This morning I read an article about how "skinny" has become one of the hottest phrases in the marketing world. And while the piece focused on food and drink, it got me thinking about other industries that employ the same strategy.

Consumer-research psychologist Kit Yarrow told Ad Age that "Skinny is the new 'baby,' as in baby carrots [and] baby spinach. It personifies food and makes it more endearing." But what about skinny jeans or skinny hair serum? If you ask me, the marketing power of "skinny" reaches far beyond what we eat and drink.

Heck, there are even skinny promotional products! Take our hot & cold skinny tumbler, for example: 

Do marketers really apply the term "skinny" to our clothes and hair products for the cute factor? I'm not sure I'm buying it.

If you ask me, it's pretty obvious that marketers use "skinny" in order to tap into the consumer's psyche. In today's looks-obsessed society, we're constantly being offered solutions for trimming down. I'd go as far as to bet that even something as simple as holding a skinny water bottle might make some people feel more slender.

What do you think? Is the term "skinny" in marketing meant to mess with our heads? Or is it, as Ms. Yarrow said, simply the lighthearted 'it' phrase of today?

Since I received my Promotional Econo Double Wall Tumbler, we have been inseparable. It is definitely one of my staple products for this summer.  Also its double wall design prevents it from sweating in the summer's heat. It comes in great fun colors that will brighten up your summer days and nights!  I really love this products, I have one at work and home.  It really helps me drink more water, which is necessary during the summer months! I've had to order more from my family and friends because they were always trying to steal mine! This great promotional product has my vote as one of this summer's must haves!

Let's be honest: Everybody loves free stuff. So if you want to promote your business, passing out promotional giveaways is a great start.

For example, Adrienne (who's a very important part of Motivators' IT team) visited a new dentist this weekend. She originally heard about the doctor from a friend, and when it was time for her annual checkup, she decided to give him a shot.

Adrienne's appointment went well (apparently she has immaculate teeth!), but what really made her day was receiving this impressive bag of swag: 

The folks at Babylon Dental Care clearly did their homework. They picked promotional products that people are sure to use, including a tumbler, lip balm and antibacterial spray. Each item features the company's name, logo and contact information. Nicely done!

Adrienne has to go back to the dentist soon (her husband needs a root canal -- yikes!), and the giveaways provided by Babylon Dental Care will make scheduling her next appointment easier than ever. Now that's how to keep them coming back!

There are 6 days left until Christmas. I still have not completed my Christmas shopping yet. I'm sure there are tons of other people who are waiting until the last minute. I'm more of a internet shopper than going to traditional department stores. I hate the wait of lines, and traveling in cold temperatures.

I tell myself every year that I will start early; however, that never works out. Next year I really can finish by the 1st week of December. For those that are still looking for Christmas Promotional Products, it's not too late. Motivators offers a rush section with items we can turn around in 24 hours. For those in the colder climates, one of the best gifts can be a travel tumbler. Check out our vacuum insulated ones. They keep your drinks hot for hours.

Every morning I come into work, I have a routine for going for coffee. That's what gets me jump-started in the morning. Something simple as a coffee mug can make your day so much better.

It never bothered me that the mug I had wasn't very stylish. As a matter of fact, it was plain. One of my coworkers was saying that her travel mug kept her liquids hot throughout the whole day. So I started to look at our promotional travel mugs.

There were so many to choose from it was hard to make a decision. For me, rather than focusing on style, I prefer a more functional mug with vacuum insulation technology.

Today I finally bought a travel mug for my boyfriend. He used to drink coffee out of an old (broken) protein shaker bottle; it was gross!

So I was happy to introduce him to one of our stylish promotional travel mugs. I got him our double wall plastic tumbler to take with him every morning to work. He loves to drink Turkish coffee in the morning and now he can take it to go. He will actually be able to drink a warm coffee on the train now!

I can't be the only one who's completely creeped out by this story (after all, it is Friday the 13th).

The Huffington Post reports that "A funeral home in northwestern South Carolina will be offering what it calls the Starbucks experience" so those who need comfort can pick up their favorite latte. Even weirder, the Coffee Corner, which will be attached to Robinson Funeral Home in Easley, South Carolina, will be open to the public.

Employees from the massive coffee chain will train funeral home staff before the store opens.

Do you think they'll sell any unusual promotional mugs?

I’ve always been a fan of water bottles. I try to keep myself well-hydrated during walks so a personal water bottle is a must for me. I don’t like the idea of buying water in a disposable plastic bottle whenever I go out because, aside from the fact that it’s an additional expense for me, proper disposal of the plastic bottle is another thing that I worry about. So more often than not, I have with me my ever-reliable, 32 oz. spill-proof tumbler wherever I go.

Most of the time I try to keep away from flavored juices and sodas because I want to keep my sugar intake at a minimal level. I do admit though that sometimes I get tired of the flavorless taste of water and crave for a sweet or fruity zest in my drink. That’s when I found out that Motivators has a water bottle that’s just perfect for my craving – the promotional infuser water bottle.

This specific 27 oz. water bottle has a removable snap lock infuser basket that can fit fruits and other foods to help you create your own flavored water. Put in slices of lemon or lime to add a zest to your drinks! Dice up some apples to have apple-flavored water. You don't just get the flavor, but also the nutrients that can be found in your fruit. Besides, as they say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

These are just a couple of ways to make your drink more interesting and nutritious.  You can mix different slices of fruits and come up with flavors that suit you.  Also check out the brand new glass fruit infuser water bottle below.  Drink up and enjoy!

Nothing softens the blow of a Monday than having just returned from a 5 day cruise to Bermuda! It had been about two years or so and my fiance and I decided it was time to take a little break. So we decided to take that break on the beatiful and luxurious Norwegian Gem. Even better, it left out of Manhattan! It couldn't have been any easier. It was a 5 day cruise to Bermuda, I had never been before. It is fantastic there, the water is crystal blue and the beaches are as pink as the pastel houses. Of course one of the best parts of any cruise though, is the food and the drink. The food because it is plentiful and unlimited. Room service, buffetts and restaurants availible to you 24 hours a day at no additional costs. The drinks, not unlimited but still fantastic.  All sorts of creative and interesting tasty and tropical drinks were availible, most of them in customized drinkware. Enjoy your drink and take a memory home with you. Of course not everyone on the cruise are old enough for these tasty tropical drinks, so for them they had the unlimited soda program. Not to be outdone, when you purchase the program, you get a free custom tumbler. Another way Norwegian helps you bring the memories of your cruise home with you. Great job branding Norwegian, keep up the good work!

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how I have been trying to overcome my coffee addiction by substituting it with herbal teas. This week, I realized one more thing - ever since I have been carrying around my little packets of promotional teas, I have come across another dilemma. Should I drink out of a ceramic  promotional mug or a plastic / metal promotional tumbler? What is the difference, you may ask. Well, they are both great promotional giveaways, that's for sure, but herbal teas are better brewed in ceramic (or glass) pots and cups. Ceramic helps savor the flavor of the teas, whereas, plastic or metal-coated teapots and tumblers actually change the flavor of your teas making it not so pleasant. So next time you are making a cup of tea in the office, instead of grabbing your insulated tumbler that you would normally use for your coffee and teas, grab your promotional mug instead - to make sure that you bring out the best flavor and ENJOY!