PPB January 2018

feed back Send feedback on articles in PPB or opinions on industry issues to JamesK@ppai.org . Recognizing Similarities Among Independent Distributors PPAI Associate Editor Jen Alexander wrote in the November issue of PPB on the balancing act performed by independent distributors as they juggle sales growth, daily operations and strategy development. I started out representing supplier RandMcNally in nine states, then became the first California rep for Leed’s. I latermoved to the distributor side and became vice president of business development for then- top-10WoodAssociates. AfterWood Associates, mywife and Imoved toGeiger for a fewyears. Wewere privileged towork for Gene and traveled to several offices to provide training. We later went out on our own, so I have a keen appreciation for both the supplier and distributor sides of our industry. We are a small, independent distributorship and our objective with every client is the same: help themdifferentiate themselves from their competition. So it was of great interest tome that youwrote about how independent distributors need to essentially do the same thing; to always look for ways to differentiate themselves fromtheir competition, the bigger competing distributorships. The independent distributormust be flexible, creative and innovative, always offering a different, better way to provide products and services than what their competitors offer. DAVE RIBBLE President StandOut Marketing Strategies Long Beach, California PPAI 519927 Debating The Term ‘Swag’ In the November issue of PPB , Ben Baker, president of Your Brand Marketing, in “Why the Word ‘Swag’ Isn’t Helping Our Industry,“ advocated for a move away from the term, saying it devalued the work of the industry’s professionals. Baker’s article drew a number of comments from readers, some sharing their agreement and others offering counterpoints to his position. I respectfully disagree. If we want to continue to be successful and relevant, we need to speak the language of our customers, not try to convert them into speaking ours. With so many battles to fight, the terminology we use to classify what we sell should be the last thing on our minds. A rose by any other name is still a rose, and if our clients see swag as something of value—as many of them do— then swag by any other name is still swag. Call it what you want, let our clients call it what they want, but make sure that whatever it is you choose to call it, it serves the purpose of solving a problem, spreading a message or building a business. Otherwise, no matter what you call it, it will end up in the landfill with a new name ... garbage. CHARITY GIBSON National Account Coordinator Peerless Umbrella Co. Tucson, Arizona PPAI 112666 When I was in Washington, D.C., for L.E.A.D. a couple years ago, I thanked a team of purple shirt-wearing, purple bag-toting, bright lanyard- and lapel pin-wearing volunteers, proudly showing support for pancreatic cancer awareness and care. They loved the swag they all had—they used the term—and knew well the value that they invested in it to push forward their cause. When my brother’s mechanical contractor company team receives a new fashion fleece to promote safety awareness in their daily work, they appreciate the stuff they all get. My brother knows his team appreciates their swag to promote safety. When the trendiest of techie Millennials proudly sport their new backpacks, having just received them at an international mobile conference, they love their swag. To each their own, but I’m going to simply smile and support any of the recipients who choose to use the word “swag,” as they clearly see the value in receiving promotional products. I truly believe we 8 | JANUARY 2018 |