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Easy Ideas to Enjoy Right Now

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. – Ferris Bueller

 

It’s hard to argue with that kind of wisdom. And, it seems it’s even more difficult these days to find the time to slow down and appreciate what’s happening here and now.

Summer’s longer days and (hopefully) less-stressed schedules present the perfect opportunity to pump the brakes just a little. Here are just a few ideas from The Dunstan Group to help clients, employees, and friends do just that!

Coolers and Totes: Send them packing – to the beach, the mountains, or wherever the road takes them. Igloo, YETI, and Arctic Zone are just some of the cool cooler brands we can personalize.

Cookies and Treats: Cookies, coffee, popcorn, and chocolate are just the tip of the iceberg here. Anyone on your list will appreciate a sweet treat. Customized packaging takes these gifts to the next level.

Games and Activities: From coloring books to corn hole game boards, puzzles, balls, and party sets. If you can make a game of it, we can probably put your logo on it.

Candles and Gift Sets: Remind them to wind down with candles and gift sets that set the mood for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Remember, you don’t need a special occasion to show clients, employees, friends, or team members how much they’re appreciated. And you won’t have to stress about it, either. The team here at The Dustan Group has tons of creative ideas and literally thousands of products to choose from.

The Dunstan Group Move to Office that Feels More Like Home

The Dunstan Group is making a giant leap in the new world of embracing work-from-home: We’ve purchased one!

Yes, The Dunstan Group saw an opportunity when it was time to renew its lease – and decided to renew and refresh its way of working, living, and sharing our branding showroom with all of you who have become our friends and clients along the way all these years.

For all of you, we say Welcome Home!

The Dunstan Group’s new home AND showroom is a cozy cottage just outside the shadow of uptown Charlotte’s towers, in an area booming with a new medical campus and connected to the beauty and convenience of the Cross Charlotte Trail. We are a few minutes’ walk from the bustling Midtown shopping area on one side, and the newly-renovated Pearl Street Park on the other. Our new home office has all the comfort and convenience of working in our living room, just steps from everyone else’s office.

“The work-at-home environment for the last two years made people want to return to the office in a place that’s more like home,” says The Dunstan Group Founder and President Scott Dunstan. “We want to be comfortable and fun in a place to enjoy company.”

The interiors are tastefully furnished by Park House Designs to evoke a feeling of a destination where home and business come to play. The trio of Kara Hager Dunstan, Lainey Parks Sinclair, and Mary Vincent Hager use dark wood with new greens and gentlemen’s grey to give visitors a familiar feel as they step in the front door. Upstairs offices are brightened up with a “Swiss coffee” off-white for a fresh feel as our team does its work.

A crisp, white product display island allows customers to browse through drawers of products that are just waiting to share your professional brand. An updated BrandBuilders Studio anchors the award-winning podcast from which co-hosts Scott Dunstan and Brian Young build relationships with entrepreneurs and their community.

“The new Dunstan Group Office represents fun with functionality,” says Sinclair. “We used bold colors and layers of fun patterns around an interactive shopping experience that will give clients a VIP experience, and to set the mood when customers take their first steps into The Dunstan Group.”

The Dunstan Group took the big leap to their new home after years of thriving in an office off East Morehead Street in Dilworth. With growth in the area, Dunstan decided to finally go through with putting down roots in something they could own. The location at 1336 Harding Place was hard to pass up.

“It didn’t make sense to pay rent anymore,” says Scott Dunstan. “This is more homey for us, and an opportunity to close doors if we need to, and open space when we want to work together.” A ramp outside allows them to move products in and out, while a side porch with a view gives them a place to relax in the beautiful surroundings where city skyscrapers meet the natural beauty of Little Sugar Creek.

Their new home offers “personality of place” – in an enduring venue that lets brands shine.

“At the end of the day, it elevates who we are, elevates our brand, and gives us a better workflow,” says Dunstan. “And better vibe.”

Here’s to good vibes!


The Dunstan Group Rocks the House as April Sponsor of Hood Hargett Breakfast Club

photo credit: Steve Huff Media, Inc.

For the first time, The Dunstan Group played host to the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club and its pre-event dinner. In another first, the Club’s dinner group met at its new restaurant venue.

Starting with the March lunch and April pre-event dinner, the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club now gathers at the brand new CharBar No. 7 location at the corner of Carmel and Quail Hollow Roads. The new location at the CharBar7 is larger and will accommodate more members for the lunches and dinners than the former meeting place.

“The idea is to team up with a local restaurant to tie in with what we do,” says Scott Dunstan, Founder and President of The Dunstan Group. “A bigger venue means more business contacts, more relationships, more opportunity to do good in the community!”

The networking club, open to only one company in each industry, grew 50% during the pandemic and needed more space. While they loved their former restaurant partners, it was time to move, says Executive Director Jenn Snyder Gibson. Snyder has known CharBar7’s owners for several years, and they have just joined HHBC as well.

“We now have a locally owned restaurant in CharBar7 and that is very appealing to us,” says Snyder. “The owners are wonderful and give back so much in our community – especially veterans.” In addition, the restaurant will close during the Hood Hargett luncheons and pre-event dinners, giving the group the entire venue for these events.

“CharBar7 is very excited to partner with Hood Hargett Breakfast Club,” says Tyler Hager. “Hood Hargett is supported by people who are active in the community. These same people are the ones we want to come back and enjoy a meal with their colleagues, friends, and family. We have taken so much pride in delivering a beautiful store to our local neighborhood, and truly look forward to our partnership with Hood Hargett Breakfast Club for many years to come!”

The speaker for this month’s meeting brought a rock-star vibe to the new place, too. Rock ‘n Roll drummer Mark Shulman is a motivational speaker and drummer for famous names like Cher, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Beyonce′, and many more. Hood Hargett Breakfast Club members were encouraged to dress like they were going to a rock concert for the event.

Yes, we know it’s only rock and roll – but we like it! (It’s also a good excuse if we don’t want to work, we just want to – well, you know!)

Even though this is the first event The Dunstan Group has sponsored for Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, the company has been a member of the club for 5 years, and has known Snyder for about 7. Recently, The Dunstan Group executed an award-winning idea for the February 2021 breakfast, which resulted in members “feeling the local love” by sharing $3500 of products in a “Local Love” branded box for their meeting. ( https://dunstangroup.com/love-box-ppai/ )

The boxes were delivered in time for the meeting by a member black car service, accompanied by lunches. The idea, conceived and executed in a few short weeks, brought members together like never before in sharing their goods and services with each other at a time they all had been meeting virtually for almost a year. The project won a PPAI Silver Award for the Dunstan Group. You can watch a video about the “Local Love” boxes here: https://fb.watch/cc3ea8bAdg/

Dunstan is delighted about how many things have come together at once for the groups.

“I’m really excited about this,” he says. “I love music and I love his message, and love the opportunity to be a member who takes part in the sponsorship.” Rock on!

Things Change, But This Marketing Advice Still Holds

No matter where or how you follow the news, it’s pretty apparent things have not exactly “returned to normal” as we all try to plow forward from the pandemic. And while things continue to chance both here and abroad, there are some things we’re all learning as we go. One of those lessons is that good things do not always come to those who wait.

Supply chain issues still dog most every industry—from cars, to coffee, to computer chips. That includes the branded merchandise and apparel industry, too. Like we’ve suggested before, if you have plans for events, awards, holiday or corporate gifting, the sooner you act, the better off you’ll be.

Order early

You’ve heard it before, and the recommendation still holds true: Give yourself plenty of time. Getting your orders placed as early as possible will ensure you’ve got the most product selection, plenty of time for customization, and enough time to get your product delivered in advance of your event, holiday gifting, or occasion.

Consider your options

Got your heart set on a particular product, brand, or style? We get it. Sometimes it’s hard to look at other products once you’ve got something particular in mind. Especially when there are seemingly endless other products. Be open to looking at several different items to maximize the opportunity you’ll get what you want when you want it.

Act fast

You’ve found the product you want, add it to your order, only to find it’s gone before you can complete the transaction. It happens with our suppliers, too. Our recommendation is that once we’ve found what you’re looking for, confirm the order immediately. While the price quote may be good for days or weeks, someone else may swoop in and make their order before you’ve approved yours.

As always, the team here at The Dunstan Group is here to help. We’re all about making the process less stressful – and a whole lot more creative! Connect with us now, and let’s get to work.

A Fundraiser that Would Make Kenny Rogers Proud 

It’s time to go All-In To Fight Cancer again – for the first time since 2019! The Dunstan Group is a proud sponsor of this event where you have to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, and know when NOT to walk away from folks who need your help. (Sorry, Kenny…)

RUN, don’t walk, to sign up for this great No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at The Fillmore in Charlotte. There will be live music, food from JJ’s Red Hots, and of course, awesome T’s, hats, and hoodies provided by The Dunstan Group.

All proceeds from the event will support cancer charities Go Jen Go, the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research, and the Isabella Santos Foundation. The annual fundraising poker game began in 2011 to support Rob Eubank, who had been diagnosed with colon cancer. He fought hard to help others, and the game is his legacy. The tournament has raised more than $1,000,000 for cancer research and support in its 11-year history.

This year’s goal is to top their last event in November 2019, which raised more than $315,000 dollars. Organizers want to up their game to roll over $400,000 this time. No players win money; all funds made during the event support the nonprofit.

“We’re always excited to take part in such a fun and meaningful event!” says Scott Dunstan, Founder and President of The Dunstan Group. Yes, he’s got a table for the team. And he’s excited about the branded merchandise and apparel his company produced for such a worthwhile cause. “The trucker hats are especially sweet,” he chimes in with a smile.

Since this is the first All-In To Fight Cancer event since 2019, organizers are really excited to bring friends and supporters in the cancer community back to celebrate the fight and keep the good works rolling. Executive Director Steve Amedio says there are already 50-55 tables booked for sponsors and supporters to play their best hands. Anyone knocked out early can make a donation to rejoin the game at any point.

“It’s so fun, but always secondary to the people who have been invested in our cancer community, because cancer impacts so many people,” says Amedio. “It’s a great gathering of friends and supporters, and a great way to get a good fundraising effort in.”

The Dunstan Group is sponsoring a table and will be All-In with their A game too, says Amedio. He’s proud and happy to call them friends, and supporters who have been in on the games since the beginning. He’s grateful for the strong support of merchandise from The Dunstan Group that allows the nonprofit to raise more money.

Apparel for sale this year include a soft pullover hoodie, a raglan-sleeve baseball jersey, a premimum T-shirt, and two types of logo hats. All game entrants will get an official event T-shirt, also produced by The Dunstan Group.

“The designs are always beautiful, the quality is wonderful, and they’re always on time with everything,” says Amedio. “They’ve been a wonderful partner for a long time, and they allow us to give more money back to the cancer community for support.”

Want to try your hand? You can have fun and score some cool swag by signing up here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-all-in-to-fight-cancer-texas-holdem-fundraiser-charlotte-nc-tickets-234786642167?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

 

 

The Dunstan Group Helps Ronald McDonald House Charities “Sport A Shirt,” Help Families with Its Annual Campaign

Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte has a new name, but its mission is the same: to serve and comfort families whose children are receiving care in Charlotte’s children’s hospitals.

With its new look and a new name, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte is kicking off a popular campaign to reach the community for support – its annual Sport A Shirt, Share a Night drive on April 29th. The Dunstan Group is honored to serve as the nonprofit’s T-shirt supplier for the second year in a row.

New this year as part of the Sport A Shirt campaign, supporters can buy a “Wear Day Bundle” for $30, and get a T-shirt and a ticket to that night’s Charlotte Knights game.

“We love to help others out,” says The Dunstan Group Founder and President Scott Dunstan. “It raises a bunch of money and awareness for the House in general, bringing  exposure and sharing stories in the community.”

Families are stronger when they stay together, and the Ronald McDonald House is a safe, affordable home-away-from-home for families of children receiving care at our hospitals. It costs $142 per night to serve these families, and campaigns like Sport A Shirt allow Ronald McDonald House to provide a caring community for families regardless of their ability to pay.

This year, RMHC of GC also opened Caroline’s Corner at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in May so that families have a comfortable place to rest while their children receive treatment just steps away.

“It’s a win-win-win situation,” says Scott Dunstan about helping RMHC of GC with their Sport A Shirt campaign. “We all have a soft spot for children. Their families can’t afford to be in Charlotte for months on end while their kids are treated, and we love helping the best way we know how.”

You can Sport A Shirt of your own, buy a Wear Day Bundle, or sign up to be a team captain on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte website.

While you’re there, pick up some extra swag in the online shop that The Dunstan Group set up to help support RMHC of GC all year long!

https://www.rmhclt.org/sport-a-shirt-share-a-night.html

 

 

BrandBuilders Spotlight: Harriet’s Hamburgers

One in a series of case studies highlighting creative projects, imaginative clients, and remarkable results.

The Client:

Harriet’s Hamburgers is on a mission to spread happiness across the Carolinas with the simple act of feeding them the burgers anywhere. They’re a juicy addition to Optimist Hall on North Brevard Street, where their motto is, “Just be good.” It’s that simple – and they believe, the simpler, the better. They want to be good at what they do and be good to others. Harriet’s Hamburgers believes feeding people does just that.

The Challenge:

The retro-inspired branding evokes a simpler time at Harriet’s Hamburgers, when catching a burger and fries with your bestie was an easy, after-school or Friday night ritual.

“We wanted an intentional, unique, and connected branding and design in everything we put out,” says founder and local restaurateur Joe Haubenhofer. “Everything from space design, uniforms, merchandise, digital experience, and packaging” he adds, needed to share the nostalgic look and feel.

The Big Idea:

Joe and his team turned to The Dunstan Group to curate unique products and staff uniforms that would give a retro-diner feel to their restaurant. Raglan tees, hats, Tervis tumblers, sunglasses, polos, and water bottles add to the mix of updated products with the feel of a simpler time.

“The items are cohesive and a natural brand extension,” adds Joe.

The Reaction:

The merchandise is still rolling in at Harriet’s Hamburgers, adding a new pop to the brand as they arrive – but the uniforms are already a hit!

“The initial uniforms (front and back of house) we did are a huge success and one we’ll likely keep through the growth and evolution of the brands at new stores for many years to come,” says Joe.

An Expo with Something for Everyone?

Another award-winning trek out west reveals new products for partners and clients here at home!

We all love new ideas – and some of our best ideas come from getting out of our space and exploring another. Welcome to the idea behind PPAI Expo! The PPAI Expo – the official expo of the Promotional Products Association International – lets our Branding Experts at The Dunstan Group explore the best of the best in the promotional products industry. It also gave them a chance to pick up their third Pyramid Award — but more on that in a minute.

Founder and President Scott Dunstan and Director of Business Development Brian Young are ready to bring you the most up-to-date branded items and apparel after their latest annual trek to the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas in January.

“With the focus at home, more products are tailored towards that,” says Dunstan. He points out diffusers and calming incense products as among work-at-home favorites that caught their eye, along with Mission Belt’s (featured on Shark Tank) adjustable belts whose buckles can be fully customized, and everyone’s favorites: Socks!

“There’s a new option to deliver custom socks made right here in North Carolina,” added Dunstan with an obvious grin. “They’re really good socks!” How is that for a “homespun” favorite?

Adding to our return-to-hybrid-office experiences are items that can travel seamlessly between the two, like Sono speakers, or delivery options that can go anywhere, like new custom boxes that bring branding to your door, no matter where that is.

And speaking of showing “Love” for boxes, Dunstan and Young picked up their third PPAI Silver Pyramid Award in Business to Business Client Programs for their Hood Hargett Breakfast Club collaboration project, the Local Love Boxes. This project was truly a “labor of love” for The Dunstan Group and Hood Hargett Breakfast Club: It created a way to share some love (and branding) among members a full year into a pandemic that left the close-knit networking group meeting virtually.

“The award was awesome,” says Dunstan. “Industry recognition is pretty cool because developing relationships in the industry is almost as important as the relationships we have with our clients.”

The Dunstan Group’s two previous Silver Pyramid Awards were for their BrandBuilders Podcast.

Speaking of relationships, the lighter crowd at this year’s PPAI Expo meant an unexpected bonus: the team got to spend more time with each vendor and supplier to learn more about products, strengthen relationships, and make new professional contacts.

“It was good to get the industry update. It was good to be in the environment with people who had the same challenges as us, and share stories about how they overcame them,” says Dunstan. “When you’re in a room with people from all over the country who’ve had the same problems, it’s comforting to know you’re going in the right direction.”

This means that in addition to new ideas about branded items and apparel, Dunstan and Young returned to Charlotte with fresh strategies to get those products into your hands despite the obstacles they encountered in this unusual year. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

“The collaboration is the best part,” agrees Dunstan with a smile.