I feel like I should talk about tariffs, but I want to talk about product.
I’m dealing with order issues because of tariffs, but I want to focus my column on something we can do to improve the industry. In the back of my mind is the all too familiar “stock issues” and “production delays” mantra of 2020 and 2021… are we on a path back there?
Because every company is in some way impacted by the current economic woes, let’s just assume we’re all, if not in the same boat – at least in common waterways – and skip to how we can realistically make a difference.
In 2020, we chose to use our additional time that spring to focus on who we would be as a company on the other side of things. Because 2025 seems to be giving 2020 vibes, I’ll share some of the things we’re working on right now to maybe give a fellow promo pro some inspiration.
Customer Experience
We’re focusing on our customer experience because it can always be better. We can keep in touch more frequently, be more proactive with solutions and always improve our order processes to ensure an even smoother experience for our busy clients.
While we’re not the expert in it, AI is a huge opportunity for our industry for the pre-order and early-in-order stages. In 2025, we’re looking to explore efficiency opportunities and improve our processes for both a better team and customer experience.
Sarah Whitaker
Owner, The Branded Things
We’re also renovating. Not our physical space, but our digital space. Our home on the web is going to better reflect who we are as a service provider. Our social media is about to evolve and be more relevant and engaging than it ever has been.
Setting Goals
We’ve realigned our goals and are setting processes in place to achieve them. I thought I was good at this until I engaged a professional to help align us. When you see announcement after announcement about sales records and acquisitions, you can feel behind, even if you’re growing. (Shout out to the owners considering being acquired – call me).
Whether you’re a promo agency owner, in sales or in a customer service role, taking a moment to reflect on what you want and how best to go about it at a pace comfortable for you and/or your company is necessary. When outside forces make things feel uncertain, vision alignment is key to keeping on the right path.
Elevating Our Medium
We, as an industry, compete with social media spend and digital advertising budgets, but we get only a fraction of the dollars. That’s because we aren’t providing the data on the efficacy of our medium.
When done correctly, branded merchandise has a lasting impact. Our friends at PPAI Research have good data to back that up, but we need to lead with more than rock-bottom pricing that commoditizes promo.
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Do you see Meta leading its advertising campaigns with “look how cheaply you can reach customers?” Of course not. Meta leads with results. When we begin to position things in such a way that our customers see why they should invest, promotional products will be valued higher in the marketing budget than they traditionally have been.
We have a way to go as an industry to be seen as more than a commodity. In times like this, when every dollar is scrutinized, it’s essential we prove our value. We’re doubling down on proving our worth in 2025.
Company Culture
We now have a team 100% full of A+ players.
I want our agency to be a place that brings value to each team member’s life, and we’re only home to teammates who bring 110% every day. In this moment, I’m refocusing on how we make sure our culture is solid so that remains the case. In any year, that’s a key objective.
So, while Q1 was down and our customers all feel the economic uncertainty, we can always find ways to improve things for ourselves, for our clients, for our teams, and ultimately, for the industry.
What are you focusing on improving this year? I’d love to hear from you at sarah@thebrandedthings.com.
Whitaker is the owner of The Branded Things, the promotional products division of Williams Advertising.
