What does your brand or organization have in the pipeline to celebrate breast cancer awareness month this October? Breast cancer is a serious topic–it hits males and females, young and old–but an awareness event doesn’t need to be all stiff, somber, and sentimental. Here are three ways to make Breast Cancer Awareness month more fun for everyone:

• Host a cookoff. One of the more enjoyable breast cancer events I attended organized a cookoff pitting journalists against breast cancer survivors. Unlike the usual seminar-type event, this one was fun because we got our hands dirty in the kitchen. At the end of the day, we left with these pink promotional aprons and some knowledge on how to cook healthy meals to minimize the risk of cancer.
• Organize a fun run to raise community awareness. Send participants home with personalized pink T-shirts to thank participants for their support. This one was an edgy but effective way to bring the message across.
• Do a fund-raiser. Help your local cancer group raise funds by selling homemade pink cupcakes or customized pink totes.

Find more cancer awareness items here.

One of the easiest ways to get your brand in front of customers is by adding your logo to promotional desk clocks. This ensures that your logo is the first thing people see when they wake up—and the last thing they see before they fall asleep.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the different types of promotional desk clocks available online. Narrow down your choices by keeping these three promotional tips in mind:

• Buy good-quality promotional desk clocks. Such an investment will make sure your logo is around for years to come, helping you build brand recall and giving you more than your money’s worth.
• Choose multifunction promotional desk clocks such as those that come with photo frames and thermometers. Such features increase the value of your gift, which recipients are more likely to keep.
• Explore various designs and colors. The promotional desk clock you choose will be your brand’s ambassador, so select a design that will attract attention. Color-changing promotional mood clocks will be quite a hit with your recipients and are sure to be noticed even when the lights are out.

If you’re a newbie to buying promotional items online, you’re probably worried about trusting an e-commerce site like Branders with your hard-earned dollar. And in these hard times, I would understand why.

It’s true: There are fly-by-night e-commerce sites that don’t deliver as promised, giving others a bad rep. How, then, do you pick out the bad apples from the good ones?

Aside from reading the product reviews, you can be a more involved promotional items buyer by calling your account manager and asking for a sample. (What, you didn’t think that was possible?)

It’s easy to be misled by what you see on the Internet, so the best way to judge the quality of an item is getting an actual sample of it, which you can get for free.

See a sample before you buy. Call 877-BRANDERS and ask for one now.