You've been to the tops of the mountains and the bottoms of the sea...
but never purchased branded merchandise before.
🤷🏻♀️
Don't worry, we all started somewhere.
The good news is -
At Accent, we've been in the industry for decades, and we're prepared to share all we know!
Step One: What to buy?
1. Review your project and the target market. What do they do every day?
- Example: We need a gift for our sales reps. They leave early every day and are in their car for 4 hours every day to see their clients. They tend to be 50-65 year old females who enjoy a glass of wine and have a good sense of humour.
2. Identify your in-hands date, quantity required, and budget range.
⏳ In-hands Date: The day you need your products at the final destination. This is will likely be a couple days before your event, especially if they will need to be collated with other gifts before the big day.
To be sure your product can be made in time, add 7 business days to the production time listed on a product.
- 2 business days for a 'proof' (more on that later).
- 5 business days for shipping (this is generally the maximum from one side of the continent to the other. If you are shipping outside of Canada and the US, expect more).
*If you have set your heart on a product that has a longer production time, there is a very small chance we can a) skip the proof, b) pay a rush fee to expedite production, generally $90, c) rush the shipping, or d) all of the above - so let us know!
#️⃣ Quantity Required: This one is simple 🙂 How many do you need?
*If you have set your heart on a product that has a higher minimum than you require, for some of our product range we can accept orders of half the minimum order quantity (Fee generally $90) - so let us know!
💰 Budget Range: Something good to know - this is not just your quantity divided by your total budget.
What many promotional product suppliers do not tell you is: Expect more fees than just the product itself.
Firstly, for the vast majority of promotional products, there will be a set up charge. This is one (1) flat rate fee, that is charged for setting up decoration machines to 'run' your order. This fee ranges from $55 to $125 and will be listed on the product page.
🛫 Secondly (and where the biggest mistakes are made): Shipping.
Keep an eye on the 'shipping point' for each product, and consider the size and weight. Most charging pads will cost very little to ship. A few hundred mugs will cost a significant amount.
3. Now, you have a better understanding of what you are looking for!
🔎 Perform a custom search with the quantity and budget fields filled in. You can search without any keywords if you truly do not know what you want yet, or put in a generic keyword such as 'car' to find related products.
and/or...
📧 Send sales@brandedbyaccent.com a little note detailing the above points: your event, in-hands date, quantity required, and budget range. We'll be back to you with our favourite ideas shortly.
4. Seen something you like but not sure yet?
🎨 Not sure how your art will look? Each product has a button 'Create Virtual Sample' that will show your logo on the product. Or, just send us a request for a 'mock-up' and we will send you a visual!
🎁 Not sure about the quality of the product? We can send you a product sample. Some samples are free of charge, and others we will need you to pay for shipping and/or value of the sample. Just let us know which you are interested in. Please do note. Samples will not include your logo unless you are willing to pay a full set up fee. Blank samples (without your logo) are generally processed within 2-3 business days from time of ordering, plus 5 business days to ship... please do not underestimate the time this will add to your project.
Step Two: You've found something you like so... what now?
💻 We take orders through our website, or send an email to sales@brandedbyaccent.com if you prefer.
We need to know:
- The product you have chosen
- The quantity you need
- The date and address you need it at
- The 'artwork' (your logo) in .ai or .eps format. If you only have this in .png, .jpg, or similar, we can convert it for a $40 fee. This may add up to 1 business day to production.
- Shipment method/preferred courier. We can use your shipper number if that is more convenient for you.
📃 We send you an order confirmation, and within 2 business days we send you a proof for approval. This proof is a visual showing your product with your artwork placed where it will be when your order is produced.
Note: The difference between a proof and a mockup: a 'proof' is the final, formal artwork placement by the manufacturer. A 'mockup' is created by an internal artwork team and is intended for quick reference only, rather than exact artwork placement.
✅ You approve the proof. We do not put anything into production or proceed on the order at all until you approve the proof. Until the proof is approved, you can still cancel the order.
🧵 We produce your order... and ship it to your door as promised 🛫🛬🚢
All the best,
Your friends at Accent.
1-212-863-9691
sales@brandedbyaccent.com