There is so much “advice” available about our promotional products media industry, as well as everything else, that trying to decide what is useful is a difficult job. Most of the advice circulating in our industry fails to address the fact that no two distributors, sales people, counselors, ad agencies, etc. are the same.
From one person businesses to billion dollar operations with hundreds of staff, advice has to be filtered through the reality of each individual business. Recently there has been a significant increase in advice from people like me with blogs and magazine articles, who do not take these differences into account when offering their advice. Most important is advice that might be worthwhile to a very large business might actually be harmful to smaller concerns.
Basically all the advice suggests in one way or another that your business should be like every other promotional products media business. If you happen to have the same capital, trained staff, copious TV and radio spots and international reach - then it is likely pretty good advice for you. If your business (supplier or distributor) is closer to the other end of the spectrum, trying to be just like “them” might use resources that could be put to better use.
Distributors, consider the digital digital digital advice around every corner and under every rock! If you build a website that provides another communications channel for your customers and perhaps incorporates a catalog, that might serve you well. If you subscribe to one of the platforms that provide “instant websites”, you will ultimately be the same as your competitors using the same service.
Even high end sites with thousands of dollars invested in them are not immune from lost orders because directing customers to the internet to visit your website makes it super easy to go shopping!
Field of Dreams was a great movie. But the concept that “...if you build it they will come”, has not proven to be all that accurate pertaining to our industry. Even the biggest, most expensive digital platforms, the ones designed to have customers become DIY (Do It Yourself) marketing experts, have needed to provide human or AL guidance.
Years ago when I was a young marketing guy I was asked to create a magazine ad for a commercial plumbing company. The company had made a large purchase of water heaters and wanted to sell them in bulk to home builders of new subdivisions. I did a lot of research and working with a talented graphic artist we put together a great ad. The client didn’t like the ad at all! He made several comments that made me realize his point of view was that of a plumber - not home builder.
I told him to be a DIY marketer if he thought it would be better, or pay me if he used the ad we built for him. He placed our ad in two construction magazines and had very good results. I had that client for many years after that.
The digital universe is based on DIY. The prevailing belief is that GenX and Millennials like it that way. Top marketers however, use focus groups to avoid the mistake of testing their message in an echo chamber. They want to be sure it resonates with the target market. This is not usually discussed by people trying to sell you digital tools.
If you are a large enough operation and think being like other similar businesses will grow your company - go for it! The rest of you might want to take a little time to analyze what is best for your specific business.
Regardless of how significant an investment you make in AI and other digital tools, remember that there is only one thing your competitor can’t duplicate or surpass. They can beat your prices, delivery, specials and everything else you present your business as able to supply. The one thing competitors can’t duplicate is you!
So here is where I will offer some advice (everything so far has been information). Make you a central component of all the marketing you do for your business. A plaque on the wall is great but a notation on your marketing collateral is better! Be part of your community, something a website can’t be. And no matter how great your digital tools are working for you, pick up the phone and talk to your ten best customers on a regular basis. Don’t sell - just talk!
Gregg Emmer managed Kaeser & Blair’s marketing, catalog publishing and vendor relations for more than 30 years. Prior to arriving at K&B in 1991 he owned and operated a graphic communication company featuring promotional products and full service printing. Today Emmer’s consulting work provides marketing, public relations and business planning consulting to a wide range of businesses including promotional industry suppliers, venture capital and market research companies. If you are interested in growing your business (or privately commenting on articles) contact Gregg at gregg.promopro@gmail.com.