Happy Holidays from Adpro!

Adpro Imprints (732) 531-2133

Help Restore Our Jersey Shore!

Dear Valued Customer, We have set up this site below as an effort to raise funds that will benefit Hurricane Sandy victims.  $5 of every t-shirt sale and $10 of every hoodie sale will be donated to the Jersey Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross, as well a few of our local churches and shelters in need of resources.  Our original design by Jessica Renna embodies the heart of our beloved beach towns, and represents solidarity in picking up the pieces and fixing what we love together. Help Restore Our Jersey Shore www.restoreourshore.deco-apparel.com Become a Fan   Follow Us  Get more information by visiting our site www.adproimprints.com

ABOUT US  |  CONTACT US 1206 RT 35 SOUTH, OCEAN, NJ 07712 732.531.2133

October 2012 Newsletter

October 2012      October is here!  With it comes "good sleeping weather" as my father would say, and the anticipation of Halloween.  And...its time to start thinking about the Holidays.  The Holidays?  Already?  That's right!  As a business or organization, it is our job to start thinking about the holidays before anyone else.  Whether it means getting ready for the "early shoppers" by preparing our winter line, getting our Holiday marketing materials in order, or starting to plan that big Christmas Banquet, this is the time to get busy.  It is also time to start thinking about thanking our employees, customers, business partners, and colleagues.  There are many ways to thank, and below are just a few that Adpro can help you with.  And at a discount! — LATEST PRODUCTS & OFFERS — Promote Your Company...Not Theirs. Custom Gourmet Food Gifts by Adpro   We have partnered with Maple Ridge Farms to help promote your business this Holiday season.  Here's why!   Founded in 1979, Maple Ridge Farms is the largest company in America specializing in corporate food gift programs. We have built our business on one, fundamental principle: Your gifts should be recognized for their outstanding quality and exceptional flavor! We guarantee that every gift is one that you will be proud to give (and would be happy to receive).   Business gifts are our only business. After 25 years of listening, we understand what you need. We also know what customers, clients and employees expect and enjoy. So take advantage of our expertise, sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays.   Our quality is quite simply the best. Whether it's the richness of our handmade chocolates, the crunchy freshness of our fresh-roasted nuts, or the exceptional flavor of our smoked meats, we've built our reputation on high standards of excellence.   We ship on-time. Nothing is more frustrating than gifts shipped late. We've developed a 'fail-safe' system to process your order quickly and correctly. In fact, since 1979 we have shipped over 99.9% of all orders on time.   The best guarantee in the business. If you or your recipients are not completely satisfied with any item, return it to us within 7 days and we will cheerfully replace it, issue a credit, or refund your payment, whichever you prefer. Prior to returning any item, contact factory for return authorization number.   Call Adpro and place any Maple Ridge Farms order by November 1st and enjoy 10% off your entire order!  Just mention this Newsletter and save! Let Them Know You Appreciate Them. Holiday Greetings by Adpro. Stop in any time, or give us a call, to browse our extensive collection of personlaized Holiday greeting cards. Or send out a postcard sized mailer to wish your customers and colleagues a happy and safe Holiday Season. Order before November 15th, and enjoy 10% off! Corporate Gift Partnerships by Adpro In the mood for a little above-and-beyond gift giving?  Channel your inner Santa this Holiday Season and browse our extensive selection from some of the highest rated suppliers in the industry by clicking below. Order before November 15th, and enjoy 10% off your entire order PLUS free setup!!! Fundraising Items Also Make Great Gifts! Free Fundraising Websites by Adpro It's easy to shop for your friends and colleagues by visiting one of our online affiliate web stores.  Don't see the organization you're looking for?  Pass this along to someone who might benefit from it!  Then you'll have something to get them next year =)     +=  How does it work?  It's EASY...and FREE Call or email us to set up a consultation. Adpro will set up your FREE website and if necessary, design your logo. Adpro will suggest garments to sell, or you can choose whatever you like from our extensive catalogs. Adpro will provide you with a flier template to send home with the students, directing them to your web store. Parents and students will purchase directly from your site. After a deadline of your choosing, the store will become inactive, and Adpro will compile and fulfill all orders that were placed. Decorated garments will be delivered to your organization, separated by student. Adpro will send your organization a check for the amount of funds raised.  No more sorting through piles of papers and checks- EVER AGAIN! So CALL TODAY- 732.531.2133 or email info@adproimprints.com   Check out some of our current, very successful fundraisers.....   http://oceanschools.deco-apparel.com http://shorefieldhockey.deco-apparel.com http://middletownpba.deco-apparel.com/home Read what our clients are saying about us! We'd Love Some Feedback! We'd love to know what you thought about our newsletter.  Please drop us a line or shoot us an email to let us know.  The biggest compliment you could give is to forward this newsletter along to someone you know or to tell someone about our work.  You can also share with your friends on the Social Media outlets listed at the top and bottom of this page.  Thank you!   Adpro Imprints, Inc. 1206 Rt. 35 South Ocean, NJ 07712 732.531.2133  732.531.2142 fax info@adproimprints.com  www.adproimprints.com All Rights Reserved.  This work is protected by copyright laws.

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Recent Interview with Linda Rastelli @WebSearchSocial

5 Questions With Peter Demaree: Custom Tees Plus Personal Service Equals Very Happy Customers

August 1, 2012 By Linda Rastelli

Interviewing Adpro Imprints President Peter Demaree, Jr. at his unassuming office in Ocean, I found this self-described “t-shirt and jeans kind of guy” and “behind the scenes person” a far cry from the egotistical, bombastic business archetype of Hollywood, cable news, and the blogosphere. He’s no Donald Trump, and I mean that as a compliment.

Voted “Best Print Shop” in a recent Asbury Park Press readers’ poll, Adpro is a B-to-B marketing and promotional firm specializing in custom screen printing and embroidery.

I’ll be writing about Jim Collins’ Great by Choice in an upcoming post, but Demaree reminded me of the “Level 5″ leaders who Collins described in Good to Great: he spoke of “we,” not “I”; had high praise for his staff;  and came from within the company (he and partner Anthony Lugo purchased Adpro from Peter Demaree, Sr. in 2006). A graduate of the College of New Jersey, Demaree explains here how he and Lugo brought the business online while maintaining exceptional customer loyalty in its stores in Ocean and Farmingdale.

What’s your best-selling product?

T-shirts have always been our staple; it’s 70 percent of sales. Anthony and I added embroidery–the second biggest thing we do. That’s the sound you hear in the back. A complicated logo on the back of a jacket can take six hours because there are so many stitches per inch needed.

We also do vinyl signs, graphic design and promotional products. We handle the design and resell through manufacturers. We’re unique because everything we do is customized to what the customer needs. One wants screen-printed shirts and another wants a business card holder with their name on it. Everyone who walks through the door wants something different. At least 70-80 percent are repeat customers. Fifty percent have been coming to us for 10 years or more.

How do you generate such tremendous loyalty, especially in this economy when many people are just seeking bargains?

Actually, lots of online places are more expensive than us but people don’t really know that. You don’t know what our prices are until you talk to us – it’s all based on quantities, numbers of colors and so on. And people need to replace t-shirts so we get repeat business that way.

We happen to be in a business where you can always get things cheaper or faster.  I think what sets us apart is that we care enough to do the job right.  It’s the one-on-one personal interaction.  You can walk into our retail location on 35 in Ocean, see and touch samples we have in our showroom, try things on.  It’s low pressure. We will take as much time as it takes to steer you in the right direction. You’ll never find someone looking to make the sale and get you out the door like you find in other businesses.

What’s your preferred type of marketing?

I’ve found that the best type of marketing is using your social contacts and connections to build a strong reputation.

I’d much rather have a strong, loyal customer base who returns year after year because they love the quality and service they get, than have new customer turnover because of strong marketing and no support.

That’s why marketing to current customers is as important–if not more important–than marketing to the outside world.

I rely heavily on our reputation and word of mouth to help us grow organically as much as possible.

Were you quick to embrace web marketing and social media? How do you measure whether it’s working?

When we bought the business, the company didn’t even have a website, so we were forced to embrace those things pretty quickly.  Marketing locally on the Internet has done more for our business than “paper advertising” ever could have done, and at a fraction of the cost, freeing up our marketing budget for other things. I don’t know anyone who uses the Yellow Pages anymore.

When I track activity on our website I can’t believe how many unique visitors there are. We put money into Google ads and Facebook ads. Also a lot of direct mailing, limited to other local businesses. Google gives you access to tools so you can see what is working and what’s not.  I also recently started using a useful app called HitTail that simplifies and automates the process.

Can you explain your social media strategy and how much time you devote to it?

I try to be active in our social media outlets at least once a week.  Social media marketing has been great for us, but for a business, too much activity can be a bad thing.

The idea of social marketing is to stay in front of your customers, not pound them with alerts and updates several times a day.

We don’t want to get deleted!  I try to keep our posts relevant.  Sometimes it’s hard to get creative.  Sometimes I’ll post a special or discount, and other times I’ll just post a picture of something extraordinary or special that week.  It’s a pretty loose strategy, but it seems to work.

Visit Adpro Imprints online, or if you’re in New Jersey, stop by their retail location at 1206 Rt. 35 South, Ocean.

Check them out on Twitter and Facebook, too.

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IT'S GETTING WARM OUTSIDE!

That only means one thing- summertime, baby! The heat of summer and the fun activities that surround the Jersey Shore area are what makes this such a great place to live. I mean, enough people visit from out of town to prove it, right? So before Snooki and The Situation make their way onto our beaches, lets get in the spirit of summer! Its the only thing that will allow us to tolerate the not-so-fun summer attributes- like traffic, noise, and of course, the bennies. Here is a snippet from another blog (company based in Arizona) with 14 marketing ideas for small business associated with summer. Enjoy!


1. Have a birthday! Make your place the official birthday headquarters for a celebrity.

2. Celebrate a holiday! There is lot of zany “holidays” in the summer. For example, the World’s Ugliest Dog contest is held annually in June, in Petaluma, California. July is “National Horseradish Month” and “National Ice-Cream Month;” anyone for horseradish flavored ice-cream?

3. Host a barbecue! Have a barbecue and invite everyone you know, just because. Or for even more fun, invite people you don’t know. Publicize your event through Yelp.com or Twitter.com. Call it a networking mixer and tell everyone to bring their business cards.

4. Here’s your sign! If your local zoning ordinances allow, and if you’re in an area where there is a lot of drive-by or walk-by traffic, create a vinyl banner or clapboard sign to put in front of your store. Don’t make it a sign about your store. Instead use a message like, “Come on in, it’s cool inside.” Give away a bottle of water to everyone who comes in. Or you if really want to get attention, put something silly on the sign like “See other side.”

5. Set a world record! Invite your customers and friends to get involved to build the worlds’ largest ice-cream sundae, foot long hotdog, or human flag. Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs has been sponsoring a hotdog eating contest since 1916. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it! Use your imagination and have some fun! Get some sponsors so everyone can get a free gift for participating!

6. Hold a summer-themed promotion or contest. Get your customers involved! One of my favorite television commercials of all time is the Dodge Journey Crossover summer waterslide commercial. It doesn’t make me want to buy the car, but it definitely makes me want to go down a waterslide in the middle of the street, and it definitely gets your attention.

7. Do a good deed! The recession has hit all of us, but probably none have been hit harder than charities that help the needy. Revenues are down, but demand for services is up as families struggle to make ends meet.

Save the Family in Mesa, Arizona, assists homeless families by providing a place for them to live, complete with furniture. Once they get on their feet and move out, they are able to take the furnishings with them because they have nothing! Right now Save the Family is in desperate need of beds for their families. You can help! Adopt a charity such as Save the Family, and get your customers involved in providing for these urgent needs. It will make a difference.

8. Get social! If you haven’t adopted Twitter or Facebook because you just don’t get it, now is the time to hop on board. Take a class so you can learn how to use it and then do. You’ll meet people and be introduced to opportunities that you’ve not had in the past.

9. Take a customer out to lunch! Better yet, take a bunch out to lunch. Summer time is a great time to brainstorm new business ideas. Ask your clients for feedback and ideas. Make sure you pay for their lunch!

10. Promote your website! If you “Google” your company name and your website isn’t the first to come up, then you’ve got some work to do. Submit your site to search engines and local directories such as MerchantCirlce.com or EastValleyLiving.com

11. Be a speaker! Many associations and clubs such as Kiwanis International meet year-round and they are always looking for speakers.

12. Keep in touch! Keep in regular contact with your customers via email. For greater impact, give them a telephone call just to touch base! Now that will surprise them!

13. Send an e-newsletter! Fill it with summertime tips. Word of advice: Keep it short and make it valuable! My favorites sites for e-newsletters are Mailchimp.com and Verticalresponse.com.

14. Write an e-book! David Meerman Scott, author of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” did this and it propelled his business and speaking career into a venture worth over 6 figures a year! Take David’s advice and give it away for free. Not so crazy when you start getting requests for speaking engagements.

About 23Kazoos

23 Kazoos is a creative marketing company based in Mesa, Arizona. They specialize in helping small business owners build buzz for their business through organic (word of mouth) marketing strategies, social media, and publicity. They also provide website and graphic design services, with special rates for start up businesses, restaurants, authors, and speakers. For more information contact 23 Kazoos at http://www.23Kazoos.com.

News Alert: Winter is Being Postponed This Year!

All of this balmy “winter” weather has me thinking about sipping umbrella drinks poolside. Think about it, in just 30 days it will be March. Right now is the time to start planning ahead for your field day, family reunion, or company picnic. Below, we’ve compiled some ideas for March to help get your creative juices flowing.

March is National Ethics Awareness Month

Every business talks about ethics, but sometimes they may stumble and act in a less than ethical way. Well, March is the time to get moving along on the right track and launch an ethics awareness campaign. Begin with a new mission statement that you send via e-mail and post to all your social media outlets like Facebook. Next, visit clients and commit to being the best business partner for them in words and action. Bring logoed gifts. Finally, have a more intimate affair, like a wine and cheese party, with staff members and select guests. Parting gifts can include etched bottles of wine. Your distributor can help you craft a month’s worth of events for productive and positive results.

March 8 - International Women’s Day

Today is set aside to honor women, especially working women. Run a campaign today focusing on the women at your company who contribute in so many ways. Also, give shout-outs to your female clients and vendors. Post videos to your website, tweet messages and recognize everyone on Facebook. Consider giving everyone a special lapel pin as a thank-you.

March 13 - National Agriculture Day

Agriculture is so important to our way of life. Today anyone in that industry can run awareness campaigns. And schools and local businesses can run events for students teaching them the joy and benefits of growing a garden. Provide everyone with imprinted garden products like gloves, hoes, shovels, seeds and watering cans. Your distributor partner can help you secure the items and help you come up with great catch phrases as well.

March 20 - Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day?

Mr. Rogers spent nearly 40 years on TV as a friendly and warm neighbor to millions of children. Today, the anniversary of his birth, take the time to reach out to your corporate neighbors to find ways to get along better (not that you don’t get along). In a nod to Mr. Rogers, outfit your staff with corporate cardigan sweaters. If you work in an industrial park with other businesses, organize a mixer or other event that gives everyone the chance to network. You never know, you might find new customers.

John Zalepka

Adpro Imprints

Think Spring!

12 Ways to Save in 2012

12 WAYS TO SAVE IN 2012!