PPB January 2021

Era 1: From the time the Bill of Rights was ratified through circa 1999, this was the golden age of printed catalogs with unconcealed but secret pricing codes. There was a time when distributors had to search by microfiche to source foam stress relievers in the shape of an "@" symbol. Production took three to four weeks and clients asked distributors to grab art from their business cards. Era 2: Around the turn of the 21st century, the industry saw the rise of ecommerce. Access to the internet ballooned, giving buyers access to our industry’s pricing “secrets.” In 2019, 4imprint, the ecommerce juggernaut, sold more than $860 million in branded products. Some distributors went the ecommerce-only path while the majority did not bet solely on ecommerce. Era 3: Today, we are witnessing the rise of engagement commerce. Engagement commerce means “marrying the efficiency of ecommerce with strategic and creative direction to solve customers’ problems.” Solving their problems is the holy grail. It commands stronger margins and fortifies value. If you are not striving to be the next ecommerce giant, the most powerful thing you can do in a crowded digital space is to invest in what matters most—relationships. You must change your thinking from “customer acquisition” to “relationship acquisition.” And you must work to understand your clients’ problems. We used to have intimate, in-person relationships with 40 customers; now, the industry is struggling to recreate those close relationships with 4,000 customers. Intimacy through technology is not easy. And while some buyers just want to make Google their first (and possibly only) contact without the help of a trusted source, there are a host of buyers who are craving institutional knowledge about products, edgy decoration techniques, logistics insights, best practices and they are willing to pay a premium for help addressing their problems. So, in order to help solve client problems, we must identify what those problems are. And then, we must deliver answers that motivate, not manipulate, them to purchase. Here are some of these problems—ergo opportunities: • According to the Society for Human Resource Management, an astonishing 19 percent of employees will work remotely in 2021. This is the new flexible workforce. How can the promotional products industry help unify employees when they cannot be together? • HR is updating policies at a blistering pace. How can we help HR departments communicate all the changes? • How can we create culture-keeper campaigns to help virtual employees feel connected and cared for? Note: caring is always a brilliant strategic plan. • How can we help our customers find new customers as well as reach existing customers now and in the future? • How can we help customers plan and execute programs to stay in touch with their clients and help them connect with high-value prospects throughout the year? • Marketing’s role is to help the sales team sell more, so how do we help marketers move in that direction? • How can we help reduce a client’s investment exposure and minimize inventory risk? • We must sell sustainable products that last. Anything less is a liability to our client’s brands. • Events have proven to be expensive and time-consuming. So, how do we help clients convert budget into something meaningful in an all-virtual or hybrid event model? If we cannot experience events in person, can we deliver event experiences in a box? Industry Milestones 1778-1999 2000-2019 2020 1.0 Printed catalogs Relationship selling/sourcing 3.0 Engagement commerce Creating experiences 2.0 The rise of ecommerce Sourcing through Google Consultative selling Roman Sigaev / Den Rozhnovsky / 24Novembers / ONYXprj / Shutterstock.com. FEATURE | The Future Of Promotional Marketing 50 | JANUARY 2021 |