HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!
This past month Insight Resource Group celebrated our first year anniversary. We want to thank all of you, our clients, for your support for our company this past year. It has been a year filled with excitement as our number of employees more than doubled, we moved to a larger office building, and upgraded our computer system.
To celebrate our anniversary, we thought it was appropriate to give back to our community. We learned of a needy school in Oakland, where the students are excelling despite a lack of basic supplies.
We helped them out with a donation of backpacks. Each student in the school from kindergarten through eighth grade will receive a new backpack to help start the next school year off right. Our company made the delivery on June 5, 2008, exactly one year since Insight Resource Group opened our doors for business!
May the new backpacks serve to open doors for the students at St. Martin de Poores.
Scott Mollahan
President |
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A Better Shade of Green
This issue of the Promotional Products Report from Insight Resource Group focuses on the Green Movement. Someone recently said that tomorrow is the busiest day of the week. Given humans proclivity to procrastinate, this must certainly be a true statement. But, we can no longer procrastinate the need to take care of the earth. Consumers are interested in purchasing from and supporting businesses who are Eco-responsible. A recent study showed that 1 in 5 Americans have given to a "green" charity. All of the news coverage has brought an unbelievable awareness and desire.
Happily, the promotional products industry has risen to the occasion. The amazing array of products that are earth-friendly is quite astounding. Conventional petroleum based plastic takes 200-500 years to breakdown in a landfill. New plastic has additives placed in during production that make it biodegradable in 1 year. Tests show it does not alter the life of the product. Also, scientists have invented a plastic made from vegetable proteins, mostly corn and potato, that looks and acts like its conventional plastic cousin, but is biodegradable in a couple of months, even in your home composter! Many new products are being made from recycled plastic taken from discarded electronic devices such as TV's and computer components, as well as water and soda bottles. In the apparel world, fabrics are being made from earth-friendly plants such as organic cotton, bamboo, and soybean. They look and feel incredible.
People in the industry long enough have seen the evolution of recycled paper. Just a few years ago, it was extremely expensive to use recycled paper and the print quality wasn't always acceptable. Now high quality recycled paper is more readily available. And you can choose what percentage of recycled content is right for your job. Clients can use paper with a percentage of recycled content and include that information on the piece. Consumers will notice! We partner with a printer who stocks the paper as a floor sheet, which makes the pricing even better. Non-toxic soy based inks provide impressive results, that is why 80% of the US newspapers have been using soy inks for the past decade to produce vibrant color photos. Eco friendly print materials and methods are high quality and cost effective and best of all, your consumer will see that you are doing your part. Next time you have a printed product, let us quote your next job using the recycled stock
Over the past few months we have had the pleasure to meet with many of you with the Green Road Show and present these products. We  have shown samples of the recycled paper print quality, the revolutionary corn plastic, and the bamboo and soybean fabrics. The reception has been terrific! If you missed the show, call us and we can find a time to bring the show to you! |
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What's Your Bag?
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| One of the most popular items from our Green Road Show has been the reusable bag. These bags are fantastic! Made from recycled plastic material called polypropylene, the bags are super strong, moisture and odor resistant. Because they are made from recycled materials such as water and soda bottles they are very economical. The larger sizes of the bags can take the place of 3 plastic bags. Consumers are getting in the habit of using these bags as more and more stores are banishing plastic bags, requesting shoppers to bring their own bags or providing incentives to bring their own bags by giving them store credit.
These bags are the perfect vehicle for you to advertise your company name as your client carries it to the market or on errands.
A new version is lined with a thermal layer to keep things hot or cold,  which increases the versatility. It works great to keep hot or cold items at a constant temperature, while transporting things like wine purchased from the tasting room, and frozen foods sitting in the car while waiting in line at the bank and post office.
It is possible to create a custom design to suit your company needs. We can match your PMS colors for the fabric of the bag and your screen printed logo. Recently a client wanted a bag to hold 4 bottles of champagne. The bottles are held securely in the bag as there are  sleeves made to fit the specific size of the champagne bottle. But our design goes one step more; the sleeves of the bag collapse flat to the sides of the bag when the bottles are removed. This way it can be more than a bottle bag but a multi-purpose bag to hold a head of lettuce or a baker's dozen bagels at the market.
Call us and we can bag up a solution for you. |
| Bamboozled, not!
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| All of the wonderful things you have heard about the Bamboo plant are true! It is the world's fastest growing plant. It produces more oxygen than trees, and needs no insecticides or pesticides to grow. It is an amazing plant from which hardwood and soft fiber are both produced.
Functional cutting boards in bamboo are a low-cost way to create an Eco-friendly beverage campaign. (Add some swizzle sticks created from biodegradable or recycled plastic, and be truly refreshing!)
Chained to your desk until 5:00 PM? Bamboo is still a great option.  There are many desk accessories such as cell phone cradles, and business card holders available in bamboo, even USB drives! All can be laser engraved with your company name.
Bamboo apparel is equally varied. There are numerous fabric types spun from the plant. The fabric is naturally moisture wicking and anti-microbial, as the plant has these properties inherent. T-shirts are the most common. One popular style blends bamboo, cotton and lycra for a super soft touch and stylish design. The fabric silkscreens and embroiders beautifully!
 Also, popular have been the classic knit golf style shirt, which comes in ladies and men's styles. And, the long sleeve bamboo woven shirt feels like the softest, most expensive Egyptian, pima cotton but at a fraction of the cost.
Bamboo towels made in beach, body, hand and golf sizes feel equally luxurious. You can even have branded bamboo socks to promote your next event. Runner's World magazine just gave their highest rating to the bamboo blend running socks for their moisture wicking and antimicrobial properties.
From your toes, to your top, athletes and sportsman everywhere will celebrate the  invention of the bamboo baseball cap. We've taken one of the most popular styles of hat and made it from a 60% bamboo and 40% cotton blend fabric.
The hats have a low profile, 6 panel construction, Velcro closure with a contrast sandwich bill. Bamboo embroiders beautifully as it has a smooth and silky finish. Nine color choices guarantees that your logo will look just right!
Moisture wicking, anti-microbial and stylish, what more can you ask for in hat?
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| Can I get an O-men?
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| Hallelujah! Organic cotton prices have hit a new low - in contrast, to the cost of gasoline. As the desire for products to be made from Organic cotton increase the supply has become more plentiful.
Why do you want to consider organic cotton? Because growing cotton the conventional way is very hard on the environment. Conventional cotton is the number 2 crop in the US but uses 10% of the world's pesticides and 25% of the world's insecticides to grow, as it is very susceptible to infestation. Some of those chemicals were invented during WWII as toxic nerve agents. And, those chemicals are going into the ground, lakes, rivers and waterways. Speaking of water, growing cotton the conventional way takes an inordinate amount of water, a precious natural resource.
Stringent organic farming principals are applied to the growing organic  cotton so you can feel good to know that you are adding your company name to a great product.
The Anvil certified organic shirts come in 10 different basic and fashion colors and men's and women's styles.
T-shirts, hats, tote bags and towels are just the beginning of lower priced products! |
| Write on, Green!
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 Clients and employees alike will enjoy using this recycling guide.
The 16 page guide is filled with interesting facts and information about recycling for home and business and lots of terminology. It is a truly earth friendly product made with recycled paper and plant based inks - even the black binding wire is made from 95% post consumer steel.
Many other padfolios are available, some made from paper from naturally sustainable eucalyptus wood and tinted poly-plastics made from 95% recycled milk cartons!
Fifty lined blank pages let you use it for meetings and show off your green side.
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| IRG gets some ink! |
| Insight Resource Group is being featured in a story in Counselor Magazine. The magazine has been the voice of the promotional products industry - a standard for the last 50 years. You can't argue with that kind of longevity. May it rub off on us!
We are being featured in a print version of a reality type TV-show where the successes and struggles of a start-up company are recounted. The series is entitled "Open For Business" as a reporter will follow 3 different companies for one year and report on our business. IRG was chosen from a large selection of new companies as having a lot of interest and excitement that would make for a good read! So far, so good...
Who knows, your next order with IRG might make you part of our story! | |
Let Insight Resource Group help you improve your company's value
and profit with innovative promotional products.
Would you like to receive an electronic catalog of our Green Road Show products? We would be happy to send it. Just reply to this email.
Sincerely,
Marketing Department
Insight Resource Group
Phone: 925-254-4114, ext. 7
Fax: 925-254-4124
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Contact
Insight Resource Group
for information on these or other marketing
products!
925-254-4114
Fax: 925-254-4124 |
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