Bright Ideas

Moving with the times

We love gadgets and gizmos, and so do lots of our customers. Why? Because the vast majority of tech related products have a pretty strong USP - not only are they genuinely useful but invariably they have been designed to make our lives easier! What’s more, having your brand or message displayed on a genuinely useful product really is one of the best ways to connect with your target audience and stay front of mind.

Standing out from the crowd

We are great believers in the power of promotional merchandise and often wax lyrical about some of the more traditional products. But, here’s the thing, it feels pretty good to receive something that’s just a little bit different. Even the most popular technology products, (USB’s and Power banks), are now available in all sorts of sizes and shapes, providing a unique look and feel, and helping to create a lasting impression.

Our range keeps growing

We have a fantastic range of tech related products that you can apply your brand to. From USB’s, power banks and speakers to wearable technology items, solar powered devices and selfie sticks. We also have our eyes and ears open, keeping up with the latest trends and newest releases to strengthen our technology offering.

Take a look below at some of our favourite items from the most popular product types. All of these items are capable of being customised to display your company logo, messages and colours.

No matter the activity we are confident that we will be able to source a suitable product to fit with your target audience and budget.

Power banks and hubs

• Hydra Powerbank – Good value power bank with great customisation options
• Xoopar BOY Power Hub – Funky design and really useful. Charge 4 devices from 1 source
• Elda A4 Folder With Powerbank – Stylish A4 folder with a built in 500mAh power bank
• Portable Slim-line Powerbank 5000 – Looks as though it should be more expensive

Hydra Powerbank

From £4.33

Xoopar BOY Power Hub

From £25.34

Elda Folder w/ Powerbank

From £37.07

Slim-line Powerbank 5000

From £16.57

USB sticks

• 4GB Express Twister USB – Our most popular memory stick with a great capacity
• Chain Flash USB Drive – Solidly made from metal and plastic with great customisation options
• Kingston DataTraveler 101 SE9-8GB – High capacity flash drive. Metal body and laser engraved
• 4GB Credit Card Flash Drive – Can be printed in full colour on both sides for maximum impact

4GB Express Twister USB

From P.O.A.

Chain Flash USB Drive

From P.O.A.

Kingston DataTraveler 8GB

From P.O.A.

4GB Credit Card Flash Drive

From P.O.A.

Just a little bit different

• Trace It Keychain – Attaches to keys so they never go missing again. Comes with free downloadable app
• PowerBeats Premium Headphones – High quality overhead headphones at a fantastic price
• Pluto Bluetooth Speaker – Stylish aluminium bluetooth speaker with great acoustic sound
• Mini Selfie Stick – Wired with a hand strap, extends to 590mm

Trace It Keychain

From £8.91

Premium Headphones

From £7.89

Pluto Bluetooth Speaker

From £12.25

Mini Selfie Stick

From £2.23

That's not all folks

Remember, we are experts at sourcing products and have a global supply chain covering most manufacturing processes. So if you have a specific tech product in mind don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Bright Ideas Promotional
We are Promotional Merchandise experts. If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

Technology - our recommended products

Bright Ideas and The Business Gift Company become a single entity

Strength in depth

It’s great news. The team at Bright Ideas has successfully merged with its’ sister company TBGC (The Business Gift Company) – consolidating all merchandising activities under one roof.

With effect from June 2016 the combined companies will conduct business together trading as Bright Ideas Promotional Products, operating from offices in Bristol and Birmingham.

This is a merger of two well regarded British Promotional Merchandise Association Charter Distributors, with shared values and a history of successfully working together over the last 12 months.

The rationale for the move is straight forward: to strengthen the core offering and to ensure that as an organisation we are able to provide our clients with a truly unrivalled service.

Clients will benefit from:

• Our significant industry experience - we are experts and passionate about what we do
• Our commitment to service - we are supported by the market leading case management software
• Our extensive menu of services - we really can handle all your merchandising requirements no matter how complex

The enlarged team has extensive industry knowledge. This, combined with our handily placed storage and distribution centre, means we are well placed to service clients across all of the UK’s principal Industry sectors.

If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

There's nothing like putting pen to paper

Promotional Pens are one of the most popular and cost effective ways to promote your business and increase brand awareness. Think about it. Every time the recipient writes something down they see your message. Compelling stuff. Not to mention the fact that recipients of promotional items, especially those that are useful, are far more likely to do business with you in the future.

The range is tremendous. From entry level plastic pens, rollerballs with a sleek metal finish, executive ball pens with a touch of grandeur, to eco-friendly pens made from recycled materials – we’ve got the lot. By our reckoning the team at Bright Ideas has access to more than 5,000 pens!

That’s great news for our customers. No matter who you are and what you are trying to achieve there will be a suitable product that will provide a good fit with your brand and target audience. With our extensive knowledge we can help to find the best possible match.

To kick start this process we’ve pulled together a little guide to help introduce the breadth of products available and highlight a few of our bestselling items.

Entry level

• Contour Colour Ballpen – Substantial pen for the money and suits most sectors
• Dart Polished Ballpen – Really clean design enables it to straddle entry / mid-tier
• Absolute Ballpen – Solid pen with a good print area
• Albion Grip Ballpen – Looks as though it should be more expensive

Contour Colour Ballpen

From £0.21

Dart Polished Ballpen

From £0.27

Absolute Ballpen

From £0.26

Albion Grip Ballpen

From £0.28

Middle of the road

• Capri Gloss Ballpen – Clip action with chrome trim
• Challenger Polished Ballpen – Solid quality pen that most find to write well
• Prodir DS3 Ballpen – Great design, timeless and high quality
• Electra Ballpen – Solid feeling entry level metal pen with quality appearance

Capri Gloss Ballpen

From £0.75

Challenger Polished Ballpen

From £0.40

Prodir DS3 Ballpen

From £0.72

Electra Ballpen

From TBC

Executive

• Parker Jotter – Clean lines, robust and instantly recognisable
• Parker Urban – Curved design offers a bold modern look with a stainless steel nib
• Waterman Graduate – Contemporary styling with a bright chrome finish
• Waterman Hemisphere – Simply elegant. The Rolls Royce of pens. Striking timeless design

Parker Jotter

From £3.73 / MOQ 50

Parker Urban

From £13.65 / MOQ 15

Waterman Graduate

From £11.15 / MOQ 15

Waterman Hemisphere

From £36.15 / MOQ 15

Something a little different:

• Stylus pens
• Banner pens
• Markers & Highlighters

Bright Ideas Promotional
We are Promotional Merchandise experts. If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

Writing instruments - our recommended products

Like a fine wine: it gets better with age

For the team at Bright Ideas Promotional Products are a standard part of our daily lives. We source them, we manufacture them, and we brand them. We also talk about them incessantly.

It should come as no surprise that we are all familiar with the origins of promotional products. It's actually quite an interesting tale so we thought we'd provide you with a brief insight into why this industry has been in existence for centuries and why it continues to play such an important role, on a global scale.

The first promotional product wasn’t a pen, a stress ball or a key ring. When George Washington became the first President of the newly formed United States of America in 1789, commemorative buttons were produced to celebrate the momentous occasion. So the first U.S. President was in part responsible for producing the first promotional product!

During the early 19th century, there were some advertising calendars, rulers, and wooden specialties, but there was no organized industry for the creation and distribution of promotional items until 1886.

That distinction went to an Ohio newspaper man named Jasper Meek. In 1886, Meek approached a local shoe store owner with an idea: instead of letting his printing machinery go idle between editions of the newspaper, Meek realised he could use it to print a message advertising the shoe store onto bags which would be given away with every shoe purchase. That way, he reasoned, when kids used the bags to carry their school books, they would also advertise the store. Does that sound like a familiar approach?

Henry Beach, another Ohio based printer and a competitor of Meek, picked up on the idea, and soon the two men were selling and printing marble bags, buggy whips, card cases, fans, calendars, cloth caps, aprons, and even hats for horses.

By 1904 representatives of 12 promotional product companies had gathered to form the PPAI, an American trade association which is still in existence today. Promotional Products Association International currently has more than 10,000 global members.

That is how this wonderful industry began but it wasn’t until the late 1950’s that corporate marketing, using promotional products, began in Britain. That was the beginning of this industry as we know it today.

UK & Ireland

The UK and Ireland promotional merchandise industry formally emerged as corporate marketing became more sophisticated during the late 1950s. Before this companies may have provided occasional gifts, but there was no recognised promotional merchandise industry. The real explosion in the growth of the promotional merchandise industry took place in the 1970s. At this time an ever increasing number of corporate companies recognised the benefits gained from promoting their corporate identity, brand or product, with the use of gifts featuring their own logo.

Market Mechanics

In the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland, companies and corporations mainly purchase their merchandise through promotional merchandise distributor companies. Nowadays, almost anything can be branded with a company’s name or logo and used for promotion. Common items include clothing, caps, notebooks, key rings, bags, pens, mugs, technology products and gadgets as well as a whole host of eco-friendly promotional products such as those created from recycled materials.

Promotional merchandise is rarely bought directly by corporate companies from the actual manufacturers of the promotional products. A manufacturer's expertise lies in the physical production of the products, but getting a product in front of potential customers is a completely different skill set and a complex process.

Within the UK & Ireland promotional merchandise industry a comprehensive network of promotional merchandise distributor companies exist and Bright Ideas is one of the leading exponents, being a Charter Member of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA). We are experts at making things run smoothly, managing the artwork application and printing processes. In addition to this we also provide full support in processing orders, proofing, progress chasing, storage & delivery of promotional products from multiple manufacturing sources.

The UK Market

According to recent research completed in 2015 the UK and Ireland promotional merchandise industry has an overall value of circa £850m. Published research suggests that the top 10 promotional merchandise products are promotional pens, bags, clothing, notebooks, plastic items, USB memory sticks, mugs, leather items, polyurethane conference folders, and umbrellas.

This might not be the biggest industry in the world but it’s certainly got history and, if the present day is anything to go by, it will continue to play a major part in promoting businesses and organisations of every size and nationality, for the foreseeable future and beyond.

Bright Ideas Promotional
We are Promotional Merchandise experts. If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

You're my favourite

Richard Gardiner is the co-owner of Bright Ideas and is known to have ‘drawers’ full of promotional products!

What’s your favourite promotional product?

I’m a sucker for a good quality notebook – preferably one with a pen or pencil attached. I’ll never leave the office without one and am always scribbling away when I’ve got a few spare moments. I find it fairly relaxing and it’s also great being able to look back at my original thoughts and see how these have developed from that fixed point in time.

My current notebook is a rather colourful affair. It certainly stands out and I particularly like our debossed logo. It’s unlikely that somebody else is going to mistake mine for their own!

What's so special about notebooks?

There's just so much choice. Different shapes, sizes & colours, as well as the ability to customise page layouts not to mention bespoke inserts.

Notebooks also have a brilliant branding area and are capable of creating an emotional bond between the audience and the brand. They also have real longevity as recipients are likely to use the product again and again.

Are there specific notebooks you’d recommend?

That’s a tricky one. There really is a product for every budget. That said, I particularly like the Tucson Edge Notebook, Black Cover, with coloured paper edges, pen loop and matching ribbon marker.

It’s a combination of the soft finish, the coloured page ends and the matching elasticated tag. It just feels like a premium product. With other customisation options also available this product can be made to look completely bespoke.

Complimentary products?

You can’t go wrong with a Parker Jotter. A bit of a classic with a slight retro feel.

Bright Ideas Promotional
We are Promotional Merchandise experts. If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

Green is good

Many leading organisations are looking to apply ‘Green Principles’ to their marketing and promotional activity – which in turn impacts the products available not to mention the Bright Ideas supply chain.

One thing is for certain; ‘Eco-friendly’ promotional products represent a fast growing area and we are convinced that they are here to stay. They are especially relevant for companies looking to maximise their environmental credentials, and those pursuing a broader Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

Organisations are increasingly looking at using promotional products made from recycled, organic, sustainable or ethically sourced materials to feature in their marketing campaigns. It’s a bit of a no brainer. What better way to clearly communicate to customers and prospects that your organisation is forward-thinking, not to mention ethically and environmentally aware.

Rest assured, there’s still a wide range of products available. To help you to go green with your promotions we’ve handpicked some of our client favourites and more popular items:

Bright Ideas’ ‘Top 10’ Eco-friendly promotional products

• Dargate jute tote - recyclable and biodegradable. Product reference: PP-EX15
• Natural cotton shopper - sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable. Product reference: PP-EW13F
• Plastic carrier bag - biodegradable. Product reference: PP-EWO5
• Ecoretract Ballpen - made from recycled materials. Product reference: PP-WJ15
• Recycled wiro bound notepad - made from recycled materials. Product reference: PP-PH17
• Smart card memo blocks - made from recycled materials and biodegradable. Product reference: PP-PF35
• Recycled Pencils - made from recycled money or recycled denim. Product reference: PP- WF04/06
• Colouring pencils - made from recycled materials. Product reference: PP-WN22
• Sports bottles - made from recycled materials and biodegradable. Product reference: PP-MJ03
• Ice Scraper - made from recycled materials. Product reference: PP-TF09

Dargate jute tote

Natural cotton shopper

Plastic carrier bag

Ecoretract ballpen

Recycled notepad

Smart card memo block

Recycled pencil

Sports bottle

Recycled ice scraper

Here are a few things to have on the radar when it comes to choosing eco-friendly promotional products;

• Product quality and value
• Environmental sustainability
• Ethical manufacture
• Recycled, Organic or Biodegradable materials, and waste minimisation

And remember, you don’t need to satisfy every criteria to be seen to be green. If you can demonstrate for example, that the products selected have been ethically manufactured that will be fulfilling part of your CSR strategy.

As Charter members of the British Promotional Merchandise Association we are dedicated to sustainability, and always strive to supply environmentally friendly merchandise, respecting our natural resources wherever possible. We also like to help our clients to make informed and responsible purchasing decisions with eco-friendly promotional items, to help them portray their brand and environmental goals simultaneously.

Bright Ideas Promotional
We are Promotional Merchandise experts. If you’d like some assistance regarding any of your merchandising requirements then simply call us on 0800 644 4858 or drop us a line at info@brightideaspromotional.co.uk

Get it when you want it

As we’ve grown so have our clients, many of whom now require a full service solution. In response to client demand we decided to invest in a dedicated storage facility of nearly 2,500 square feet.

We now stock and distribute merchandise for some of the UK’s leading brands. They rely on Bright Ideas to securely store, pick, pack and distribute their lovely branded items.
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There's nothing like putting pen to paper

Everyone loves promotional products – especially the team at Bright Ideas. Now and again we like to focus on a specific promotional 'category' to pique your interest and to demonstrate why we think they’re a great sales tool to help increase awareness and give your brand a 'boost'.

In the coming months we are going to feature mugs, bags, pens, drinkware, technology products, and confectionery as well as bespoke items but the star of today's show is the Branded Notebook.
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Another feather in our cap

As a reflection of our commitment to providing our clients with a best in class service we are pleased to announce that Bright Ideas has recently attained Charter Member status of the British Promotional Merchandise Association.

Charter Membership is representative of the most respected and reputable companies within the industry. It is the ultimate in industry standards and promotes the highest level of business practice and customer service.
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Cutting through the clutter

The digital age means businesses are spoilt for choice when planning their marketing strategies. Online campaigns, social media, TV ads and print are all frequently used channels to engage with consumers. In this complicated landscape the use of Promotional merchandise can sometimes be forgotten or at best undervalued.

Research by the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has shown the power promotional merchandise can have. When done well; it is more likely to invoke brand loyalty than the mediums of print, web, direct mail and TV.
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