Branding Up

I don't know about you, but things are starting to feel very festive down here at Redside. Advent calendar doors are being opened, the "Sleeps 'til Santa" list has several nights crossed off of it, and preparations around the steading for the big day are well underway. At this time of year my artistic temperament really comes to its fore. I just can't contain it! The abundance of natural materials from the surrounding woodlands, combined with found objects during walks with my pooches along the shoreline, are perfect for creating homemade Yuletide decorations. Something else that I like to hand make are Christmas crackers. These are relatively easy to put together, especially if you download and print out one of hundreds of templates that can be found online! The fab thing about making Christmas Crackers yourself is that you can stuff them full of your own festive goodies. I think it’s much nicer to put in bespoke gifts, rather than receive cheap offerings whi...

Forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday, - both of which are US imports - there’s only one date between now and Christmas that really matters to us here in Scotland. That’s St Andrew’s Day, our national day on the 30th of November. Many people are unaware that in 2006 the Scottish Parliament passed the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. This designated the day as an official public holiday. If the 30th of November falls at the weekend, then the following Monday is a bank holiday instead. Although most of us seem to go to work on St Andrew’s Day - Boo-Hoo! - there are still plenty of events taking place to entertain folk. Out here in East Lothian we’re home to The Saltire Festival from 24–30 November, which features a great selection of activities across the region. Do visit their webby for more info, and pop out if you can! All this chat about St Andrew’s Day got me thinking about gifts that incorporated a hint of Scotland. Here’s what I found: Tartan Hi-Tops ...

Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gun powder, treason and plot! However Guy Fawkes Night and fireworks isn't the only historical event we commemorate this month. November also includes Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day. Often two separate dates when the nation, as a whole, stops for two minutes at eleven o'clock. Time to remember the servicemen and women who lost their lives, or have been injured, in protecting the freedom and democracy that we all enjoy. Tragically this includes my Uncle Ian who was killed in battle at the tender age of 21, so sadly I never knew him. He was a gunner in World War Two and his plane was shot down over the sea. I know that here in East Lothian many of our local villages will have a parade of some kind on Remembrance Sunday, and wreaths of poppies will be laid at their local war memorials. I've previously had the privilege of working with two major Scottish charities who support ex-service personnel. I've assisted both in sour...

Hello dharlinks! It’s Rhona Hartley, your promotional gifts and personalised incentives whizz here! Don't know about you, but we’re well and truly in the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness down here in East Lothian. So I thought I’d take the opportunity of the longer evenings to jot down a few lines and let you know what I’ve been up to. As many of you know, back in 2013 I decided to leave the glam world of promotional gifts behind me to join hubby Allan’s up-cycling venture. I’d reached a point in my life where I wanted to indulge my artistic talents again and get all-creative. And UP-recycling certainly provided that for me! Originally we were based in North Berwick, but relocated to the Merryhatton Garden Centre, where we had a fab time. Our bijou retail unit was divine, and we had such fun welcoming lots of happy visitors through our doors. However old customers of mine kept contacting me to ask for help with their branded gifts. So I had to make a decision...

… bring forth May flowers! We love this saying not only because we adore flowers - especially if they're bright pink ones! - but because we can enjoy glimpses of the Forth estuary and watch impending weather-fronts approach from the mezzanine floor at Brand-it HQ. Over the past week we've been investigating what items people have been searching for on the net that have lead them to the Brand-it Scotland website. As it is such an eclectic mix of products we really felt the need to share. So here are the top 5 items: 1 Tweed and Leather bags Who doesn't love a gorgeous bag? The leather and tartan Joey-D ones we had produced for the University of Edinburgh's Visitor Centre last year were a runaway success. Regardless of what your budget is, we can suggest fab bags that can be branded and will look amazing! To get you started why not have a look at our new Bags board on Pinterest. 2 Champagne Baskets We already supply a number of Brand-it customers with bespoke gift ...

A huge Chocolate filled (70% cocoa in case anyone feels like sending any) Happy Easter to all our lovely clients! As well as eating chocs, we'll be using the loooooooong weekend to do a spot of spring cleaning and thought you might like to join us in a little merchandising audit. Here are our top tips for this 'always on the to do list' project. Dust down your business/marketing plans. What events, product launches, parties, tradeshows, customer outreach have you got in the diary for the months ahead? Lead time equals choice and though we always aim to fulfil, rush jobs are not nearly so much fun, so get planning.  Dig around in your cupboards. Which branded products have you done in the past, that might now need refreshing/updating/restocking/recycling? The 1987 corporate brochure will never be used again (admit it), but coffee mugs and umbrellas (minimum order 25 - not so subtle hint), will always find new homes so make sure you've got lots.  Look at your de...

Don't you just love that first flash of spring? The colourful flowers, baby animals, branded pens? (the onset of March Hare madness perhaps). This week we have been mostly talking about pens, in all shapes, sizes and colours. Did you know that the first patent for a ballpoint pen was issued on October 30, 1888, to John J. Loud, who was a leather tanner? Well you do now. If, like us, you're currently in a 'pen' place, then start by thinking: Which features of your company do you need to promote - the logo, a website address, a telephone number, a tag line etc.  Will these details be engraved, embossed, stickered or printed on?  Is it destined to be a disposable piece or a treasured and coveted prize?  Of course we can help you with all these decisions, so don't be shy in giving us a call if you're stuck. "Will it brand?" is our favourite question. Horace said that "the pen is the tongue of the mind" and by jove our clients brains ha...