News

Reseller? I think not.

In the business I'm in I get a lot of emails from China. Manufacturers of all types of promotional products trying to get my company to buy from China and resell to you at a mark up. Most are the same promotional products we make. And I say same because they have the same applications and are called the same thing but that's it. Flags, tents, table covers, air dancers and just about anything that's can be custom manufactured. They are not the same in any other way. Prices are cheap. 

The other day I got an email from a Chinese company selling custom printed fabric. The prices in the email are quite low. In fact, prices in these emails I get daily are less than it costs me to make the products we sell. Now let's think about that for a moment...My company, Balloon Boys Promotions, is a manufacturer. We buy wholesale Velcro, thread, fabric, ink (dye), transfer paper for dye sublimation, grommets and all the other little hardware pieces that go into constructing promotional products for our customers. We buy in bulk to keep costs as low as possible and I even do some of the sewing myself to further the savings and pass them on to our customers. Now even with all of that it still costs me more than if I were to buy it from China and sell it to you. So why don't I? Why don't I bypass the headaches involved with the manufacturing process, keep overhead low and just be a middleman? 

The reason is simple. The answer is one word. 

Quality

The quality of our products is much higher than that of an overseas printer. We use higher quality fabric, thread, Velcro, inks and all the other little things that make a product. 

We create local, good paying jobs and support the local economy. 

Canadian manufacturing is suffering because not many companies believe in quality the way I do. But many will claim they do. So many middlemen will sell a product to a customer as their own when really it's been imported at a fraction of the cost. I met a guy selling flags on the side of the road today. You know the kind...sets up a van and surrounds it with flags. I asked where he gets his flags. First he said he made them but quickly changed his tune when I started asking the tough questions like printing types, fabric and UV treatments.  Turns out he is importing. If you've read this far you're probably thinking; ya ya so what? What's wrong with that or why do I care? The stuff he buys costs him less than Balloon Boys best prices. I'll tell you the problem. I'll tell you many problems. The inks used in many overseas products are cheap because they don't have proper quality control or environmental regulations. Lead and other toxic chemicals can be found in the fabrics and inks. The PVC used in their tent canopies are the most toxic plastics on the planet and at the end of all that...(this is where you come in) ... a product from overseas will only last 1/5 the time a Canadian made product will last. Now can you tell me that's worth saving a few bucks!? Of course you can't. It's not. 

We don't charge 5x the price because it lasts longer. We don't even charge 1.5x more than overseas. In fact, our prices are only a few bucks higher. Those few extra dollars will be the best investment you could make. You're investing in a longer lasting, higher quality product. So if you've read this far I want to thank you. And here is a discount code for ten percent off anything purchased from this website. Upon checkout enter the code - quality - you'll get ten percent off your entire cart. If you don't yet know the better quality a product made by us is, you will soon. Our products will outlast an overseas product up to 5 times. Even some local made products can't match the quality of our printing process. See the Dye Sub vs. Direct to Fabric blog post to see what I mean. 

Own a brand worthy of your logo. Own a fabric that has been dyed the right way. The sublimation way. Own a promotional product made by Balloon Boys Promotions. Here is our Full Product Line

The New Style of Custom Printing on Fabric

Since the concept behind customized and made-to-order products was introduced, the demand for products that are unique has increased. Generally speaking, customization means producing something that has been made or altered according to specific requirements. The process involves considering several factors including style and taste, objective, time schedule, as well as budget. What appeals to people is that they can stand out in a crowd due to the fact that they are unique compared to other mass produced pieces.

 Custom Printing Options

There is no surprise, therefore, to expect customization applied in textile and fabric. As a matter of fact, a lot of people prefer custom printing on fabric because aside from the fact that they can really standout in a crowd, control over the selection of colours to use, as well as the method of creating an output is entirely up to their preferences. 

The highest quality style is dye sublimation. This special process utilized by Balloon Boys Promotions involves directly dying the fabric so that it retains its soft feel and drape with zero added weight. The fabric is dyed with the use of a large heat press, which is capable of transferring custom prints from special sublimation paper, which are odourless. The best part about this type of custom printing is that the resulting fabric is wrinkle resistant and may be handled and washed without harming the print. Finishing the fabric by sewing to suit the hardware, be it a table or geometric shape wrap. The soft look of the finished product is very popular with business owners as fabric can also be folded easily, adding to its convenience. 

 The Use of Custom Prints

There are a lot of reasons why people would need custom printing services. The fabric created can be turned into clothes, curtains and other purposes. However, one of the most popular uses of custom printing on fabric, especially the one which went through dye sublimation is in trade show products. Almost all tradeshow exhibitors would certainly want a display that has very unique yet easily transported and washed while on the road. Trade show exhibitors use custom printed table covers, flags, tents and even custom printed trash can covers.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to custom printing. Balloon Boys begins with a blank canvas to create higher quality prints to showcase your business. Contact us today for a quote on any custom printed fabric product or place your order on the website today!

How to Promote Your Business Effectively and at a Low Cost

When talking about advertising ideas, people usually think of social media platforms, or email newsletters, fliers, and so on. These are not ideas; they are just mediums through which a message is communicated. There are many ways of advertising your business, but one has to choose appropriately in order not to spend too much money on irrelevant audiences. Always bear in mind that the idea behind advertising - be it online, offline or somewhere in between, is to be able to target the right audiences in order not to waste money.

Obviously, signs are a must-have for any business. Luckily, they come in a many shapes, colours, sizes and designs, so every business can decide what works best for them. Many advertising companies, especially ones doing outdoor advertising, are happy to work with the client until they come up with a suitable design that complements the website and the overall visual image of the business. Signs should not be designed in such a way that they attack the passerby because it never pays to be too aggressive in advertising. They should communicate the purpose of the business in a nutshell, and give essential information about the services offered. 

When it comes to outdoor advertising ideas, there is virtually nothing that cannot be used as an ad. It can be a custom made balloon placed on the top of the shop, in the form of a colourful mascot which invites people inside. Air dancers are also a very popular choice and exhume the feel of your business being fun and interesting. There are a lot of items your logo and slogan can be printed on, including table covers, flags, and trade show marketing products. When choosing the printing method for the above-mentioned advertising mediums, wise business owners usually opt for Dye Sublimation printing due to its benefits. The most distinguished are that the colours in the material are not toxic like vinyl in addition to being the highest quality printing method available on the market.

All these advertising ideas will be in vain if a business owner has not defined the goals of the advertising campaign. Firstly, they must create an intriguing character and be able to tell a story about his business, which is attractive to potential customers. That character can be an animal, a symbol, or anything that can make customers relate to the brand. Another good idea is to add sound, voice, or emotion to your product, which also aims at creating relationships with the customer, and ultimately encourages them to spend money on your product or service.

Anniversary Sale Time Again!!

It's our Anniversary!! In the month of March, take advantage of great deals on new Air Dancers and accessories.

Take $25 off ANY Air Dancer with or without blower.

We're also giving you FREE shipping up to $100 to anywhere in Canada. Just our way of saying thanks. But hurry, this offer is only valid until March 31st. 

Enter the discount code below upon checkout:

FREESHIP

Communicating to the Customer on the Go – Benefits of Outdoor Advertising

The main idea behind outdoor advertising is convincing the customers to behave in a certain way. Advertising motivates customers to buy certain products. There are many advertising ideas out there, especially if you want to advertise outdoors. In these hectic times, people spend less and less time in front of their televisions and laptops, and they are always on the go. Communicating to consumers who are outside all the time can be very difficult. This is where outdoor advertising comes in.

An important role of outdoor advertising is shaping the demand for any given product. There are indeed many advertising ideas to choose from. A shop can have a custom printed flag displayed in front of the door, which will attract customers who will potentially spend money there. Air dancers are also a very effective way of advertising your business. First of all, they can be seen from afar, and they attract attention of both adults and children because they are a fun kind of advertising.

If you want your business to portray an image of being adventurous, trustworthy, and reliable, you should opt for a balloon installed above your store. Balloons come in many colours and can be enriched with any message you want to communicate.

It is very important to participate in conventions and trade shows in order to showcase your business and the qualities that define it. This is where trade show marketing products such as tents and custom table covers come in. They are very effective in communicating the right message to visitors. They also differentiate themselves from other plain white tents and table covers in the vicinity.

When it comes to custom printing materials, you should know that we use the dye sublimation printing method. This method has a lot of benefits compared to toxic vinyl or direct printing on fabric. Dye sublimation actually changes the color of the fabric in its core. Advertising products that have been modified in this way boast in being the highest quality available in the market.

To sum up, outdoor advertising has several benefits. First of all, it is cost-effective – it costs less than advertising in electronic media. Furthermore, it is high-volume, meaning that these advertisements are seen by a lot of potential customers every day. There is no working hours of an outdoor ad because they are available to commuters 24 hours 7 days a week. And lastly, there's also repetitive exposure – if you expose customers to your brand several times or more, it will surely leave an impression on them.

Great Advertising Ideas

First of all, it is important to distinguish between marketing and advertising. Marketing is a science of product generation in order for the products to be sold and promoted. Advertising, on the other hand, is one subset of promoting these products. The first thing you have to do before actually approaching advertising ideas is to get to know your customer. If you run a small business you probably already know who your customers are but if you are a business in development, it is probably a good idea to make a list of key features of your customers, such as shopping habits, their locations, age, gender and what they are trying to receive when they are buying your product. Once you have established the characteristics of your customers, you can then approach various advertising ideas. 

One of the most common advertising ideas is email marketing. This option is very efficient for small businesses, but also businesses that are just beginning to communicate with potential customers. 

Then there is the matter of postcard marketing, which is an affordable, fast and easily performed method of contacting your clients. By mail, you can send postcards, catalogs, mail packages, newsletters, self-mailers and many other types of mail. 

Another good advertising idea is to print fliers and have magazines insert them into their issues. The best way to inquire about this service is to contact the advertising department of a magazine. They will inform you about availability and prices. 

When it comes to online advertising, there are many advertising ideas you can consider. For instance, there is the online phone directory like Yellow Pages. Then there is the natural search engine optimization and paid search. This is an efficient way of advertising because customers tend to trust information they found themselves by searching via Google or any other search engine. 

Of course, there is always social networking. More and more companies are realizing that this is one of the most efficient advertising ideas. Creating Facebook fan pages or MySpace, LinkedIn, or Twitter profiles, and writing blogs can really drive your sales up. Social media is very good for interacting with your customers and plays a pivotal role in providing feedback so you can further develop your services.

Print advertising ideas give you the opportunity of being visible on the local, national or international level, and although it is a dying fashion of advertising, you can benefit from it. If you are advertising in upscale magazines, you will probably earn a good reputation. 

Billboards are beneficial when it comes to advertising, and there are several types of billboards. You can have your billboard installed on a highway, a train station, on a kiosk and so on. Billboards are very visible and are often looked at by people who are waiting for transportation. The drawback is that they aren’t at your location and are 2D (two dimensional). They're often ignored as they're so common place.

Giant rooftop balloons are an exceptionally good way of communicating to your audiences because they make your brand appear friendly, interesting and adventurous – this is what many customers look for in a brand. Having a 25’ balloon on your rooftop will surely make your business memorable. The sign is 3D - three dimensional, and can be lit up at night for 24 hour on site exposure telling customers exactly where you are.

Custom printed flags are also among interesting advertising ideas when they are placed in front of stores that have just been opened or stores which want to gain more attention from passersby.They communicate a short but very influential message and invite customers to go into the shop and drive sales. Shapes include feather, teardrop and rectangle.

Unlike other advertising ideas, air dancers are especially beneficial if there are custom printed. They are the the best and cheapest mobile advertising method – these figures dance with the help of air being pushed through them, and they are very visible from afar. Sky Dancers, or wavy guys as they are often called, are not as common as billboard advertising and so using them will really get you noticed.

        

Tents are communicating your logo and the products you offer. They are efficient in festivals and other similar events because they attract attention due to being different from plain white tents that surround them. Custom printed Event or Vendor Tents communicate a full colour message that you are proud to set up under with a custom printed table cover. Adding a back wall or side rails for added printed space will help your set up stand out from the rest. 

 

One of the very influential advertising ideas is event marketing. Event marketing means holding an event in your shop, attending an industry conference or a trade show. This is very good for exchanging information, getting to know your competition and communicating about what you have to offer.

You can always advertise on classic media outlets such as radio and television. On the radio, you can broadcast commercials or sponsor certain shows. On television, you can also provide sponsorship for a show, pay for an infomercial or regular commercials, but beware that this is very expensive. And one fact to take into account is that many people now a days record their favourite shows and fast forward all the commercials or use services like Netflix which don't have commercials. These classic media outlets are a dying advertising method.

One of the most remarkable advertising ideas dates back to 2013 when Forbes magazine had a miniature hotspot installed inside selected issues of their magazine. They teamed up with T-mobile, and many customers were pleasantly surprised by this feature. It also made them carry around their Forbes, which is very good advertising for the magazine.

At the carnival in Rio de Janeiro beer cans were recycled in exchange for train tickets. The beer company in this way helped reducing the amount of garbage on the streets, made sure that the cans were recycled and also incited a lot of customers to use public transportation instead of cars. That reduced instances of drunk driving by 43 percent.

In Spain, Coca-Cola teamed up with the Momentum Madrid marketing agency, and they launched a lemonade machine, which conveniently lowered lemonade prices as the temperatures went up. This pleasantly surprised their customers, which resulted in brand loyalty. 

Personalize your approach to customers – say happy birthday to them via social networks or email, or regular mail if you have the time to organize the activity. 

Use staff photos on any promotional material you distribute – this way you will persuade your customers that your company is a living organism with a face. You will gain reputation as being friendly and reliable. 

Try to come up with a memorable slogan that differentiates you from your competition. If you are out of design ideas, hire a professional like Balloon Boys, and work with them until you come to a satisfactory solution. Balloon Boys Promotions isn’t just a balloon rental company anymore. They have out of the box advertising ideas that can help your company be memorable.

 And finally, be generous. Come up with gift ideas and award your customers for their loyalty. It can be a simple thing like a coffee mug, a paperweight, a pen, a letter opener and so on. Small gestures can go a long way!