There is no shortage of changes in the promotional products industry, and everybody would like the advantage of knowing what the future holds. While there is no crystal ball, some industry leaders have unique perspectives on what’s ahead, and we’ll share them here from time to time. Brandon Mackay, MAS, is CEO/president of QCA-accredited supplier SnugZ USA. He is also chairman of the QCA Board’s Marketing Committee.
Here is our conversation:
As the principal at SnugZ, you see the industry from the position of being a large supplier working through the challenges of the changing distribution model in promo products. What are you seeing with some of the current trends – internet sales, supplier direct, distributors from other industries adding promotional products to their portfolio?
Mackay: Internet sales are going well and some of the larger distributors in the industry have done an amazing job on building a solid presence in that space. Direct distributors are there, and they seem to be less taboo than in the past. I know there are suppliers who have direct sales channels, too. The industry as a whole is just slowly morphing. I do believe the current model of Supplier, Distributor, End-User is still very strong and we’re doing all we can to support that model.
The horizon for product safety in the promotional products industry is one of constant change – new regulations and policies pop up daily. What are some of the general trends you are seeing right now?
Mackay: I see that a handful of companies are making tremendous strides to improve the quality and safety of the items they bring in. But the fact is that many others are making little or no progress (in the areas of safety and compliance). This leaves me with an unsettled stomach, as we’re judged as an industry as a whole, and not just as the few.
If you are a distributor selling to sophisticated end-users, how would you recommend staying current with the most basic product safety knowledge so that you can inform and answer questions from the client?
Mackay: You need to pick industry suppliers who have dedicated themselves to providing and marketing safe products. I know of at least 20 of the industry-leading suppliers that have amazing regulatory personnel on staff and have the ability to answer any questions that a distributor may have. We have numerous times been included in end-user conversations to make sure the questions are being answered directly and it has always helped the distributor close the deal.
Finally, from a product perspective, what's on the horizon for your core products at SnugZ?
Mackay: We’re continuing to expand our product offering inside the segments we currently service, but I can assure you that we’re looking forward to expanding into space that we believe we can perform well.
Hopefully this conversation has helped with some questions you might have about the promotional products industry, current trends, and perhaps even some advice you can put to use in your business. But what about you? Are there burning questions about the future of the promotional products industry that you would like answers to? Drop us a line, and we’ll do the best we can to get them answered.
Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for more than 35 years, working in commercial television, Hollywood film and home video, publishing, and promotional brand merchandise. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He recently retired as executive director of Quality Certification Alliance, the only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant promotional products. Before that, he was director of brand merchandise for Michelin. As a recovering end-user client, he can’t help but continue to consult Fortune 500 consumer brands on promo product safety when asked. You can also find him working as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, traveling the world with his lovely wife, or enjoying a cigar at his favorite local cigar shop. Follow Jeff on Twitter, or reach out to him at jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com.