Today the UK goes to the polls – voting for local elections in England, assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and, of course, a potential change in the voting system.

Parties have been battling to win the electoral war, with one camp staunchly for the alternative vote, the other in favour of the system that has served the UK for years – first past the post.

For some, the barrage of information can be a bit too much, and many potential voters can be put off by conflicting messages and convoluted campaigns.

But in Northern Ireland, political parties are showing how they can get their messages across in a fun yet meaningful way – by donating promotional items to a sketch and quiz night in Belfast.

Last night, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival hosted the Big Election Comedy Quiz, with promotional products donated by several parties, including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Quiz prizes included promotional mugs from the DUP and a SDLP mouse mat.

Chaired by a team of "comedic intellectuals", the night was a great way for potential voters to get a clearer idea of exactly what the parties stand for.

1. "Stand up for a political party that's really worth voting for". Belfast Telegraph. Thursday May 5th 2011.

Posted by Robin McCrink.

The Metropolitan Police must be getting short on promotional pens and branded calendars, because its announced that it is on the hunt for a new promotional products supplier.

According to a new report on marketing website The Drum, the MET has put out to tender a contract covering a plethora of promotional merchandise – including pens, balloons, keyrings, personal alarms, paperweights and a number of other corporate gifts.

The new promotional merchandise contract is for three years and is believed to be worth many thousands of pounds.

The successful bidder will start supplying the MET with promotional gifts on September 22nd this year and the contract will run until August 31st 2014.

However, a one-year extension clause has been added to the contract, which means the successful bidder could be supplying promotional pens to the MET until the summer of 2015.

Recently, Marketing Magazine showed that the government was the sixth-biggest advertiser in the UK.

1 "Metropolitan Police seeks promotional merchandise supplier". The Drum. Tuesday, April 19th 2011. 

Posted by Robin McCrink

The president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, appears to have started a diplomatic row after pocketing a promotional pen during a conference with Chilean president Sebastian Pinera.

Klaus was captured on video taking the ceremonial pen during his recent trip to Chile – after spending a long time admiring the promotional item.

Since Klaus took the promotional pen, a Facebook group has been set up encouraging people to send their unwanted writing devices to the president.

More than 5,000 people have already signed up to the campaign, which claims: "Mr President obviously has nothing to write with."

A video of the incident posted on YouTube has already had more than 350,000 hits – so it is unlikely that the 'theft' can be simply swept under the rug by the president's administration.

According to Reuters, the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes wrote: "Even though protocol allows Klaus to take the pen, with which the foreign minister signed a transport agreement, as a souvenir, internet users are branding the Czech president as a thief."

1 Mueller, Robert. “Czech media teases president for pocketing pen”. Tuesday, April 12th 2011.

Posted by Cheryl Jackson-Leafield

Businesses have been warned against ambushing the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games to promote their products if they are not official sponsors.

Under new rules proposed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, brands could literally be criminalised if they use the Olympic logo on branded promotional items.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has said that the new regulations would mean that brands have to remove any association between themselves and the Olympic Games unless they have officially signed up to a London Organising Committee sponsorship deal.

CIM's chief executive Roderick Wilkes said: "The Games and their sponsors need to be protected but there is a grey area about the rights of all other organisations – and individuals – that are not sponsors."

"In the worst case, those trying to associate business activity to the London events could face a criminal charge," he added.

Recently, Olympics minister Hugh Robertson claimed that sponsorship was a vital source of funding for modern-day sporting events.

1 O'Reilly, Lara. "Brands could be 'criminalised' for ambush marketing London 2012". Marketing Week. Thursday, April 7th 2011.

Posted by Robin McCrink

During April, the London Sightseeing Pass, which is a popular cost-saving travel card for tourists, is being marketed with the help of a Kate and Wills promotional mug.

To commemorate the Royal Wedding, the London Sightseeing Pass website is offering anyone who purchases a card online a free promotional mug – of the fine china variety – that features HRH Prince William and bride-to-be Kate Middleton.

As well as the free promotional mug, London Sightseeing Pass holders will gain access to a number of top city attractions – including Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey – absolutely free of charge.

A one-day London pass costs £43 for adults and £28 for children. There are also two, three and six-day passes available to visitors.

The London Sightseeing Pass is also being heavily promoted ahead of St George's Day on April 23rd, with visitors urged to visit the home of the most quintessentially English sport – Lord's Cricket Ground.

1 Melwani, Daisy. "Raise a cup to Wills and Kate with the London Sightseeing Pass". eTravel Blackboard. Wednesday, April 6th 2011.

Posted by Robin McCrink

Royal Wedding fever appears to be sweeping the nation and promotional items featuring Kate and Wills appear to be cropping up everywhere.

Even Boris Johnson is getting behind the future king and his bride-to-be.

For the month running up to the Royal Wedding (April 29th), commuters will be able to get their hands on a limited-edition Oyster Card, which can be used on public transport across the city.

Some 750,000 of the promotional items will be produced and can be obtained for a £5 deposit and £5 travel top-up.

Boris Johnson said: "Just as royal wedding fever starts to take hold in the city, this fantastic commemorative Oyster card is a great chance for Londoners and visitors to have a slice of the action as a fabulous memento of the happy day."

A similar paper ticket was created in 1981 to commemorate the wedding of Charles and Diana and many expect the travel card to become a collector's item.

Some 600,000 people are expected to head to the capital for the Royal Wedding, many of whom will line The Mall in the hope of catching a glimpse of the newlyweds.

1 "Limited-edition London travelcard unveiled". The Independent. Wednesday, March 30th 2011.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

The Liberal Democrat party is considering rebranding in the face of waning public support, it has been claimed.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the party could end up changing leadership as well as it attempts to get voters back on board.

Nick Clegg, the coalition government's deputy prime minister has called for a complete overhaul of the Lib Dem strategy – a move that could completely change the direction of the party.

The rebranding could potentially force the party to abandon its current name and logo – and the change may happen as early as next month.

Sources close to the Lib Dem shakeup told the news provider that the party may have to include the word social in its name – so voters are aware that it is a left-leaning party.

The party's existing logo – dubbed the 'bird of freedom' – has been on party promotional pens and other promotional gifts since 1988 – and, in its current form, since 1999.

1 Hennessy, Partick and Kite, Melissa. "Nick Clegg orders rebrand amid rumours of leadership challenge". The Telegraph. Friday, March 26th 2011.

Posted by Robin McCrink

London mayor Boris Johnson has launched London's latest promotional agency, which aims to turn the capital into a much stronger global brand.

Mr Johnson claims that the new agency, London & Partners, will push forward the city's tourism agenda in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games and ensure that the most is made of the capital's tourism hotspots.

The partnership includes staff from Think London, Study London and Visit London and is part-funded by the mayor himself.

Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, who will chair the new agency, said: "As a city, we already lead the way for visitors, businesses and education and now we have the opportunity to develop our strengths even further.

"London & Partners will be able to champion everything that makes the capital so dynamic and secure its future as a leading global city."

London & Partners will also be promoting the mayor's £220 million Great Outdoors Programme – which will be used to revamp green spaces in the capital.

1 "Mayor launches super agency to promote London and welcome the world". London & Partners. Friday, April 1st 2011.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

The government has been urged to replace the Central Office of Information (COI), which is responsible for all public sector marketing campaigns including the acquisition of promotional items and promotional gifts.

According to Matt Tee, the outgoing permanent secretary for the COI, the organisation should be scrapped and replaced by the Government Communications Centre.

The move would cut the number of people employed in marketing by around 1,000 and save taxpayers as much as £50 million a year.

Mr Tee claimed there was plenty of opportunity for government to collaborate with third-parties on its marketing initiatives.
"There is significant potential to ask agencies, media owners, government and voluntary and community organisations to work together for free or near free on campaigns for the common good," Mr Tee claimed.

He added that a core aspect of any new public sector marketing agency should be the introduction of performance-based remuneration, which would ensure Whitehall is getting the most it can from promotional pens and branded promotional mugs.

1 Charles, Gemma. "COI to be replaced by Government Communications Centre". Brand Republic. Friday, March 18th 2011.

It is not often that a promotional mug can clear an entire office building – even when it has been left unwashed over the weekend and has started to accrue a dusting of mould.

But last week a promotional mug was at the centre of a full-scale office evacuation in Hampshire.

Eastleigh Borough Council's Leigh Road headquarters was forced to evacuate hundreds of staff members after it received a 'suspicious package' in the post.

The package was addressed to the council's parking department, but officials were unable to detect what was inside the parcel and so called in the police to give the item the once-over.

However, staff returned to their desks an hour after the alarm was raised when officers realised that the parcel contained a variety of promotional items – including a promotional mug – reports the Daily Echo.

Speaking to the news provider, one worker, who wished to remain nameless, said: "It sounds hilarious but it's got to be done I suppose.

"Even if 99 times out of 100 it is a false alarm you have to put safety first."

1 Carr, Simon. "Coffee mug causes evacuation of Eastleigh's civic offices". The Daily Echo. Tuesday, March 15th 2011.