• flat promotional gift for cover mounts on kids magazines & newspapers.
• Charities or subscription offers which generally come in envelopes.
• On-pack Gift with Purchase for food or other items.

Promotional products like these can surprise older people so we would suggest this is far better for promos targeting younger audiences who will appreciate the surprise more.  Once the trick is played the person can wind up the rubber band again to reuse it – allowing this to become a viral promotional products campaign.

This product can be produced at a low cost, and can be easily customised with the help of our design team.

As mentioned in previous articles, the Sarobag is a sarong zipped into a bag, and that can be used for carrying beach items: sun screens, sun glasses, water bottles etc. On the beach, the unzipped bag can serve the purpose of a towel.

Bearing in mind the client’s needs and expectations, a few different options were eliminated. This stage is called the phase of screening of ideas in the Key stage of product development so some ideas were bounced around

• backpack not exactly the kind of bag people expected to take to beach
• the handbag was too female-oriented
• the traveler’s bag was too bulky
• Needed compartment for bottle water
• etc.

One of the designs that survived the reiterated screening selection process was the following bag:

Simple, handy, unisex, with different pockets for keys or cell phones, this marker rendering of the Sarobag is perfectly adapted for use on the beach. The clip offers additional security, hence the bag can also be carried in town without any risk.

Next stage can be Computer Aided Design (CAD) Rendering.  This stage can be skipped for simpler products but ODM will perform this stage also.   CAD is an obligatory step for complex designs with plastics where moulds required.

We are trying to comment as much as possible on our work with Inventors, Promotional Products campaigns, our factories and what it really means to run a buying office in China.

Working with Entrepreneurs and new business start ups is a core strategy for the ODM Group. Blog Projects like sharing the complete product development case study of the Sarobag, from inception to market, are key to communicating our service and we are glad that you are along with us for the journey.

Our goal is to keep our blogs as informative as possible so that our customers and friends can use this resource for planning their business.   Already, some of our key inventions have been launched on this blog due to the flexibility WordPress publishing has given us.  No more waiting for Trade shows to launch new products…

What to expect for the next year of blogs?

• Some of our partners around the world will write for us on their International Promotional Product campaigns.  This means we will have more authors from different countries – see Brindes Brasil to get an idea of this local touch.
• Our Chinese team will be giving some more pointers on manufacture and product development, manufacturing tips, Incoterms, new rules/laws in China and other International Trade requirements.
• Our Quality Control team will blog about new quality requirements for products.  They will also share more about factories & products they find on their journeys.
• ODM will publish Monthly special offers on our Blog.  This gives more business to better performing factories and we all profit from economies to scale.
• More interaction between other blogs (see lists of blogs) & new social media.
• We will lighten things up by reporting some fun experiences we have on our travels.

Contact us to let us know what other themes you would like us to expand on.  This is your blog too.

Monthly Special for August – Customized Stress Toys.

• Mould charge for Custom Design Stress Toy @ US$ 388.
• 10,000 pcs of custom stress toys @ US$ 0.48/pc
• Includes free design service to help you make your own shape.
• Includes 2 colour logo print on the toy
• Includes Quality Control on order
• FOB China pricing
• Assuming 5.5cm diameter for the toy
• Material – Polyurethane foam
• If required, mould takes 25 days.
• Production takes 30 days.

For simple designs (eg. soccer ball shape) the price can be decreased further – depending on the number of colours used, the shape and complexity for mould, and number of colours in logo.

Once you have a design concept or trend in mind, you can choose fabrics that communicate these.  Generally, it is the designer’s responsibility to shop for fabrics but our merchandisers also get involved here.. Fabric salespeople can be very helpful so even if you are not an industry professional you will be able to learn a lot on your visits – do not be put off..

Here are some key questions to think about before your trip in order to mentally prepare yourself and be in better negotiating position.

• Material composition for the fabric?
• When do you need the fabric?
• Where will you manufacture?
• How much fabric will you need?
• Which  colours to associate with your brand or designs preferred?
• What weight you are looking for?
• What width you need for the production?
• Technical specs or characteristics required for this fabric?
• What is your budget?

Next step, we must pick up some sample yardage at this stage.   This is an extremely important step in the fabric selection and production process. It is the time for you to see if your item, or items, works in this fabric. For the Sarobag, given there are 2 functions (garment as Sarong / carrying device as a bag) this is quite a critical step.

Sample yardage involves ordering a small amount of yardage, generally 3 to 5 yards / meters.  With this sample you can cut and sew a sample bag. Doing this allows you to see if the fabric works well and hangs well with the styles you had in mind.

At the markets you may also find more complex materials such as Interlining for the construction and other accessories which add to the overall quality of your bag.

Besides just a normal cookie jar, this shape/material could be redesigned/changed to make a piggy bank.  Can also adapt this to target different sports/ball shapes as well..

Good logo positioning on this sample with the “Angel™” logo positioned at the front of the baseball – website address painted at the back of the baseball.    What other promotional gifts would you like us to include as a set to create a nice packaged gift? Candies, mini baseballs, baseball cards etc…

Instead of promoting for baseball, what do you think of fruit-shaped or stadium replicas for cookie jar? Customize and design any cookie jar for your customers and be remembered for your Promotional giveaway campaigns!

Sarobag, the abbreviated form of Sarong & Bag, is a beach product.  Therefore the logo is designed with a beach theme in mind. The letter “R” in the word “Saro” is the distinctive feature in this logo, made to resemble a palm tree swaying in the wind. Palm trees are closely associated with beaches, so when people see the logo they will subconsciously make the connection to beaches.

The pantone colour combination was also carefully chosen, using light and fresh colors to make it look young and funky.  The orange is to help the logo stand out, while the eco-friendly green compliments it as well as giving color to the “leaves”.  This colour combination is very pleasing to the eye.  The font used is Berlin Sans, to add a fun touch to the logo.   See some other tips from our designers below….

Customised logo design should follow a few basic guidelines.  ODM product designers suggest you can make or break your logo by following some of these rules.

1. A logo has to be simple and scalable, but still pack a punch. Picture this – you have a really complex and messy looking logo which actually looks really impressive, but what happens when you scale it down to maybe an inch in size, can people still tell what it is?
2. Typography or font used in the logo must be legible. If people cannot read what is on your logo, then what is the point of having a logo?
3. The logo must be compatible with the image you want to portray. For example, you wouldn’t design a logo for a law firm filled with flowers and fun fonts, would you?
4. It has to be unique and recognizable. If your logo is unique and recognizable, it helps people to remember it.
5. Good choice of colors that make viewing pleasurable. Your logo’s colors should contrast against white, as it is one of the more commonly used backgrounds. Use complimentary colors for it, so that it is easy to look at. Consider how it will look in monochrome as well, because there will be situations when the logo cannot be printed in color, such as in receipts.

ODM helps inventors in all aspects of development including logo & website design.

It was designed to expand the domestic China market and act as a business platform for the industry.   Positioned as a leading regional fair for fur garments, leather, handbags, luggage, shoes and fashionable accessories, this exhibition will focus on integration of the supply chain – from the creative design process to consumption.

Shenzhen’s unique industrial structure and location in Guangdong, make it a key supplier for China’s footwear & leather products.  Some key brands on show will include Belle, Hasson, COBO , Alida, Wealthy, O Deli, DISSONA, when U.S. cents, SASA, dense Si Luoni, race camp, horse-day slavery, Dani, Race School, Annunciation angel, Cardin slave, Miyuki, Hua-day slavery , Beijing fur, Jinbao Na, NBL, Batu, the poetry Yu, P. ROSSA, silver fir, Giorgio, gold Marseilles, Malaysia-day slavery, Luo Saite … …

China has become the world’s largest fur producer and exporter of products.  For fur products, it also happens to be the world’s most promising consumer market. After years of development, China’s fur industry gradually formed its own characteristics, in the international market to have an increasingly important role. With the rapid development of the global economy, the international fur industry is experiencing an unprecedented strong momentum of development.

This is link to the website in English using Google Translate.

The sketches were then meticulously analysed in relation to design, style, add-ons, accessories, materials etc…   The construction, functionality and utility of the Sarobag is strongly scrutinized with round table discussion.

Key staff involved at this stage also include sales team to discuss client needs, merchandising team for manufacturing options and of course our Chinese bag factory.   Some of our the sketches below.

FYI.  This is Step 3 in the development process for the Sarobag. Concept Development & Testing.  (See key stages of product development)

See also Dewars promotional campaigns and their partnership with Calloway.