PPB July 2016

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4 • PPB • JULY 2016
Joseph Landeros
PPAI GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
MANAGER
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
It’s sometimes easy to get lost in the larger
picture. 2015 was a record year for the promo-
tional products industry, which reached $20.8
billion in sales. It’s an amazing accomplish-
ment, and certainly a worthwhile number to
share, but behind that number are the people
driving an industry to reach new heights. You
may not realize it, but every day-to-day trans-
action you’re making is advocating for the pro-
motional products industry.
For 30 percent who attended L.E.A.D.
this year, it was their first time to participate—
myself included. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a
little bit nervous. But while new experiences
can sometimes be intimidating, it was a relief
to see all the attendees’ excitement and com-
mitment to advocacy while sharing the issues
that matter most to the promotional products
industry with their elected officials.
Seeing the 81 individuals who participated
in L.E.A.D. reminded me of my previous
work in the Texas Legislature. One of the
many hats I wore involved partnering with
individuals, businesses and associations to sup-
port the elected official or build support for a
particular piece of legislation. The best part of
this work was the people behind these coali-
tions who were willing to volunteer their time
and resources to achieve a common goal. This
undoubtedly was my favorite part of L.E.A.D.
and a great introduction to the many commit-
ted individuals behind such a creative and ver-
satile industry.
With approximately 250 meetings com-
pleted with senators, representatives and their
staffs, our LEADers maximized the number of
opportunities to advocate for the promotional
products industry. This hard work and commit-
ment was matched only by those who partici-
pated in the virtual fly-ins to echo the message
our LEADers were sharing on Capitol Hill.
Throughout L.E.A.D., held during
Promotional Products Work! Week, members
participating in the virtual fly-in sent approxi-
mately 1,000 emails to their legislators, which
gave those who didn’t attend L.E.A.D. an
opportunity to echo our message and maxi-
mize our presence on Capitol Hill. Calls to
action, whether during L.E.A.D. or at any
other time, show the versatility of advocacy
while at the same time limiting our excuses
for not engaging with our elected officials
whom we sometimes deem inaccessible.
While L.E.A.D. may be over for this
year, the need for continued advocacy still
remains. Minimal progress at the federal level
creates perfect opportunities for state-based
legislative initiatives to come into the fold.
With this comes the need for our industry to
be proactive in sharing the importance of the
promotional products industry with our local
elected officials.
Continued engagement with our elected
officials, whether local or federal, is para-
mount to the success of our message of the
importance of the promotional products
industry. July 15 marks the summer recess for
Congress and an opportunity to invite your
federal and local representative to visit your
office or tour your warehouse, all in an effort
to share your story.
PPAI has already made great strides
though the L.E.A.D. Local initiative in an
effort to share the importance of the promo-
tional products industry at the state level. This
important advocacy tool is something I hope
to build on and empower our regional leader-
ship to effectively execute in the near future.
For me, advocacy takes on more of a
meaning than just its dictionary definition. To
support a cause or issue, you have to under-
stand not just the issue, but the people affected
by it. I just recently began my new role here at
PPAI and it wasn’t until L.E.A.D. that I had
the opportunity to meet the individuals with
whom I had been communicating to truly get
a sense of who I was advocating for.
L.E.A.D. involved just a fraction of the
people who make up the promotional prod-
ucts industry but represented the thousands
of individuals I will take pride in working for
through my role as PPAI’s government rela-
tions manager.
30. 81. 250. 1,000. THESE NUMBERS are not just data points or talking points of a job
well done. They tell a broader story of leadership, commitment, tenacity and creativity.
These characteristics and more define the type of LEADers who participated in
PPAI’s annual Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) in May (see the
report on page 78). These LEADers were able to achieve these numbers with little
more than hard work and commitment to their industry and their profession.
STRENGTH IN
NUMBERS
Reach him at or
972-258-3015. Find details on legislative
advocacy at
ppai/ppai-law/august-recess-advocacy