Instant Imprints Barrie is excited to announce the launch of our new venture, Get My Goat Lawncare! You will not find a more dedicated or better looking group of lawncare professionals. If it can't get any better, it is also eco-friendly! To start, we will be focusing on the Greater Barrie Area. Don't wait, call us now to book .

April Fools!!

History of April Fools’ Day (courtesy of Days of the Year)

In medieval Europe, the holiday was associated with the start of the new year, which was traditionally celebrated on March 25th. However, in the 16th century, the Catholic Church changed the calendar so that the new year began on January 1st. Some people resisted this change and continued to celebrate the new year on March 25th, and they were often mocked and ridiculed by those who had adopted the new calendar. This may have contributed to the development of April Fools’ Day as a holiday dedicated to pranks and jokes.

Nominations for CommunityVotes Barrie 2024 comes to an end Sunday April 14 at 11:59 pm. We are nominated in both Promotional Products and Printers categories. If you can take a moment to vote for us in this initial round before the window closes we would be thankful.

Click Here to Vote for Us in Promotional Products

Click Here to Vote for Us in Printers

What can you find in this month's newsletter

As a small business, we are constantly looking for effective ways to advertise and promote our business. This month we share an article on 60 Small Business Advertising Ideas to Consider. A few of them are things which Instant Imprints Barrie can help you with.

I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Trish Beesley. She is an award winning photographer and fellow BNI member. With Mother's Day coming up soon, she discusses why having quality pictures is important.

How many of us have publicly complimented a competitor of ours? The American Marketing Association (AMA) has shared a recent study published in the Journal of Marketing which delves into the impact of brands communicating positively toward their competitors, revealing that such actions can enhance a brand's reputation and drive sales.

60 Small Business Advertising Ideas to Consider

By Annie Pilon

Advertising and marketing campaigns help businesses in nearly every location and industry spread the word about their offerings. The marketing strategy of a local business is likely to look different from a company that sells mainly online. Luckily, there are tons of different small business advertising ideas for each company to consider. Read on for a guide.

Best Traditional Advertising Ideas for Small Businesses

If you’re trying to reach a local audience or one that doesn’t spend all day online, there are still plenty of traditional and local advertising ideas to utilize.

1. Print Ads

Print ads can include photos, text, or editorial partnerships with newspapers, magazines, or print publications.

2. Trade Show or Event Sponsorships

Rent a booth at a trade show or another special event that’s relevant to your industry. Some events also post signage or distribute marketing materials for sponsors.

3. Flyers or Handouts

Small businesses trying to increase foot traffic or market within a specific area may benefit from posting flyers or passing out ads in person.

4. Cold Calling

Cold calling involves placing phone calls to consumers. This is especially common for B2B businesses and those selling high-value products.

5. Business Cards

Purchase business cards and pass them out or display them in areas where interested customers can easily take them.

Click here to go to the article

As Mother's Day approaches, it's a important celebration reminding us of the cherished moments we share with our moms. Among the most enduring gifts we can give is the gift of memories captured in photographs. These snapshots freeze fleeting moments in time, preserving the laughter, the joy, and the love shared between a mother and her loved ones.

Photos serve as portals to the past, allowing us to revisit precious memories and relive cherished experiences. They become a tangible legacy, passing down stories and emotions through generations.

This Mother's Day, consider the power of a photograph. Whether it's a candid snapshot or a carefully orchestrated family portrait, the sentiment remains the same: a token of love and appreciation that transcends words.

As we celebrate the women who have shaped our lives, let's remember that a mother's favorite gift isn't necessarily the most extravagant. Sometimes, it's as simple as a collection of images capturing the beautiful moments shared with her loved ones.

Customized Sunglasses

Branded promotional sunglasses serve as powerful marketing tools, offering businesses a cost-effective way to increase brand visibility and reach a wide audience. Whether distributed at trade shows, corporate events, or as part of marketing campaigns, these sunglasses act as walking advertisements, putting your brand directly in front of potential customers. By incorporating logos, slogans, or specific designs onto the frames, businesses can create memorable and eye-catching promotional items that leave a lasting impression.

By Lingrui Zhou, Katherine M. Du and Keisha M. Cutright

The day Nintendo launched the Switch gaming system, both Xbox and PlayStation made a surprising move: They publicly congratulated Nintendo on Twitter. Brands typically avoid complimenting their competitors because they do not want to offer a rival brand free publicity. However, the response to this was positive. The posts generated a significant number of likes and retweets for Xbox and PlayStation. In fact, these compliments, on average, generated over ten times more likes and retweets for the brands than their usual content. 

A new Journal of Marketing study explores what happens when brands communicate positively toward their competitors. Our research team ran nearly a dozen experiments that show that a brand that compliments a competitor ends up boosting its own reputation and sales.

In our initial experiments, we compared a brand complimenting a competitor, which we term “brand-to-brand praise,” to traditional brand communication, such as self-promotional messages or informative content. We discovered that brand-to-brand praise indeed boosts preferences for the praiser brand. In one particular experiment, we showed half of the participants a fictitious tweet in which Kit Kat complimented a top competitor, Twix (“@twix, Competitor or not, congrats on your 54 years in business! Even we can admit – Twix are delicious”). We showed the other half of participants a tweet in which Kit Kat mentioned its own products (“Start your day off with a tasty treat!”). After 11 days, we asked participants to report any candy purchases since the time they completed the study. Those who saw the tweet in which Kit Kat praised Twix purchased Kit Kat 34% more frequently compared to those who saw the tweet from Kit Kat about its own product. Importantly, we found that Twix sales did not increase, even after Kit Kat called Twix delicious.

Click here to continue reading article

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Please take a moment and complete our Customer Satisfaction Survey

Survey Link