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Before we address the issue and
opportunity, let me tell you a little bit
about my story. I started in this great
industry several years ago—19 to be
exact. I began my career just a few years
after college and worked as a distributor
in the Seattle area. Just like many of you,
I built my book of business by cold call-
ing, developing relationships and selling
cool promotional products to companies
who wanted to market their brands.
During my first few years in the indus-
try, I worked for Adventures In
Advertising, Idea Man and HALO.
Since 1999, I have owned my distribu-
torship, Image Source. I still keep a per-
sonal book of business that I developed
over the years but most of my day is
dedicated to being an entrepreneur and
advancing my team of 40 promotional
products marketing professionals.
I believe I have a unique perspective
that helps me serve you as your chair of
the PPAI Board of Directors. I have
been through the trials and tribulations
of struggling to sell a few hundred thou-
sand dollars a year, and over the years I
learned how to become a top producer.
While I have had many successes, I have
also had many failures. The failures help
define a person in both character and
resilience. I am sure many of you have
similar stories of falling down and get-
ting back up. For an entrepreneur, that is
just part of the journey.
While I have learned what it takes
to be a successful salesperson and busi-
ness owner, more importantly I recog-
nize the value of promotional products
to the advertising industry. The
stronger our medium, the better we will
all be positioned for success. This is
why I feel PPAI’s recently announced
Industry Branding Initiative (IBI) is so
important. Promotional products have
often been the stepchild of advertising
media, and while the media category is
one of the few still making gains, it has
lagged in budget considerations and
been absent in research reports measur-
ing the effectiveness of various advertis-
ing media. The IBI is dedicated to
changing this.
The IBI is a five-year campaign
approved by the PPAI board in May
2015 and introduced to the industry at
last month’s PPAI Expo. It is a first-of-
its-kind initiative designed to increase
awareness around the effectiveness of
promotional products, improve the per-
ception of promotional products as an
important part of the marketing mix and
drive share of wallet for the medium.
To help execute this initiative, PPAI
has enlisted Saxum, a PR firm focused
on gaining earned media as well as
placement of paid media. The IBI also
utilizes industry engagement, meaning
Creating Awareness And Validity
Around Promotional Products
PERSPECTIVES
4 •
PPB
• FEBRUARY 2016
ROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES.
Through good
times and bad, economic ups and downs, promotional products have remained a viable and
important part of the advertising mix. As many advertising mediums are declining in revenue,
our industry’s sales continue to grow and now exceed $20 billion annually. So why aren’t promotional
products seen as one of the top advertising media by advertising agencies and the rest of the market?
Perhaps they do not recognize the possible creative product solutions that solve marketing needs, or they
lack access to the amazing case studies and campaigns that our industry delivers. In order to continue to
increase sales and market share we need to create relevance around our creative promotional product cam-
paigns. PPAI has a vision to deliver on that mission.
Tom Goos, MAS
PPAI Chair of the Board
PERSPECTIVES
P
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