The Platform

Communities in Schools support featured in ASI Advantages

For over thirty years, Communities in Schools Houston has provided children with services they need to help them focus on school.  They organize community services and make sure they reach the students -- services including dental & medical care, school supplies, meals and social support.

The Platform Group Gallery provides support to CISH via time and product donations and time service.  We are proud and happy to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

The June edition of ASI's Advantage magazine highlights a just of few of the efforts in the promotional products industry to support important community organizations.  The Platform Group Gallery is included in the feature.

Houston school children are shown opening Santa Sack program gifts featuring galleryboard packaging gift boxes (over $25,000 product donated to CIS for this program).

To read the full ASI Advantage article Pay it Forward, click here to Download advantages_platform_group_gallery.pdf or visit ASI Central.

To learn more about Communities in Schools and help them help kids -- please visit their web-site.  They can't do it alone - neither can the over 35,000 kids they serve in the Houston area.

Communities in Schools is a national organization - look for one in your area.

Sneak Peak -- download a song created for & donated at no-cost to  Communities in Schools by TYSongs.  Download cant_do_it_alone_final.mp3

galleryboard Packaging now listed on PromoMart.com and Brandiatric.com

galleryboard packaging - made from 100% recycled content fiberboard and colored with chlorine-free dyes is now available in the PromoMart.com and Brandiatrics.com product listings.

You can find the galleryboard line in these sites by searching on keywords like press kits, binders, gift boxes, and/or by searching for environmentally friendly items.

PromoMart and Brandiatric are sites that list thousands of promotional items for advertising programs and is used by businesses small, medium and large to find the right items to promote their products, services & events.

First Impressions

Thank you to Promotion Commotion for such a kind endorsement.

I've mentioned these products before but I think it's worth mentioning again.  I just received my order from The Platform Gallery and I am TOTALLY impressed and extremely pleased by the quality

First of all, they have an excellent customer service staff (thanks, Mencily).  CEO Allison Gower has a great business model.  I think any distributor who reads this should definitely check out their product, and every person looking for professional looking, high quality, exceptional impression-generating press kits, media kits or packaging should check out the link above.  You just can't go wrong with these 100% recycled fiberboard products.  I can't wait to visit clients and present them with my package containing my information and a few catalogs.

Here are some CASE STUDIES you must check out. Both sides of the material is printable.

They did this press kit for the Dallas Mavericks.

If you'd like a free sample for your upcoming project, just email  PROMO and we will be happy to set you up.  We have experts who can help you with your design.

Ideas are limited only by your imagination!

Thanks, Allison and crew!!

I've mentioned these products before but I think it's worth mentioning again.  I just received my order from The Platform Gallery and I am TOTALLY impressed and extremely pleased by the quality

First of all, they have an excellent customer service staff (thanks, Mencily).  CEO Allison Gower has a great business model.  I think any distributor who reads this should definitely check out their product, and every person looking for professional looking, high quality, exceptional impression-generating press kits, media kits or packaging should check out the link above.  You just can't go wrong with these 100% recycled fiberboard products.  I can't wait to visit clients and present them with my package containing my information and a few catalogs.

Here are some CASE STUDIES you must check out. Both sides of the material is printable.

They did this press kit for the Dallas Mavericks.

If you'd like a free sample for your upcoming project, just email  PROMO and we will be happy to set you up.  We have experts who can help you with your design.

Ideas are limited only by your imagination!

Thanks, Allison and crew!!

Virtual Samples - Custom Designs: a How-To

Take advantage of GalleryBoard (ecologically friendly) Packaging's spectacular design services.  Here is a How-To Guide:

Virtual Samples:

Create your own virtual sample with any GalleryBoard Packaging item, 24/7 using our on-demand service.  You choose the item on our web-site, choose the base color & upload art.

cost & timing:
No-charge. Immediate.  For extra assistance, please e: Artwork@ThePlatformGroupGallery(dot)com

Custom Structural Designs:

Choose an item that you like, and ask us to make some adjustments to the structure so that it fits your collateral / program exactly.  Our Customer Service team will gather information from you, (for example; we may ask for the items that will go inside, or any illustrations that your artist has done) and then we will re-design the best base item to create a NEW item for you. 

We provide a die-line (for future artwork placement) and a table-cut sample for your review and approval. 

cost & timing:
$350 (includes table sample and die-line; P). Charge is 100% applied to a future order of this same new item (credited). Allow 2-3 business days.

Renderings:

For when you need a more full-service design, we offer 3D Renderings of an item (blank or with graphics if available). Renderings will be done prior to a structural design.

cost & timing:
Renderings are quoted per project, with a minimum charge of $200 P, and minimum 2-3 business day turn-time.  The charge will not be credited to a production order.

On-Demand Virtual Samples on ThePlatformGroupGallery.com

Announcing -- 24/7, On-Demand Virtual Samples -- available at ThePlatformGroupGallery.com

1. Choose the item
2. Click the item detail page by clicking on the thumbnail image
3. Choose the green virtual sample rectangle button

A new window will open and you will be prompted to choose colors & upload art.  You can save jpg's to forward. 

Let me know what you think! 

                                           

 

All About The Platform Group Gallery

The Platform Group Gallery makes spectacular, environmentally-friendly packaging specifically designed for advertising and promotional programs. Our line, GalleryBoard Packaging features over 300 Press Kits, Binders, Folders, Mailers, Gift Boxes and Desk Accessories. 

Every item in the GalleryBoard Packaging line is GREEN; made from 100% recycled content fiberboard and chlorine-free top-sheets.

We manufacture GalleryBoard Packaging in our own facility in Houston, source the majority of our raw material inputs from the U.S., have our own employees and provide better than market benefits and wages.

The Platform Group Gallery markets GalleryBoard Packaging to promotional product professionals. We  aggressively protect and support our Resellers with spectacular sales tools.  The tools include -

• Referral Program which matches ALL end-user and agency leads to a participating professional products distributor
• End-user advertising via Google AdWords and other programs to generate end-user / agency interest and grow revenue for referral resellers
• Self Promotion programs for accredited resellers
• Distributor Branded GalleryBoard Packaging printed catalogs for accredited resellers
• Distributor Branded GalleryBoard Packaging web-site catalog for accredited resellers
• ON-Demand no charge virtual sample service -- online, 24/7 ability to choose an item, upload art and save a jpg for your client's review  [NEW in March 2008!) **

You can find information about The Platform Group Gallery in trade publications for promotional products professionals, (including ASI Central, SAGE, PPB and Promotional Consultant magazines and newsletters), at industry service provider forums (like Rosalie Marcus' PromoBiz coach blog), at promotional products trade-shows (including the PPAI Expo and New Product Resource Directories), in industry networking groups like ASI Social Networking and in popular networking forums like FaceBook and Linked In.

The Platform Group Gallery was founded in 1997 as 101 Products LLC and was initially intended to supply stylish home-office organization products to retailers across the U.S.  The co-founders, Allison Gower (President) and Jeremy Konko (Vice President) saw an opportunity to build a line that paired 'European style' with U.S. functionality and cost-effectiveness and had spent months researching home-office storage across England, France, Italy, Germany and beyond. In the 1997 Back-To-School Season Allison and Jeremy launched the d1mensions line (featuring Hanging File Boxes, Magazine Files, CD Storage and more office accessories) at retail trade-shows.  Within months the d1mensions line was being shipped to College Bookstores, Art & Specialty stores, and most amazingly had won full-door distributor from Target.  The founders built inventory and warehouse space to support the Target orders that averaged upwards of $1,500,000 annually and the line performed well in that retailer for most than two years.  Unfortunately after four successful seasons and after proving the revenue potential of a stylish home-office line, Target decided to source like products from Asia and dropped the U.S. made d1mensions line.  Not only were the founders left with hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory made specifically for Target, but they also faced a space lease way beyond what they would need to service the remaining customer base.

Allison and Jeremy quickly redesigned their manufacturing, design and marketing operations to join the quickly growing promotional products industry.  They re-purposed d1mensions into GalleryBoard Packaging and created items to support corporate and agency marketing and promotional programs.  The Platform Group Gallery became accredited by both ASI and PPAI in 1999.  Allison lived on the promotional road, exhibiting at (almost) every national and regional ASI and PPAI shows as well as traveling mini-regional shows.  Jeremy burned the midnight oil configuring operational processes to meet and exceed the timeline demands of the promotional industry.

Today, The Platform Group Gallery is a trusted supplier, renowned for customer service and spectacular support programs.  The company offers over 300 items that are specifically designed for Advertising programs, offers (4) different imprint methods, drop-ships to clients across the U.S. and the World and is 100% configured to aggressively support professional products resellers and their corporate clients.

In 2007, The Platform Group Gallery was named to the Houston Fast 100.  We work everyday to provide better service to our resellers and their clients, to expand our line to reflect new marketing approaches and to integrate state of the art technology into our service, marketing and support systems.

Our team of employes loves working with you and thanks you for your business & support.

How to market Environmentally Friendly Packaging

Marty Laroff of A Complete Source is letting his clients know that he specializes in ecologically friendly promotional packaging by emailing his GalleryBoard Site link & using it as a signature file. 

His GalleryBoard site presents all of our 300+ stock items, featuring Press Kits, Binders, Gift Boxes, Mailers and Portfolios  - and by providing the site link to his clients, A Complete Source becomes an instant expert in ecologically friendly packaging solutions.

You can get your own GalleryBoard branded site instantly - read more here about how to get that done now.

Word of Mouth Marketing - a spectacular way to earn new customers

Welcome Promotional Product Agencies - and a special welcome to those who have found the GalleryBoard Packaging line through Rosalie Marcus, the PromoBiz Coach.

Rosalie asked me to talk to you today about Word of Mouth Marketing and in particular, how you as an agency specializing in promotions can use a successful word of mouth marketing approach to earn more customers (and strengthen relationships with your suppliers).

During our time together this afternoon I will cover the following ground --

• What exactly is Word of Mouth - and how is it defined by the professional marketing community?
• How you can integrate Word of Mouth into your marketing and prospecting campaigns - cost effectively, realistically and successfully. 
• Resources to learn more about Word of Mouth  -- including web-sites and books

WHAT IS WOM?

The word-of-mouth association's define's WOM three-ways --

The act of consumers providing information to other consumers.

Giving people a reason to talk about your products and services, and making it easier for that conversation to take place.  

It is the art and science of building active, mutually beneficial consumer-to-consumer and consumer-to-marketer communications.

Here is how I define WOM -

Make yourself (your products / service) remarkable.  That means, make it worthwhile for someone (a customer, supplier, prospect) to make a REMARK about you.

Give them something to talk about and make it easy for them to do the talking (and spreading of the word).

HOW can YOU integrate WOM into your marketing approach -

• You already have a marketing plan -- you are writing emails, sending thank-you notes, making phone calls, attending networking meetings, going to trade-shows -- HOW IN THE WORLD can you do something else? Who has time for WOM?
• The trick is to integrate it into what you are already doing.  Add value to your successful approaches by adding WOM executional elements.

I'm going to provide examples by showing you how I've integrated WOM throughout my company's marketing startegy --

Website -

• Most of you have a web-site, if you don't, you can easily create one through a blog-tool (like Typepad) or Yahoo Small Business services (they have a new very friendly interface that allows you to create web-sites with a web-interface)
• Put call-to-actions on your web-site.  If someone FINDS you - give them something to do & complete.  Don't make them wait to call you or send you an email (we all assume that we'll get VM or get stuck in spam, and we abandon the cart and move-on)
• Highlights from my-site
  • 24 Hour Challenge
  • Mailing List
  • Request a Sample
  • Request a Virtual Sample
  • Visit our blog
  • Find a distributor

Parnerships & Relationships --

• You are all networkers and are members of various local & national organizations.  You meet and greet all the time.  Add power to this already successful strategy by rewarding those who you are courting. 
• My company created a Referral Program.  We ask qualified promotional agencies to join our program (no-charge), and then send then end-user leads from their geographical area.  We send ALL end-user leads to a promotional agency, and choose those from the referral group - so why not be on it?  We also provide special perks and promotions to those on our referral program.

• What we are doing with the referral program is giving someone a gift (for free).  It's a proactive reward.  Think of how you can do that for your network.  For exampe, when someone passes you a lead, or sends you a referral - thank them by sending a gift-certificate or providing them with a free order. 

Search Marketing --

• Many of you use Google AdWords or the like from Yahoo/MSN to drive traffic to your web-sites. Your ads are displayed (on the right panel of google search for example) when someone searches on your keywords, and you are charged when someone clicks through your ad to your landing page.  This is expensive, but effective and necessary.   If you are hearing about this for the 1st time, visit  Google AdWords site and learn more.

• Leverage the money you spend on search by strengthening your presence in the 'free' search listings (the left panel of the google search page).  Leave keywords throughout your web-pages and on your blogs.  Again - if you have to -- create your own web-pages through Yahoo and/or blog tools and use those as alternate sites for your customers (beyond your corporate page).  These Yahoo and blog interfaces allow you to leave keywords all over the place - which is like leaving bread crumbs for your customers and prospects.

• My company has multiple web-sites -- and I provide those addresses in email signatures, cross-link them between sites, on business cards, etc. It all adds up and creates links and traffic.
  
  • www.theplatformgroupgallery.com
  • www.theplatform.typepad.com
  • www.pggsecure.com
  • http://social.asinetwork.com/profile/AllisonGower
  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisongower
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=667958101

Tools that are useful for your customers & partners --

• We provide our qualified promotional agents with a web-site presenting our full GalleryBoard packaging line by created agent specific URL's.  These URL's display the agent's contact information and allow them to provide their clients with a shopping cart for samples and other requests.

• We provided agent branded hard copy catalogs as well -- no-charge.  These are perfect or leave-behinds or prospecting.

• We offer qualified promotional agencies a no-charge self-promotion program, of 50 items with a 1 color screen or CMYK Vignette.  The 'catch' is that we print a tag-line on these items that directs people to find more spectacular packaging at the agent's GalleryBoard branded web-site.

Invite your customers or partners to become an expert - give up some control --

• In March 2008 we are adding a create your own virtual sample service to our web-site.  This will allow promotional agents and their clients to choose an item or items, upload art, manipulate logo positions, change background colors, etc.  Then save a jpg(s) when done to email to clients or other members of team.  This will help us 'be viral' and spread the news.
• We offer a Welcome Kit that 'gives the key to the door' to our qualified agents.  This outlines all the tools, how to get information, who we are, and all of those basic things that you learn about a company after doing business with them for years.  This is our short-cut strengthen our relationship.

Give it Away and Create Value --

• We offer a no-charge door-opener with a Vignette.  Any qualified distributor can use this to open a door to a new client.  Use your logo or your client's logo.  The item is the 40-60 R-3 and holds our mini catalog perfectly.

• Seth Godin - the GURU of WOM, gives away his books free for a period before publishing.  Although this is counter-intuitive it creates buzz and value and momentum.

Make it easy for them to remember you --

• Email Signatures; include company statement, hyperlinks
• Text-Messaging; text 'allison; to 78247 or text 'platform' to 78247 to get more information

SNEAK OFFERS JUST FOR ROSALIE's Group -

• so secret we can't publish --

RESOURCES for you -

• LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com; create a profile, populate with your professional and personal interests (per your comfort level), and then use your gmail / yahoo / other email program to invite others to your network. 
• Create a BLOG -- there are many tools, TypePad is my favorite.  It is very inexpensive and easy (no web-skills needed and no web-site needed). Once you've setup your blog, you can add your LinkedIn and Google Search widgets to your blog easily on TypePad.  You'd be amazed how much traffic this will generate and so and so telling so and so about you.   Typepad allows you to put technorati (the main search engine for blogs) and keyword tags at the bottom of each posting -- that helps you come up in searches when folks are looking for something on google or yahoo.

• Facebook - it's not just for your teenagers!  This is a legitimate way to create a professional profile and network with customers, suppliers and prospects. See my profile below.
• WOMMA - the word of mouth marketing association; great listing of white-papers, recommended books (read anything by Seth Godin or Andy Sernovitz)
• Seth Godin - the absolute GURU of word-of-mouth
• ASI Social Networking Site  - Forums like Ecologically Friendly Promotional Items and other specialty groups. See The Platform Group Gallery's profile below.

2008 GalleryBoard Packaging Catalogs

The 2008 GalleryBoard Packaging Catalogs are shipping. [Download 2008_PGG_Catalog.pdf ]. This catalog shows our best-sellers from the Press-Kits, Sales Kits, Gift Boxes, Binders and Accessories group. All 300+ stock items are shown 24/7 on our web. 

Use our little catalog to earn how to choose the right item for your project, to choose the best imprint method for our timing and art requirements, to dress-up your program with European style accessories and to identify the items for next day ship. 

The catalog also highlights pricing, artwork specifications and services like virtual samples and custom foam inserts.

If you are a Promotional Products distributor, you can order clients with your branding (company / contact name / phone number).  To place your order, email CustomerService@theplatformgroupgallery.com with 2008 Branded Catalogs in the subject.

The Platform Group Gallery is Featured Client in StickyBoomerang

LOUD! Creative's blog The StickyBoomerang highlights The Platform Group Gallery in their featured client column. 

                        

LOUD! Creative Group has the opportunity of working with some of the finest world-class businesses and organizations in Houston and around the globe. Well, The Platform Group Gallery is certainly no exception. I encourage you to checkout their products and services. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the brief interview.

1. Please introduce The Platform Group Gallery to our audience.
“The Platform Group Gallery designs and manufactures promotional-style packaging that is specifically designed for advertising and marketing programs. Our line is made from GalleryBoard, an ecologically friendly, proprietary material that features 100% recycled content and textured, bright colors. The GalleryBoard line includes Portfolios, Press Kits, Binders, Mailers, Gift Boxes and Disc Storage, and features unique European-style accessories like pen-holders, business card corners and latches. We also design and fulfill custom die-cut foam-inserts and provide fulfillment services. We offer spot, CMYK printing as well as deboss/emboss and feature a proprietary printing method called VIGNETTES which allow CMYK and personalization with very low or no minimums.

An example of a popular type or program is a printed 1″ ring binder with a snap closure and pocket, accessorized with b-card corners, and used for a sales leave-behind by, for example, Real-Estate Agents. Another example is a printed gift box customized with a die-cut foam insert to hold gift items, and then presented to customers as a thank-you or product-launch program.”

2. What are some of your key clients?
“We form partnerships with agencies who specialize in promotional programs and support the marketing departments of the Fortune 500 corporations. Through those relationships we consistently create promotional packaging programs for companies like Microsoft, Dell, XM Satellite Radio, St. Jude Medical, Tishman Speyer, Ernst & Young, HBO, AIG and more.”

3. How has your new website; created by LOUD! Creative, added value to TPGG?
“We differentiate ourselves in three main ways, 1). offering an extensive range of in-stock items that can be printed and shipped quickly, 2). offering full-service package design services when a project requires a custom approach, and 3). providing spectacular support services to our promotional agencies and to their respective clients.

Our web-site was designed to be the primary way of supporting the above 1-2-3 approach. The catalog and search functions allow our customers and their customers to search by size, style, functionality and price. Very importantly, the site design also offers a ‘branded’ web program for our key agencies which allows them to have our site skinned with their graphics and displaying their specific contact information — this is an invaluable tool for our customers as they present to their clients.

And right from the web our customers (or their customers) can order free random samples, virtual sample services, rush quotes and 24 Hour program proposal generation. The site essentially allows us to provide excellent 24/7 customer service.”

4. How would you describe your experience and relationship with LOUD! Creative?
“We have received countless compliments on the site that LOUD! created for us last Fall, and since its launch, we’ve seen a rise in sales of more than 20%. Throughout the creation process LOUD! was a superb resource and business partner and we have recommended them to many who have inquired “who did your site?” We look forward to working with LOUD! to keep the site robust and effective.”

Allison Gower, President
The Platform Group Gallery