A large part of OnFulfillment’s business is producing corporate-branded promotional products for our customers. Whether these products are high-volume, cost-effective merchandise used as event giveaways or high-end brand name items given as gifts to customers or employees, corporate branded materials play a key role in establishing a business’s identity and reputation.

But wanting branded corporate merchandise is one thing. Knowing where to get it is another. There are scores of vendors out there who claim they can handle all your material needs. The truth is they often provide access to only a small part of the potential market—say the low-end, high-volume portion—requiring you to go elsewhere for brand-name items. And as anyone knows, managing multiple vendors adds complexity to any project.

A successful branded merchandise strategy means understanding what you’re looking for today—and what you might need in the future—and then finding a vendor that can satisfy all those needs. This blog will help define the various benefits of corporate branded materials and provide a roadmap for finding just the right provider.

Gifting programs are among the most popular services OnFulfillment offers. Our clients find they are extremely useful for recognizing, rewarding, and welcoming new and existing customers, partners and employees.

These programs can take many forms, including gift cards, coupon codes, discount codes, redemption codes, rewards points, and first-time user gifts. While these are all different mechanisms used for providing discounts or incentives to recipients, many people assume they are all basically the same and are unsure which programs are best for their specific goals.

Summer is over. Fall has just begun. The days are getting shorter, and the temps are dropping off—well, a little bit at least. We all know what that means: it’s time to start thinking about the holidays.

Before you say it’s still too early—Halloween is still a month away, after all—it’s important to point out the benefits of getting an early start. This is especially true for businesses looking to order corporate-branded holidays gifts for their customers and employees.

As we all know, the holidays are synonymous with inventory shortages and inconsistent quality. The closer we get to December, the harder it will be to guarantee targeted items will be available, at least in the quantities required. Replenishments will be available—eventually—but likely not until sometime in the new year due to growing demand. Popular brands and “must have” products will be even harder to come by if not ordered early.

When we meet potential new customers for the first time, the initial discussion is invariably dedicated to information gathering. They heard about us, requested a meeting, and want to know what we do, how we do it, and—ultimately—how we can help them solve a pressing or immediate business problem.

We wouldn’t have it any other way. We love sharing our expertise with prospects and customers alike. We enjoy meeting new people and hearing about the challenges they are facing with respect to their marketing fulfillment or event management obligations. And most of all, we welcome the opportunity to present them with solutions that help them achieve their goals.

That’s why we’ll never turn down a serious request. But we also know that not every prospective customer is enthusiastic about filling out a form and scheduling a blind meeting. We’ve often wondered if there wasn’t a better way to help prospects get up to speed about what we do so they can educate themselves prior to an initial consultation. A way for them to learn about our software, our services, and our innovative approach so they can arm themselves with information and come prepared with pertinent and relevant questions. Or perhaps a way to determine whether OnFulfillment is even a good fit for their needs before they submit a meeting request.

Your company is celebrating a major milestone, and you’ve been asked to find a nice brand-name gift for employees. Unfortunately, the budget doesn’t cover the projected costs.

Or imagine your department is hosting a large meeting and you’d like to present attendees with a high-quality branded polo shirt, but the price tag for a recognized brand means you’d have to cut corners elsewhere.

Or you want to find a memorable giveaway for an upcoming event, but don’t want to break the bank. What do you do?

It’s time to consider dupes.