Add Value, Win Loyalty
This distributor builds goodwill when she sells promotional products.
Some distributors stick with the same product mix until diversification is the only way to grow. But Mark Holm, owner of Indigo Communications, Folsom, Calif., focuses his energy each month on selling a new product such as plastic cards, commercial printing, direct mail and security documents.
Once he settles on a product, Holm targets industries that would benefit from it, and the company has built an assortment of clients in diverse markets. The strategy has paid off--in its first year, Indigo posted $250,000 in sales. Holm, a former UARCO and Standard Register employee, wants to reach $1 million in sales next year.
Recently, Holm's broad capabilities helped him win promotional products business. The client made smoothies--yogurt-based fruit drinks--at Guna Juice, Elk Grove, Calif. He bought the operation from his former employer and decided to redo the store's image. He first called on Holm to provide a new logo. Holm's graphic designer redesigned the previous type-based logo (the name of the business) with a new image featuring a bamboo background, three neon colors and a font that resembles bamboo sticks. "The customer loved it," Holm says, "and people are asking [the owner] 'Where did you get that?'"
Distributorship Indigo Communications, Folsom, Calif., redesigned a logo for Guna Juice, Elk Grove, Calif. The owner of the retail store was so pleased that he also called on the company to provide logoed uniforms and imprinted promotional products for Guna Juice's grand reopening.
The client gave Holm another challenge: "The thing he needed the most was a gift certificate," Holm says, because gift certificates account for 30 percent of the store's gross sales. "[He] had no experience with printing whatsoever, so he totally relied on me to come up with a solution." The client was concerned most about cost-effectiveness, Holm says, so Indigo Communications offered 8 1/2 x 11-inch, 2-color certificates printed on colored check stock to match the company's new logo. The certificates are of the same denomination and, to deter duplication, are numbered consecutively. The stacks of certificates are held together by staples instead of perfect binding, because the stubs' appearance is unimportant, Holm says; what matters is the certificate customers take away.
Holm's expertise with the logo and gift certificate translated into promotional product sales for the client's grand reopening. Indigo Communications supplied embroidered shirts, aprons and visors for the employees' uniforms and logoed Frisbee, pen and balloon giveaways. Thanks to Holm's early success for the client and his penchant for offering numerous products, "[the client] got people in uniform, a brand new image and stuff to give away."
--Andrew Brown
Promotional products distributorship Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Woodinville, Wash., and Intel Corp., a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., have settled a dispute surrounding the shipment of merchandise to a third party and billed to Intel in 1998 and 1999. Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. A sales representative at Bensussen Deutsch, who has since been fired, allegedly billed Intel for $500,000 worth of non-promotional merchandise, including golf clubs, stereo equipment and a big-screen television. Intel recently had sued Bensussen Deutsch for negligence and breach of contract for not reimbursing the purchases. Bensussen & Deutsch continues to pursue a lawsuit against Transportation Insurance Company, which the distributorship argues failed to pay a claim for the fraudulent charges.
Major League Baseball officials and Columbia Pictures reversed a decision in May to use bases as promotional vehicles. According to ESPN.com, the companies planned to place Spider-Man 2 movie logos on first, second and third base during interleague games played June 11-13. Fans reacted negatively to the deal's announcement, causing the companies to abandon the promotion.
Political-themed Stress Relievers
Ariel Premium Supply Inc., St. Louis, offers its Linline political-themed stress relievers in a variety of shapes and sizes. The products feature non-toxic, biodegradable polyurethane and imprint areas for messages or company logos. For more information, call (800) 270-7474 or (314) 890-0695 (fax). Visit www.arielpremium.com.
Hanging Light
Touch N' Lite from Garrity Industries, Madison, Conn., measures 6 3/4 x 1 5/8 inches, with an imprint area of 1 1/2 x 3/4 inches on the dome and 1 1/2 x 3/8 inches on the base. Available in white or silver, Touch N' Lite features an adjustable timer and hang hole. Call (800) 245-5112 or (800) 605-5483 (fax). Visit www.garritypromo.com.
