PPB October 2018

I always appreciate when suppliers with whom we do a lot of business are prepared to discuss our account. I’ve done a fair number of deals that have increased our yearly spend on the Expo floor. I only see many of the vendors in person two or three times a year, so it’s a plus when we can discuss the account and new ideas for the upcoming year. Even better are the ones that shoot me an email and suggest we find a few minutes to talk. JOSHUA WOLFE Owner Skypunch Creative PPAI 485676 Around five years ago, we started implementing themes for our trade shows. We pick one theme to carry out throughout the whole year, making it easy for distributors to recognize us at shows no matter the time of year. Our themes always consist of three key elements: they are bright and fun, easy to understand, and centered around one of our new products. We also incorporate a giveaway at the shows, which usually requires the distributor to post or comment on our Facebook page. This helps to increase our social media engagement not only during show time, but throughout the year. Requiring action on our social media channels also gives us an easy way to measure the outcomes of our giveaway and whether or not it was successful. As far as pitfalls to avoid, make sure that whatever activity you have in your booth is simple, quick and easy to understand. Activities that take too much time can create a bottleneck effect in your booth, potentially causing distributors to become impatient and move on. There are hundreds of booths at a show, so keeping things exciting but short and sweet is key, otherwise you risk missing out on important conversations and interactions with distributors. STEPHANIE GARLAND Marketing Team Lead Raining Rose, Inc. PPAI 232508 I’m a proponent of self promotion through direct mail. Using a clever, useful or unusual item from your line, package the pieces with an appropriate message encouraging distributors to visit your booth to see what else may be of interest to them and their customers. You can also send a link to a video invitation, product rollout or message. This is a chance to demonstrate that yours is a creative company, which means you’ll bring thoughtful and appropriate suggestions and recommendations when working with salespeople who need ideas for their clients. While most such pieces are sent to the company owner, the message may or may not be delivered to the appropriate salespeople. Do your due diligence and include performers who have used your line or attended your reps’ meetings. The biggest waste of money is a faulty (direct or email) mailing list. Know who you want to reach, be clear—and brief— and consider the communication method that will deliver the best results for your budget. Equally essential: don’t forget the follow-up and follow-through. MARSHA LONDE Chief Executive Officer Tango Partners PPAI 353210 Do YouHave An Answer? A Distributor Asks: The latest California Proposition 65 requirements that went into effect at the end of August mean distributors now share the burden of compliance with suppliers. In addition to changes in label wording and specifics, consumers must now be aware of a product’s risk prior to purchase , not just prior to exposure . How are fellow distributors managing these new requirements? What’s Your Answer? Email answers along with your name, title and company name by October 31 to Question@ppai.org for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine. Terry Ramsay is associate editor of PPB . 14 | OCTOBER 2018 | INNOVATE