August Newsletter - SAAGNY Lifev4.png

THE AMAZONIAN EFFECT ON OUR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT INDUSTRY (Yes, I made up the word Amazonian).  As most reading this know, there are 4 things consistently discussed in just about every communication medium of my life. Branded Merchandise, my children Leyla and Luke, my dog Rip (named after Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone), and of course the sport of kings…Football.  The brown pigskin football, not the round version.  Moved Leyla down to Clemson recently and although thought we had everything we needed, a few misses happened. Enter Amazon. In about 2 minutes, Leyla had ordered from her I phone forgotten and needed (in her 20 year old mind anyway) college apartment needs. After discussing the items with me, my one word response and in an effort to show GEN Z relevance….Bruhh! But I digress, one less trip to Walmart or Target would find me at TD’s

Sports Bar on College Avenue faster to start showing my support of Clemson Tiger Football this upcoming season with the rest of the dads moving in their children. Interestingly enough, the, goods Leyla ordered arrived the next day at the same time I was trying to blame allergies for my eyes tearing up as I said goodbye to my daughter and begin the 700 mile trip back to Jersey.

Football training camp started this summer and Luke is ready to go at linebacker and wide receiver as he enters his Senior year at North Hunterdon High School. For those of us raising or who have raised youth athletes, an interesting and sometimes familiar scent permeates the home during specific times of year as our athletes come and go. In our home, this scent also

sparks the interest of our cavapoo Rip who seems to be drawn to it as opposed to avoiding. For years, I have told Luke don’t leave your gear on the floor and make sure all is out of reach of Rip. Well, here comes another miss. Luke left his football gloves inside his backpack on the floor where somehow Rip was able to sniff out, pull down zipper pocket and begin to snack on his brand new (and very expensive) receiver gloves.

Enjoy the following…

LUKE: Dad, Rip ate my new receiver gloves.

ME: The new ones? You gotta be kidding me!!!!

LUKE: Yes, and I have a scrimmage tomorrow afternoon.

ME: How many times have I told you not to leave your gear on the

floor. You better run out to Dicks Sporting Goods.

LUKE: They don’t carry them, gotta get ‘em from Amazon.

ME: You owe me!

Much like Leyla, with a few hits on an I phone, the gloves were ordered and delivered in time for Luke’s scrimmage. Side note: he did score a 40 yard touchdown, so slowly I forgot about the other and now digested gloves.

The convenience and speed of Amazon is an incredible resource for all of us and I am sure my family examples are similar for all of us SAAGNY member consumers. But, while Amazon is transforming the way consumers shop, its impact on our Promotional Product Industry may be showing some challenges for the supplier to the distributor and on to the end user.

Amazon, has contributed to the expectation that virtually any product can be purchased and delivered immediately. However, promotional products require sourcing, artwork, proof approvals, customization, inventory management, and complete order entry. Our industry risks losing business when customers expect the same speed and simplicity they experience with a standard Amazon purchase.

The Amazonian effect is more than a competition for individual orders, it is a changing of how customers perceive promotional products. If distributors are forced to compete primarily on price and speed, our industry risks commoditizing products that have been traditionally sold through relationships, expertise, and value. Suppliers are forced to restructure production plans due to end user events/in hands dates, disrupting the normal daily schedule while rushing goods on to the final tractor trailer headed to the airport at excessive overnight shipping rates.

Both distributor and supplier reps now face a sleepless night awaiting the goods to be signed for in time the next day. For our industry, the challenge may be that Amazon isn’t just selling products, it is changing customer expectations.  I know what you are thinking… well Mark, how do we fix this?

Wish I had the perfect answer here but perhaps we can begin by explaining to new customers while offering refreshers to existing customers of the work flow of our industry. From product selection to delivery, we can outline the process and estimated timelines. While certain product categories require different production times, a planning timeline discussion from the start may be able to alleviate the uncomfortable; we did everything we can but I have bad news phone call. After 32 years in our industry, I wish the Keebler elves were available in our industry workforce but unfortunately inventory cannot magically appear and sent to an imprinting team that rivals only that of Santa’s workshop. Although, I have been privy to magic over these last three decades.

Let’s all protect our industry from the Amazonian Effect and the value of it by demonstrating why professional service, product expertise, quality, and creative solutions are worth more than just finding the fastest and least expensive item on line….

Unless of course your customer is either of my children who somehow always seem to find the most expensive and fastest delivered items. Glad they are not my customers but blessed they are my children.

See you all in September at the Fall Show in East Rutherford NJ. By the way, its right in front of that stadium the Giants and Jets play football.