General
Ordering
Artwork
Business Promotion
Employee Recognition
Non-Profit Recognition
Brand Identity
General Lipic’s Recognition FAQs:
Q. How long has your company been in business?
A. Lipic’s is a fifth-generation family-owned company started in 1863 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Q. Where are you located?
A. Lipic’s is conveniently located in Crestwood off of I-44 and Big Bend Road. From I-270, take I-44 East to Big Bend Road. Take a right, and make a right on the first street – Holmes. Lipic’s parking lot will be directly on your left down a small incline.
Q. What is the best way to get started with my project?
A. Give us a call to get the ball rolling. We can meet at your convenience in your office or ours. If you or your company are a new customer, you will be assigned a sales person. If you are part of a company we currently service, we’ll let you know who your sales rep is. If you know specifically what you are looking for, we will bring catalogs, artwork or samples to help you in your decision. Not sure what you’re looking for yet? No problem, we’ll bring our experience and fresh ideas to the table, to make sure your problem is solved in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
Q. How can I get additional information?
A. Please call us at 1-800-771-4640 or e-mail lipic@lipic.com and someone will be happy to help you.
Ordering FAQs:
Q. Can I use your website to search for products?
A. Of course! Please feel free to use the “Product Search” or “Brand Search” links at the bottom of every page to begin your search. There are literally thousands of items available to you, so if the task seems overwhelming, we’ll be happy to assist and give you recommendations. We work with an elite level of suppliers in the country, so we guarantee we can find the best product available for you.
Q. Can you supply products made in the USA?
A. Absolutely. We are proud to work with American suppliers, and will find you the best USA-made products available.
Q. Is there a minimum when ordering imprinted products?
A. Some of our suppliers require a minimum amount of products to be ordered, but others can waive that restriction with a Less-Than-Minimum charge. Each product is different, so please be sure to ask your sales rep if this is a concern.
Q. Can I have my order shipped on my shipping account?
A. Yes, please supply your shipper number to your sales rep when placing your order.
Q. How long does an order take?
A. This depends on the items you are ordering. Standard lead times vary from 5-10 working days. However, we have the capability of turning some orders in just one day. Please let us know when you need your order, and we will work to make it happen.
Artwork FAQs:
Q. What is acceptable artwork, and what does camera-ready artwork mean?
A. In order for us to better service you, a clean, crisp copy of your artwork is required. Camera-ready artwork refers to artwork received that does not require modifications that might incur extra charges or cause delays. Jpegs, Tifs, Pngs, Bmps and other raster formats are not acceptable. This includes images or logos pulled from a web page, scanned images and other low-quality photographs. When supplying artwork, submit as an Adobe Illustrator vector EPS or PDF, up to version CS4. Be sure all fonts are converted to outlines. Check with your marketing department to see if this version exists. You can contact our art department for more information. We will work with you to create the best quality artwork available.
Q. What if I do not have the appropriate artwork you require?
A. You can e-mail, mail or drop off anything you have that would be helpful in recreating your artwork. This can be a business card, a napkin or a photograph. Our art department will work with you to create your artwork in the desired format.
Q. Do you charge an art fee for creating artwork?
A. If purchasing a product the artwork will go on, the art charge is waived. We are happy to provide you with artwork at a nominal fee for any of your other projects. Please be sure to ask your sales rep, and they can quote you a price.
Q. Where can I send my art?
A. Art can be e-mailed directly to the art department at art@lipic.com. Be sure to include information regarding your order or art request.
Business Promotion FAQs:
Q. How early in advance should I order products for my event?
A. Early is always better, but you may not realize that some suppliers offer special pricing if you order in advance. Calendars are one of the biggest sellers of the first quarter, even though they are not distributed until the holidays.
Q. What are Promotional Products?
A. Promotional products – usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message – include useful or decorative articles of merchandise that are utilized in marketing and communication programs. Imprinted products that are distributed free are called advertising specialties. Imprinted items given as an incentive for a specific action are known as premiums. Business gifts, awards and commemoratives are also considered promotional products.
Q. How is promotional product marketing used today?
A. Since promotional products can be used alone, or integrated with other media, there are virtually limitless ways to use them. Popular programs cited most often by industry counselors are business gifts; employee relations; orientation programs; corporate communications; and, at trade shows to generate booth traffic. They’re also effective for dealer/distribution programs; co-op programs; company stores; generating new customers or new accounts; nonprofit fundraising; public awareness campaigns; and for promotion of brand awareness and brand loyalty. Other uses include employee incentive programs; new product or service introduction; and marketing research for survey and focus group participants.
Q. What kinds of different promotional products are available?
A. There are tens of thousands of different types and styles of promotional products. Examples of common items include: pens, calendars, T-shirts, caps, coffee mugs, calculators, keychains, desk accessories and bumper stickers.
Q. What should I expect from a promotional products distributor?
A. Your distributor is a marketing and recognition counselor. They should be working with you to develop ideas and plans to accomplish your critical objectives. They are able to provide artwork, samples and innovative concepts. They should be able to react quickly and understand how to meet tight deadlines. They also have many resources that allow them to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Q. What are some of the advantages of using imprinted promotional products?
A. Promotional products marketing fits into any advertising budget, complements other media, can be directed to selected audiences and remains to repeat the advertising message each time the product is used, without extra cost per exposure. People like to receive them. And since the items are useful and appealing, they are effective as incentives and motivators. Because there are so many products available, there is a lot of flexibility in planning a successful promotion.
Q. Aren’t coupons better at gaining a positive customer response?
A study by Southern Methodist University shows: in building customer loyalty, in terms of reducing elapsed time between orders and repeat orders, promotional products are likely to outperform coupons or no promotion at all by as much as 12.9%. And in terms of order frequency, by as much as 16.2%.
Q. How does using promotional products strengthen my client relationship?
A. Promotional products improve the recipient’s impressions of an advertiser. A survey revealed that 56% of respondants had a favorable impression of the advertiser before receiving a promotional product. That number increased to 71% after receiving a promotional item.
Q. When should I use embroidery and when should I use silk-screening on wearables?
A. The answer varies depending upon your final desired result. Silk-screening is perfect for T-shirts, sweatpants and shorts. It is ideal for an imprint that includes small text and/or detailed artwork. Embroidery is best on polo shirts, dress shirts, hats and visors. While silk-screening will also work on these items, embroidery adds class and professionalism to your product. Embroidery is limited when it comes to text size and intricate detail. However, the use of thread colors is limitless. Silk-screening prices are based on the number of colors you choose.
Q. I see salesmen with CAS attached to their name. What does this abbreviation stand for, and how does it relate to the promotional products industry?
A. The Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) designation is awarded to promotional products professionals who have completed education requirements demonstrating exemplary commitment to their profession. CAS’s are recognized for providing the highest standard of conduct, integrity and professionalism to their customers. Both Martin Lipic and Steve Lipic have achieved the CAS certification.
Employee Recognition FAQs:
Q. How can I boost the performance and morale of my employees?
A. According to a study by Baylor University, employees are willing to work harder to achieve awards and incentives. Employees say they are likely to try harder when competing for awards and incentives in teams rather than individually. Rewarding perfect attendance is also popular among most employees. The key is letting your employees know how invaluable they are to the company. By feeling appreciated, they will work harder to please you.
Q. How can I get started on a custom recognition program?
A. Give us a call, and we will set up an appointment to go over your recognition needs. Once we have established what you are looking for, we will set up a custom proposal to show you. From there, you are able to tweak and customize until you are satisfied with the end result.
Q. How quickly can I expect my recognition program to be available to my employees?
A. We can have your recognition program up and running in less than a month. Talk to your sales rep about your specific requests, and they can give you a more detailed timeline.
Q. Can my employees view the available recognition products in your warehouse?
A. Unfortunately, we do not keep all of our recognition products in our warehouse. We order them directly from hundreds of different vendors and have them shipped directly to your employees or your facility to cut down on lead times and shipping costs.
Q. How long can my employees expect to wait before receiving their recognition award?
A. Typically, products are shipped to employees within 4-6 weeks of ordering their gifts. This allows for potential back orders or discontinued items. Your employee will be notified if either of these is the case, and we will work to find a suitable solution for your employee as quickly as possible.
Q. My employee’s tracking is not displayed in their online account. How can they view their shipping status?
A. If no tracking is available online, their gift has not yet shipped. If it is still under the 4-6 week timeline, please be patient. Their gift is on schedule to ship. If it is past the 6 week mark, please contact our Customer Service department, and we will be happy to assist you.
Non-Profit Recognition FAQs:
Q. My budget is very strict. Can you still help me?
A. Absolutely. No budget is too small for us to be able to work with. We will work with you and within your budget to find a solution that works best.
Q. My non-profit is tax exempt. Is that a problem?
A. Not at all! Please provide a copy of your tax exempt letter, and we will take care of the rest for you.
Brand Identity FAQs:
Q. I don’t know what I’m looking for in a brand. Can you still help me?
A. Yes, we will work with you by asking questions to get a better understanding of what you are looking for. From there, we will provide you with comps that we will tweak and adjust until you are satisfied. You may not know what you want until you see it!
Q. Can you keep track of my logos for future use?
A. Yes, we will keep all of your logos on our server and will be available to send out the appropriate versions as needed.
