly Wireless Earbuds and Charging Case (pg. 6): I use wireless ear buds all the time for meetings, to talk on the phone, or to listen to music. This is the style that I like the best. They don’t tend to fall out of your ears as other styles tend to do. I’ve tested these out and they are good. They work well doing Zoom meetings as well as listening to music from my phone or computer. I even placed and received calls. Again, these would be good for any company that has employees who are working from home or spend a lot of time in their car talking. (more…)
Personalization in an “Own It” market
October 14, 2020
It’s easy to understand why people love personalization. There’s just something about seeing your own name on a promotional product or marketing piece that makes you feel special. But there are real psychological factors behind our personalization preference. A study from the University of Texas attributes information overload and desire for control as two key factors. (more…)