In yesterday’s blog, we took a look at an Associated Press article by Tali Arbel that revealed the findings of a recent study concerning Facebook. The survey found that, with Facebook soon to sell its stocks on Wall Street, half of those who responded feel that the social networking website’s popularity is soon to fade.

With an estimated worth of $100 million and upwards of 900 million users worldwide, it’s hard to imagine Facebook going the way of the dinosaur any time soon. We, at Synergy, utilize our Facebook profile daily to post our blogs and provide pertinent information about changes going on in our company.

But not everyone is overly impressed with the social media powerhouse. Senior citizens, points out Arbel, aren’t as keen on Facebook as younger people. The Associated Press-CNBC survey found that only 21 per cent of senior citizens have a Facebook account. Meanwhile, an incredible 81 per cent of those who are aged 18 to 35 are reportedly Facebook users.

As Arbel explains, “young people aren’t just connected. They are constantly tethered to smartphones, tablets and notebook computers. Even with the rise of alternative social networks like Twitter and Google Plus, 55 per cent of Zuckerberg’s peers go on Facebook every day.”

The aforementioned Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook. Having turned just 28 earlier this week, Zuckerberg became the world’s youngest billionaire back in 2008. His creation has become part of the fabric of everyday living. Facebook’s growing popularity is undeniable.

Meanwhile, writes Arbel, the public seems divided on the future of the company. About 46 per cent of adults who took the survey believe that there is a short timeline for Facebook. 43 per cent believe in its staying power. One of the biggest concerns about Facebook, however, is the issue of privacy.

Arbel reports that “three of every five Facebook users say they have little or no faith that the company will protect their personal information. Only 13 per cent trust Facebook to guard their data, and only 12 per cent would feel safe making purchases through the site.” So why do people use Facebook if it is so “unsafe”? We’ll tackle that question in tomorrow’s blog.

In the past few months, we have greatly revamped our Facebook profile. Well, to be honest, Facebook itself has been revamped. With the introduction of the new “timeline” feature, it is a bit easier to scroll down profiles to check out the many things that have been going on with your friends. Or, in our case, with our business.

As you may know, our Facebook page updates each and every weekday with a brand new blog. But, we also use Facebook to communicate other happenings at Synergy. For example, our recent hiring spree was promoted on our page and it has helped to attract potential candidates for our recently made-available sales positions.

As we have blogged about in the past, Facebook’s popularity is so huge and widely-spread that it seems impossible for any business, or person for that matter, to function without it. But that’s not necessarily going to last for very long, says Tali Arbel of The Associate Press.

In an article published yesterday, Arbel reported that a new Associated Press-CNBC poll found that half of Americans believe that Facebook is a passing fad. This poll came hot on the heels of the news that Facebook is about to offer stocks to the public. They are considered pricey even though the value of the company is estimated to be $100 billion.

Having just turned 28 years of age this passed Monday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is preparing to launch his company to unimaginably higher heights. Facebook, it should go without saying, is a juggernaut. With about 900 million users of the social networking website worldwide, there seems to be no stopping it.

Or is there? Arbel writes that only a third of those recently surveyed feel that the company’s expected value is appropriate. Half of the respondents feel that it is too high. Arbel reports that the expected prices for Facebook shares are $34 to $38 a piece. Nevertheless, half of the survey’s respondents also feel that investing in Facebook is a good bet.

Facebook, as you may have guessed, is seen more favourably among the younger generations. As Arbel points out, people who are 35 and under “were the first users, logging in from their college dorm rooms…It’s become an integral part of their lives, giving them a launching pad to spread the news of life’s major developments through posts and pictures.”

In yesterday’s blog, we made mention of the excitement taking place at the Synergy Marketing Consultants Inc. headquarters. It’s all about the NHL Playoffs. Now that there are four teams left and it’s really getting down to the “nitty gritty”, there is some noticeable tension amongst the hockey fans in the office.

Everyone has their favourites, of course. Although many claim that they are not, in fact, rooting for anyone per se, but are simply choosing from the teams that are still playing to cheer for. Alas, we are all watching another season on NHL Playoff hockey with no Toronto Maple Leafs.

But, so as to not digress, it should be mentioned that our staff members are not the only hockey fans out there. Many of our clients have noticeably shown their “hockey love” in recent conversations. And, as a result, it only makes sense to mention that there are some excellent promo gifts available for the hockey lover in all of us.

The 16oz Freezer Mug is one such gift. There may not be a better container to drink your favourite beverage from. The perfect way to keep your drinks icy cold during the game, these awesome freezer mugs are made with a re-freezable food safe gel that is safe to keep in the freezer.

The mugs all come in classy white gift boxes and, of course, allow for a one location imprint for your business name and logo. Impress the hockey fans in your client base with these amazing companions to any game. But what about those who aren’t into cold drinks? Hot drinks more your thing?

For those on the go, the 14oz 18/8 Stainless Steel Mug actually allows you to plug in your drink. That’s right – you can plug your drink in to your car adapter to ensure that it stays piping hot! And, if you’re not in your car and want a cold one after all, this awesome mug will keep your drinks cold. No adapter necessary!

These mugs also come in gift boxes and allow for one location imprinting. As always, you can call up one of our experienced sales reps to order the mug of your choice at 1-877-748-9884. Whether you want to keep your drinks hot or cold, we have the gift for you. Enjoy the NHL Playoffs!

Well, they’re really getting into the thick of it now! The NHL Playoffs have come down to the final four – or to put it more accurately, the Conference Finals. That means that the winners of the two remaining series will meet each other in the Stanley Cup finals. And, of course, the winner of that series wins it all!

The surprising Los Angeles Kings are taking on the Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference final while a heated rivalry continues between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference. And many members of the Synergy sales staff are jacked about what is to come!

“The Kings really are surprising,” mentioned one of our awesome Synergy sales reps this morning, “They were seeded eighth in the Western Conference and were lucky to even make the playoffs. Now, they actually seem like favourites to win it all. Especially after taking the first game from Phoenix. You just never know. The NHL Playoffs have been crazy so far.”

“And who would have thought that the Coyotes would make it this far,” piped in another team member, “About a year ago, they seemed to be on the brink of leaving Phoenix as the team no one cared about. Now they’re one series away from making it to the Stanley Cup finals. I don’t think anyone would have predicted this.”

“Rangers/Devils is the series I’m most excited to see,” commented rep number three, “As division rivals, these teams practically hate each other. I expect it to be a tough series not without a bunch of fights. Whoever wins it will deserve it, because it’s going to be a grind every night. I bet it goes to seven games.”

Needless to say, love for hockey is prominent in the Synergy Marketing Consultants Inc. offices. And this love is felt all throughout Canada – even with no Canadian teams left in this year’s playoff run. Let’s not even mention that for the seventh straight season, our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs have not even made the playoffs. Whoops! I guess we did mention it.

“I’m so sick of the Leafs not making it in,” exclaimed team member number one, “It’s such an exciting time of year for hockey fans, and there are none better than those in Toronto. We deserve to be cheering our team instead of just watching other teams fight for the Cup that we want so badly.”

In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll take a look at a few of our awesome promotional gifts that may work as the best accompaniments to watching the NHL Playoffs. As always, if you have any questions about our catalogue, be sure to call one of our experienced sales reps at 1-877-748-9884. Hey, even if you just want to talk hockey, we’re waiting to hear from you!

All week long, the Synergy Marketing Consultants Blog has been discussing the concept of maintaining optimum health throughout the summer season. This includes staying hydrated as well as protecting your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Of course, we proudly offer our great clients an array of awesome promo gifts that can help with these causes.

From water bottles to sunglasses to hats, our catalogue is filled with amazing promo gifts that will keep you healthy, safe and cool all year round. In yesterday’s blog, we mentioned our 100% Brushed Cotton Sandwich Hats that allow for you to promote your business at a fraction of the cost that standard baseball caps would run you. What we didn’t tell you is that we also offer a hat that you can’t find in any old store!

Have you ever seen an all-in-one Baseball Cap with a Bottle Opener? Yep, that’s right. This incredible promo gift gets quite the reaction from just about every sports fan or lover of the outdoors. Imagine cracking open a cold beverage with your hat. Well, now you can live the dream! This awesome cap-slash-bottle opener is one of our most unique gifts.

It’s great for all types of events including golf tournaments, fishing, camping, barbeques or simply watching your favourite sporting event. They are made of 100% cotton but include hidden bottle openers in the brims! Available in black, blue and red, the price includes up to 5000 stitches of embroidery. That price is just $16.95.

Not only are these baseball caps amazingly useful for their abilities to function as bottle openers, but they also provide that all-important protection for your eyes. Disabled-World.com reminds us of why investing in UV protection is so important. On the website, Anna Brandy writes that UV radiation can contribute to various ocular disorders including cataracts and skin cancer around the eyelids.

“In fact,” writes Brandy, “the eye may be at a greater risk from the sun than the skin. The skin has the capacity to adapt to UV radiation by producing melanin (tan) that protects against UV exposure. The eye does not develop a tolerance to UV rays, but becomes more sensitive with repeated exposure, and the effect on the eye is cumulative. “

She goes on to note that proper eyewear and hats should not just be seen as fashion statements, but essential tools to protect against the sun’s UV rays. Well, Synergy is here to help you to both protect your eyes and build your business at the same time! Call up one of our awesome sales reps at 1-877-748-9884 to order the sunglasses or hats of your choice today!

In yesterday’s blog, we wrote about the need to keep your eyes protected all summer long. In truth, protecting both your eyes and your skin from harmful UV rays is something that should be done all year long. In fact, most people neglect to put on sunscreen during the winter, assuming that it’s unnecessary. However, when there is snow on the ground, it helps for the reflection of UV rays, making them stronger!

With the summer approaching, people are generally more aware that the sun’s UV rays are beaming down. Naturally, because the weather is so much warmer, many people often remember to put on sunscreen to avoid getting sunburns. But what about protecting our eyes? Sure, many people wear shades. But are we using ones with appropriate UV protection?

Perhaps, it depends on what your eyes are doing. They will tell the story. On TopTenReviews.com, Christine McGrath writes that our eyes naturally protect themselves against the sun by squinting or tearing. This can happen even if you are wearing shades. As mentioned yesterday, “the best pair of sunglasses you can get are at least UV400.”

The ProVision Sport Glasses are such a pair of sunglasses. They also come with high density, shatter resistant, polycarbonate sport lenses as well as a new sweat guard technology. These shades are especially useful for the athletic type who will be participating in outdoor sporting events this summer. The price also includes a carrying case, micro fibre lens cleaning cloth and one location laser engraving!

That price, by the way, is only $24.95. These incredible promo gifts are usually reserved for the most important of clients. Needless to say, these high-end gifts will leave quite the impression on their recipients. Just know that you are not only helping to protect eyes, you will be doing wonders in the way of promoting your business by providing such a gift.

We do, of course, have a number of other great promo gifts that will aid in the UV protection department. McGrath mentions that wearing brimmed hats help to keep your eyes shaded from the sun – another great way to protect them from UV rays. Our 100% Brushed Cotton Sandwich Hats are just what you need to pull off this job.

Avoid squinting with these strong, sturdy and comfortable baseball caps which are available in black, blue, red and white and include one location embroidery up to 9000 stitches. At only $11.49 each, these caps are a steal when compared to standard baseball caps in the marketplace. Call up one of our awesome sales reps at 1-877-748-9884 to order the sunglasses or hats of your choice today!

Over the past couple of days, the Synergy Marketing Consultants Blog has been detailing the importance of staying hydrated – especially during the summer months. Of course, our amazing selection of promotional water bottles is available to help both you and your clients with keeping refreshed all summer long.

Naturally, the summer time also presents another situation that requires us all to take measures to protect ourselves. The sun and its UV rays are in full force during the summer season. And it should go without saying that we should all be investing in sunscreen in order to protect our skin from sunburn and even skin cancer.

But while applying that sunscreen, we should be mindful of another part of our bodies that lotion simply cannot protect – our eyes. As Christine McGrath points out on TopTenReviews.com, “UV light can cause a reaction in your eye tissue. When you go years without the proper protection, your eyes and surrounding skin tissues will eventually break down and disease will occur.”

She goes on to reveal a few other ramifications of having your eyes go unprotected from the sun. Not only can UV rays cause people to develop cataracts – a clouding of the eyes that creates blurring or dimmed vision – but skin cancer has been found on eyelids and other facial skin around the eye area. People generally tend to avoid putting sunscreen near their eyes to so as to not feel stinging of any kind.

Therefore, it’s important to take other measures to provide a defense for your eyes against UV rays. Naturally, this is where sunglasses come into play. McGrath recommends getting a pair of shades that are at least UV400. This type of protection will shield your eyes from harmful UV rays, helping you to avoid the previously mentioned pitfalls.

Thank goodness, the Europa Sport Sunglasses come with lenses equipped with UV400 protection. This awesome promotional gift is the perfect way to protect your eyes while looking cool at the same time! Perfect for wear during activity, these shades also come with a draw string pouch. Send your favourite clients home with these bad boys! Only $8.99 each!

Stepping it up in the stylish category just a little bit are the Europa Driving Glasses. These spring-hinged metal-framed shades come with 100% UV protection driving lenses. They also come with draw string pouches that can also be used as cleaning cloths! Generally, these types of sunglasses go for about $49.95 in the marketplace. You may order them from Synergy for only $14.95 each!

Call up one of our awesome sales reps at 1-877-748-9884 to order the sunglasses of your choice today!

In yesterday’s blog, we touched upon the importance of keeping hydrated throughout the summer months. Of course, it’s important to drink water all year round – but with the summer coming, most people will likely be more active than usual. And that means that they will need more water, more often.

It’s important not to neglect the importance of drinking water – and many people do. And likewise, it’s important for you to be always come up with inventive and cost-effective ways to promote your business. As mentioned yesterday, our amazing line of water bottles will help you and your customers to do both at the same time.

How much water do we really need? According to MayoClinic.com, “The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.”

Of course, these figures may vary depending on your height, weight and rate of activity. For example, the Call Stands blog – which is dedicated to “rules, regulations and referees” – notes that “officials have to work just as hard, if not harder sometimes than the athletes that they are officiating because they do not get a chance to substitute or take a break if they get tired.”

So needless to day, athletes AND referees all need their water. Call Stands notes that adequate drinking water helps to improve the performance, health and even the focus of all athletes and officials. Are there athletes among your company’s clients and customers? Chances are, there are several!

A great promo gift to hand out this summer would be our 24oz Poly-Carbonate & Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Easy Flip Top and Straw. It is as useful as it is cool looking. Not to mention, it is ideal for the athlete or official who will need to stay hydrated all summer long.

Available in transparent black, blue and red, the price – as always – includes a one location imprint! They are just $9.99 each. Call up one of our awesome sales reps at 1-877-748-9884 to order the water bottle of your choice and get off to your coolest summer ever promoting your company!

With summer just around the corner, it will be more important than ever to keep yourself hydrated. That’s right. It may sound like no-brainer advice, but you’d be surprised at how many people simply neglect to take in an adequate amount of water each and every day. We all know that drinking water is essential for good health, but how much do we really need?

According to MayoClinic.com, there are no easy answers to this question. There are a number of factors that will determine the correct answer and they include your health, how active you are and even where you live. Nevertheless, we’ve all heard about the “8 by 8” rule, haven’t we?

As the site reminds us, this rule refers to the advice to “drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day”, noting that it is close to the Institute of Medicine‘s recommendations. The Mayo Clinic, points out however, that this rule is based more on it being easy to remember than it is on hard evidence.

It goes on to note that our body weights are made up of about 60 per cent water. This means that every system in our bodies depends on it. It helps to flush out toxins and carry nutrients to various cells. Not to mention, it keeps you hydrated, enabling your body to function normally with adequate amounts of energy.

With all this in mind, some of the most beneficial promotional gifts that you can give to your customers this summer are our incredible water bottles. Not only will your gift encourage greater health but it will also protect the environment. There really isn’t a need for those disposable store-bought bottles of water anymore!

Instead, the 26oz Aluminum Water Bottle is ideal. Perfect for rehydrating during and after a workout, these bottles come with plastic sports spout caps to avoid any spills. They are available in blue, grey and red and also come in snazzy white gift boxes. Of course, the price includes one location imprint for your company information. Just $8.99 each!

The 500ml PC Water Bottle with Ice Stick is also super cool! Literally. The BPA-FREE Poly-Carbonate water bottles are void of any Bisphenol A (or BPA) – a product that is believed to trigger negative health effects. But the unique sticks also allow for your drinks to remain icy cold!

These great water bottles are available in transparent black, blue and red, and allow for a one location imprint that is included in the price. And that’s only $6.99 each! Call up one of our experienced sales reps at 1-877-748-9884 to order the water bottles of your choice and have the coolest summer ever promoting your business!

In yesterday’s blog, we reminded our readers that Synergy Marketing Consultants is continuing its hiring spree. Interested candidates for our sales positions should call up our hiring manager at 1-416-398-5668 to book an interview today! Our last blog also went over a few tips that should help job seekers better prepare themselves for the interview process.

VentureLoop CEO, Jeremy McCarthy is well-versed in the area of job interviews. On About.com, he listed a number of tips for those who are seeking employment. Making a strong first impression is the key to a successful job interview. So how does one go about doing that? Yesterday, we covered the ideas of researching and rehearsing before the actual interview. Let’s pick up where we left off.

Cover Your Strengths And Weaknesses. Sometimes, candidates get thrown off by particular job interview questions. So preparing to answer queries about “your most difficult work situation, your most stressful job, your favorite job, what kind of person you’d like to work for, etc” will help you to be ready for anything, according to McCarthy.

Prepare for Behavioral Questions. He also points out that many companies ask questions that require you to recall a specific incident in your work life that you can discuss. It may have to do with a difficult situation and how you handled it. McCarthy suggests that you come up with good examples before the interview and perhaps write them out so you can better recall your stories.

Your answers can be derived from a number of different situations. For example, how you handled not meeting a deadline, how you dealt with conflict with a co-worker, when you showed initiative, what you did when a customer got upset with you, how you handled someone else’s actions causing your project to fail and so on.

Mind Your Appearance. This is an aspect of the job interview that should not be overlooked. You want to appear presentable, but you also don’t want to overdress either. Overdressing, however, is a better alternative to “underdressing”. McCarthy suggests that you simply ask ahead of time what type of attire would be appropriate for your interview.

Arrive On Time. Needless to say, employers want to know that you will arrive to work on time each day. Showing up late for your interview is simply not the way to make a good first impression. Writes McCarthy: “Arrive for your interview at least 5 minutes early but no more than 10 minutes early. Everyone has their watch set differently, and giving a 5 minute cushion is a good idea.” Good luck!