Now I really don’t want to challenge Albert Einstein's wisdom, but in this case he might have neglected to figure the marketplace and the economic realities it presents. Today the chances of maintaining what you do by doing the same things you always did, is for all practical purposes – no chance at all!
The word everyone is in love with today is “disruption.”
I personally wish another word was chosen as disruption is a negative word indicating problems, interference and interruption. If you happen to be the one being disrupted, the negativity may be appropriate. But being disruptive and causing trouble for others is not really the motivation, even if the buzzword suggests it is.
What is really going on is change, refinement, progress, engineering, excitement, convenience and rapid gratification. In the simplest terms we are seeing the impact the paint roller had on the brush! The paintbrush went from the primary tool for the application of paint to an important accessory needed to finish the job. They were not made obsolete, but the newer innovation took on the central roll (pun intended).
Technology is today considered the great disrupter. Most people consider technology and computer connected devices to be just about the same thing. We all realized that robots would replace hand work but taxicab drivers never saw Uber coming! Airbnb has hotels scrambling to get laws to protect their conventional business and our promotional advertising/specialty marketing industry is seeing the challenge of sophisticated technology from major online competition.
But an interesting thing is happening. The mega-online player Vistaprint has opened a brick and mortar store on King Street in Toronto. Logic would indicate that more would be coming to other large North American cities and competitors will follow. The local “print shop” is now becoming the “local high tech print shop.” The most important thing for people in the promotional advertising/specialty marketing industry to understand is why this is happening.
Successful graphic communications – the delivery of marketing and advertising messages in print, regardless of what it is printed on, depends upon talented people designing projects. In our business that may include examination of the customer’s needs and objectives, selection of an appropriate item to carry the message, what the message will be, the distribution method to get the message out and managing the available budget for the project. That can’t be done well on a website!
You certainly have been doing this with your customers/clients since day one in one form or another. Sure, some of the business may be less structured or may simply be that you “got an order” for more coffee mugs. But helping your buyer buy the outcome they want has never been more important. If all you do is sell items as merchandise – the internet will kill your profits and this next phase of retail stores will put you out of business!
Why YOU Still Matter
Many business people are “Do It Yourself” people in parts of their lives. Some are handyman enthusiasts that repair and paint, some love to bake cookies; others work on their cars and so on. Marketing and advertising is not a do it yourself job! Without the work that you do helping clients create and deliver messages, they will get very little value from promotional specialty advertising. A plumber only knows what other plumbers like, not their customers. Same for all tradesmen (electricians, remodelers, landscapers, etc.). The same is true for just about every other business as well. People running those businesses see things as a producer not a consumer.
When you advise from a consumer point of view, messages that influence you will be far more effective. That is the missing component that is driving online mega-distributors to hire people and open retail stores.
The best part is that the advantages online distributors have (no sales tax, no sales commissions, customer initiated automation, credit card prepayment at order and more) go away. What little price advantages that may still exist will be offset by the relationship you build and the success of the work you do. Convenience – the hallmark of the internet – also vanishes! You work with your clients at their place of business. Customers of brick and mortar based distributors must go to their location to receive the same services. When time, transportation and parking are taken into considerations, the value of working with you continues to grow.
It now looks like the fear of the online distributor was overestimated and it is the online juggernaut that is trying to “disrupt” the traditional one on one – face-to-face relationship by adopting older strategies that have always been seen as a foundation of our industry.
What Stays The Same & What Changes?
Distributors and their sales teams that have always sold outcomes and not products have little to change and can be very competitive with online only and hybrid online/retail store operations. Those that have been selling “Promotional Products” can either learn to sell outcomes or find a different way to earn a living! If you have been selling on price, start to sell value. If you typically wait for the customer to call you, you will be too late to get the business. Slick TV commercials are compelling, but a phone call or visit from a trusted business associate carries a much stronger influence.
For disruption to be a positive, you have to be the one doing the disrupting! Be their first. Know your client’s business. Keep notes for future projects. Build a relationship. And always be able to explain why having you in the transaction adds value to every project.
Gregg Emmer is chief marketing officer and vice president at Kaeser & Blair, Inc. He has more than 40 years experience in marketing and the promotional specialty advertising industry. His outside consultancy provides marketing, public relations and business planning consulting to a wide range of other businesses and has been a useful knowledge base for K&B Dealers. Contact Gregg at gemmer@kaeser-blair.com.