From The Ground Up

Trade-sector promotional items reinforce messaging from every angle

The industries that make up the nation’s trades sector are some of the most important jobs in today’s workforce. Working in manufacturing, construction, plumbing and more, trade workers are responsible for many of the comforts of modern living.

A tradesman (or woman) often faces long hours, hard labor and hazardous conditions, so promotional programs often revolve around messages of safety, engagement or recognition for a job well done. Of course, it’s not just the reason behind a promotion that leaves a lasting impression. What the gift can do for the recipient is equally memorable. Nicole Ribaudo, marketing coordinator for Parsippany, New Jersey, supplier Media Tree, Inc. (UPIC: tni), says many end users gravitate toward digital rewards for safety and recognition gifts.

“It’s critical for a construction company to maintain proper safety standards, so our rewards have been used for on-the-spot incentives when employees uphold these principles,” says Ribaudo. “Our rewards are small and lightweight, and easy for managers to keep at their desk so they can quickly gift the star employee when needed.”

BP®, a leader in the petroleum industry, was looking to raise safety awareness among its drivers, calling on them to implement and maintain safe driving practices as a way of demonstrating BP’s standard of excellence.

“BP decided to reward all employees who met these goals with Movie Ticket Reward Cards, good for two free tickets to any movie of their choice,” says Ribaudo. “Each card was branded with the company's logo and sported additional safety messaging on the front of the card. The giveaway simplified rewarding without additional packaging costs, and it paired well with all the drivers.”

Case Study

Anchoring Awareness

A shipyard in a major city harbor sends shipyard advocates to speak at local schools to promote shipbuilding. These advocates needed a fun way to engage the kids with their craft. They decided on goodie bags to provide entertainment and reinforce their brand in the children’s minds.

Hit Promotional Products (UPIC: HITP0001) provided 2,230 branded pencil sharpeners to be included. The kids loved them and used them in their classroom. And the ship yard has since been repeating the order each year for a new class of incoming students to spark their interest in shipbuilding.

Source: Hit Promotional Products

ABOUT THE INDUSTRY

Specialty Trade Contractors

Specialty trade contractors are responsible for pouring concrete, site preparation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work. These types of businesses usually perform most of their work at the construction site, although they may have shops where they perform prefabrication and other work. Establishments primarily engaged in preparing sites for new construction are also included in this category. In September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded just over four million employees of the subsector.

Source: BLS

Meet Your Promotional Match

Pitch ideas for safety and wellness programs, customer loyalty and uniform options to prospects in these fields:

• Construction/carpentry/masonry

• Electrical/plumbing

• Machinery/manufacturing

• Fabricators/assemblers

• Press operators

• Plant workers

Construct A Successful Program With Products Like These

This energy-efficient COB (chips on board) flashlight with a magnetic clip that turns 180 degrees and a wrist strap lights the way without a problem. COB light is the newest trend in LED lighting. Multiple LED chips are packaged together as one lighting module, outperforming traditional lighting. The multidirectional light puts out 80 lumens at 10 yards and lasts 40,000-50,000 hours. Choose from solid black or black with orange and add an imprint.

Beacon Promotions UPIC: BEACONP www.beaconpromotions.com

Zip up a uniform program with the men’s lined Eisenhower jacket from Dickies. The jacket’s water-resistant properties, heavy-duty brass zipper and adjustable waistband tabs make it ideal for employees who work in a variety of industrial/outdoor environments. Choose from black or dark navy in sizes S-3X.

Heritage Sportswear/Virginia T’s UPIC: HERI0002 www.heritagesportswear.com

Make a note of this stylish and sturdy zip-around leather letter-pad portfolio. With inside pockets, a pen and a writing pad, recipients are ready to do business.

Scully Leather UPIC: S174962 www.scullyleather.com

Protect employees’ hard-earned money with an RFID-blocking cellphone wallet. Crafted with a special alloy lining, this protective wallet will block any device that attempts to scan or steal personal information. It comes with a 3M sticker to attach to the back of any size cell phone.

Essef Distributors UPIC: 7417170 www.lincolnline.com

Painters promote what they do best with an eye-catching notekeeper magnet that’s shaped like—what else? A paintbrush.

Magna-Tel, Inc. UPIC: MAGNATEL www.magna-tel.com

Hot beverages stay off laps and safe in this BPA-free travel mug with a leak-proof lid and a clever grip-pad design that reduces spills and prevents accidental knock-overs. Lift straight up to easily detach it from a hard surface. The container works on all flat, non-porous surfaces like desks and tables, and it’s cupholder friendly. Double-wall insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for longer. It comes with a silicone carrying strap and is hand-washable.

Hirsch Gift UPIC: HIRGIFT www.hirschgift.com

The measure of a good promotion is often how well the product fits the client. This measure-pad-leveler satisfies multiple needs in one handy item. Take measurements with the six-foot metal blade tape, make a note on the 12-sheet notepad, then take advantage of the pocket clip to work hands-free. Prime Resources Corp. UPIC: PRIME www.primeline.com

Introduce future industry leaders to the field with a novelty construction hat. Made of soft plastic and great for events and education opportunities, these hats come in five colors for adult sizes and three colors for kids.

WOWLine UPIC: MANY0002 www.wowline.com

Great for giveaways and employees, a Triumph® stick-up calendar features vibrant, full-color printing and comes in six calendar designs to choose from, all with full-color printing on the mount included in the price. Customize with full-color images, logos and/or multiple colors in messaging. Compact and economical, this calendar sticks to vehicles, file cabinets, refrigerators—almost any surface where the

message will get attention. Select from a square or rectangle mount.

BIC Graphic USA UPIC: BIC www.bicgraphic.com

Reward years of service or a great partnership with the Dorado Star award. The Dorado Star begins as a tiny optical crystal star in the background and shoots forward to a much larger star. It is affixed to a crystal base with a customizable front panel and comes in three sizes. It can be deep-etched and color-filled for additional customization, and it comes packaged in a black gift box.

Crystal D UPIC: CRYSTALD www.crystal-d.com