Tricks of the Promotional Advertising Business |
04 Sep 2006 |
| The trick to achieving longevity in the promotional advertising business is to develop a strong business relationship with promotional product vendors who are reliable, says Sherman’s husband, Bruce, a company president. “We monitor the market and deal with hundreds of different vendors,” he says, “But the most important thing is to select a vendor of promotional goods that has a good reputation and does it right the first time.” Often, her company will choose from a handful of vendors it has worked with before for a specific item, Sherman says. “If a client needed travel mugs, for example, then we have a preferred list of vendors who perform that kind of work,” she says. About 80% of Sherman Creative’s business is secured through referrals. Apparel such as shirts and caps are popular sellers among companies looking to promote their logo and image, Sherman adds, noting that product manufacturers and marketers have tailored shirts for women in the work place. “Ten years ago, you couldn’t find women’s cut trader shirts or polo shirts” geared toward corporate wear, she says. Clients today are more selective about both style and specific clothing lines, reports Paul Pinto, president of Image One, North Jackson. “It’s a trend developing in this industry at the moment,” he says. “We’re in a good position to capitalize on that.” The bottom line, Pinto relates, is that businesses across the country are finding that promotional advertising is an effective way to raise their profile and raise brand awareness. “Wearables are a great way to do that,” he emphasizes. Image One, in business five years, specializes in embroidery and screening for corporate apparel and it carries a full line of promotional products and services, Pinto notes. “About 70% of our business is apparel and 30% is promotional advertising,” he says. “We carry everything from expensive lines such as Tommy Hilfiger, Dockers, Nautica and Calloway Golf to more affordable grade such as Hanes.” Most of Pinto’s business is conducted over the Internet, which he describes as a “huge tool for us.” Most embroidery work is done on-site, Pinto continues, his company operating three embroidery machines with 20 separate heads. “We can take a client’s logo and convert it into a stitch pattern” on a shirt, handbag, jacket or cap, he says. |
|
 |
|