Promotional Products: A Great Fit

Should You Go Through a Distributor?

While there is a very entrepreneurial quality associated with developing your own relationships to manufacturers of promotional products, there is far more leg work involved when you do it yourself.

"As someone who has worked both on the in-plant side and on the distributor side, I would highly recommend going through a distributor," notes Hatcher, of The Vernon Co. "You don't need to have quite as much expertise because your distributor will know the right questions to ask to make sure the order progresses smoothly. You will get preferred pricing, and you won't have to pay in advance."

Your distributor can also come in handy for those emergency "rush orders" that will inevitably arise, she adds.

"The benefits of working with an established firm are many," contends PPAI's Lennarson. "Line selection is easier, order submission is streamlined, credit terms are established and you'll benefit from an existing knowledge base of the promotional products industry. In the end, you'll save time and generate more revenues."

Emmer, of Kaeser & Blair, points out that the wide breadth of promotional products available to printers is staggering—about 4,300 vendors. It would require a good deal of time on the printer's part to establish relationships with these manufacturers.

"Independents need to be aware of credit loss and product liability, whereas Kaeser & Blair indemnifies its dealers from both," Emmer notes.

What Are The Hottest Products?

Lennarson says some of the hottest products include stainless steel drink ware, fashion apparel, flash drives, eco-friendly products and recycled shopping bags. Leading product categories are apparel, writing instruments, bags, drink ware, desk/business accessories and calendars.

The most popular applications include employee relations/events, brand awareness, trade shows, new customer generation, not-for-profit programs and public relations.