Q4 programKoozie Group, a large supplier, installed a new digital press at its calendar plant in Minnesota. Full-colour printing is now standard at no extra charge on its desk pads, executive calendars and contractor calendars. All 75 styles now have guaranteed stock, and the minimum order size went down. Separately, ASI's research says 76% of people would look at a promo calendar at least once a week, and half would keep one they liked.
The move Sell it as a year of weekly exposure that costs a fraction of a cent per view, using full-colour art the client already owns. Because minimums dropped, small offices and branch locations can order too.
PPAI PromoWire
GiftingHIRSCH, a top-15 supplier, launched Gratigy, a free online tool where a distributor sets up a 'redemption store'. The client's employees or customers go to the store and pick their own gift. Only redemption stores are available at launch. HIRSCH says a store takes under ten minutes to set up with no technical work; that is the company's own claim.
The move Some clients say no to a single gift because sizes and tastes vary. Offer a store where each person picks. The software fee that used to make this too expensive for small groups is now zero.
PPAI PromoWire
Retail brandsGemline, a promo supplier, added 83 Hydro Flask products: bottles, tumblers, mugs, coolers and food containers. It added the LifeStraw brand in July. Prices and any exclusivity were not announced. Around the same time, Owala, another popular bottle brand, sold out a Pokémon edition at Target within days.
The move Clients ask for the brands their staff already carry. Buying Hydro Flask through Gemline means one purchase order, one set of decoration rules and normal promo terms, instead of a special order. Expect clients to ask for Owala next.
GRAPHICS PRO
EventsIn an ASI feature, supplier HPG describes running seven activities in one trade show booth. The slow one, a make-your-own-bag station with a line, produced the most sales conversations, because the wait gave reps time to talk. Bank of America made charm bracelets for fans at FIFA events with a photo booth that texted each person their picture. One distributor in the piece, Sonic Promos, warns that an activation with no way to collect leads 'has done it for no purpose'.
The move Plan the line on purpose. Add one step that captures something, like a texted photo, a QR code scan or a gift pickup. Put that number in the proposal before you pick the merch. Then you are charging for design and staff time, not just items.
ASI Central
HR programsSocial Imprints, a distributor, published a post on 'pre-boarding' kits. It says nearly one in four people who accept a job offer back out before they start when the job market is competitive, and the wait between accepting and day one is usually four to twelve weeks. Most kits cost $35 to $75 and ship within 72 hours of the signed offer. Their example: on a class of 200 new graduates, a 5% improvement means ten more people show up on day one.
The move Sell this to the head of hiring, not the purchasing department, and price it per accepted offer. Send the kit automatically when the offer is signed, before the new hire takes another interview somewhere else.
Social Imprints
Print + promoASI profiled emblm, a Maine company that started as a print shop in 1993 and added promo in 2015. The owner's point is simple: when you can do both print and promo, clients bring you in earlier and on bigger projects. Her words: 'you'd be doing yourself a disservice as a distributor if you aren't also doing print.'
The move Put signage, invitations, packaging or inserts on every event and campaign quote, even if a partner prints them. You are quoting the whole job, not one item. Boundless, a top-20 distributor, just hired a print manager for the same reason.
ASI Central
AltOps
