What we do at Kennedy Advertising

We are a Promotional Product Distributor and proud member of the Advertising Specialty Institute. Promotional Products, also known as Ad Specialties, make up a nearly $17 Billion Dollar Industry and are used by virtually every business in America. Why? 

Items like mugs, pens and t-shirts are memorable and provide a better cost per impression for advertisers than almost every major marketing effort like TV, magazines and the Internet.

We are able to supply your company with every possible promotional product from over 3000 suppliers. With so many ad specialties available there is a huge opportunity for professionals like you to boost ROI and leave a lasting impression with your customers.

Our mission is to help you create long-lasting relationships with your clients through the power of promotional products. Contact Us Today @702-324-1334.

We would be Happy to Help!

Kennedy Print Solutions

Raised and Flat Spot Color and Process Printing

• 1-4 Colors, CMYK Raised or Flat
• 2 Sided Raised
• Business Cards
• Letterhead
• Envelopes
• NCR Forms
• Laser Safe Printing
• Announcements

Offset Printing

• Business and Postcards.
• Flyers and Brochures.
• Rack Cards and Newsletters.
• Posters in both Standard and Custom Sizes.
• Catalogs and Booklets
• Presentation/Pocket Folders
• 40pt Board Printing
• CD Inserts & Calendars

Large Format Printing

• Posters with Lamination and Mounting Options
• Partial and Full Vehicle Wraps
• Window Perf/Film
• Banners with Hems and Grommets
• Decals/Stickers
• Magnetic Signs
• Trade Show Graphics and Wall Menus
• Stand Alone Signs and Banners

Additional Services Include: Foiling, Embossing, Drilling, Cutting, Folding, Scoring, Standard and Micro Perforating (perfing), Numbering, Die Cutting, Padding and Gluing, Stitching, Collating, Booklet Making, Bindery Services, UV Coating (Spot and Flood), AQ Coating, Shipping, Drop Shipping, Blind Shipping and Product Fulfillment and Free Local Delivery in the Las Vegas Valley.

For pricing on any of our Products and Services...... Call us Toll Free at 888-725-4487 or locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334.

How the Smart Phone has Changed My Life!

When I think about how I used start my day 20 years ago, compared to today, life is just way more convenient today.

In 1991 I was 38 years old and headed into my last 5 years of a 24 year career at the Star Tribune Newspapers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At that point, for a very few of us who weren't in denial, the hand writing was on the wall for the future of printed newspapers. Our days of walking to the end of the driveway to pick up our daily newspaper were, for the most part, coming to an end with the first half of the Baby Boomer Generation.

20 years ago, I would leave home a 7:00 in the morning and drive 22 miles to downtown Minneapolis where I would attend sales and management meetings and take notes using a pens and a legal pad. When I wanted to write a memo about the meeting, I would write it in hand write it and hand it to a person, called a Secretary, to type in on her network computer only to read, make corrections and print again. When I think back, it's a wonder we accomplished anything.

So now that you have the idea, let's flash forward back to today! I left the Star Tribune in 1995 and became self employed along with lovely wife of 32 years, Mary. As our kids moved onto college, we moved from Minneapolis to Summerlin, near Las Vegas, NV where we operate Kennedy Advertising and Mary Kennedy at RE/MAX Central.

Today, I get up in the morning and turn on my I-Phone GS. Now I'm not Mr. High Tech guy, but I do pride myself in knowing enough to be dangerous about what I want to get out of this utility. I call my SmartPhone as a utility because that's really what I use it for. I don't need to have the latest version of the phone. In fact, I purposely lag one model behind so when the version 5 comes out, I'll go for the version 4. I don't like to be on the front end of working out the bugs. I view my time as precious and use my I-Phone GS for more work and very little play. The only game I play each day is one called "Get Efficient with your I-Phone" I have no music loaded on the phone.

I sync the phone with my computer each day so my calendar and contacts are automatically updated and look the same in both places. I use several apps that are pretty basic and can be used when I'm away from the office. I use Google Voice for my Voicemail because I have one click access to listen to my messages and the messages are logged for me up on my I-Google Home Page.

The basics are the email downloaded from 3 different accounts that I can receive and respond to. As for the apps that I can access from my personal ITunes Home Page, I downloaded the Yahoo and Google Search Apps for in the field research. My Social Networking apps consist of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Yelp. I also receive property alerts from Zillow.com and Realtor.com. I only open them when I see that I have a message.

I'm also an information junkie so I check the headlines each day using the mobiles apps for Fox News, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Star Tribune, TwinCities.com, NFL.com, Fandango and the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The only real non- business apps I use, on a regular basis, are All Recipes, Groupon, Overstock, and Kayak for travel.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m not Mr. High Tech Guy and I’m sure I’m only scratching the surface with the apps that I currently use. To keep me moving forward and upward in the mobile app world, I have a subscription to the printed version of MacLife Magazine and I have the MacLife Mobile App on my SmartPhone.

If any of you have any mobile apps that really work well for you would like to share, please feel free to comment on this blog. Thanks!!

Wikipedia can be used to Help Promote Your Business!

I decided to take a break from being creative this morning and decided to go out on the Internet to look at websites that I frequently use in my business for research. For instance, when I decided to start blogging, I went to Wikipedia to read and consider it's definition of what a blog is. Although the definitions in Wikipedia are not considered to be official, it does have some good information like the definition you see below for "Blog".

 A blog (a blend of the term web log)^[1] is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.^[2] Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.

As of today, the are almost 15 million register users on Wikipedia. As of 16 February 2011, there were over 156 million public blogs in existence. If you think about it, this may be a good time to post your business profile on Wikipedia and if you haven't yet, start a blog using the Wikipedia definition.

Our Favorite Realtor Links on Realtor.org

We were at a RE/MAX Central Real Estate Training Session here in Las Vegas last week listening to a presentation on the potential of becoming an International Real Estate Specialist. At one point in the presentation, the instructor spoke  about the available resources (FREE with your Membership) on the National Association of Realtors web site that are rarely accessed. He thought that to be pretty unusual because most Realtors are members, but they rarely access the resources.

It took a minute and than it dawned on me about what a lame ass I am for not taking advantage of the opportunity to take a closer look. Now let me clarify! If you haven't looked at the site either, I am not calling you a lame ass. Just Me! I tend to be a little harder on myself because I pride myself in organizing information that people value. It just kind of ticks me off that the resource is sitting in front of me and I tend to get wrapped up in so many other tasks and this is something that's a given. It's just so...... LAME! OK enough ranting about it! Time to move on!So while Mary was out with clients over the weekend, I decided to login for a closer look and share my Top 5 FREE Resources that you can use to market yourself on the National Association of Realtors Web site or most commonly www.Realtor.org

1. Newsletter content for Home Buyers and Sellers. If you can't spend alot of time writing, or are not very good at it, there is content available for members to use and it's well written.2. NAR Apps and Toolbars The Apps are for your Smartphone and there are Toolbars for Ipad, Windows and Mac based computers. There are also links that will connect you to the NAR pages on the most Social Networks for Real Estate. If you are not linked to them yet. Do it while you visit this page.3. NAR Realtor Benefits This page does have a Marketing component, but you will also see other benefits from FEDEX Discounts to Health or Dental Care. It's a page that is worth a visit if you want to save some money.
4. NAR Web Feeds This pages lists NAR's latest headlines by topic. When you choose to subscribe, the content and resources are delivered directly to your RSS reader. Again, this is good information to share with buyers and sellers. But you have to be a reader. I suggest starting with 1 or 2 feeds. We get enough e-mail!
5. NAR Technology This page brings you up to date on the latest technology available to the Real Estate Industry.

We hope you found this information to be helpful! For more Ideas and Targeted Information, visit the Kennedy Advertising Blog and if we can help you with any Promotional Ideas, please let us know.

You can also visit Mary Kennedy's RE/MAX Central Blog for the most up to date information on the Las Vegas Valley Real Estate market. If you have clients that are looking for a great buy in a warmer climate, send them our way. We'll take good care of them.

Have a GREAT July!

You Don't Have to Spend Alot for a Great Promotional Idea!

Here’s a creative direct mail promotion that was forwarded to me from a client. A Prudential Realtor sent them ten one cent stamps when the postage rates changed, along with a letter reminding past clients that if they know anyone looking for a new home in the area, she’s always happy to get referrals. This is a Great Inexpensive Promotional Idea, yet thoughtful. Because most people don’t buy new homes too often, it focuses on capturing referral opportunities, which is an effective way to utilize your customer base in real estate.

If you like the way that this Idea was Presented, please feel free to share it with others in your Social Network.

Kennedy Advertising Launches New Web Site

Las Vegas, Nevada- Kennedy Advertising, http://www.kennedyadv.com/ , recently launched a Web site to continue giving custom printing and promotional products buyers the best service possible. The new site features an electronic catalog of more than 155,000 promotional products along with a detailed list of custom printing services.

Customers can now go to http://www.kennedyadv.com/ and research products for any promotional opportunity including: custom printing, business gifts, awards, recognition items, motivation, event promotion and product fulfillment. With the advanced product search function, visitors can search for products by price range, production time, or product category.

Kennedy Advertising also serves up promotional ideas in Promotion Connection, the company’s monthly online newsletter to keep you informed of the latest trends in promotions. Just visit the store, click on Promotion Connection and read about a successful promotion. There's even a planning calendar that lists well-known and not-so-well-known events throughout the year.

Kennedy Advertising has a secure server that accepts orders directly from the Web site in a secure setting. The server uses the latest encryption technology to ensure that all sensitive information is transmitted virtually risk-free. Still, many people prefer to place orders by phone. Users who wish to research the products online and then place an order by phone may call Kennedy Advertising at: 888-725-4487

As an added bonus, each month visitors to Kennedy Advertising’s web site, can register for a chance to win $1,000 in promotional products of their choice. Just click on the moneybag icon that says, "Enter $1000 Drawing."

Kennedy Advertising is a Full Service Custom Printing and Imprinted Promotional Products Company located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Established in Minneapolis Minnesota in 1971, Kennedy Advertising, has been a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute for over 35 years. As the company expanded its selling capabilities on the Internet, they relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002 to centralize fulfillment operations, expand fulfillment capabilities and trade show services.

For more information contact:

John Kennedy
Kennedy Advertising
Phone: In Las Vegas: 702-324-1334 or Toll Free 888-725-4487
E-mail: john@kennedyadv.com
Fax: 702-974-0119
Date: March 26, 2008

Promotional Ideas for Your Small Business

Since the marketing budget for a small business is typically limited, you’ll want to have some promotional ideas on hand that are cost-effective. With that in mind, below are some of the many possible promotional ideas that can be easy to execute.

Local Events and Activities: Use anything from setting up a booth at a street fair to sponsoring a little league team to display your product or company name.

Free Samples: Look for key locations where your target group can be found and give out free samples. If possible give free demonstrations of your service or product.

Contests: Find a prize of interest to your target audience and hold a contest.

Speaking Engagements: Contact local schools, speaker groups and associations to inquire about speaking engagements, lectures, seminars or teaching a class.

Fliers: Exchange fliers with other noncompetitive businesses who will display them at their location. Also find locations where you can post a flier or bulletin.

Vehicles: Paint the name of your business on any trucks you use and even put a sign on your car or in the car window.

Press: Develop a list of local editors and producers and send press releases of important upcoming activities. Also look for unique angles about your business that might make for an interesting story.

Newsletters: Email newsletters or print newsletters are an effective, inexpensive means of promoting your business.

Printed Matter: Promote yourself on all of your printed matter.

Imprinted Promotional Items: Keep an inventory of useful imprinted promotional items to hand out as gifts at trade shows, as customer and employee appreciation gifts.

Contacts and Networking: Hand out your business cards to as many people as possible and network regularly to make new contacts.

In Store or Online Values: Offer special discounts for second purchases or free downloads online.

Attend Meetings of Professional Groups: Attend meetings of the Chamber of Commerce and other local groups where you can introduce yourself and your business to others.

Directories: Make sure to list your company in all appropriate free directories.

Tipping the Trade Show Scales in Your Favor

Three simple steps can set you apart from more than three-quarters of the competition at your next trade show. You see, a significant majority of exhibitors do not plan to engage attendees appropriately or reward their attention. Even more shocking – 80% of leads are never followed up post-show. So what’s an exhibitor to do?

• Target & Tantalize – Before the show floor ever opens make sure your best prospects and/or clients are engaged. By narrowing your field to the 20% “best bets” among the attendee list, you can offer better bait that will land bigger sales.The most effective pre-show invitations create a two-part dialog. A classic example is a “Main Event” themed promotion that sent key prospects a left-hand boxing glove along with company information and an invitation to visit the exhibitor’s booth. Those who did received the right-hand glove – autographed by Joe Frazier. Sales increased 22% post-show!

• Relate & Reward – Merely putting out a bowl of candies or passing out thousands of pens isn’t going to create the interest and recognition you need to develop a long-term relationship with prospects. Instead, you should tie the promotional products you use at trade shows to your product, service, or brand image. For example, the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau hands out miniature Louisville Sluggers when it exhibits. The product is easily identifiable with the city and has collectible appeal.

• Follow-up & Follow-through – Before you ever leave for the trade show, organize follow-up packets that will mail the day you return from the event. Use colorful or dimensional packaging that will stand out in the deluge of mail that awaits attendees post-show.
  

If you like these ideas, let us help you tailor the concepts to your audience and next trade show. Call me toll free at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail for more information or visit us on the Internet at http://www.KennedyAdv.com.

Save Money for Your Next Las Vegas Trade Show

HAVE YOU MADE ALL OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR LAS VEGAS TRADE SHOW? ORDER NOW AND SAVE! Do you need presentation pocket folders, full color flyers, business cards or imprinted promotion items for your exhibitor booth? How about Tri-Fold Brochures, Posters, Product Catalogs, Booklets or Imprinted Promotional Products?

We can print and deliver all of these items directly to your exhibitor booth for you on set-up day. THAT'S RIGHT! You don't have to drag your marketing materials to Las Vegas anymore. Let Kennedy Advertising do all of the work for you. That will give you more time to spend with clients and prospects.

We also have imprinted promotional items that you can use for give-aways at the trade show. To conduct a search for items, just left click on the Product Search link below. But the best way is to call me at 888-725-4487, tell me what you want and let me put the best pricing together for you. Or, just drop me an e-mail. It's easier.

Just Think, You Don't Have to Drag Your Marketing Materials Through Airports Anymore!

Interactive Trade Show Promotions

I have learned that the best trade show promotions don’t just blanket pre-registered attendees with a postcard sporting the exhibitor’s logo. Instead, they draw the right prospects into a booth and entice them to linger and learn more about a firm’s products/services. That’s what I have in mind for you – an interactive trade show promotion that will keep your audience involved and interested. Here are three ideas:

1. Offer a little good-humor stress relief. Schedule a local comedian to perform at certain times at your booth. Have him/her tie the industry or services being represented into the jokes. Send a pre-show invitation to announce the appearance, inviting attendees to stop by the booth to receive “A few laughs, some cost-saving lessons and a fun imprinted gift.” Or, promise a caricature artist at your booth and provide imprinted frames for those booth-visitors who have their drawings done.

2. Highlight the results you deliver with an “on-target” trade show promo. Pre-mail a set of imprinted magnetic darts, promising the dart board when the recipient stops by your booth. Involve attendees with a dart-throwing contest and prizes for hitting certain targets. The incentives should relate to your business – perhaps a percentage off an order, a complimentary sample kit, free evaluation, etc. – something that will help you highlight the advantages of your company.

3. Provide a meaningful take-home gift. Consider an advance mailing that offers your top clients special recognition. Tell them you’ve planned a surprise gift for a few top-notch client partners. When they arrive, present them with a plaque for valued patronage and have a professional photographer on hand to snap the occasion. Digital images can then be immediately printed and given to your client for his/her office. Make the award all the more meaningful by tying it to a special service or new product exclusive you’ve planned for the “elite few.”

These are just a few ideas. Give me a call at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail and we can work with your specific industry and client base as a jumping off point for some fun, interactive ways to create better booth action and results.

Fool-Proof Ways to Follow Up a Trade Show

Get this: 80% of leads are not properly followed-up after a trade show. That means when you follow through with your clients post-show, you’ve already beat 80% of the competition. Make your efforts even more effective with promotional techniques that stand out and/or encourage ongoing contact and you’ll reap greater rewards from your investment.

Set up an expectation. You’ve heard of two-part mailings prior to a trade show. Consider applying the same concept to post-show efforts. You can give part of a gift when visitors arrive at your booth and set their expectation to receive the second half in a mailing after the show.

This will ensure that your priority piece of mail won’t get lost among the flood that folks receive after a week away from the office. One example is a two-part foam puzzle. The first half is imprinted with the beginning sentences that highlight “$10 Gift Certificate for” or “Special early-bird offer of,” etc. The recipient won’t be able to redeem the certificate until he/she opens your follow-up letter post-show to receive the second half of the revealing puzzle.

Show clients how well you listened when they spoke with you at the trade show. Imprint notepads with your company logo. Then, have your salespeople jot a personal note to the prospect, listing two or three concepts that address the needs the prospect voiced at the booth. Mail the notepad post-show to let the prospect know they’ve been heard and you’re on the job.
Create a continuing reason to contact the prospect. For a female audience, this might be giving a charm bracelet as an incentive at the trade show that will be followed up with quarterly charms given when salespeople make in-office visits. For a gender-neutral gift, consider an etched candy jar that you refill during post-show office visits. The goal is to create a reason to pop into a prospect’s office or to have them look forward to your regular mailings.

Fulfill a special incentive. Today’s digital technology allows for some very personalized follow-through. Ask your clients to bring a photo of their office staff, child or even pet to your trade show booth. You can then scan it and promise to deliver a mug, t-shirt or other item customized with the image at a post-show sales visit.

You get the idea. Now let’s start planning. Give me a call at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail and we’ll set you ahead of 100% of the trade show competition after the booths close.

Welcome to John Kennedy's Blog

My background in the Newspaper, Magazine and Internet Publishing Industry has taught me that it's organizing and sharing credible information that people value is what keeps them coming back to read. Easy access and speed are right up there. This is truly the information age.

My experience started in the newspaper industry in 1973. Newspapers are still a traditional mass marketing tool that served us well in the, 60's, 70's, 80's and into the 90's. But as the Internet came online, you could begin to see a paradigm shift taking place.

Then I moved to another, even bigger mass environment of the newspaper non-reader to learn about FREE Distribution. The world of free newspapers/magazines that are home delivered or available for FREE at retail outlets. What did I learn from those 2 experiences? There was a lot of money being spent on wasted distribution but the cost per 1000 was rather low because they printed high quantities everything.

This pushed me to more of a targeted message concept. Was direct mail the answer? Nope! The cost per piece (including postage) was astronomically high and by the time you pulled them from your mailboxes with 10 to 20 other pieces, I found that was still not the answer.

Then along came the Internet and e-mail! After that, websites and e-mail templates that you could use to build targeted information that people value. You could send e-mails with links to resource web pages where you could share important resource information or even sell a product. But you know, even that gets cumbersome after awhile. (Are we spoiled compared to the past or what?)

During the past month, I spent some time helping my wife, Mary Kennedy build a blog
(Mary Kennedy's Blog) for her RE/MAX Real Estate business here in Las Vegas on ActiveRain.com. I found this casual environment to be very refreshing. A place where you can organize specific information for targeted groups. (Buyers or Sellers, East Coast, West Cost or even Middle of the Country. Include States, Cities and Communities). You can even write some good things about yourself or thoughts so people get to know you better.

In the Promotional Ideas From Kennedy Advertising blog, my goal is to gather information, based on your feedback, and organize it in such a way that it easy to access right from here. I continue to be excited about the future and your feedback is always encouraged.

John Kennedy
Kennedy Advertising
Kennedy Advertisings Website
888-725-4487