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Tees for the Win

How Ronald McDonald House Counts on Branded Apparel for this Annual Event

​​Everyone loves a great tee shirt. And a great tee is even better when it supports a great cause. Every year, thousands of people participate in a one-of-a-kind event that does just that! Sport A Shirt, Share a Night benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte, where participants “sport” a Ronald McDonald House tee shirt to “share” the cost of a family’s stay in the House.

“The Sport A Shirt, Share A Night program is one of our biggest fundraisers for families using RMHC of Greater Charlotte programs,” said Kristin Young, Director of Marketing and Communications at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte. “This campaign not only raises funds to provide comfort and care to families experiencing a medical crisis, but it also allows us to bring awareness to our mission of keeping families close by involving our community to “sport a shirt” and be our brand ambassadors.”

It costs $130 per night to host a family at RMHC of Greater Charlotte. ​Sport A Shirt, Share A Night helps cover some of these costs so families can stay at the Charlotte house regardless of their ability to pay. Young said this year’s goal is to raise $152,000 through sponsorships and shirt sales. Last year, more than 6,700 shirts were sold, raising over $200,000 – their most successful year to date.

For the 2023, The Dunstan Group is not only producing the campaign tees, but has joined as a program sponsor.

“Being a part of growing and thriving community means supporting organizations that are doing great things to make it that way,” said Scott Dunstan, president and founder of The Dunstan Group. “When we can be part of a win-win relationship like this, it’s a no-brainer for us!”

This year’s Sport A Shirt, Share A Night campaign wraps-up with a collective community “Wear Day” at the April 28th Charlotte Knights Game.

“It has been a pleasure working with The Dunstan Group on this HUGE fundraiser,” added Young. “Coordinating the order and the delivery of over 6,700 t-shirts is no easy feat. We are so honored to have them join on as a sponsor this year too! They’ve been a huge supporter of our mission and our families, and we are excited to see our partnership grow!”

Shirt sales for the 2023 Sport A Shirt, Share A Night campaign have ended, but you can always make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte here: https://www.rmhclt.org/donate1.html

Here’s What’s Sustainable: Picking Products They’ll Actually Use

Whether “going green” is baked into your company mission statement or not, sustainability is a buzzword across almost every industry these days. Yes, that includes branded merchandise, promotional products, and apparel. But being sustainable doesn’t have to limit your choices. It just means making better ones. In fact, we’d argue the most sustainable promotional products are the ones you and your clients will use most often!

Here are five tips to begin sourcing the kind of promotional products, branded merchandise and apparel your team and your clients will actually use.

  • Start with your team. What kind of products do they use most often, or are more likely to keep rather than use once or throw out. 
  • Conduct a quick review of your key clients and partners to determine the kind of products they use in their line of work. If you’re not sure, just ask! 
  • Consider a good-as or better-than-retail promotional product or piece of apparel. They’ll last longer and those on the receiving end will be more likely to use it.
  • Look at the label. A Made-in-the-USA promotional product or piece of apparel is sustainable in many ways.
  • Ask the pros here at The Dunstan Group for data about the most-used promotional products in your industry, and those that reflect your company’s mission and values. 

Really into sustainability? Check out these “Green Today & Beyond” products! 

Bottom line, we all want the promotional products, branded merchandise and apparel we choose to get used often. That’s a good – and sustainable — investment!

 

PPAI Pyramid Awards: Promo’s Best Campaigns Of 2022


As the pandemic slowly receded in 2022, promo pros helped clients of all stripes get back to business. Entries from the latest PPAI Pyramid Awards demonstrated the boundless creativity of the promo industry, as well as its ability to provide memorable experiences that yield measurable results.

The PPAI Pyramid Awards, sponsored by Pacesetter Awards, have identified the leading achievement in promotional product marketing for more than 60 years. PPAI salutes the 2023 winners, chosen from campaigns created between April 1, 2021, and April 1, 2022, for the innovative and forward-thinking programs they developed to help clients build lasting and lucrative relationships with customers and end users.

The Dunstan Group was named among the winners in this year’s client programs.

Silver Award Winner: The Dunstan Group

After its successful survival kit program, Duke Energy again engaged The Dunstan Group to supply vulnerable customers with tools to keep up with critical alerts, call for help or report an outage if a storm knocked out electricity to their homes. The Dunstan Group helped select and deliver 7,000 handheld emergency tools (weather radio with LED flashlight, power bank, solar, and hand crank power) branded with the Duke Energy logo to customers in coastal Florida and the Carolinas at the start of hurricane season.

Also provided was a manual including a phone number and directions in English and Spanish to report outages. By sourcing a multi-function product likely to be put in a prominent location and used as part of storm preparation and recovery, rather than kept in a drawer, The Dunstan Group helped Duke Energy boost brand awareness and make sure its customers know their power provider and how to reach them.

* Source: Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)

Customers Agree: Promotional Products Work in Any Economy

 

Downturn or up, the economy is really only as “good” as your company’s bottom line. And every business wants its marketing dollars to fuel that bottom line in any economy. New research shows that even in a downturn, promotional products are a successful strategy.

A Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) survey finds consumer value of promotional products actually goes up in a softer economy when compared to other forms of marketing and advertising.

The February 2023 study shows 59% of people would rather receive a useful promotional product than be exposed to ads on television, social media, radio, and other forms of advertising. The study also revealed:

  • 53% of people feel included in their team when they receive promotional products.
  • 62% feel appreciated by their employer when they receive promotional products.
  • 67% of people would like to receive promotional products from brands they know and like.
  • 61% said that they would look up a brand they didn’t know if they received a promotional product from them.

“The results are clear; promotional products make people feel special,” says Robert Fitzpatrick, PPAI research manager. “Whether employers are aiming to boost morale or businesses are trying to reach new customers, promotional products can help. Not only do people want more useful promotional merchandise, but they’re open to it coming from brands they’re familiar with and brands they’re new to.”

Scott Dunstan, president and founder of The Dunstan Group, agrees.

“When promotional products, branded merchandise, or apparel that are thoughtfully chosen, they can make an impact a real impact,” he adds. “The more time lead time we have, the more creative we can be, and the more options our clients can consider.”

Promotional products strengthen the loyalty of existing customers and employees, while also opening the door for building relationships with new clients.

“Have you ever heard a client say, ‘thank you,’ when they see your ads?” asked Dunstan. “When done right, promotional products have the power of a well-chosen gift…that’s not a power we take for granted.”

WellTrust Medical Uses Fun, Cheeky Branding to Make Men’s Health Issues  Approachable

As a rule, men don’t have a reputation for talking about what’s troubling them. The more “personal” the problem, the less likely they are to open up about it. The conversation is slightly easier, now that men’s health brands advertisements are as commonplace as beer commercials.

Charlotte-based WellTrust Medical is taking approachability to the next level with its Male Excel brand of products.

“Male Excel launched in 2019 as a company that helps men feel young again!” said Chris Halstead, COO of WellTrust Medical. “We’re on a mission to transform the way people age by delivering healthcare that focuses on optimization and prevention. Our protocol, developed by a renowned preventive medicine expert, makes us one of the most sought-after healthy aging clinics in the US.”

Halstead connected with The Dunstan Group at an event at Charlotte’s Carmel Country Club. And the rest, he said, is history.

“We hit it off immediately,” said Scott Dunstan, founder and president of The Dunstan Group. “They wanted to creatively show off their brand, get their team excited about it, and they weren’t afraid to have fun with it.”

“The vibe of the office lets you feel right at home and custom is what The Dunstan Group does,” added Halstead. “We also love to support local business, so that was an added benefit!”

WellTrust Medical recognized the power of branded merchandise and apparel to, “make their brands to come alive,” with their team. “So we went all out from notebooks and pens, to coffee mugs and hats, and tons of wearable gear,” finished Halstead, “and we are just getting started!”

Find out more about Male Excel and WellTrust Medical at their website:

https://welltrustmedical.com/