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O ONE WANTS TO RISK going with-
out basic necessities during a natural
or man-made disaster, but you don’t
have to be a “prepper” to be concerned about emer-
gency preparedness.
Prepper is a term used to describe people who
believe a major catastrophe will occur and actively pre-
pare for it by stockpiling food, ammunition and other
supplies. Though the term is often associated with dark,
apocalyptic scenarios and deep-seated distrust of gov-
ernment, the reality is everyone needs to plan for a rainy
day—or blizzard, or earthquake, etc.
To fight the perception that preparing for an emer-
gency requires one to wear camouflage and experience an
overwhelming sense of panic, the founders of
Boltwell.comwanted to create emergency kits that were
approachable, educational and streamlined. Their target
market wasn’t preppers but “alpha families,” a term they
coined to describe everyday families concerned with keep-
ing their loved ones safe during an unexpected event.
“Boltwell was created in response to a new class of
consumers spawned from several newsworthy natural
and man-made disasters in the U.S. and abroad,” says
Gwen Ryan, a promotional consultant from New York,
PROMOTIONS
Safety Match
N
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PROMOTIONAL
PRODUCTS GO HAND-IN-HAND.
BY TAMA UNDERWOOD
JUNE 2015 •
PPB
• 79
THINK