PPB D2U

Bellantone, Neaman and Pottebaum shared their thoughts on the common denominators of companies that may have had a successful 2020. Neaman noted the distributors and suppliers that were able to pivot production to PPE relatively quickly due to existing supply chains, which helped with the need to swiftly get branded PPE prod- ucts into the hands of health care and other frontline workers in the pandemic’s onset. He also mentioned the need for companies to remind their employees that they’re think- ing of them during these challenging times. “There was a need for everyone to touch their employees and stay connected, to send them things and let [employees] know they cared, that the business cared,” Neaman said, and a need to still “reward, recognize and engage people,” Bellantone added. Pottebaum shared how, at QRG, they tripled down on their digital marketing efforts, built a digital gift site and restructured one of the company’s lowest-performing areas into a full-time fulfillment center. Over the next 90 days, Pottebaum said he foresees a decreasing demand in PPE, which will be influenced by the growing distribution of a COVID-19 vaccination and the easing of government regulations. Going forward, the leaders agreed there will be a hybridization of in-person and virtual meetings, with an increase in drop-shipping and the continued reshaping of marketing plans. “We have to adapt to sales meetings that are going to be likely and soon, and we are going to have to figure out new ways to market, and no one is better [at] figuring out new ways to market than the promotional products industry,” Neaman said. The leaders also discussed the Asso- ciation’s rapid re-planning throughout the pandemic, and the Board’s ongoing con- sideration of which components of the plan should be kept and which should be updated or eliminated. “We set up some guardrails, benchmarks and guideposts to let us know how much things were moving forward,” Bellantone said, noting factors such as the state of restaurants, airport traffic and regional matters that may be affecting busi- ness. These “guardrails,” Pottebaum said, solidified what the Association needed to do, what it needed to refrain from doing and what it needed to stay away from altogether. It also entailed recognizing what is timely to PPAI from what is timeless—such as great member value, growth and protecting the industry, Bellantone said. One of the Associ- ation’s goals, moving forward, is the return to a physical show in 2022. Bellantone assured listeners that regard- less of the Association’s financial situation stemming from 2020, PPAI is prepared to continue operating successfully for two years, and that its members can “rest assured” and “be confident” in this commit- ment. He added that when members were asked to participate in a survey concerning their plans to renew membership in the midst of the pandemic, three-fourths (75 percent) of distributors and 70 percent of suppliers said they plan to renew their membership, while 15 percent were uncertain. “I’m noth- ing but an optimist about this industry, the companies that are in it [and] the members that are in it,” said Bellantone. Throughout and in closing, the leaders shared general feelings of positivity about the industry and its future. “With gratitude, optimism is sustainable,” Neaman said. Oding to Bellantone’s love for music, Potte- baum shared a lyric from musician Ray Wylie Hubbard’s song “Mother Blues:” “And the days that I keep my attitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days.” Bellantone said, “We are a scrappy, resilient, entrepreneurial industry. We tend to find opportunities to be successful in any environ- ment, and I’ve heard so many positive things from members coming out of this.” He added, “Promotional products work because we reward, we engage and we motivate. We’ll always need to be doing that, but we just need to be doing it differently.” Watch the session on-demand. PPAI Expo D2U: State of the Industry and Association Update “ We have to adapt to sales meetings that are going to be likely and soon, and we are going to have to figure out new ways to market, and no one is better [at] figuring out new ways to market than the promotional products industry. ” Ira Neaman , MAS ENCORE: Your Bonus Guide To The Best Of PPAI Expo Direct-2-You 11