PPB January 2020

Getting In On e Ground Floor Many brands want to get involved in social movements, but to be successful, they must be genuine. If brands take the wrong approach, they risk alienating their target audience and tarnishing their brand image. Promotional products distributors can help their clients win on the social justice front by following these guidelines: Champion the right cause. Help your clients identify a cause that aligns with their values. Do they want to help mentor underprivileged youth? Feed the hungry? Supply clean water? Look to big brands such as Gillette, which champions men’s-related issues, or Patagonia, which pledges a portion of its revenue to environmental causes. Think about the social issue that makes sense for your clients to stand behind. Don’t jump on the bandwagon. Lots of issues garner worldwide attention, but that doesn’t mean a brand should chime in on it. When brands align with an issue just because it’s trending, the brand can appear inauthentic and drive customers away. Instead of the hot-button issues, help your client look for causes that clearly align with their company culture and values. Stay visible with promotional products. It’s not enough to make an occasional comment on social media to support or protest a movement. Brands can show their commitment to a cause by getting promotional products into the hands of rallygoers and voters. When consumers touch and feel a branded product in their hands, it furthers that brand’s reach and impact. Get on the ground with activists and supporters. Show them you care as much as they do about the cause—and help them select useful branded merchandise as a reminder. Audrey Sellers is a Dallas-area based writer and former associate editor of PPB. Available with a stars-and- stripes design, the Koozie britePix Holiday Can Kooler is perfect for patriotic messages. Add a full-color brand message to show your support of a candidate or cause. BIC Graphic NA / PPAI 114187, S13 www.bicgraphic.com Marches and Rallies | JANUARY 2020 | 63 GROW