Mace Promotions, Ireland’s leading supplier of branded merchandise has been the answer to a number of Marketers prayers recently by producing top quality branded merchandise for some of Ireland’s leading companies; AIB, ESB and Richmond Marketing.

Richmond Marketing, distributors of Tiger Beer in Ireland, approached Mace in their search for the ultimate giveaway to mark Chinese New Year. Tiger Beer wanted a premium product that was authentic and traditional. Mace proposed a number of items within budget that included Chinese Fortune Telling Sticks and Chinese Fortune Cookies, but the clear winner was the Lucky Chinese Coin. Traditionally the coin is presented to children by family and friends as a sign of good fortune. The specially branded coin was strategically designed to team up as a handy bottle opener and presented in a traditional red branded envelope.

Kate Power, assistant brand manager with Richmond Marketing was delighted with the result, “we briefed Mace on our plans for Tiger Beer specifying we wanted a premium give away to mark Chinese New Year. Mace reverted with a couple of exciting options but the outstanding winner was the bottle opener. It was unique in that it was made from a ‘lucky coin’. We included our branding, message and campaign in the same item. It was really the perfect fit for our brand.”

Mace Promotions have the expertise and extensive knowledge to determine what a client needs from a promotional product, in terms of brand awareness and message communication. The lucky coin bottle opener received great reactions and boasted an impressive turnaround of 15,000 units in less than five weeks during the busy Christmas

With AIB, the brief was simple: to highlight AIB’s association with GAA and they required top quality products with continuity of branding on all items. Branded Training Kit Bags with all that a local GAA club could need; training cones, towels, water bottles and carriers, sliothars, training bibs and footballs. The packs were handed out to qualifying clubs.

Anne-Maria O’Reilly, Brand Management, AIB said of Mace’s service “AIB takes great pride in sponsoring Club GAA through the AIB Club Championships. To mark the end of the Club Championship Season and to re-enforce our support of the game at a community level, we designed a ‘GAA Training Pack’ in association with Mace to give to all sixty four clubs that qualified for the 2006/2007 AIB Club Championships. Each pack contained items such as training cones, towels water bottles and carriers, footballs and sliothars and training bibs. These were all packed into a large training kit bag. It is hoped that this initiative will further endorse AIB’s grassroot sponsorship strategy of ‘supporting clubs, supporting communities”.

In ESB’s case (sponsors of the GAA Minor Hurling and Football Championships) they wished to present GAA Training Kits to County Boards starting this week (date). These GAA packs, consisted of comprehensive first-aid kits, large water bottles, training bibs, footballs and sliothars all of which were delivered before deadline.

Colum Grogan, Sponsorship and Events, Corporate Affairs, ESB said of the Mace contract, “I have worked with Mark Gogarty (Account Manager, Mace Promotions), and found every experience a delight. This time was no exception. I briefed him on what ESB were trying to achieve and he suggested the different elements to include e.g. the first aid kit, and was delighted when our whole order for quality products arrived early and with perfect branding. I have found Mark to always be honest in his lead times and have never received a delivery late, which is paramount for us especially in this case as timing of delivery was crucial”.

Mace Promotions has been servicing the International Marketing Industry for over fifty years and pride themselves on their sound business principles, ethical purchasing, attention to detail and quality, through their worldwide trade links, flexibility and highly innovative style. They are famous for understanding how promotional merchandise can best be used within brand management.

Mace Promotions recently launched MaceDirect.ie, the first web site of it’s kind in Ireland where clients can go online, get immediate quotes and purchase branded promotional merchandise.