Welcome to the promo playbook, the podcast where
suppliers come to win in the promotional products
industry. We're your hosts, Lisa Faustek and
Adrienne Barker, bringing you insider insights,
expert strategies, and no fluff advice to help
suppliers navigate the promo channel like pros.
From marketing to distributors to mastering software
onboarding, we cover it all. Whether you're new
to the industry or ready to scale up, this is
your playbook for success. Let's get started.
Welcome to the supplier promo playbook, the podcast
dedicated to helping suppliers navigate and succeed
in the promotional products industry. This episode
is part of our special PPAI expo series recorded
live on the show floor in Las Vegas. We had the
incredible opportunity to talk with suppliers
and brands from across the industry right in
their booths at the biggest trade show of the
year. These are quick. Candid conversations packed
with real -world advice on everything from product
differentiation and sustainability to trade show
strategies, and the power of building great relationships.
These on -the -floor interviews are raw, energetic,
and full of actionable insights you won't find
anywhere else. So get ready to hear directly
from the people shaping our industry. Let's dive
into this conversation from the PPAI Expo. Hey
everyone, I'm back here at PPAI and I am standing
in front of the Kanga Coolers booth. And when
I say these things are cool, all the puns intended,
it's amazing. I'm currently looking at a Narragansett
vlogger cooler that literally has the most adorable
playoff on Jaws. I've taken three pictures and
I already have three people I'm sending it to.
It's awesome. So I am here with co -founder Austin
Maxwell. These guys have been in the industry
for a little bit, so we're going to dive in and
learn a little bit more about them and a tidbit
or two that they would suggest of advice for
all you new suppliers. Austin, thank you so much.
Can you tell me a little bit about Kanga Coolers?
Absolutely. So Kanga Coolers started as a college
class project at Clemson University in 2017.
Go Tigers! Go Tigers. We got to be on the project.
Be for beer. They clearly didn't know what they
were talking about. We were challenged to find
a solution to a problem that we face on a regular
basis. So as college students, we face the challenge
of warm beer on game days and our options. You
can't have warm beer. You can't have warm beer.
Now our options for enjoying those beers and
keeping them cold was either a big bulky cooler
or it was what we call a naked case of beer,
which is just drinking out of a 12 pack or 24
pack with nothing on it. So we saw someone use
a koozie for a can of beer. which keeps it cold
for the time you're actually going to drink it.
And we thought, why doesn't someone invent a
koozie for the entire case of beer? That's how
the idea was born. And the reason we got to be
on it is because we didn't follow the rubric.
It's not the professor's fault. We have a great
relationship with them. We went on Shark Tank.
We did a deal on the show. And yeah, we have
wholesale direct to consumer Amazon. And then,
of course, the promotional product space. So
you've been in the promo space for a couple of
years. What made you sort of move from? Well,
not move, but add the corporate gifting. It's
really funny. Actually, the promotional product
space came to us and it was our first distribution
channel. So when we were posting about our product
concept online and when we had gone on Shark
Tank, we had a very small wholesale business
and we had a very small e -commerce business.
But Anheuser -Busch actually reached out on behalf
of one of the distributors that they work with,
which at the time is Staples. And they said,
hey, we love your product. Can we put our top
year brands logos all over your cooler? And we
were like, yeah, we can do it. It's a full customizable
item. We can do this. It's a dye sublimation
is the process. And so that prompted us to be
like, we need to look further into this space,
this customization space, a promotional product
space. But our first large order was from Staples.
And it was for Anheuser -Busch Bud Light, Bush
Light, Miklo -Voltran Natural Light, four different
beer skews. So maybe your B grade was foreshadowed
as to what was coming. That's right. That's right.
All right, so you're a veteran and we interview
here everywhere from newbies to people who have
been in the industry for up to 20 years. A lot
of our podcast listeners are new themselves.
They're either just starting to jump in a promo,
they're thinking about it, or they're somewhere
toward the beginning of their journey. What sort
of good advice would you give someone new to
the space or thinking of even thinking about
it? Like, do I? You know, it seems huge. Do I
even jump in? That's the thing is it can be overwhelming.
So my first piece of advice would be take a deep
breath because there the industry is a lot bigger
than I ever expected. And it seems bigger and
bigger every time I come to the PPA show. My
advice is to find a mentor or someone else who
has exhibited or is in this space to help coach
you through how to set your pricing structure
up. and understand that there's a C coded, the
different levels and tiers of the pricing codes
are really important so that you can speak the
language before showing up to an event and have
someone who can help guide you through, hey,
we're selling to distributors who are selling
to the end users and there has to be some margin
built in for everyone in that transaction. Now
is the end user going to use it for promo or
is the end user going to resell it? Because that
may change everything. And then there's a component
of suppliers which adds a whole new dynamic to
it. So don't be overwhelmed because this stuff
is confusing and it can take years to learn it.
Find a good mentor and just stay calm. And I
love that you said a couple of key things that
we talk about on the show all the time. One,
you need to educate yourself in the market. Two,
it's completely different than retail. So you
have to sort of figure out all the different
pieces. And we talk about pricing and go to market
strategy and all that fun stuff. And it is not
for the faint of heart. Yeah, it's not. And your
follow up game has to be really strong. You want
to stay top of mind, especially with the distributors
that you're working with, because they're pitching.
maybe dozens, if not hundreds of brands to these
clients, and you want to make sure that you're
included in those pitch decks. So you can't just
send one email every three months and expect
that you're going to be top of mind when they're
going to these meetings, you need to send samples,
you need to get on a texting relationship with
them, you need to call them like this is a relationship
based industry. So take that very seriously.
and customer service, which we always say and
every podcast is is king at this point. 100%.
So awesome. Thank you so much. I know we've got
a couple of people here. You squeeze me into
your schedule. I love it. The coolers look amazing.
And team, thanks so much. I'll be back with more
from the show. Hi, I'm back here at PPAI standing
in front of the Fatty Pack booth. Fatty Pack,
I said it. It's awesome. They were terrific at
the pitch yesterday. You're a part of the show,
but they've got a brand new product out in the
market. I'm standing here with Derek Elliott,
one of the co -founders. And Derek, can you tell
me a little bit about what Fatty Pack is? Yes,
so Fatty Pack is a completely new product to
the promotional products industry and the world
in general. It's a patented tri -fold pouch that
we designed to wrap right to the back of open
backpacks. But it's also great for wrapping to
other things like your purse strap, bra strap,
bikini strap. dog collar or dog leash. It's a
really small pouch, but in those cases, it's
great for attaching like a key, cash, or you
can put things in the fatty pack, but you can
also attach things to the fatty pack like a ball
marker, golf tee. There's really a lot of options
for things you can do with it. It's kind of a
new product. We're learning new things every
day. I wish this were visual because it is super
cool looking, very slim. It doesn't look at all
like your grandmother's. Fanny pack. It is the
new fatty pack and it's terrific. So this is
your first time at the show. Can you tell us
a little bit like you are sort of new jumping
in to promotional products? Like what made you
sort of tackle this space? Yes. So this is our
first trade show ever in general, and it's also
our first time at PPAI. We heard from a lot of
people about, you know, it'd be a perfect opportunity
to add a little customization to a hat. So we
really kind of got forced into it. You know,
there's not. There's only three of us. We don't
have a lot of time to explore all the potential
things we could do. But the the people were barking
about potentially having custom value facts.
They wanted to ask us about different colors
and things. So we really thought that the promotional
products industry would be a great opportunity
for us to get the word out there. We're trying
to grow the brand. And, you know, the volumes
with promotional products are so large, we thought
it'd be a really good opportunity. And we're
having a blast. We're learning a lot about all
that. terms and terminology. We know a little
bit of our stuff, you know, we've got our quoted
pricing and everything like that, learning about
lead times. But yeah, it's been a, the response
has been good and we're excited to keep learning
more and diving deeper into the industry. Well,
we love having newbies in. It's awesome. And
it is a little quirky of an industry, as I'm
sure you learned. They've been packed. I had
to wait to get a front row center seat here.
A lot of people at the booth. It's been terrific.
So Now that you've had, you know, a whole 36
hours, maybe 24 hours in the space, is there
anything that has sort of surprised you or like
something you didn't count on that you're like,
oh, all right, this is good to know for next
time? Well, definitely bringing up samples we
didn't. Fortunately, we were mostly direct to
consumer and we had a really good holiday season.
So we sort of sold out of a lot of our product,
which was good for us, but kind of made GPA a
little harder. come with more samples next year.
But I would say the biggest thing that we've
learned is just how hungry people are for new
products. It's something that we realize is really
important because there's a lot of people coming
back with the same things year after year. So
for us to be able to offer a new product is something
that people are really excited about. And we're
just happy to have those conversations. And it's
been great to hear about the different ways people
can use Fatty Pack and also get some pointers
on how we can market it better because We're
still learning all the different ways we can
use the product. So being able to just talk to
people is fantastic. That's awesome. Well, thank
you so much. And just as you know, recap, our
listeners are all new suppliers and there are
so many out there. We get questions all the time
from our podcast of that was a great one. But
can you give us a little more information from
like new people, you know, jumping in, not always
people who are sort of veterans in the industry.
And so learning from folks like you. Guys, if
you're on LinkedIn, follow Fatty Pak and we'll
continue to watch your journey and best of luck.
Yeah, well, it's really great to meet you and
I appreciate you having me on and I'm excited
to learn more about the industry and talk to
you more in the future. Terrific. Thanks. Hello,
promo playbook guests. We are here at PPAI this
morning. This is the first day of the show on
Tuesday. in January, and I am here with Dion
Angelove, and I apologize if I spell, if I said
that incorrectly, but he is the founder of Organic
Tea Star. And let me tell you, I just came from
his booth and I am blown away about the incredible
product that he has. But Dion, why don't you
tell our listeners a little bit about Organic
Tea Star. Hi everyone, I'm Dion Angelove, the
founder of Organic Tea Star. Organic Tea Star
is... supplier for 100 % certified organic cotton
that we cannot find anywhere else. I'm in the
promo industry from 20 years here and our main
focus is to supply real fair trade organic cotton
from adults, kids and onsies. I mean from all
the line, all kind of products that you can buy
and you can wear and your body can feel healthier
and sustainable. It's amazing and guys I know
we don't do visual here but if you could see
the booth and the fun stuff that he has everywhere
from t -shirts to holos to fleeces to jackets
to hard goods too all that are 100 % organic
it's really amazing. So Dan tell me a little
bit how do you go to market now with your products
who do you work with in the industry? At the
moment I'm working only with their distributors.
give them a wholesale price, give them custom
services from the start to finish. The products
can be blank, but we would like to decorate with
sustainable inks, with sustainable embroidery,
and DTG would just certify all the process and
polybag that we're using are recyclable. And
this is how we work. We work only with the distributor
at the moment. That's great. That's great. So...
As I had mentioned, most of our listeners are
new suppliers, brands, sort of thinking if they
want to jump in the promotional space. As someone
who's been in business for 20 plus years, do
you have any nuggets of advice or gems of advice
you would tell people jumping in? I can give
advice like this. For the top, you have to use
the stairs. There is no lift that you can use.
I'd love that. I love that. And for us, a lot
of it is it's not, you know, it's not a sprint,
it's a marathon. Yes. And I do think that that's
important for our listeners because it does take
time to build your business. Definitely. Take
your time. It's never happened like this from
to wake up the next day and everything is going
to be great and awesome. It's there is sometimes
there is a light in that we say there is a light
in the tunnel. And sometimes we say, I hope this
is not the luck of the the team. The steam train.
I love it. Well, thank you for your time today.
Good luck at PPAI. People are starting to come
over to your booth. So we're going to scoot out.
But thank you so much for being a guest on our
show. Thank you. Thank you for inviting me for
this time. Hello, podcast audience. We're here
still from PPAI. And I know we talk a lot about
on this podcast that really understanding and
educating yourself on the market is key. You
can't just jump in blind. And one of the things
he always suggests and recommend is that you
attend either PPAI, what we call the Super Bowl
trade shows in promotional products, or you attend
a local regional show just to learn more about
the market. And I had the opportunity today to
sit down with Ryan Batchelor from Troubadour.
He is the Director of Retail and Business Development.
They've got a couple years into this market,
but are always learning and trying to figure
out all those quirky ins and outs that we talk
about. And he is here just watching the show.
Yes, no, ooh. One of the best things you can
do to educate yourself is to immerse yourself
in the market. And that's exactly what Ryan is
doing. Ryan, thank you so much for taking time
out of the show floor and meeting with me. Thank
you. Can you tell me a little bit about Troubadour?
Yeah, sure. So Troubadour is a British brand
originally. We have a store in London and we
are a sustainable accessories brand. So we focus
on high functionality, sustainability, durability,
and we focus on backpacks, duffels, totes, and
all sorts of range of carry. And you've been
in the corporate space for a couple of years
now, but what made you sort of jump into this
market? So our backpacks really resonate with
sort of a corporate client. So our Apex backpack
is our best selling style. It's been picked as
new times wire cutters, best laptop backpack
for the last four years. It's really fits in
with that market and we have a corporate customer.
that is looking to buy into our products constantly.
We've recognized that at our store in London.
We have a lot of the local offices buying into
our products and Word of Mouth has really sort
of helped grow our brand and through accolades
that we've sort of received over the past years.
This part of the business has been one of the
quickest growing parts, so we wanted to sort
of look at how we can expand further into this
market. And you've done some great work on your
advertising and social media. I think you're
all over my LinkedIn feed. You show up on my
Facebook and my Instagram feed. Yeah. So it's
terrific. So how are you currently selling into
the market? Do you have a supplier? Are you selling
direct? Yeah. So we're doing both. We started
off by first launching our own direct landing
page on our website. So people could sort of...
apply through our website and see what projects
we could work with them on and we found that
that grew really quickly and what we sort of
learned from the industry and reaching out to
other businesses was that working with promotional
clients and distributors was really important
for us. They're obviously the experts in this
area and they have the connections which can
help grow our brand and put our products into
different businesses and give more visibility
of it that we wouldn't be able to do ourselves.
That's terrific. So we talk a lot about different
ways to win a market. A supplier through a supplier,
direct through a distributor, or through end
users. And everyone's journey is different. And
so I think it's great to tap into each of those
audiences and then blogger out where you're the
most profitable, where you're getting this reception.
And it's not permanent. So it's ever -changing.
You may start down one path and then... realize
there's a second that where you retreat and start
all over. Yeah, absolutely. We see great value
in working with them all at the moment. And that
may narrow down over time, but it's been successful
through all channels so far. So if you're a new
supplier looking to jump into this market, if
you could give one piece of advice to them, what
would it be? I think for us, we have a really
special, unique product. And I think obviously
in the promotional industry, there's a lot of
sort of lower quality items. I think you have
any unique selling point or product which people
want to buy into that really sets you apart within
the industry is important. And I think that's
the case across retail and having a brand in
general. Troubadour has grown from its sort of
being that point of difference in the market,
having a great product that is... sustainable
and really sort of functional. And that's how
we built such a great customer base over the
years. And I think that resonates across into
this promotional industry whereby people recognize
that we have a high quality product and we have
something that's unique to the market. And I
think that's key, really finding something that
differentiates yourself. You can't be cuckoo
cutter. You can't be the same as something out
there because you are competing that retail brands,
non -retail brands, price points, all of that
stuff. I think Jogira has done a great job at
their price point and really trying to set themselves
apart out there. All you new suppliers, when
you're looking at your product line, we can't
overstate but not that differentiator because
that's what's going to cut through the noise
of this facing market. Ryan, thank you so much.
I know you want to get back to the show. It's
a little crazy here in Vegas. Team, we'll be
back with more great interviews. Thanks much.
Thank you. Thanks for tuning into the promo playbook.
If you found value in today's episode, be sure
to subscribe and leave us a review. Got a topic
you'd love us to cover? Connect with us on LinkedIn.
We want to hear from you. Until next time, stay
smart, stay strategic, and keep growing your
supplier success.