A-Z Swagman's Blog corner

The benefits of using a professional

Jul 06

Your A-Z Swagman had a completely non-promotional product lesson over the holiday weekend (July 4, 2020). For some time, I’ve been after my wife — a very successful and much loved veterina...

Spices using promo!

Jun 15

Over the weekend, your A-Z Swagman received a sorely craved-for package from Penzeys Spices. Many years ago, a good friend of ours taught me how to make Chai Latte from scratch, and I’ve...

I recently watched a wonderful TEDx talk about drawing. Long before your A-Z Swagman was . . . well, your A-Z Swagman, I was in a BFA program studying photography. Of course, BFA programs cover much m...

Upcoming events 19

Apr 06

We live in crazy times, let’s be proactive by Looking Forward because looking backwards is just remembering! By now, your A-Z Swagman shouldn’t need to remind you about increasi...

Working from home ideas

Mar 26

Ideas for using promo while Working from Home Stay on brand, improve morale, keep spirits up Obviously the US (heck, the whole world’s) economy is taking a big hit from the current p...

Look Professional at Home

Mar 20

Now that many of us are working from home Let’s Look Professional believe it or not, your A-Z Swagman can help! Now that we’re all having to adopt measures to keep the pandemic ...

The R word (or the D word)

Mar 17

Just a brief little word about something that's on almost everyone's mind . . . no, not that nasty virus that's scaring us all, but this idea is related to Covid-19. It's not that we shouldn't be conc...

Thoughts on Creating Your Own Art Files

Mar 10

Your A-Z Swagman has been involved in print production for many… MANY years now. In all those years, there have been many folk who like to take on the task of creating their own artwork...

Be Prepared

Feb 26

Some advice from your A-Z Swagman’s youth Be Prepared and do you know . . . that’s also advice from the CDC! Currently, we’re living with emotions anywhere from caution to...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #11

Feb 04

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #11 · Found: Driving in Nashville · Item: License Plate Frame · &nbs...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #10

Dec 26, 2019

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #10 · Found: Antique store in Georgia · Item: Pencils · ...

Milestones

Dec 11, 2019

Milestones This morning on the drive into work, your A-Z Swagman heard two brief stories about milestones that are either happening today or upcoming – more on those later. Many of my d...

This has nothing to do with promo

Nov 04, 2019

As I often do at work, your A-Z Swagman was listening to a playlist on YouTube today. This playlist is made up of songs that I know I like and others that YouTube has suggested – and I don&rsquo...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #9

Oct 28, 2019

· Found: In your A-Z Swagman’s kitchen cabinets · Item: five tumblers/glasses · Promoted Brand:&nbs...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #8

Sep 30, 2019

· Found: Hendersonville High Home Game 9.27.19 · Item: Stadium Seat · Promoted Brand: Bob Mueller MS...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #7

Sep 03, 2019

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #7 Found: Dragoncon 2019 Item: Lanyard Promoted Brand: Remembering Stan Lee Your A-Z Swagman just spent Labor Day weekend with a...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #6

Aug 09, 2019

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #6 Found: Antique store in Bowling Green Item: Double Duty can and bottle opener Promoted Brand: North Dakota watering hole Your A...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #5

Aug 09, 2019

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #5 Found: Tire installation Item: Tire pressure gauge Promoted Brand: discounttire.com As do many of the folk here at A-Z Office R...

Ahhh,vacation... and promo?

Jul 08, 2019

Last week, your A-Z Swagman got to take some time away from the promotional products world and spend it with family. My father arranged a house in a vacation community in Pennsylvania, and fiv...

The importance of . . . proofing

Jun 21, 2019

As many folk do nowadays, your A-Z Swagman has been binging an episodic visual story (formerly known as a television show.) My wife brought Schitt's Creek to my attention and as it stars two wonderful...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #4

Jun 11, 2019

Found: Thank you gift from Heifer International Item: Tote bag with full color imprint Promoted Brand: Heifer International Is it fair to say this was stumbled upon in the world? P...

Upcoming events 17

Jun 03, 2019

June means . . . well, summer is definitely here! Upcoming events How about a few promo ideas for later this summer? Summer is the season of school vacation, family travel and sunburn...

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #3

May 29, 2019

Found: Manchester City vs. Tottenham game in Nashville (2017) Item: Tumbler Promoted Brand: Manchester City OK, first a BIG tangent. Your A-Z Swagman fell in love with Premier League foo...

Promo Products Work Week!

May 14, 2019

Hey, your A-Z Swagman would like to share this short video about the power of promotional products. Enjoy!

Stumbling Upon Promotional Products in the World #2

May 07, 2019

This is the second in a series of blog entries about finding promotional products in day-to-day life. Enjoy! Found: Antique store in Colorado Item: Slippers Promoted Brand: ...

Upcoming events 16

May 01, 2019

Wow, it’s May already . . . is your Christmas shopping done? Upcoming events Maybe too early, here are some ideas for the next months. Your A-Z Swagman is only kidding about Christmas/Chanuka...

Stumbling upon promo, entry number one!

Apr 23, 2019

Did you know that Promo Products Work! Week is May 13 through 17? Each year since becoming your A-Z Swagman, I've been looking for ways to encourage the responsible use of promotional products and thi...

Spring Cleaning

Mar 18, 2019

Well, it seems it’s finally time for some Spring Cleaning What gets dug out of your closet/garage/junk room? This weekend, as so many do, your Swagman's family took some time to begin...

Upcoming events (in spite of the weather)

Mar 07, 2019

It’s spring, no it’s still winter, no spring, no winter, arrgh! Upcoming events No matter the weather, use promo tied to the season! As your A-Z Swagman writes this, March is a ...

Random thoughts

Feb 28, 2019

Random thoughts from your A-Z Swagman All this week yours truly has been taking on home responsibilities normally shared with my loving wife. She had the opportunity to enjoy a Caribbean crui...

Challenge Coins

Jan 29, 2019

Heads we win, tails go snooze, what if it lands on edge? Challenge Coins And how they’re used in the geeky world! As stated in a previous paper Your A-Z Swagman is a geek! Attending s...

New Year upcoming events

Dec 28, 2018

New Year, new goals, new list of . . . Upcoming events Remember, Promo works in your marketing plan! As the year 2018 comes to an end your A-Z Swagman would like to remind you of the ...

Searchlights

Nov 27, 2018

Wow, it's been over a month without a blog article from your AZ Swagman. I guess you can tell that I'm no millennial - obviously I don't post enough! Of course, I've also been moving offices here at A...

603rd anniversary

Oct 25, 2018

Today is the Feast of St. Crispin - as the son of a priest and the stepson of a Bishop (both Episcopalian), one would think I'd be well versed in the various saints. However, my knowledge of this day ...

Upcoming events 13

Oct 16, 2018

Oh no, not another one, aren’t you sick of these yet? Upcoming events See if you can find the one of interest to Butch! As usual, this is a brief list of some upcoming days, months, e...

Baked goods

Oct 04, 2018

Oh the headlines — no, not those headlines, don’t be silly Baked goods in the news! And why you should consult with a professional. Your AZ Swagman does follow the regul...

The importance of accurate comparisons

Sep 11, 2018

One of the most important things when comparing products Apples to Apples Also used to be one of my son’s favorite games! Being your AZ Swagman is probably the best job at AZOR! ...

What has value?

Aug 30, 2018

I may be stepping on my own toes here – I’ve got a fun video blog entry planned on a similar topic, but I felt compelled to write this after reading of News of the Weird this morni...

Neat product!

Aug 08, 2018

This looks cool! Contact your AZ Rep today. Or email swagman@azorinc.com for more info!

Plastics in the news

Aug 01, 2018

It’s all over the news, how do I benefit my brand? Plastics Let’s take positive action Turn on just about any news source and you’ll see it: https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/2...

Serendipitous Moments

Jul 25, 2018

How often do we have one of those Serendipitous Moments? Your Swagman lives there! serendipitous [ser-uh n-dip-i-tuh s] adjective According to Dictionary.com, serendipitous i...

Back to school

Jul 17, 2018

I know my son is not happy to hear that it's almost back to school time. He's also not thrilled that his father has taken the title Swagman . . . perhaps that's why I haven't been invited to sch...

Marketing in the news

Jul 14, 2018

Your happy AZ Swagman has a bit of a commute to get into the office. Nothing compared with some of those in places like Los Angeles or Boston, but I do get between 45 minutes and an hour each way to l...

Upcoming events 12

Jul 02, 2018

Once again, time for another round of Upcoming events And this time, there’s a theme!! Stress toys do not fit cleanly into one PPAI category One would think that they should have o...

Summer in the sun

Jun 22, 2018

Well, summer has officially started, and your AZ Swagman is certain we're in for maaannnyyy days of sun. Don't forget sunscreen makes a wonderful and timely way to keep your brand in front o...

EuroFit displays

Jun 05, 2018

This video was sent to me through the supplier and I had to share because this is what we use for AZ tradeshow signage - and I LOVE them!! So much more durable than the retractable displays. And while...

Summer is here!!

May 22, 2018

Enjoy this fun little video from the pointy head of your AZ Swagman! (please hit full screen for greatest effect!)

Promo in the theaters

May 14, 2018

This past weekend, my wife and I went to see a movie in the theater. This is not unusual for us . . . we've been big movie buffs since we started dating! Sometimes, we'll go see a movie that look...

Idea for summer in the south!

May 10, 2018

Contact your AZ rep to get fans for fans of your brand!

May the Fourth be with you!

May 04, 2018

Happy Star Wars Day from your AZ Swagman!

The Power of SWAG

Apr 30, 2018

This is a heart-warming story I’m happy to be able to share. A few months ago, Leda, one of our wonderful customer service representatives told me the story of her good friend Steph. It seems, a...

Upcoming events

Apr 18, 2018

Where are my manners, it’s been so long since we’ve reviewed Upcoming events Let’s see if we can plan something fun! It’s the middle of April, so let’s look at...

Happy and sad Pie Day

Mar 14, 2018

Just a brief message to wish you all a happy Pi day! (if you don't understand that reference, contact swagman@azorinc.com for an explanation!) And to mourn the passing of Stephen Hawking. You...

Spring means Sunny days

Mar 12, 2018

Here in the south, spring and summer mean folk will be flocking to outdoor activities. You can enhance your brand as you’re saving some hides (literally!) Of course, you want to be sure you choo...

First posting

Mar 13, 2018

Welcome to your A-Z Swagman's Blog! I was going through some personal objects I had kept from my youth and young adulthood the other day. I was amazed to find some of the things I&rsq...