Promotional Products Work! Week is an industry-wide event dedicated to celebrating the power of promotional products and the value they create. This annual event serves as a cornerstone for recognizing the importance of working with promotional professionals while creating awareness for promotional products as a powerful and effective advertising and marketing medium. -PPAI
We help our customers celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Week, and so many more! Now it’s OUR WEEK! Let’s use it to our advantage and reach the top of the promotional products industry by climbing these 5 pillars for PPW Week!
Day One PPAI recommends: host an open house, meet-and-greet or company tour.
Send an email or social media blast to your customers reminding them that it’s PPW week and how beneficial promo products are to the success of their business. Let your customers see the personal and approachable side of you! If you don’t have the space for an open house, consider posting a friendly video on social media or set up a meet and greet at a local coffee shop. This would be the perfect opportunity to have your customers update their contact information and assess their current needs.
Day Two PPAI recommends: advocate for the industry by speaking to colleges, clubs or business groups about promotional products industry careers or the power of promotional products.
Brag about how fun and rewarding it is to sell promotional products. Millennials love the idea of working from home, being their own boss, and making their own schedules. A career in promotional products just might be perfect for them! Throw out phrases like “eco-friendly”, “be the first to see the latest gadgets”, and “free samples” and you’ll be sure to pull someone in!
Definitely, touch on what a career in promotional products represents; we’re helping companies get their brand on, providing advertising, assisting them in building customer relationships, and saving the earth by replacing disposable products with reusable ones. Not to mention the fact that promotional products have been around for a long time and are definitely here to stay. There is job security in this career. With fewer and fewer print ads, companies NEED their promo products to work for them!
Use this week as a platform to educate people on the importance of green and environmentally friendly promotional products. Educate schools and universities on the benefits of providing their students with reusable, personalized water bottles and work with local stores to offer reusable shopping bags.
Day Three PPAI recommends: designate a day of service to support a local charity or cause.
Donate extra samples or misprinted items to your local thrift store, elementary school, or shelter. Advertise that you will donate a portion of every sale to a charity, foundation, or local cause for a specified amount of time. Organize a walk or fundraiser and invite your customers to wear their favorite promo shirt or even better yet, provide some…or provide the reusable, branded water bottles! Be sure to photograph and share your good efforts! You can never get enough positive PR!
Day Four PPAI recommends: share the industry’s impact on the economy with legislators, politicians, and government officials—this day coincides with PPAI’s Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The promotional products industry relies on global supply chains. Although most promotional products are manufactured overseas, once in the U.S., these products are decorated by U.S. workers. They are sold by U.S. workers. They are used to promote U.S. goods and services.
Global value chains operate more broadly than supply chains. Global value chains encompass the full range of activities that firms and workers are involved in to bring a product or service from its conception to its end use and beyond. The shift among many globally competitive companies to focus on core competencies and outsource other activities has led to the creation of global value chains that cross professional and national boundaries.
The promotional products industry contributes significant economic benefit throughout the U.S. economy. In doing so, this industry also contributes to a vibrant and diverse eco-system of international coalitions that serve the United States well.
Write your member of Congress to educate them about the benefits of global value chains.-PPAI
Learn more here: https://www.ppai.org/advocacy/legislative-action-watch/
Day Five PPAI recommends: partner with industry suppliers and regional associations and host a customer appreciation day.
Customers love to feel appreciated. Whether it’s an email, a Facebook post, or a small gift. A little token of appreciation can go a long way. Let your customers know how much you appreciate their business. After all, your business can’t be successful without the success of their business!
Blog by
Sommer Kibbee
Strategic Communications Specialist, Vernon