Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, a rotating group of PromoKitchen chefs have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip. This week’s Dish was authored by Chef Jessica Hutwelker.

12 Live Streaming Video Tips to Build Your Brand and Business – “Must Read” Article of the Week

What is great about this article is that it’s written by a photography industry veteran who has ridden the wave of disruption and transformation for nearly 30 years. He was an early adopter of the live streaming video experience and shares how it catapulted his personal brand. In the article, he uses all the current buzzwords and nomenclature to spark the attention of anyone interested in developing their brand and taking it to new heights. Plus his tips are simple yet effective.

This VR Campaign with Michelle Obama Aims to Inspire Kids by Showing Them National Parks

This piqued my interest as more suppliers are offering Virtual Reality viewers in their product lines. A disconnect that I’ve heard is how distributors sell the viewers to the end buyer, what kind of tools make it more appealing. What can virtual reality do to inspire, motivate, incentivize; where is the value? This article shares about a neat project that President Obama initiated to honor the centennial of the National Parks called “Every Kid in a Park”. Every Kid in a Park gives fourth graders, their teachers, and their parents free access to over 2,000 parks for a year—how cool is that? The intention is that inspiring the kids through the videos, encouraging them to experience the parks, and hopefully motivate the kids to want to help to protect and preserve these precious spaces in our country. A noble and intriguing endeavor brought to you by Virtual Reality.

Make Your Sales Message Memorable

Having been on the distributor side for 10 years and then switching over to the supplier side this year, it has been an interesting and fun challenge to give memorable presentations. I feel like I’m doing improv—every office is different, every set up is different, what points pique the audience during the presentation is different. I’m constantly shifting and no two presentations have been the same out of the hundreds I’ve given. One phrase that really stood out in the message of this article: “Logic makes you think; emotion makes you act”. It’s the tightrope walk, balancing well between the two. There are some great pointers in here no matter what your role in the selling chain.

What Small Brands Do That Big Names Can’t

This article is reminiscent to different messages I’ve heard throughout the year from mentors, Seth Godin, and advertising in general—you don’t have to be everything to everyone. Pay attention to what sets you apart. Truly observe the behavior of your target audience. Build products that reflect that. Be true, authentic, and stay on message. You will build a loyalty and tribe that the big dogs struggle to compete with.

How Star Wars’ 5 Biggest Brand Partners Activated Around Rogue One

It’s all about the household names. Star Wars + Gillette + Duracell + Verizon + Nissan + General Mills= epic promotional advertising. Wicked smart partnership to cross promote products and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. A great example of how we as the promotional products industry could be an additional, impactful advertising medium for launches like this.

Why You Should View Every Mistake and Idea as an Opportunity

Continuing on the live stream train, this is a quick, under 3-minute video interview with Stu Grubbs, CEO of web-based broadcast studio Infiniscene. He gives some great advice, shares what he’s learned, and even uses that infamous C-word that is essential to the success and vitality of every company.  

How Bobbleheads Became Baseball’s Secret Weapon to Boost Attendance

Few things invoke nostalgia more than baseball. It’s truly American made and it has held reign over the hearts of our countrymen for generations. This was a delightful, quick read that highlights not only one of our own industry behemoths, but brings up the positive effect that bobbleheads, baseball’s favorite “tschotcke” has historically made to put more people in the seats at games. Having read in the past of the perils of bobbleheads not arriving on time for game night and the near rioting levels it incites from the fans…these pieces become beloved treasures for years to come.

Cate Blanchett Narrates This Lovely Ad About the Different Ways People Celebrate Christmas – “Don’t Waste Your Time Watching/Reading” Article of the Week

I give this a solid “meh”. Reading the intro leading up to the commercial, I definitely had expectations—different = diverse! Cate Blanchett= amazing star power! It had the ingredients of being sentimental, poignant, special, delightful, and it was…meh. A quick smorgasbord of extremes to celebrate. The opportunity the Australian retailer David Jones had to connect, to inspire, to move the audience…didn’t. In fact, I’m now going to find a better holiday commercial, probably an Apple one. Oh! By the way…Samsung Galaxy has a great holiday commercial about Virtual Reality viewers…see how I brought it back?