Our trip to Las Vegas was not as outrageous as Hunter Thompson's novel, but it was eye opening. Actually we just returned from two major trade shows. The first was the Promotional Products Advertising Institute's Expo in Las Vegas and the second was the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake. Between both shows there were over 38,000 attendees. Over the past two years the "tone" on the show floor was as somber as a wake. This year the electricity was flowing again and the talk was about how quickly business was picking up.

There is no doubt that things are getting better right down to the increase in phone calls and e-mails that we are receiving here at MCM. There is still more recovery to take place but 2011 is starting to show promise. Here are some of our predictions for the new year.

*   We will all continue to do more with less

* Integration of promotions into all aspects of the business plan will be more pervasive

 * Web marketing and social media will become increasingly more important

The most interesting products at PPAI Expo were the development in skins for phones, laptops and other technology devices. Yes, skins have been around for a while and extremely popular. They had some challenges which included.

·         There is no standard shape

·         Why would your client want to customize their phone to your brand

·         No real way to measure the value

We are convinced that our phones and other "techie" possessions are becoming a new status symbol. The challenge is that there are only a handful of hot products on the market at any one given time and what is hot today is passé tomorrow. Now with these new skins you can differentiate your smart phone from mine and have something that is unique. Additionally we can show you how to integrate your brand on to these highly visible devices.

The game has changed! Envision being able to offer your audience a custom skin that fits their device, is decorated with your logo, lets them download a personal photograph and requires them to complete a survey or complete a custom form that gives you important marketing information. The skin offer can be distributed via e-mail, social media or a custom hand-out/mailer.

Key Value Points

·         Fits virtually all devices

·         Valuable as it protects expensive products

·         Incorporates your brand and look with individual customer personalization

·         Infinitely customizable

·         Supports multiple promotional programs (sales, branding, customer awareness, gift for purchase, employee incentive)

·         Web site or landing page with survey, questionnaire or client data acquisition capability

·         Program is deliverable via pin card mailers, ecards, email or social media

·         Skins custom fit products from tiny MP3 player and cell phones to laptops, game stations and PC towers.

We would love to talk to you about how you can use this in your next campaign and want you to get a sample on your device today. Check out our latest page on Skins for more information .