PPB February 2020

The Race Is On No matter the politics, party or position, promotional products are vital to helping candidates get the vote. T he partisan politics of the day are generating impressive opportunities for the promotional products industry to soar. Passion for supporting candidates and platforms is producing an earlier-than- usual prospect for PPAI members to capture business in anticipation of 2020 elections. The scope of business available is prodigious. Consider that 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate are being contested, and 13 state and territorial governorships are up for election. And on the presidential front, before a nominee is finalized as his or her party’s choice, a series of primaries and caucuses withmultiple possible candidates creates a myriad of product opportunities. What is the key to capitalizing on this ready-made market? Is it helping clients select the appropriate vehicle for promoting their cause? Is it pricing, packaging or customer service? The market is wide enough for promotional products in all categories and for businesses of all sizes to seize their share. “Remembering that the candidate is a brand and we are there to create brand awareness can be very important when preparing a program,” says Keith Slater, CAS, account manager for distributor Specialty Incentives. “Some pitfalls to watch for—does the itemneed to be USA-made or even union-made tomatch the candidate’s message?” asks Slater. “Great programs can backfire if the candidate is running on a ‘Buy American’ platform and giving out Made-in-China gifts.” Po l i t i ca l Pr oduc t s by Enid Gail Barron 48 | FEBRUARY 2020 | GROW