💀👻🎃 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓸𝓻 𝓣𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽... 𝓗𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰! 🎃👻💀

You might think that I am a little early with the Halloween vibes, but being prepared for the next big occasion or holiday is paramount to a business's success!

Many of the usual traditions of Halloween were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic! With restrictions being lifted in many countries, for some of us, it will be business as usual for lots of us. There is no better time to start marketing than now!

The one thing that we can all do, with or without restrictions is to promote different options for customers wishing to decorate their homes. 

Balloon Wreaths - great for both indoor and outdoor decor

A wreath always says "WELCOME" no matter the occasion. In modern times, Christmas and holiday wreaths represent the festivity of the holidays; a welcoming sign to adorn a doorway in the spirit of the season.

Here are a few examples of creative balloon wreaths.

Just Hangin' With the Gang!

A design that’s both cute and creepy!

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Boo-Y!

This Halloween wreath is versatile and adorable!

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Baubles, Balloons and Spiders
Designer name: Sue Bowler, CBA, Balloon Art by Sue Bowler, 
Henley On Thames, Oxon, England

Fabulous Halloween Door Decor that are not wreaths

Of course, there are many other creative alternatives to decorating a door other than wreaths. These door sign displays are a spook-tacular spectacle!

A Little Bit of "Boo!"

Welcome your guests with this charmingly spooky door display.

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Happy Halloweenie!

"Who let the dogs out?!"

Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

Go Big or Gourd Home

Smiling Jacks welcome your Halloween guests with this door display.

Let's Get noticed!

Here are some fun Halloween marketing ideas.

• Dress up your store. You don't have to sell costumes to deck out your store for Halloween. If you don't have a shop or store, your website and social media pages are your 'store window'
• Update your website to get in the spirit. Don't forget to "dress up" your social media presence, too!
• Halloween-ize your products and the text in your posts!
• Offer specials or deals - try offering early bird deals!

How about changing your Facebook banner? Changing your banner to reflect the next season or holiday is a great way to get noticed! Qualatex has some really fun banners, some like this one are animated, great for catching attention! Here is a direct link to the banners - https://pioneerballooncompany.widencollective.com/c/b6ulvwws

Social Media Ready-Prepared Posts! 

Finding inspiration to create fun and effective social media posts is sometimes challenging! If you are in need of a kick-start, Qualatex has some excellent pre-prepared posts that are ready to go, or you can edit them to add in your own message and company details. I recommend using CANVA to create your own edits; it's free and super easy to use! Click HERE to see all the available posts - free to use, just simply download!

As we know, all social media posts require a good hashtag or two to make them even more effective! 

TOP 10 HALLOWEEN HASHTAGS

Best halloween hashtags popular on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr:

#halloween - 63%

#spooky - 5%

#horror - 5%

#october - 4%

#art - 3%

#halloweencostume - 3%

#halloweenmakeup - 3%

#pumpkin - 3%

#spookyseason - 3%

#happyhalloween - 3%

So, this is just the start of the Halloween season, so we have weeks to prepare ourselves and make it our best Halloween yet! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Countdown to Halloween - how to Kickstart your Ballooning Halloween Campaign!

Spooky Sweet!

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, 

Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA

With Halloween fast approaching, it's time to start planning your sales and marketing strategy!

Halloween is one of the most exciting and fun days of the year filled with exciting costumes, candy, decorations, parties and trick-or-treating! It's is also one of the biggest sales events for the balloon and party industry and being ready and prepared is the key to success!

Have a Boo-tiful Day!

This design is the perfect mix of all things Halloween!

Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA.

For some consumers, Halloween shopping starts early, especially if they are planning a party or to spook up their homes, office or businesses. Halloween enthusiasts will want to make sure they get all their supplies early for fear of being too late, so marketing Halloween early is never a bad thing! If you don't believe me, check out your local supermarkets - I am sure that you will see Halloween candies and other products are already on sale.

For this reason, you too should decorate your store and social media profile with Halloween themes - a well-decorated store can be just enough of a nudge to encourage your customers to make a purchase! plus you can make cover and profile photo changes for all social media platforms you are active on. Have you ever tried www.Canva.com? Canva is a free, online design tool which includes a fabulous selection of design templates. You can create almost anything and it's really simple! Here's a Facebook cover that took me around 5 minutes to make using Canva - just remember to take them off when the season ends! 

If you would like to learn more about how to use Canva, check out my blog post which gives more details about the tool.

"Good Design Matters for your Business" - Zoe Adams-Jones Shows You How to Create Fabulous Social Media Posts Using CANVA.

Though making changes to your social media branding is incredibly important, the need to adjust your social media marketing strategy to include a themed campaign for Halloween should also be a priority - here are a few ideas!

https://www.fg-a.com/halloween.shtml

• Share mini-tutorials on how to make Halloween decorations - try to incorporate some of the items that you sell! 
• Get creative with "spellbinding" images. Visual content like images, GIFs and videos grab the attention of social media audiences. Special occasions like Halloween allow businesses to loosen up a little bit and have some fun!
• Take photos of your team in their Halloween costumes to add a personal touch.
• Download Halloween SVG cut files and create some unique and exciting balloon designs that you can add to Bubbles and other balloons - show off your fabulous new balloon slogans on social media!

• Have Fun with Hashtags - especially when it comes to Halloween marketing campaigns, never underestimate the power of hashtags - if you still unsure about hashtags check out this great article: Instagram Hashtags: The Ultimate Guide (2019 Update)
• Create theme product bundles - If you have a few different products that lend themselves to a particular Halloween theme, offer them together at a discounted rate. 

Wishing You a Wickedly Wonderful Halloween!

Here’s a Halloween design that’s both classic and contemporary!

You should always know what you want to sell. If you only sell balloons and balloon decor, know what designs you want to promote, this will help you with your stock control. Remember, people buy what they see! 

If you are in need of inspiration, don't forget to check out www.qualatex.com! Simply click on the Inspiration tab to open up a sensational range of Bouquet, Decor, Air-Filled Solutions and Marketing Materials.

Hopefully this blog post will kick start your Halloween campaign. I have a few fun ideas for designs that I will be working on soon, and I promise to share! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram #suebowler

Trick or Treat - Inspiration for Halloween 2017!

Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to conjure up decor made from the newest range of Halloween balloons from Qualatex^®. Designed by Shoko Ushizaki of Balloon Sketch Limited Company in Morioka, Japan, these bewitching delivery and decor ideas are sure to scare up some profits and leave customers spellbound!

Silly Spooky Tree

This asymmetrical, orange trunk and organically-sized foliage in Shoko's tree are sure to turn heads at any Halloween party! The colours in this versatile design can be tweaked to create a multitude of different effects to fit your customers' needs.

Bone Shakin' Centrepiece

Throw your business a bone or two with this skeleton-themed delivery! Shake up any party with this design featuring the "Halloween Skeleton Mirror" Microfoil^® and "Dancing Skeletons" on Orange, Lime Green, and Purple Violet latex balloons. The twisted White 260Q bones along with the Deco Bubble base will have party goers praising this piece as they shake, rattle and roll on Halloween.

Eight-Legged Delight

Create this creepy-but-cute delivery for Halloween featuring a few adorable little spiders. This designs pairs Orange, Lime Green, and Purple Violet latex balloons with a "Spiders Web" Bubble Balloon^® as its base. It's an entertaining piece that's sure to entangle lots of customers into your business web!

Tricky Treats

Make this monster mash delivery drum up cash for your business. The "Halloween Message & Icons" Bubble for the base, helium-inflate "Halloween Line-Up" Microfoils, and Orange and Lime Green "Halloween Fun!" latex balloons make this a treat for customers. Plus, you can sweeten the deal even more by adding a couple of candies made with 260Q balloons.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

Double, double, Halloween decor will be no trouble! The new "Oopsie Witche's Brew!" Microfoil is a cauldron-full of fun and the Red Orange Rainbow SuperAgate^®  adds a fiery ambience. Your customers will love the spooky simplicity of this creepy column!

Macabre Monster Party

Make any party a Halloween party with this frightfully simple design, featuring the cute new "Halloween Line-Up" Microfoil. It requires minimal effort for maximum impact! Created using helium-filled 646Q weighted with a rubber ball, the coordinating monster, ghost, and jack-o-lantern figures move, sway, even travel around the room as guests walk by them, creating an eerie effect your customers will love!

To check out the full range of Halloween, Christmas, and New Year Collections click HERE. Please note that not all balloons are available in all territories. Check with your local Qualatex distributor.

For quick reference, here are the balloons and codes for the designs featured above.

This article was first featured in Balloon IMAGES Magazine April/May/June 2017. 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Day of the Dead - Design Ideas for Halloween 2016

Day of the Dead House Decoration
Picture courtesy of fieldguide35.blogspot.com

I am loving the new Qualatex^® Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil^® balloon. It is very different from the usual Halloween designs of witches and ghosts. 
Not really knowing or understanding this theme, I was intrigued to find out the origin of this celebration.  Day of the Dead — Dia de Los Muertos— is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico (in particular, the Central and South regions) and by people of Mexican ancestry, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures, too. This multi-day holiday gathers together family and friends who pray for, remember, and support the spiritual journal of loved ones who have died. 

I really enjoyed working with this balloon. The skull design is full of colour and detail that can be used when creating a design. From all the pictures that I see, Dia de Los Muertos is a very colourful celebration that uses masses of flowers, lights, and decorated sugar skulls.





Design 1-  Sugar Skulls & Marigolds

Material List:

1 - 38" "Day of the Dead Skull" Microfoil.
8 - 5" Onyx Black balloons
4 - 11" "Sugar Skulls" balloons
5 - 6" Quick Link Balloons^®
4 - 5" Goldenrod balloons
3 - 160Q Green balloons
2 - 260Q Goldenrod balloons
1 - 160Q Goldenrod balloons
1 - 260Q Purple Violet balloons

Balloon Weight 
Helium 

Method of Construction:

1. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Sugar Skulls balloons inflated to approximately 8".
2. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½". Secure the two clusters together and add the weight to the base.
3. Inflate the five 6" Quick Links to approximately 5" and tie together to create a chain.
4. Make Split Duplets Clusters* using the 5" Goldenrod balloons to fit in between each of the Quick Links. 
5. Connect the chain of Quick Links to the base clusters.
6. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½".
Secure this cluster to the other end of the Quick Link chain.
7. Inflate the Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil balloon with helium. Add a scrap of a 260Q to the balloon to work as a connector. Now connect to the 4-balloon cluster.
8. Complete the design by making three 6- Petal Balloon Flowers using the 160Q and 260Q Goldenrod balloons. Use the Purple Violet 260Q to make the flower centres and the Green 160Qs to make the leaves. Secure these to the design.

*If, you are unfamiliar with how to make a Split Duplet Cluster, view the video clip below.





Design 2   Sugar Skulls & Flowers Elegant Column

Material List:

4 - 11” Sugar Skulls balloons 

8 - 5” Onyx Black balloons

1 - 646Q Onyx Black  balloon

4 - 11” Onyx Black balloons

1 - 38” "Day of the Dead Skull" Microfoil 

3 - 260Q Goldenrod balloons

1 - 160Q Goldenrod balloon

4 - 160Q Green balloons

2 - 260Q Purple Violet balloons

Method of Construction:

1. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Sugar Skulls balloons inflated to approximately 8".
2. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½". Secure the two clusters together and add the weight to the base.
3. Inflate the 646Q balloon to an approximate length of 30" and secure to the base clusters.
4. Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 5" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 4½".
Make a 4-balloon cluster using the 11" Onyx Black balloons inflated to approximately 6". Secure these two clusters together and then connect to the end of the 646Q balloon.
5. Inflate the Day of the Dead Skull Microfoil balloon with helium. Add a scrap of a 260Q to the balloon to work as a connector. Connect this balloon to the top of the clusters that you just added to the 646Q balloon.
6. Complete the design by making four 6- Petal Balloon Flowers* using the 160Q and 260Q Goldenrod balloons. Use the Purple Violet 260Q to make the flower centres and the Green 160Qs to make the leaves. Secure these to the design.


Both of these designs are quick to make, appealing, and very sellable. These would be perfect additions to your Halloween portfolio of designs.


Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com

Are you ready for Halloween 2016?

I am sure many of you are thinking that it's a little too early to start thinking about Halloween — it's seven weeks away yet! Halloween has been a steadily growing celebration for the balloon and party industry. In the U.S., Halloween is huge on the holiday calendar, and in the U.K - and around the world - we are certainly heading that way too. Speaking to some U.K.- based balloon companies, they say that Halloween now far exceeds Valentine's Day sales! So, early planning and preparation are essential to get the most out of your sales campaign.

U.S Version

U.K. Version

If you have not already seen the fantastic 2016 Qualatex^® 2016 Halloween, Christmas & New Year Collection, click HERE to view and download. Please note that there are different downloadable versions for Europe and Canada.









The Qualatex Autumn Business Booster is a great place to start to find our Halloween Inspiration.  Each Bouquet and decor design can be enlarged, downloaded, and used as part of your marketing campaign on your website, business Facebook page, and on Pinterest, too. Make sure that any photographs Pinned to your Pinterest boards are linked back to your website or business Facebook page. Otherwise, you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity.

Don't forget to check out the Professional Resources Seasonal Bouquet ideas. These are a great way to show your customers the exciting range of balloons and bouquets that are available this year! Plus, there are some fantastic ideas from previous years, too!

I think that this 38" "Day of the Dead Skull" Bouquet design is fabulous! Day of the Dead— Dia de Los Muertos — is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular, the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and help support their spiritual journey. 

People in Mexico wear traditional skull masks, and the tradition of painting faces to look like skulls has evolved as a variation of this practice. Masks have always been powerful objects in many cultures, ones that often allow the wearer to get in touch with their darker, chaotic side. Skull face painting is a chance to overcome the fear of death, act recklessly, and get up to the mischief that is forbidden at other times of the year!

FREE POSTER: This great poster is just a click away when you visit the Sales Tips section of the Autumn Business Booster. Use it in your shops or stores and as part of your pre-Halloween marketing campaign on your social media channels.

And don't forget that if you are a QBN^® Member or a Certified Balloon Artist™, you can access the exclusive QBN Members area that has additional designs and recipes available for you to download!

Here are some great design ideas for Halloween 2016:

This fun and easy to make column requires:

• 22" "Halloween Messages & Icons" #43433
• 11" "Big Polka Dots", assorted Orange & Onyx Black #38470 (U.S) #23017 (Europe)
• 12" "Jack Faces" Quick Link Balloons^® #44648
• 5" Orange #43570
• 5" Onyx Black #43548

The base and column are entirely air-filled, with only the Bubble Balloon^® helium-filled at the top to give the design stability.

Party Monster Pillar, 

Designed by Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company

For the recipe and full instructions on how to make this funky Halloween design, click HERE

I love the 22" "Jack O' Lantern", Bubble Balloon. It has been designed in such a clever way that it makes it appear like it is lit up from inside!

This design makes a fantastic centrepiece. It has such impact visually with its vibrant colours and the textures of the orange sticks, raffia, and leaves. 

As a QBN member, you can download the full instructions by clicking HERE

Top sales tips for Halloween

• Start your Halloween sales campaign as soon as possible. Create Halloween social media posts. Keep the posts relevant to what your target market would enjoy but add a spooky twist. People are more likely to share your posts if they have some fun and humour attached to them. "When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.' – Author Unknown
  
• Use #Hashtags — #Halloween, #Boo, #Freaky, #Scary, #Creepy, #Halloween2016, #Oct31, #Haunted, #Ghosts, #Zombies, #Witches
• Create themed products. Gather some of your products together that could be used for Halloween, like these wonderful Halloween Fun Faces with Candy Weights filled with sweets! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Decorate your shop windows and store interior. What better way to show passing customers that your store is the perfect place to buy all their Halloween supplies. And if you don't have a store, make sure that you update your website homepage and all your social media channels to show that you are Halloween ready!
• If you have a die-cutting machine, create some fun decals for your windows, like this creepy rat!

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Balloon Distortion Techniques Part 2

Making those amazing faces!

For the past few years, I have seen more and more detailed faces using the distortion technique!

The detail in Masako Normura, CBA of FuwaFuwa, Japan, sculpture, was awesome, we all studied the Geisha face with huge admiration! Masako's sculpture came second in the Large balloon sculpture category at the World Balloon Convention 2010.

Masako created another great large sculpture a WBC 2012, she used many different distortion techniques in this sculpture.

Masako Nomura, CBA

Today, many balloon artists are using a similar technique in their everyday work...

Here are some amazing ghosts heads made by PartyFiesta Shop, by positioning several balloons inside a bigger balloon these amazing faces can be created!

Partyfiesta Shop, CBA, Italy

This Witch was created by Mike Harris, CBA of For Every Occasion, the face detail is so good! Mike used a Nikoloon Tool to make the face.

Witch by Mike Harris CBA

Witches Face by Mike Harris CBA

Witches Face by Mike Harris CBA

Many of you may know Niko Fric, CBA. Niko has designed a tool called the Nikoloon Tool which allows you to do many fantastic things with latex balloons.

Nikoloon Tool

He has a great website www.nikoloon.com filled with information, pictures and step by step guides! Here are a few of the faces that he has created using the distortion technique and Nikoloon tool!

By Niko Fric CBA

By Niko Fric CBA

By Niko Fric CBA

Here is his guide to making a face... but visit his website to see these instructions and more in greater detail! www.nikoloon.com Niko will ship the 'Nikoloon' anywhere in the world... free shipping!

There are many different techniques used to create distortion with balloons, in the Part 3 of this blog I will show some simple ways to create shaped faces... but like anything, it is practise and experimenting that makes perfect results! Do you remember when you first tried to tie a balloon! Don't expect to make the perfect face the first time you try :)

Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com