PPB June 2017

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perspectives Tina Berres Filipski
Director of Publications/Editor
Making The Case For Advertising That Lives On
Irecently saw results from yet
another survey that ranked various
advertising media—this one reported
on the trustworthiness of one medium
over another relating to purchasing
decisions. But there was one critically
important mediummissing from the list:
promotional products.
This omission isn’t anything new
and I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. The
larger advertising world simply is not
fully aware of promotional products as
a bona fide advertising medium. For
decades, our industry was largely invisible,
althoughmillions of businesses have used
promotional products for more than 100
years to promote their brands, and billions
of people have benefitted from the messages
they carry and the useful value they provide.
Andmost people are surprised to hear it’s a
$21 billion industry.
So what do we, as Promotional Products
Association International, do about this
astonishing lack of awareness? We get our
story out!
Last fall, during AdvertisingWeek in New
York City, PPAI launched a first-of-its-kind,
five-year, multimillion-dollar campaign to
increase awareness and enhance the overall
perception of promotional products, and
to help direct a larger share of advertising
dollars to their purchase. The campaign
name cuts to the heart of the tangible and
long-lasting benefits that differentiate our ad
medium from all the others: Get In Touch!:
AdvertisingThat Lives On.
To helpmembers spread the message,
PPAI’s website makes numerous tools
available—print ads, logos, social media
graphics, talking points, research videos
andmore.
Although the materials are superb and
PPAI is putting a great deal of effort, time
andmoney behind this program, getting
the message out requires maximum
participation fromour membership.
From you.
Anna Tillman, social media administrator
for distributor Williams & Associates, is
one who has made the most of this new
initiative. On the company Facebook pages
and Twitter accounts she has shared a
Get In Touch! infographic that shows the
various reaction and retention rates of
different forms of advertising, added another
graphic on recall to her posting schedule
and created email blasts, using the stats
from the campaign, for her salespeople to
send to clients. “My hope is to generate new
business with current clients, and to also
reinforce their trust and continued business
with us,” she toldme. She also plans to
measure the effectiveness of using the tools
by tracking the interaction rate of posts on
social media, especially any new clients
gained. She believes the campaign’s message
is important to communicate because before
she went to work for Williams, she says, she
highly underestimated the selling power
that promo products offer. Now she wants
everyone to see the light.
If you are using the programmaterials on
your website and in your self-promotions,
bravo! And thank you for embracing this
initiative. If you are wondering what all of
the excitement is about, find the details and
tools at
But there’s more work required tomaking
the world at large distinctly aware of our
medium. In April, nearly 80 PPAI member
volunteers and staff voiced the industry’s
issues on Capitol Hill during PPAI’s annual
Legislative Education and Action Day
(L.E.A.D.). They held nearly 260meetings
with legislators and their staffs to create
awareness about issues, opportunities and
the potential challenges our industry faces.
Readmore on page 86.
While those meetings took place,
companies across the industry celebrated
Promotional Products Work! Week with
many member-supported activities
to engage and educate buyers—open
houses, factory tours, group presentations,
community outreach, volunteerismand
customer appreciation events. Check out the
highlights on page 88.
The Get In Touch! branding campaign,
PPAI L.E.A.D. and Promotional Products
Work! Week are all integral parts of PPAI’s
strategic plan of grassroots outreach to create
a highly active and connected community,
as well as a create deeper understanding
of promotional products as a proven and
long- lasting advertising medium.
The campaign is focused on your success
as a promotional products professional—
and we need you to helpmake it happen.
Promotional products have been under
the radar for way too long. Pulling together,
in the same direction, with a campaign like
Get In Touch!, we can ensure our medium is
always top of mind.
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So what do we do about this astonishing
lack of awareness? We get our story out!