WEBVTT 00:00:02.329 --> 00:00:05.129 Welcome to the promo playbook, the podcast where 00:00:05.129 --> 00:00:07.650 suppliers come to win in the promotional products 00:00:07.650 --> 00:00:10.849 industry. We're your hosts, Lisa Faustek and 00:00:10.849 --> 00:00:13.910 Adrienne Barker, bringing you insider insights, 00:00:14.490 --> 00:00:17.170 expert strategies, and no fluff advice to help 00:00:17.170 --> 00:00:20.469 suppliers navigate the promo channel like pros. 00:00:21.210 --> 00:00:24.170 From marketing to distributors to mastering software 00:00:24.170 --> 00:00:27.390 onboarding, we cover it all. Whether you're new 00:00:27.390 --> 00:00:30.149 to the industry or ready to scale up, this is 00:00:30.149 --> 00:00:33.320 your playbook for success. Let's get started. 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:37.520 Welcome everybody to this episode of the promo 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:40.859 playbook. Adrienne and I are so excited to introduce 00:00:40.859 --> 00:00:44.399 Kim Ballerine. She is part of the promo playbook 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.219 and she has been in the industry for a number 00:00:47.219 --> 00:00:50.179 of years representing Corksicle and she's here 00:00:50.179 --> 00:00:54.479 to talk about the idea of supplier relationships 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:58.000 and bringing a brand such as Corksicle into the 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.590 promotional product space. Kim, may I ask you 00:01:00.590 --> 00:01:02.670 to introduce yourself and tell the audience a 00:01:02.670 --> 00:01:04.709 little bit about your background? Absolutely. 00:01:04.969 --> 00:01:06.670 Well, first, thank you ladies for having me. 00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:10.849 I'm super excited. So my name is Kim. I am the 00:01:10.849 --> 00:01:13.310 director of sales at Quirksicle. If you're not 00:01:13.310 --> 00:01:15.849 familiar with the brand, we are a lifestyle brand. 00:01:16.349 --> 00:01:20.590 We offer a line of drinkware, barware, coolers, 00:01:21.170 --> 00:01:24.930 coffee, home, pretty much anything. They think 00:01:24.930 --> 00:01:26.989 of that might make elevate your day and make 00:01:26.989 --> 00:01:30.329 your moments brighter and so i've been a quick 00:01:30.329 --> 00:01:32.730 circle since they launched in two thousand eleven. 00:01:33.189 --> 00:01:35.250 I was in the sales and marketing role and then 00:01:35.250 --> 00:01:38.909 i moved over to sales where i jumped. Feet first 00:01:38.909 --> 00:01:41.629 into the promo market and that's what i'm excited 00:01:41.629 --> 00:01:44.489 to share with you today i've been selling into 00:01:44.489 --> 00:01:47.260 market for almost nine years now. Wow and you're 00:01:47.260 --> 00:01:50.060 living to tell the tale i'm living to tell the 00:01:50.060 --> 00:01:52.180 tale and i have a couple bruises here and there 00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:56.099 but it's all good and we also have on the podcast 00:01:56.099 --> 00:01:59.159 today adrian barker when i say hello adrian of 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.980 course of course hello hello hello lisa i'm kind 00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:04.939 of curious so before you actually came into you 00:02:04.939 --> 00:02:07.540 brought the brand into the promo industry where 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:09.819 were you selling at that time when i found you 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:13.860 retail yes so we are primary retail brands so 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:18.000 you'll find us in. a lot of boutique retailers 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:21.080 like your hallmark stores, your local gift shops. 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:25.180 We also work with big retail brands like Afflead, 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:28.699 Tommy Bahama. We've got a big footprint in golf, 00:02:29.259 --> 00:02:33.180 outdoor resorts, all the above. Most of our business 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:37.219 is retail focused. And then we also then focus 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:40.379 on sort of that non -retail, which would cover 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:43.539 promotional products, fundraising, nonprofits, 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:45.759 that type stuff. Ooh, I'm looking forward to 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:49.039 this conversation because this is juicy. All 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:50.939 right, take it away, Lisa. Well, there's many 00:02:50.939 --> 00:02:53.639 things I want to talk to you about, Kim. I think 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.599 I wanted to start with, tell us about your initial 00:02:56.599 --> 00:03:00.120 journey. How did you decide to enter the market 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:03.039 and what were your first steps? Yeah, really, 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.599 we sort of haphazardly fell into the market. 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:09.159 We had a lot of customers who owned Quirksicles, 00:03:09.580 --> 00:03:12.460 loved them. And then we're calling customer service 00:03:12.460 --> 00:03:15.060 saying, hey, can you guys decorate this? I'd 00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:18.319 love to give this as a gift to my employees or 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:21.580 to new home buyers. And so we really started 00:03:21.580 --> 00:03:25.659 organically with our own customer base. And then 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:28.659 little by little, we're like, hey, we're getting 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:31.479 a lot of phone calls. And maybe this is something 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:35.310 we should look into. So we took the dive and 00:03:35.310 --> 00:03:37.770 started to do some research and figure out what 00:03:37.770 --> 00:03:40.610 is this thing called promotional products? And 00:03:40.610 --> 00:03:43.650 how do we go after it? And it should be easy, 00:03:43.650 --> 00:03:46.409 right? It's just slapping a logo and shipping 00:03:46.409 --> 00:03:49.849 it out the door. And that easiness lasted about 00:03:49.849 --> 00:03:53.189 maybe six months before we realized, nope, there's 00:03:53.189 --> 00:03:55.909 a lot more to it than that. Yeah. Yeah. So that's 00:03:55.909 --> 00:03:59.139 great insight for our listeners that. There's 00:03:59.139 --> 00:04:01.539 so many layers to the promotional product space 00:04:01.539 --> 00:04:04.520 that you might not have a clear vision of before 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.599 you do enter the market. So tell us a little 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:10.539 bit about what were some of your main roadblocks 00:04:10.539 --> 00:04:14.159 in the beginning. I think for us, it's different 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.139 than it's different than retail, right? Retail 00:04:17.139 --> 00:04:19.480 is you're putting, we did some customization 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.680 on that side, but there's really no, it needs 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:24.980 to be in a store by specific deadline. Right. 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:28.000 Everything's sort of rolling. It's a lot. It's 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.759 a lot more casual of an atmosphere. But when 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:33.379 you get into promotional products and where you're 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:36.379 looking at event business, specific dates for 00:04:36.379 --> 00:04:39.079 gifting, there's a lot that goes into that. Like 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:41.980 you can't miss an order. You have to have the 00:04:41.980 --> 00:04:45.199 stock. There's a lot of, I want to say customization 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.319 beyond just the product. But sometimes people 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:50.720 want things kitted where they want to put a note 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:53.899 in it or They want to drop ship to individual 00:04:53.899 --> 00:04:56.899 employees or clients. Those are things that just 00:04:56.899 --> 00:05:00.759 aren't in our core set as a retail brand, and 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:03.300 you can't just flip a switch and make that happen. 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:06.920 Understood, understood. The intricacies of decorating, 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:10.899 virtual proof approvals, all the layers and steps 00:05:10.899 --> 00:05:14.459 that go into a promotional product, successful 00:05:14.459 --> 00:05:17.879 delivery of an order. But I think, Adrienne? 00:05:18.009 --> 00:05:20.250 So just want to say another thing that i would 00:05:20.250 --> 00:05:22.949 think would be very difficult it's not you and 00:05:22.949 --> 00:05:25.769 your team really selling and you're selling it 00:05:25.769 --> 00:05:28.250 but. It's your weight you're hoping that the 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:32.069 distributor will also do it justice that they. 00:05:32.810 --> 00:05:34.970 Understand how to place the order that they don't 00:05:34.970 --> 00:05:37.009 make a mistake that they pick the right color 00:05:37.009 --> 00:05:40.649 so i always felt as a supplier it's so like to 00:05:40.649 --> 00:05:42.910 me that's the biggest challenge because you got 00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:45.449 a train and these distributors can either be. 00:05:46.009 --> 00:05:48.269 Brands thinking new and just walked out in a 00:05:48.269 --> 00:05:50.129 networking group and someone said corks a call 00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:53.470 there They have no clue or you have someone sophisticated, 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:55.870 but either way they both can kind of come with 00:05:55.870 --> 00:05:58.529 like issues and the problem So how do you handle 00:05:58.529 --> 00:06:02.629 that part of it when it's really the actual part 00:06:02.629 --> 00:06:05.889 of selling is not in your hands? Yeah, no, that's 00:06:05.889 --> 00:06:09.110 actually a great point for many brands I mean 00:06:09.110 --> 00:06:11.230 for us and I'm assuming for many brands to is 00:06:11.230 --> 00:06:13.670 an evolution, right? We jumped in first thinking 00:06:13.670 --> 00:06:16.680 we could do it realized There's a lot that we 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.740 need to learn. So walk through those process 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:22.959 and then realize maybe we need a partner out 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.100 there. What type of partner does that look like? 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:28.819 Do we sell direct to a distributor? Do we partner 00:06:28.819 --> 00:06:31.399 with the supplier? There are pros and cons to 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:35.319 both sides of those. And then once you make that 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:38.879 decision and picking a lane, then it's okay. 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:41.379 Now I'm going to give up some control here because 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:44.279 you are. It's like the Kevin Bacon, you're six 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.120 degrees away from the end user. So now as the 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:50.660 brand, I don't have control over that selling. 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:53.259 I don't really know how it's being positioned. 00:06:53.660 --> 00:06:56.480 I don't know who else they're selling with. Am 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.199 I the only drinkware brand? Am I not? How is 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:02.439 my pricing? There's all kinds of questions. So 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:05.540 you're sort of giving up that control too, which 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:08.180 is a little different than when you go out on 00:07:08.180 --> 00:07:12.480 a loan. So I think that when you're looking at 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.860 a partner, you have to think of all those questions. 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:17.500 But when you're first starting, you actually 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:20.699 don't know what questions to even ask. So I think 00:07:20.699 --> 00:07:23.120 that's one of the things I'm excited. So with 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.620 our consulting is we've gone through that. So 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:29.959 we sort of know those questions to ask and we 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:34.279 can really help a brand of any size figure out 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:38.870 the best. the best route to take or combinations 00:07:38.870 --> 00:07:41.389 of routes to take. And accelerate the journey 00:07:41.389 --> 00:07:45.329 for them. So we're able as a brain trust here 00:07:45.329 --> 00:07:48.329 to keep folks from making mistakes. And some 00:07:48.329 --> 00:07:52.509 of those things that come to mind, Kim, one of 00:07:52.509 --> 00:07:54.310 the things I was hoping you could talk about 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:58.009 is the difference between the lifespan of a product 00:07:58.009 --> 00:08:01.300 in retail. and the lifespan of a product in promo 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:03.939 because one is shorter than the other. So can 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:06.000 you talk about that a little bit? Yeah. I mean, 00:08:06.180 --> 00:08:08.040 that falls under that big umbrella of inventory, 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:11.060 right? And there's a couple challenges there 00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:14.620 that are just things to be aware of. First is 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:17.779 just the volume that you can get out of the promo 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:22.639 industry. As a retail brand, we hold inventory, 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:25.709 certain levels of inventory, but we really We 00:08:25.709 --> 00:08:27.990 really forecast that based on buying patterns 00:08:27.990 --> 00:08:32.210 of our retailers. But you could get a 5 ,000 00:08:32.210 --> 00:08:36.529 unit order that completely changes your inventory 00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:41.409 in one day. So having a good partnership with 00:08:41.409 --> 00:08:44.470 whoever you're using in the industry and understanding 00:08:44.470 --> 00:08:46.809 what that volume looks like really set you up 00:08:46.809 --> 00:08:50.820 for success just to deliver overall. But then 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:54.240 as a brand we have very fine cool colors and 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:57.059 we launch twice a year and we're constantly bringing 00:08:57.059 --> 00:09:00.100 things in and out so a lot of our life cycle 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:03.159 might be six to twelve months on a product but 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.179 in rate in the promo world you really want eighteen 00:09:06.179 --> 00:09:09.600 to twenty four because you're selling into programs 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.960 it takes a while to get set up by the time people 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.200 really know about it you're already six months 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:19.620 in and so. that can be challenging because you 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:22.240 want to hook them with the color, but you might 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.519 not have that color for very long. So being able 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:28.899 to find a partner who can recognize, I think 00:09:28.899 --> 00:09:31.899 this color would do well and then make that financial 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:35.279 investment to buy that inventory so that you 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.080 can have a longer life cycle is really important. 00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:42.120 That is awesome, awesome insight. And I'm wondering 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:45.259 as a bigger brand evolves, if they would look 00:09:45.259 --> 00:09:48.549 at retaining certain products just for promo, 00:09:48.649 --> 00:09:51.389 even if they're discontinuing them in the retail 00:09:51.389 --> 00:09:54.169 space. Yes, and we have done that as well. We've 00:09:54.169 --> 00:09:57.970 taken colors where we'll extend that life cycle, 00:09:59.129 --> 00:10:03.269 or our supplier who is Genline will buy that 00:10:03.269 --> 00:10:06.110 overseas and continue to bring it in the line, 00:10:06.389 --> 00:10:10.149 even if we don't offer it on the retail. I like 00:10:10.149 --> 00:10:13.200 to spin it as then it's an exclusive color. Yeah 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.840 the industry benefit for sure benefit for sure 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.659 yeah i mean inventory is the maker break. Discussion 00:10:20.659 --> 00:10:23.759 all the time is do you have accurate inventory 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.600 tracking especially with multiple sales channels. 00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:29.480 I did have a client that struggled with that 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:33.120 like they had so many sales channels amazon retail 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:37.820 direct to consumer b2b and promo that they had 00:10:37.820 --> 00:10:40.919 trouble sort of coordinating and keeping their 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:45.309 inventory. spot on and accurate. Um, so I don't 00:10:45.309 --> 00:10:47.370 know if either of you have run into that, but 00:10:47.370 --> 00:10:49.730 that's something I keep top of mind as I work 00:10:49.730 --> 00:10:52.649 with new brands is how do we get our arms around 00:10:52.649 --> 00:10:55.090 that? I just want to say, Kim, I think it was 00:10:55.090 --> 00:10:58.789 really smart of you that before that you, you 00:10:58.789 --> 00:11:01.450 understood the industry enough to, I think that 00:11:01.450 --> 00:11:04.230 a lot of people will jump into the industry thinking, 00:11:04.250 --> 00:11:06.769 oh my God, this is a whole nother avenue of sales 00:11:06.769 --> 00:11:09.190 and they don't know anything about it. But the 00:11:09.190 --> 00:11:11.830 fact that you were saying you You did ASI before 00:11:11.830 --> 00:11:16.110 you got the feeling. And even I recommend for 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:18.289 someone that's coming into the industry as a 00:11:18.289 --> 00:11:21.409 supplier, attend a trade show. Attend a bigger 00:11:21.409 --> 00:11:23.870 one so you can, without selling anything, just 00:11:23.870 --> 00:11:26.629 walk the show. And really, and then there's specific 00:11:26.629 --> 00:11:29.769 things that I have them look for to really understand 00:11:29.769 --> 00:11:32.549 what it is, what's taking place. Listen to the 00:11:32.549 --> 00:11:35.029 conversations. Cause I think there's a lot that 00:11:35.029 --> 00:11:37.409 can be learned just from, don't just jump in. 00:11:37.549 --> 00:11:39.919 It's I guess what I'm trying to say. We have 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.019 two big shows and plenty of smaller ones that 00:11:42.019 --> 00:11:44.899 you could jump into to learn. Yes. Absolutely. 00:11:45.139 --> 00:11:48.279 When we first went down this journey, I spoke 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:52.720 to suppliers. I spoke to distributors. I spoke 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:58.019 to end users. I went to Google, right? I Googled 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:01.879 about the industry. We were an ASI member when 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:05.120 we first jumped in. So I went to that trade show 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:10.450 and it's a quirky industry. It's a great industry, 00:12:10.950 --> 00:12:14.409 but it's definitely quirky and you really do 00:12:14.409 --> 00:12:17.110 have to know, you have to walk the walk and talk 00:12:17.110 --> 00:12:20.870 the talk because if you don't, I think it's very 00:12:20.870 --> 00:12:25.529 easy to make some missteps and you won't be as 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:29.029 successful as you probably could if you don't 00:12:29.029 --> 00:12:31.850 understand it. Yeah, great point. So that sort 00:12:31.850 --> 00:12:35.539 of leads me to the topic of the intricacies of 00:12:35.539 --> 00:12:38.460 decoration and delivering on time in the beginning, 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:41.460 right? If you're a new supplier in the industry 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.899 and you're not set up to automate tracking and 00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:47.860 you're not set up to automate proofs, what was 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:49.840 that like for you guys in the beginning? How 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:52.539 did you deal with your decoration? So when we 00:12:52.539 --> 00:12:54.840 first jumped in, we actually had a partner that 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:57.460 we outsourced. Basically, we outsourced our decorating. 00:12:57.860 --> 00:13:00.500 We had a pad print partner and we had a laser 00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:03.610 game partner. Because we do customize for both 00:13:03.610 --> 00:13:05.850 sides of our business, our promotional product 00:13:05.850 --> 00:13:09.210 and our retail, and we do a lot of customization 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:13.049 and golf, outdoor resorts, that type stuff, we 00:13:13.049 --> 00:13:16.509 ended up bringing and creating a custom shop 00:13:16.509 --> 00:13:20.049 internally. So we actually have our own pad prints, 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:24.590 digital, all of that. That itself was its own 00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:26.169 undertaking, because that's its own business. 00:13:26.389 --> 00:13:29.070 Yes, yes. Right? The printing, like that is its 00:13:29.070 --> 00:13:32.200 own business that we sort of we're plugging into 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:37.120 our retail business. And so it does give us that 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:41.919 opportunity to do that decoration. But for promo, 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:46.159 it doesn't give us really the volume, the opportunity 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.440 to have like the volume that comes through it, 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:51.980 the quick turn that a supplier might be able 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:55.899 to do. We have much longer lead times. We don't 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:58.259 do kidding. We don't do special boxing. Like 00:13:58.259 --> 00:14:02.179 it's very sort of bare bones. And that's where 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:06.759 I think that takes you so far. And then you need 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:09.559 to find other avenues to continue to grow that 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:11.779 business, whether it's through a distributor, 00:14:12.139 --> 00:14:15.720 a supplier, even some of the MOQ, like online 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:18.840 platforms, where you're selling just blank product 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:22.720 and they are decorating on your behalf. All good 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.779 nuggets for our audience. Yes. Different ways 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:28.759 that you can find sales partners to help you 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:32.240 grow your brand. And all of us have lived those 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.259 partnerships in different ways, which is fantastic. 00:14:36.019 --> 00:14:39.059 So, Kim, can I direct you to talking a little 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:41.759 bit about how the partnerships worked out? So 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.659 you went down that road with a couple of suppliers 00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:47.720 in the industry. So tell us sort of the pros 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:49.659 of that. How did that work out and what were 00:14:49.659 --> 00:14:52.899 the gold nuggets of that process? Yeah, you know, 00:14:52.940 --> 00:14:55.059 well, we so when we started this, I mean, eight 00:14:55.059 --> 00:14:57.059 years, it doesn't sound really that long, but 00:14:57.059 --> 00:15:00.629 the industry has changed so much. over the past 00:15:00.629 --> 00:15:03.570 couple years and really think COVID just like 00:15:03.570 --> 00:15:06.929 with so many things pushed even further stuff 00:15:06.929 --> 00:15:10.649 to change. So we started on our own, as I mentioned, 00:15:10.870 --> 00:15:14.029 and then we partnered with Hersh gift. So we 00:15:14.029 --> 00:15:16.929 partnered with a really good supplier in the 00:15:16.929 --> 00:15:20.429 industry. And we learned a lot through them. 00:15:20.809 --> 00:15:24.070 And then we also partnered with them for a couple 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:28.139 years. And then we partnered with Gemline, who 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:31.200 we're a partner with now. At the time, we did 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.360 have two. So we did have Hirsch and Gemline together 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:38.860 for a little bit. And then we ended up moving 00:15:38.860 --> 00:15:41.879 all business over to Gemline. And really, that 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:44.139 was just because there was a lot of overlap in 00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:48.519 the market. And we wanted to make sure that we 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:50.679 didn't come down to a price war. It was a niggle 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:53.970 and diming, which I think is really important 00:15:53.970 --> 00:15:57.330 and something that's overlooked as a retail brand, 00:15:57.330 --> 00:16:00.269 right? We work really hard on the retail side 00:16:00.269 --> 00:16:03.470 to keep a specific, to keep your brand and to 00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:06.129 have your value and your qualities and all those 00:16:06.129 --> 00:16:08.990 things. And you don't want to jump into the promo 00:16:08.990 --> 00:16:11.710 market and lose all that, right? You want to 00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:13.129 make sure to keep it because that's what keeps 00:16:13.129 --> 00:16:17.090 you special. And so we work with Gemline right 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:19.970 now in the market and they're a fantastic partner. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.700 I mean, they're a top supplier. I think they 00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:24.980 are one of the best in terms of really presenting 00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:27.480 the brand. They don't make it transactional. 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:30.179 It's not about a Tumblr or a canteen, but it's 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:33.299 about a story. It's about a lifestyle, which 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:36.600 works really well with how we position ourselves 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.860 in the market. I think as we move forward, there's 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:42.919 a lot going on in the industry. There's online 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:46.360 platforms coming. MOQ1 is becoming more important. 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:50.299 So I think as we sort of look at what might happen 00:16:50.299 --> 00:16:54.080 in the next two, three, five years, I think that 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.539 strategy might change a little bit, right? We 00:16:56.539 --> 00:17:00.580 may look at other partners out there that feed 00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:03.500 a different audience than Gemline does. It's 00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:06.839 a really big piece of the pie. And not one person 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:09.740 can cover all of it. But I think you do need 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:13.240 to be really strategic to find the partners to 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:16.789 address each of the little functions. Because 00:17:16.789 --> 00:17:19.289 you don't want to overwhelm the market or your 00:17:19.289 --> 00:17:22.349 partner or your partner to yeah, yeah So there's 00:17:22.349 --> 00:17:25.569 lots of nuances to it anything on your mind Adrian. 00:17:25.569 --> 00:17:28.490 I thought I saw your hand up for a second I'm 00:17:28.490 --> 00:17:31.650 loving this conversation because in my mind what 00:17:31.650 --> 00:17:34.369 I'm thinking I think it's too soon to like vomit 00:17:34.369 --> 00:17:37.329 this all over everyone but can make it sound 00:17:37.329 --> 00:17:40.369 like it's so easy and I'm just thinking in my 00:17:40.369 --> 00:17:43.069 mind how many hours of conversation how many 00:17:43.069 --> 00:17:46.519 tests they have to do and then I Exactly. Nine 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.180 years, you said, right? Nine years. Exactly. 00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:51.759 Yeah. And it's not like we picked up the phone 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:54.259 and we're like, hey, Gemline, would you like 00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:57.960 us? I mean, it was months in process. And then 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:01.119 it was, you're also setting up contracts, right? 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:04.079 And so you want to make sure that both parties 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:07.920 are benefiting. from those contracts and then 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:10.559 you're setting everything up in the system and 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:13.019 that takes a while and then you have to watch 00:18:13.019 --> 00:18:17.359 and it's really a year before I feel like before 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:20.420 the industry knows that you're there and that 00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:25.000 you really start to get momentum and see sort 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:28.160 of the power and the opportunity that's in front 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.069 of you so. I know it's always easy on these short 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:33.849 podcasts to be like, ooh, and we did this, and 00:18:33.849 --> 00:18:36.309 we did this, and it was so easy. But it wasn't. 00:18:36.710 --> 00:18:39.829 It's a lot of conversation. It's a lot of trial 00:18:39.829 --> 00:18:43.630 and error. And a lot of patience, quite frankly. 00:18:43.930 --> 00:18:46.710 You have to be patient, because it takes a little 00:18:46.710 --> 00:18:49.730 bit. Yeah. So I want to dive in for a second 00:18:49.730 --> 00:18:53.009 into the idea of adoption in the industry. Oh 00:18:53.009 --> 00:18:54.789 my god, that's so crazy. I was just going to 00:18:54.789 --> 00:18:57.849 say, Kim, it's like you got to give up your baby. 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:01.740 and say, okay, here's my baby, treat it well, 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:03.779 take care of it, give people the right answers, 00:19:04.140 --> 00:19:06.140 all of that. I was gonna interrupt to say that 00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:08.160 and then you mentioned adoption. So I can't wait, 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:12.920 I'm all ears. So yeah, you have to build credibility, 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:16.759 trust with your audience, our distributor members, 00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:19.640 because we have to remember this is how everybody 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:22.279 makes their living, right? Every single order 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:25.640 is money in the bank for our distributors to 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:28.430 live their lives. pay their mortgages and take 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:31.269 care of their kids. So I personally feel like 00:19:31.269 --> 00:19:34.910 this great responsibility to deliver a great 00:19:34.910 --> 00:19:38.210 supplier experience so that my distributor partners 00:19:38.210 --> 00:19:41.730 can make their livings. So building that trust, 00:19:41.890 --> 00:19:44.869 that credibility, that takes time. I find it 00:19:44.869 --> 00:19:47.569 to be over the past five years of working with 00:19:47.569 --> 00:19:51.009 brands, a two to three to five year progression. 00:19:51.500 --> 00:19:54.839 And it's really important to dedicate yourself 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:58.799 and commit to the industry. So to stand out in 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:02.920 the noise is a challenge like any other sales 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.400 market. I think sometimes folks come to promo 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.240 thinking it's an easier path when actually it's 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:14.220 a harder path and you really have to commit, 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:17.619 have some resources. I'm not saying you can't 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:20.359 bootstrap it. You can. And I did that with branded 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:22.720 treats. And I know, Adrienne, you've done it 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.839 with some smaller suppliers. Absolutely, you 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:29.619 can bootstrap success. But it's the same principles. 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:33.059 Focus on building your brand, whether you do 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:36.039 it regionally, whether you do it with a select 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:38.559 national group, or whether you partner with a 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:41.779 bigger supplier, or all of those things. It's 00:20:41.779 --> 00:20:44.950 having a roadmap. sticking to your plan and working 00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:49.190 your plan. But the biggest piece I find for me 00:20:49.190 --> 00:20:51.930 is building that trust. What do you think? Okay, 00:20:51.930 --> 00:20:55.670 so my the biggest one to me is first of all, 00:20:55.670 --> 00:20:59.710 do your own SWAT analysis. Know your sweat and 00:20:59.710 --> 00:21:03.609 then take a little time to imagine every scenario 00:21:03.609 --> 00:21:06.109 of the worst that can happen and come up with 00:21:06.109 --> 00:21:08.849 a solution because in the industry problems are 00:21:08.849 --> 00:21:12.049 going to happen. It's how it's going to be handled 00:21:12.049 --> 00:21:16.329 and After my thirty five years i can recall suppliers 00:21:16.329 --> 00:21:18.170 that are very happy to put the blame right back 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:21.470 on you everything it's your fault that there's 00:21:21.470 --> 00:21:24.390 plenty of suppliers that don't do that so whatever 00:21:24.390 --> 00:21:28.289 happens you have to know how to handle the situation 00:21:28.289 --> 00:21:31.730 correctly and that's a tough one that is to be 00:21:31.730 --> 00:21:33.329 one of the tough one so before you go in the 00:21:33.329 --> 00:21:35.809 industry look at everything what's gonna happen 00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:38.849 if you sell five thousand. By the way, I got 00:21:38.849 --> 00:21:41.569 some gifts of Corksicle and I absolutely love 00:21:41.569 --> 00:21:45.529 them. I literally took it. I would never travel 00:21:45.529 --> 00:21:48.230 with something, but I took to Mexico last year 00:21:48.230 --> 00:21:50.450 because I'm like, these are so good. The only 00:21:50.450 --> 00:21:53.569 problem with Corksicle is that I am like a mudslide 00:21:53.569 --> 00:21:55.970 girl. And the problem is, is that I literally 00:21:55.970 --> 00:21:58.569 had to like take off the cover. It stayed cold 00:21:58.569 --> 00:22:02.170 and like 95 degree weather. And I'm like, I can't 00:22:02.170 --> 00:22:04.990 even drink it. I had to let it warm up a little 00:22:04.990 --> 00:22:07.700 bit because it really works. But anyways, you 00:22:07.700 --> 00:22:10.140 know, what if you open up a box and all of a 00:22:10.140 --> 00:22:12.720 sudden a $5 ,000 order and then you open it and 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.980 it's like the wrong product or the wrong imprint 00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:17.839 or anything like that. So consider all the things 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:20.900 that could go wrong and get your solution and 00:22:20.900 --> 00:22:23.839 be known as a supplier that cares enough. Don't 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:26.579 say we never make a mistake. Here's how we fix 00:22:26.579 --> 00:22:28.200 the mistakes. Here's what we're going to do. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:31.119 I think that's an important like bucket to have 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:34.650 ready. So that's my tip. Yeah, I love that, Adrienne. 00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:39.250 And part of that is knowing how to prepare, knowing 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:41.670 the process, knowing how to take care of your 00:22:41.670 --> 00:22:44.970 distributors, knowing the steps that are so crucial 00:22:44.970 --> 00:22:49.890 to delivering a successful order on time, all 00:22:49.890 --> 00:22:52.250 the things you just said. And the key to that 00:22:52.250 --> 00:22:55.049 really is having someone dedicated to the market 00:22:55.049 --> 00:22:59.650 internally. I do think that that makes a big 00:22:59.650 --> 00:23:04.720 difference. That is my job. My job is to ensure 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:09.519 that our partners have everything they need that 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:13.259 they are responded to right away. That if we 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:16.539 have a challenge together, we can overcome it. 00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:20.079 We can both compromise. We can give or take and. 00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:24.480 having somebody internally dedicated to that, 00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:26.119 not as an afterthought. It doesn't have to be 00:23:26.119 --> 00:23:29.420 100 % of a person. It could be 50 % of a person, 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:33.200 but it can't be 5 % because you won't set yourself 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:36.900 up for success. And I think that's important 00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:40.440 because you need that person to also still ride 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:42.480 your partners, just like on your retail side, 00:23:42.700 --> 00:23:45.259 we ride your rep. Super insightful. Making sure 00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:48.440 that they're selling what you have. Yeah, so 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:52.160 you need an advocate inside both. So within a 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:54.960 bigger brand, and you know, I've experienced 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:58.119 this in a bigger brand, is the company behind 00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:00.980 the channel? Is the company bought in? Are they 00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:03.900 dedicated? Or are they still in checking it out 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:06.799 mode, which is okay, too. But ultimately, when 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:09.460 your brand commits, make sure that you're truly 00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:11.599 committing. Now, whether that's with a group 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:15.039 like the promo playbook or whether that's a dedicated 00:24:15.230 --> 00:24:18.789 salary person within your organization. You need 00:24:18.789 --> 00:24:22.089 an advocate within the bigger framework to make 00:24:22.089 --> 00:24:25.190 sure that all of the services are executed. And 00:24:25.190 --> 00:24:28.589 that can take time to you guys. That can take 00:24:28.589 --> 00:24:32.910 a year, 16 months, 18 months. So we're not trying 00:24:32.910 --> 00:24:35.430 to scare anybody. We just really want you to 00:24:35.430 --> 00:24:39.349 be realistic about what it takes. to grow your 00:24:39.349 --> 00:24:41.509 brand in the market. Now, if you come into the 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:44.450 market and you only want to maybe do 100 ,000, 00:24:44.569 --> 00:24:47.369 add 100 ,000 to your bottom line, that's a different 00:24:47.369 --> 00:24:49.869 conversation. But if you really want to create 00:24:49.869 --> 00:24:54.150 a robust channel in promo, Kim, you've shared 00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:57.309 some amazing insight on how to do that as a big 00:24:57.309 --> 00:25:00.829 brand that has the budget to dedicate to standing 00:25:00.829 --> 00:25:03.789 out in the industry. You've done it so successfully. 00:25:04.609 --> 00:25:07.799 Congratulations. That's exciting. I think I wanted 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:11.559 to maybe direct our conversation to your successes, 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:15.400 what you look as the big wins with Corexical, 00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:18.240 and then a few things that you might do different. 00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:22.380 Yeah. So I think for us jumping in, we didn't 00:25:22.380 --> 00:25:25.880 know, right? I wish we actually had a bit of 00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.299 more of a roadmap for someone to guide us to 00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:31.900 know what to expect. I think it would have helped 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:34.680 along, definitely along the way. I mean, I'm 00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:38.650 really proud of where we are. In the space, we 00:25:38.650 --> 00:25:41.509 are a good, I think, recognized as a really good 00:25:41.509 --> 00:25:45.930 trend. I think Gemline has done a fantastic job 00:25:45.930 --> 00:25:49.869 positioning us in the market. I really like how 00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:53.269 they present us at PPAI, and you look at the 00:25:53.269 --> 00:25:55.609 show, and I go booth to booth, and I see how 00:25:55.609 --> 00:25:58.670 different people are, how the different suppliers 00:25:58.670 --> 00:26:03.130 attack the market. I really am impressed of how 00:26:03.130 --> 00:26:07.220 the Gemline team does in that. We do great volume. 00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:10.500 I mean, it's a healthy business. Yes. Awesome. 00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:14.140 And, you know, we're, like I said, we are retail, 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:16.700 but this isn't, you know, we started down this 00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:19.180 path thinking, oh, this would be just a little 00:26:19.180 --> 00:26:23.900 piece. It's a significant piece for us. And we're 00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:25.740 proud of that. Yeah, congratulations. We're proud 00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:29.000 of that fact. I think, in terms of things we 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:31.799 would do different, I don't know, maybe if I 00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:35.069 had your... from a playbook to refer back to. 00:26:35.190 --> 00:26:37.029 I would make some of those changes at different 00:26:37.029 --> 00:26:40.509 times. I think just keeping up and understanding 00:26:40.509 --> 00:26:44.910 the shifts in the market. I think really not 00:26:44.910 --> 00:26:47.529 sort of resting on your morals, which I think 00:26:47.529 --> 00:26:49.569 we did. I mean, I did. I think it was like, oh, 00:26:49.569 --> 00:26:52.130 this is going really well. It's great. Like sit 00:26:52.130 --> 00:26:54.609 back. And then you're like, oh, what was that 00:26:54.609 --> 00:26:57.410 bump? Oh, wait, maybe another one. And then you 00:26:57.410 --> 00:27:00.369 have to react. Yeah. Right. So I think even if 00:27:00.369 --> 00:27:02.859 you're having success out of the gate, Just not 00:27:02.859 --> 00:27:05.140 losing sight and really having your pulse on 00:27:05.140 --> 00:27:08.200 things so that you can make changes and adapt 00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:13.140 or explore and expand depending on what you're 00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:16.359 sort of bringing is something that I recommend. 00:27:16.910 --> 00:27:19.450 just really being involved in it. Yeah. And it 00:27:19.450 --> 00:27:22.789 sounds to me like being dialed into your KPIs, 00:27:23.029 --> 00:27:24.930 making sure that you're hitting the milestones, 00:27:25.190 --> 00:27:27.250 having your team dialed in, whether that's your 00:27:27.250 --> 00:27:29.910 distributor team, whoever's on your team, or 00:27:29.910 --> 00:27:32.869 even if it's just yourself, measuring yourself 00:27:32.869 --> 00:27:35.549 against the milestones. And trust your gut too, 00:27:35.690 --> 00:27:38.150 right? I mean, we're in an industry that loves 00:27:38.150 --> 00:27:40.950 black and white. and maybe blue is like, woo. 00:27:41.230 --> 00:27:42.910 And if you get a little bit of a pattern, it's 00:27:42.910 --> 00:27:46.670 like, hopefully go. And that's not our DNA as 00:27:46.670 --> 00:27:51.029 a brand. But we're pushing. I mean, we push. 00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:53.970 And Gemline's been willing to test those markets. 00:27:54.029 --> 00:27:57.069 And we've got a walnut. We've got a pink. And 00:27:57.069 --> 00:28:00.309 we've got now a blue and a desert and color, 00:28:00.309 --> 00:28:03.930 actually, in the market, which is refreshing, 00:28:04.190 --> 00:28:07.799 I think. And it's resonating well, so I think 00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:10.380 sometimes you just if your retail brand too and 00:28:10.380 --> 00:28:13.799 you're seeing some trends on the retail side, 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.380 don't be afraid. to push your partners to test 00:28:17.380 --> 00:28:19.799 that too, because it does make a difference. 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:22.400 If anything, it sets you apart. Yeah. Yeah. And 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:25.759 I do believe that retail, it continues to try 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:28.920 and promote. Adrienne may remember in the early 00:28:28.920 --> 00:28:31.839 days, all we had to sell was white t -shirt, 00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:36.599 bumper stickers, and buttons. Wait, wait, jar 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:40.000 grips, jar grips. Jar grips. Yeah. Shout out 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:43.430 to me. I think my biggest takeaway of this conversation, 00:28:43.450 --> 00:28:45.210 yeah, because I remember the one sheet, so just 00:28:45.210 --> 00:28:47.890 the page, but the biggest conversation, the biggest 00:28:47.890 --> 00:28:52.950 key takeaway for me that I love is that it was 00:28:52.950 --> 00:28:57.130 the users that said, we love this product, we 00:28:57.130 --> 00:28:59.509 want to decorate it. What is custom decorating 00:28:59.509 --> 00:29:02.970 look? And then I say kudos to Corsical for saying, 00:29:03.250 --> 00:29:05.250 hey, we're going to listen, we're going to hear, 00:29:05.349 --> 00:29:07.769 and we're going to investigate because who knows 00:29:07.769 --> 00:29:10.490 if you would be here if you didn't hear. that 00:29:10.490 --> 00:29:13.109 call out for requests. So, and I think that's 00:29:13.109 --> 00:29:15.869 good for any supplier that may be in the retail 00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:18.529 and is listening to it. Don't like to ignore 00:29:18.529 --> 00:29:20.329 it. Think about maybe, because if that's what 00:29:20.329 --> 00:29:22.769 they're asking for, then give the people what 00:29:22.769 --> 00:29:25.769 they're asking for. So I love that, like right 00:29:25.769 --> 00:29:27.490 from the start that you guys were smart enough 00:29:27.490 --> 00:29:29.210 to do that, Kim. And then of course you picked 00:29:29.210 --> 00:29:32.349 two amazing suppliers and shout out to Gemline. 00:29:33.150 --> 00:29:37.789 And Hersh. I love Peter. Thank you for today. 00:29:38.049 --> 00:29:40.750 That was fantastic. We'll be bringing you back 00:29:40.750 --> 00:29:43.230 and Kim will be part of the team interviewing 00:29:43.230 --> 00:29:46.569 other guests and we're going to dive into national 00:29:46.569 --> 00:29:49.690 accounts on our next session. So hang in there, 00:29:49.769 --> 00:29:52.509 come back and visit us again and we'll talk to 00:29:52.509 --> 00:29:58.029 you soon. Awesome. Thank you, Kim and Lisa. Thanks 00:29:58.029 --> 00:30:00.910 for tuning into the promo playbook. If you found 00:30:00.910 --> 00:30:04.049 value in today's episode, be sure to subscribe 00:30:04.049 --> 00:30:07.069 and leave us a review. Got a topic you'd love 00:30:07.069 --> 00:30:09.609 us to cover? Connect with us on LinkedIn. We 00:30:09.609 --> 00:30:13.210 want to hear from you. Until next time, stay 00:30:13.210 --> 00:30:16.250 smart, stay strategic, and keep growing your 00:30:16.250 --> 00:30:17.230 supplier's success.