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Welcome to latest issue of Product Media Magazine andwith 2023 well andtruly underway,the industry is bright, bouncing, buzzingafter this January’sMerchandise
Worldand BPMA
Annual Awards.Readonfor show highlights andthisyear’sstellar winners.
Earlierthisyear, we braced ourselves fordeeprecession andwiththe news inflation is peaking,there is more optimism in themarketplaceasfaceto face,eventsand corporatecustomers keep theorder bookstopped up.With theneed forsupplychain traceability andsustainableevidenceneeded more than ever,visitorstoMerchandise World were huntingfor compelling products
to tell theircustomers therightstory abouteffective merchandise.
At theshow, theBPMAalsolaunched itsStepForward Pledge,amember only initiative to help everybusiness on theirroadtosustainability.Getting ourhouse in orderwithour standards, compliance andall aspectsofhow we buy, sell andoperate for2023, the StepForwardPledgeisjustone element of theAssociation’smissiontosupport members. Find outmoreabout the Pledge in this issue on page 30 plus areportonhow sustainable salesare impactingprofits.
Anotherimportantfirstisthe InternationalWomen’s DayLunch on 8thMarch,hostedinLondonaspart of thediversity andinclusion agenda theBPMAisfollowing. Bookingsclose soon –lookout forthe advert in this
issue.Partofamuchbiggercreative industries push to understandmore aboutour landscape, help us attract andretainskilled talentand howthe developmentofour industry relies on itsdiversity,members of theBPMAwill be invitedtojoin acensusinMarch
This issueispackedwithyour news andour regularcolumnists; we love to hear your news andasthe only magazine forthe promotional products industry,our readerslovetohearabout themoversand shakerspluslookfor inspiration throughour advertising. If you’dliketosendinyournewsor advertiseinfutureissuesincludingthe pre-show editioninSeptember,get in touchwithustoday via editor@productmediamagazine.co.uk CareyTrevill
BPMA CEO
The UK and Ireland promotional merchandise markethas almost completely bounced back following thepandemic as end-user companies returned to spending and caught up with delayedprojects.
According to thelatest Sourcing City MarketReport on thesector,merchandise has nowrecoveredto97% of pre-Covid levels withamarketsizeof£1.13billion.
In 2019 this wasclose to £1.17bn before theindustrydropped off acliff edge and declined by around £430m (37%) during theCovid pandemic.
The past year has seen arecovery of morethan £401m to bring theindustry once again beyond thebillion-pound mark.
David Long (pictured), chairman of Sourcing Cityand author of thereport, said: ”It is pleasing to see that theindustry continues to proveits resilience and entrepreneurial spirit. The worldeconomy has faced significant challenges in recent years, and to datethe industryhas responded well. No doubt thereare more challenges to face, but this industryis known formoving quicklytorespond to marketchanges, and Iremain optimistic that we will come through thecoming years strongly.”
Despitethe additional challenges of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thefuel crisis, and supply chain issues, thepromotional merchandise industryremained buoyant through to theend of 2022,headded.
The report, forSourcing CityPurple Club members identified futurefacing issues forthe industryasitlooks to rebuild.
Thereisasevereshortage of workers in theUKjob marketmaking it hardfor companies to fill vacancies. Stockisin also in short supply from some suppliers as they rebuild stocklevels post-Covid.
The report also points to financial and political instabilityhampering strategic planning, accompanied withconstant inflationaryincreases to basic costs, salary increase pressureand rising interest rates.
Promotional product software provider AIMSmarter has gone into thenew year celebrating growth and advancements in technology, supplychain connectivity and new tools.
any company that
Brexit regulation continues to be athorn in thesideof anycompany th exportsorimports.
Giventhe scale of thedecline in business duetothe pandemic, the number of distributors andsuppliers that went outofbusiness wassmall,although restructuring wascommon
It wasestimated that theindustry operated at about 60%of2019levels duringparts of thepandemic, with the worst month(April 2020)being only22% of thesame monthin2019.
However, in 2022 distributor companies increasedby10%, mainly duetoexperienced staff being released by distributors andstriking out on their own.
Understandably,the majorityofnew distributor companies have aturnoverof less than £500k.
Larger distributors continuetohave asignificantly disproportionate share of theentire marketspend, with just 156companies representing almost 60%ofthe entire marketspend witha combined turnoverofover£660m.
The remaining 40% of themarket spendisshared across 2,491distributor companies.
Numbers of suppliersinthe UK & Ireland marketplacehas remained relatively constant. As withdistributor companies,thereare very fewknown high profile companycasualties.
Sourcing Cityenquiries recovered strongly to approaching 1.5 million in 2022 withagrowthof36.7%. Exhibition giveaways, eco friendly ideas and desk gifts led theway.Travel, event, and activityitems also showedstrong growth
The top25productgroups have remained relatively constant to previous years in 2022, withbags, pens and pencils,mugs, plastic giveawaysand sports bottles thetop products.
The organisers of The BIG Promotional Trade Showhas launched acollocated showfocused on print wear and wearables. Glasgowwillhostthe firstedition of The BIG Wearables Trade ShowinMarch alongside The BIG Promotional Trade Show. The organisers noteanincreased interest in this sector from bothvisitorsand exhibitors suchasXDConnects and Kingly moving intowearables.
Around 60 suppliers of promotional merchandise, wearables and services from theUK, Ireland and Europe aredue to exhibit, theorganisers claim.
Newexhibitors will include Fruit of the Loom, Russell Europe, Result, Regatta, Neutral, NotJust Clothing, Impression Europe and Oldeani.
Seethe industryevents calendar on page? forfull dates.
In 2022 AIM Smarter focused on servingdistributors’and suppliers’needs by strengthening supplierrelationships updating moresupplier products than anypreviousyear,and inviting suppliers to provide real timeelectronic datafeeds.
AIM currently features datafrommore than 140suppliers holdinginexcess of 50,000 uniqueproductswithmore than 100,000 individual variations to be ordered.
Multiple supplierpartnerintegrations arenow live in theUSproviding realtimepassage of databetween members using thetechnologyand suppliers’ systems; syncing productinventory, orders, andstatuses to provide enhanced visibilityand reducedmanual input.
AIMSmarter COO, Deborah Wilkinsonsaid:“In 2020,weinstituted an agile approach, not onlyacross ourtechnologydevelopment but across thebusiness as awhole.This approach, embracing collaboration and continuousimprovement, hasallowed thebusiness to future-proof its tech stack, be deliberately innovative,and scale thebusiness while building a cultureoftrust andengagement across preferredpartners, members, andaffiliate communities.”
AIM Smarter UK generalmanager Rosi Spencepointed to technological advancements in theUK, despite economic turbulence.
“The AIMTechplatformisattractinga spectrum of qualitydistributors looking fora streamlined online business management suite andwe’ve seena10% increase in distributorsadoptingthe AIM Tech Suitefor search andorder creation from prior year,alongwiththe launchof 2,658globalunique webstores to date witha BETA launch of anew,feature rich ecommerce platform for2023,” shesaid.
In 2022 thecompanyupdatedits CRM system, PromoServe,withnew software developmentfeatures, newmarketing collateraland business service packages, as well as anewlyappointedgeneral manager to support thepost-Covid recovery of UK distributors and suppliers.
The companyisclaiming an industry first with itsMerchbook tool –an online interactive catalogue that’s fully brandableand drives traffic to individual productsonwebsites
The companyisplanningtolaunch further newfunctions in 2023
Acompanybehind asustainable pasta drinking straw haslaunched afully edible tablewarerange.
Stroodles’new range includes biscuit spoons, wheat bran plates and bowls, and wafercups, which arecompletely biodegradable, vegan, zero waste, and edible.
The business successfully launched pasta drinking strawsin2019, whichitclaims are better forthe environment than plastic and paper variants, and aremorerobust than thepaper equivalents.
The new range includes edible, vegan spoons, made from biscuit that have aone hour use time withcolddishesand 30 minutes withhot dishes.
Stroodles’edible plates and bowls to serve hot and cold food, aremade from wheat bran and aredesignedtobe100% biodegradable, veganand compostable in 30 days.
Its edible cups aremade from wafer, designed to last foratleast 40 minutes with hot drinks and be heat-resistant up to 85°C.
Thereisnotransfer of heat and thewafer doesn’t change thedrink’s taste. The cups
areavailable in 110ml and 220ml volumes and areperfect withhot drinks, as well as cocktails and even desserts. An outer recyclable holder can be customised upon request.
Founder Maxim Gelmann, said that thecompanywas ready to grow the eco-tablewarecategory.
“Stroodles is morethan acompany, we areamovement dedicated to making real change by impacting theplanet in positive, eco-kind ways. We have alwaystaken our commitment to creating solutions to plastic pollution very seriously.Eversince we started off withour signaturepastastraw we knew this wasjustthe beginning of our journey,” he said.
Promotional clothing supplier Kingly has receiveda Socially Responsible Strategic Management Award at aceremony organised by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Labour and SocialPolicy.
The sock specialist wasnominated in theEcology category, coming first in thecontest forits work implementing sustainableprojectswithin the merchandise manufacturing industry
Kingly has been working on shiftingthe perspective of textile productsfor sometime, introducing upcycledpromotional cotton socks in compostable bags in 2019
It receivedthe Promotional GiftAward 2020 as upcycled cottonprovides significant savings in resourcesand compostable bags canbreak down within eight weeks oncedisposed of Theupcycled socks and GOTS organic cottonsocks were also shortlisted in the SustainableProductofthe Year category forBPMA’sProduct Awards 2023
Other productsinclude eco-sustainable knittedsweaters,and customers cancalculatethe amountof preservedresourceswithasustainability calculatorand get acertificate from Kingly
Recentlythe companylaunched
The KinglyUpcycled Projecttoretrieve textile offcuts from sockproductionfor new products. In linewithits ISO14001 Environmental Policy,leftoverfibers find a new life as stuffing forprinted pillowcases and furniture.
The team from promotional clothing supplier Alvastone took abreak from production at thebeginning of February foracharitable assault on Mount KilimanjaroinTanzania.
Director BilalHussain led ateam in its attempt to climb Africa’stallest mountainto raise£100,000for alocal charitythatassists children andyoungadults withdisabilities, and their families.
Hussain has beenadirector of Friendsof Bright Eyes (FOBE) formorethan 10 years and hasfamily experience of asibling with adisability.
“It wasincrediblyhard. The air is so thin that youhavetostopafter afew steps.It took us tenhourstoget to theUhurupeak,
but it wassoworthwhile,” he said.
FOBE is looking to raiseatotal of £200,000 to renovate apropertyinLuton that willserve as acommunitycentre for thesupport of children and young people withdisabilitiesand allowthe charity to offer more services to itsusers.
Work is underwayatthe site anditis hoped that theoutdoorareas will be ready by this summer.
The Kilimanjaroclimbisthe thirdcharity effort by theteam,which has previously also undertaken theThree PeaksChallenge to raisemoneyfor thecentre.
Donations can be made untilthe endof March at justgiving.com/fundraising/bilalhussain24.
Kingly’s upcycled socks are supported by BCome’s Cradle to Grave sustainabilityplatform whichempowers textile andapparel businesses to build responsible supply chains and guarantee transparency.
The company’supcycled sockshave earnedthe ‘Advanced Score’ on planet careand transparency, and‘HighScore’ on circularity
Kingly’s GOTS organic cottonsocks have achievedBCome ‘Honoursscore’
thehighest rank given.
Kingly has capped an impressive awards streak by being namedasFinalists in the‘Marketing Campaign of theYear’ categoryatthe BPMA ProductAwards.
Previously,Kingly’s Upcycled Cotton Socksand GOTS Organic Cotton Sockshavebeenshortlistedinthe SustainableProductofthe Year category.
January’sMerchandise WorldinCoventry had 1,374 visitors, showing an increase of 54% from the891 at thelast event, which washeldinApril 2022.
The exhibition featured 14 new suppliers and atotal of 161exhibitors, which wasup on the144 exhibitors in April.
Manyexhibitors nowhavea focus on environmentally friendly products, and this wasevident from thenew products in their ranges.
The move towards sustainable products is clearand ECOWorld provedapopular standfor discovering new ideas.
According to theorganisers, theratio of visitors per exhibitor wasthe highesteverat 8.5.Overseas exhibitors represented 18%of thetotal.
Visitor numbers were greater than expected due to thelower number of people nowworking in theindustry following distributor companies restructuring during thepandemic.
The showalso followed theidentified trend of 60%ofvisitors coming on Day1
and 40% on Day2
The showmovestoMilton Keynes on 13 September.Read the Merchandise Worldreview on p12.
The US promotional sector has completed apost-Covid recovery according to industry figures from its foremost trade body Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) estimates for2022 put theoverall turnoverofthe US promotional products sector at morethan $25bn (£20.8bn).
The figurerepresent agrowthofmore than 13%compared on 2021, and sets anew record turnoverfor theUSand indicates acompleterecovery following
thepandemic.
PPAI figures arebased on sales volume sought by research companyRelevant Insights at theend of 2022.
The figures showthatmorethan half of sales arethrough companies withannual turnoverofless than $2.5m- morethan $12bn wasearned by companies of this size
The results of thesurveyreveal that SMEs grew significantly faster in theyear 2022 than largecompanies withturnover up to 30%.
Fluid Branding has retained theFeefo Platinum Trusted ServiceAward forthe eighth year
Feefoisanindependent seal of excellence, whichrecognises businesses that consistently deliveraworld-class customer experience registered on the platformasverified reviews from customers.
Platinum Trusted ServiceAwardsare presented to businessesthathaveachieved theGoldstandardfor threeconsecutive years.
To receiveGoldbusinesses must have collected at least 50 reviews withaFeefo service rating of between 4.5and 4.9during 2022.
Miles Lovegrove, managing director at Fluid Branding said: “After thelast few
years it’s amazing news we’re still our customers happy and are we people with meaningful it’s great our teams with this award, too.”
of uncertainty, it’samazing news that we’restill keeping our customers happyand are consistently exceeding high expectations. As always, we champion exceptional people withmeaningful merchandise, and it’sgreat that our teams have been acknowledged withthis ard, too.
ny Wheble, CEOatFeefo, added: “This year has been adifficult one forsomanybusinesses. I’mdelighted to recognise thousands of our clients that have overcome various challenges to provide suchhigh levels of customer service and satisfaction.”
Tony CEO at Feefo,
This springisthe perfecttimetoincreaseyourspecialist knowledge. Writtenbythe industry forthe industry, ourcourses areonline andavailable 24-7,onlyavailable to members. As therecognisedstandard in the promotional merchandiseindustry, secure your placeinour April2023intakenow.
bpma.co.uk
Sohereweare in 2023 andhopefully some of thechallenges of the past years aredrifting intothe background. Challenges suchas Covid whichinturncaused immense disruption on supply chains across the world, thewar in Ukraine and thehikein energy prices and of course Brexit, which bought its ownexport trading challenges.
Withthese concerns manybusinesses have had to be flexible and agile to find resolutions to problems that were often outside of their control.Ilookat our business at DTB(Direct Textiles +
Bags) and see thechanges that we have implemented to overcome such issues and thesolutions we have put in place. Oneofthese has been thesetup of ourEuropean business DTBEU in Poland wherewehave been able to supply our UK customers withtheir European demands.
Withsomanydistributors nowfielding aEuropean office to alleviateall theextra duties and VATissues when supplying a European project, it has been necessary forsuppliers to rally to thecall and looktosupport this requirement.
Travelling around theEuropean shows it has become evident that thedemand fora ‘European solution’has become a prerequisitefor manydistributors, however this does come withsome caveats. The first one being, conformityofbranding and theother therange of products.
If we look at theclothing marketplace in isolation, thereare some keydifferences in product brands. The standardlines in theUKare often not available in Europe
due to shape and sizeand colour palette. It is important that aclothing range can be offered across all countries.
Asecond point would be that many distributors arealso looking forthe conformityofbranding across theUKas well as in Europe, whichcan prove difficult if youare using two separatesuppliers who maywell be using different inks or thread, hence theexpansion of UK suppliers looking to expand intoEuropeoffering a one-stop solution to offer consistency.
Ask your supplier if they have aEuropean solution and 2023 maywell be theyear you expanded intoEuropewithconfidence.
HappySelling
Clive theclothing and bagguru.
government has published a list of eligible sectors.
The governmentsnew energy schemefor businesses, charities, andthepublic sector has been confirmed aheadof the current schemeending in March. Eligible businesses may receive a discount on highenergy bills until 31 March 2024.
This will help businesseslocked into contracts signed before recent falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and providereassurance against possiblefuture rises.
The winter Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) package of supportfor nondomestic users was worth £18 billionand the government has indicated that such unprecedented support would not be replicated Latest data shows wholesale gas prices have fallen to levels seen just before Putins invasion of Ukraine
With a cap set at £5 5bn, the scheme provides certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year
From 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, eligible non-domestic customers who have a
contract with a licensed energy supplier will seea unit discount of up to £6 97/MWh automatically applied to their gas bill and a unit discount ofup to £19 61/MWh applied totheir electricity bill, except forthose benefitting from lower energy prices
For eligible non-domestic customers who have acontract with a licensed energy supplier,thesupport will be subject to a wholesale price threshold, set with reference tothe support provided for domestic consumers, of £107/MWh for gas and £302/ MWh for electricity
Thismeans that businesses experiencing energycosts below this level will not receive support
Customers do not need to apply for their discount As with the current scheme, suppliers will automatically apply reductions to the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers
A higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive –predominately manufacturing industries This is known as the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) scheme and the
These firms are often less able to pass cost to their customers due to international competition
For eligible ETII businesses,the government is announcing:
■ These businesses will receive a discount reflecting the difference between a price threshold and the relevant wholesale price
■ The price threshold for the scheme will be £99/MWhfor gas and £185/MWh for electricity
■ This discount will only apply to 70% of energy volumes and will be subjectto a maximum discount’ of £400/MWh for gas and £89.1/MWh for electricity
As with the original scheme suppliers will automatically apply reductions to the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers
Eligible ETII customers will have to apply for the higher level of support Further details on how this will work will be published in due course If you think your supplier is not applying the discount correctly you should contact your supplier in the first instance
The government will compensate suppliers for the reduction in wholesale gas and electricity unit prices that they are passing on to non-domestic customers
The discount applied will be in pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) The p/kWh government support for comparable contracts will be the same across suppliers but the absolute level of individual bills will continue to vary across different contracts and tariffs
The Chancellor has also written to OFGEM, asking for an update in time for the Budget on the progress of its review into the non-domestic market to assess whether further action is action is needed to secure a well-functioning market
For more information on the scheme, go to https://www gov uk/guidance/energybills-discount-scheme
Businesses in England will also benefit from support with their business rates bills worth £13 6bn over the next five years a UK-wide £2 4 billion fuel duty cut, a six-month extension to the alcohol duty freeze and businesses with profits below £250,000 will be protected from the full corporation rate rise with those making less than £50000 not facing any corporation tax increase at all
Government support for high energy bills will continue beyond April but it will be more targeted
Carrie Stokes, Bio Laboratories
International Women’s Dayhas long been celebrated and thepromotional products industryjoins thesupporting messages all overthe worldeach March. This year,the BPMA haslaunched its International Women’s DayLunchto be held on 8March in London as part of a series of diversityand inclusion measures formembers.
Hosted at 30 Euston Square, theevent boasts anetworkingdrinks reception followedbyadelicious three-course lunch. Members will hear from keynote speaker,Kathryn JacobOBE, CEO of Pearl&Dean, on therolewomen play in making ourindustries diverse plus insights from our member panel. Drivingthe conversation, thetheme of International Women’s Dayis#EmbraceEquity, focusing on theidea that theequityweall expect is not anice-to-have,it’samust-have to ensurewecreateafair and equal world.
This is thefirst time theBPMAhas celebrated theannual event and supported by apanel of female members, thelunch hasbeen shaped to kickstart
thediversityand inclusion agenda formembers. Addressing arange of challenges from thelackofinformation about thediversity in our sector through to recruitment and careers in theindustry, thepanel has set out a series of goals forthe coming year
The International Women’s Day event will be followedbyaninvitation to all members to take part in theAll In census on 15 March.This is a creative industries initiative from the Advertising Association aimed at helping understand moreabout the diversityand social mobilityofour sectors.
Tickets and tables arenow available via bpma.co.uk/events. The event is only open to BPMA members and tickets on afirst come, first served basis. Sponsorship forthe event is now open, please contact TomRobey for moreinformation on tom@bpma.co.uk.
The BPMA panel is made up of members Carrie Stokes, Jules Adam, ClaireHutchinson, Melissa Chevin, and ColetteJeanes.
“I really hope that by getting involved withIWD we can start to makesome changes within thepromo industry that will benefit all, overtime. We need to ensure we arehelping businesses evolve and become safe and empowering places forall to thrive.Weneed to be able to attract thenext generation to this awesome industryand makesurethose in middle age and older still feel seen and supported so we don’t lose their years of experience in order to mentor and inspirethose coming through the ranks.”
Jules Adam, WCM+A
“Not only do we celebratethis day because of thehistorical footsteps of great womenwho fought fortheir rights, it is also atime to forgegender parityand equitywithin our own industry. The campaign theme this year is #EmbraceEquity, and Icannot think of abettertheme forwhat Ihope will be ayearly event. Bothmen and women arewelcome because it is about therise of womennot aboutthe fall of men and everyone should play aroleincreatinganinclusive world. What better place to start than within our ownindustry?”
This year’s IWD event can be asteppingstone to promoting diversity and inclusion within the merchandise sector
The Januarytemperature outside Coventry’sCBS Arenamay have been on thenippy side, butinside awarmwelcome awaitedfromthe promotional merchandiseindustry
Those who braved theicy roadstothe Midlands on thefirst dayofMerchandise Worldwereabletoenjoyabustling, vibrant showwhere exhibitors had really pulled the stops out withtheir stands,and aisles jostled withvisitors eager to find out what wasnew andexciting in theworld of merchandise.
The showwas thetenth that has been held sinceSourcing City and theBPMA came together to produce an event where thewhole of theindustry couldcome together. Having experimentedwitha fewvenues, theshowhas nowsettled on astart theyear eventinthe traditional central Englandlocation, with asecondary, event in MiltonKeynes to service the pre-Christmas trade.
Having losttwo shows due to Covid over thepast years, theenthusiasm to meet was high amongdistributors and exhibitors in Coventry.
Pre-registrations forthe showwere around 1,600, and agoodnumber of those streamed through thedoor on thefirst morning it seemed, withSourcing City chairman David Long saying figureswere over700 by lunchtime on thefirstday
“It is alwaysnice when months of solid teamwork comes together to deliverashow that really benefits exhibitors and visitors. Without thesupport we getacross thetrade none of this would be possible, and we are alwaysgrateful,” saidDavid Long.
“It wasalsoverynicetosee lots of new faces, Ihope thenew generation coming through remain as excitedbythe industry as we are.”
The exhibition featured 14 new suppliers to theshowand atotal of morethan 160 exhibitors. Manyexhibitors nowhavea focus on environmentally friendly products, and this wasevident from thenew products presented from theirranges. The move towards sustainable products is clearand ECOWorld provedapopular standfor discovering new ideas.
Over thetwo-dayshow1,354 quality distributor visitors streamed through the door and theshowhall remained busy right up until theshowclosed at 3pm on Day2 The show also followed thetrend of 60%of visitors coming on Day1and 40% on Day2
Showorganiser,EllaLong said: “From the feedbackwehavehad, our latest showwas considered thebestone yet. We always aim to push thebar higher,sothis wasgreat to hear.Visiting distributors were excited about thenew products and suppliers that they had found, and exhibitors felt that both thequalityand volume of thevisitors was exceptional. Therewas alot of optimismin theair and that ensured that everyone left theshowwitha smile.”
Jason O’Connor,directorofdistributor TotalMerchandise summed up thereaction of manyatthe show
He said: “It wasa pleasure to head to Coventryfor Merchandise Worldlast week We hadagreat time discovering some brilliant new products and ideas, and it really felt like therewas arenewed sense of
purpose in theair.Wealsoenjoyedcatching up withsome oldfriends from across the industry,aswell as making some new ones. The team is already looking forwardtothe nextedition of theshow.”
Natasha Ithildin of Fluid Branding said Merchandise Worldwas an opportunityto see new products and discuss insightson upcoming trends.
“Nothing beats getting up close to anew range, suchasXDConnect’snew Iqoniq clothing collection. It caughtmyattention straight away -it’sjust so soft. Also,haveyou seen theirgreen tracksuit? Beautiful. It’sgreat to see our industrytaking strides (no,leaps!)
towardamoresustainable, environmentallyfriendly future,” she added
Therewas certainly afeeling of an industry looking ahead to new opportunities at this year’s show.
Mandy Hastie, managing director of The Sweet People wasinattendance at theshow witha newbrand forthe company, new packaging forpartnering brands that want to send out merchandise withconfectionery, and anew offeringtosend product to Europe.
The companyhas partnered witha fulfilment house in theNetherlands to ease thedifficulties that manybusinesses encounter when trying to send items to the EU post-Brexit. By sending pallets of product to thefulfilment house,products can be sent more easily by British promoters to customers within theEU, she said.
“Therehas beenmassive demand forthis from distributors, and although initially it will only be forfor UK distributors, we will open it up to European customers as well,” she said.
The Sweet People has also started holding teambuilding events forclients who want to maketheir ownchocolates at thefactory, withsales meetings tacked on, she added
Another companymaking asplash at theshowwas Senator Pens whichwas celebrating its 40thanniversary.
As well as aselectionofpens made from recycled materials, theHarlowbased manufacturer wasshowinghow
thehumblewriting instrument can help businesses stay connected. On show wasits Connected range that includesa QR code penwhich allows users to link to websitescarryingrelevantbrand or businessinformation, simply by hoveringa phone cameraoverthe code.
Senator also hasthe Challenger which uses an NFCtag whichlinks to online pages related to abrand. The clever cloud solution allows changing content so that aproduct will alwaysbeup-to-date, even after long periods of use.
Anotherupcoming anniversaryisRubik’s
The brandbehind theiconic andfiendishly tough to complete cube,iscelebrating its 40thnextyear, and Preseli wasshowcasing itslatest brand association at Merchandise World. Preseli marketingmanager Robert Brucesaysthat lots of majorbrand collaborationsare likely, so it could be timely to get involved.
Another brand withplentyofheritage is Victorinox, best known forthe Swissarmy knife, but which supplies awhole range of other gift items. These days, thecompanyis as muchassociated withtraveland cutlery as withits pocketknives.
Another usefulproduct is theSwisscard, thecredit cardsized gift whichpacks a multitude of toolsintoitawallet-sized offering than can be branded.
Clothing companyAlvastone wasatthe showfor abrief burst of business before director Billy Hussain and his team headed to Kilimanjarofor acharity ascent of the mountain (see newsp4) forthe full story.
The team of 12 waskittedout in colourful T-shirts supplied by theLuton-based business.
Merchandise Worldwas thefirst opportunityfor visitors to see the winning products from thelatest BPMA Product Awards in theflesh.
Withfourteen categories judged, therewerewinners across arange of areas from apparel and awards, to technology and writing instruments.
Products were also recognised for innovation, sustainability, andbeing British-made, and manywinners proudly displayedtheir trophies on their stands.
The fullrange of product winners can be seen at bpma.co.uk.
Another companypromoting anew direction in Coventrywas Eat My Logo whichisbestknown forits range of branded cupcakes, brownies, biscuits and just about anysweetmeat that will get your mouthwatering.
As well as theusual goodies, thecompany had some surprising new additions to its range.
Director Andy Poar explained that the companywas looking to expand into chocolatebars whichwould complement its existing range.
“It’sactuallyquitestraightforward compared to some of thebranded products we already offer,” he said. “You can’t stand still in this industry. We’realwayslooking for something new to offer.”
Amoretangential turnisthe company’s expansion intobranded beerthrough a partnership witha brewery. The result is a selection of beers and ciders that can be branded witha relatively lowminimum order. It is acomplementaryproduct to its existing range, thecompany said.
Withthe recent WorldCup promoting interest in theMiddleEast, companies areinsearchofwaysoffulfillingtheir presence in this growingmarket. Dubaidistributor Jasani waspresent at theshowfor thefirst time to test the marketand to offer up its services
Clientshavebeenasking forsuch aservice, said Shrey Jasani from the company whichhas 30 years’experience in theregion.
“Manycompanies have an EMEA presence but thestruggle withthe ‘MEA’ part of it. That’swhere we can step in and provideanalternative to shipping pallets of product to theregion,” he said.
It provides arange of well-known corporategift brands, including Cross, Tumi, XD Design, and Samsonite. It has also picked up agoldaward at theGulf Sustainability Awards 2022 whereits Change Collection wonBestCSR Initiative
Sustainabilityremains awatchword for themerchandise sector,hence theBPMA’s initiative to enlist theindustrytosignupfor its SustainabilityPledge.
Merchandise Worldsaw thelaunchofthe StepForwardPledge whichaims to help BPMA memberstakeproactivesteps to embed sustainabilitywithin theirproducts, their operations and in thecommunities they serve.
By signing up to thePledge,members declared theircommitment to tracking and measuring theirsustainability performance eachyear.Thisinturnwillhelpenhance thereputation of participating companies, together withraising theprofile of the promotional merchandise industry as it addresses climatechange and other environmental challenges.
Find moredetails on p30.
JuteBag wasone of thecompanies withproducts aimed at providingmore sustainable options formerchandise buyers. Its Cyclofabric has inbuilt blockchain technology that provesthatfabric comes from recycled sources.
Withincreasing demand forrecycled cotton products, disreputable players can tryand pass off cotton that does notmeet
recycled standards as therealthing. Cyclo allows its provenance to be approvedall the wayalong thesupply chain.
JuteBag also undertakes asimilar scheme forRPETbags to ensurethat they arefrom reliable sources.
After abustling show,therewill be plenty of leads to chaseand customers to service, but Merchandise Worldwill be back again in September whenattention shifts to theend of year promotionalcycle
The Milton Keynes showison13 September.We’ll see youthere.
Members of theBRIMAN Group invited visitors to collect aBRIMAN treasuremap,visit eachBRIMAN member to collect astamp and claim their treasureatthe BPMA stand.Eachcompleted treasure map wasalsobeentered in theprizedrawtowin a£250Amazon voucher.Itwas wonbyLorraineBulbeckofTCGroup BRIMAN members exhibiting at theshowwere: Adco,ANC Manufacturing, Billbo,BadgerDesign, Bio Laboratories, Juniper Products, CHXProducts, EatMyLogo,First Editions,Foremost Magnets, OrchardMelamine, UK Lanyard Makers, SowEasy,The Umbrella Company, Sweet People andWCM+A.
Withthanks to Sweet People forthe delicious treasure,Badger Design and Foremost Magnets fortheir production support.
Award winners celebrated in style at the 2023 BPMA Annual Awards Dinner,hostedatthe CBS Arena in Coventry
Fresh from thefirst dayofMerchandise World, guests from across the promotional merchandise industry gathered to catchupwithfriends andcolleaguesstarted their evening with a drinks reception. Alongwitha reminder of therecent BPMA Product AwardWinners announcedearlier inJanuary, thechance to relax at theend of abusy daywas welcomed.
Thelast dinner washostedinApril 2022, returning afteratwo-year break following thepandemic andthe event this year was back in its normal January slot. The BPMA Awards arepresentedannually to member suppliers anddistributorsfollowing avote placed by each member. In addition, several categories were available formembers to entertheir marketingcampaigns, while thebest of Britishwas celebratedwiththe BRIMAN Award.
The dinner is always supportedbygenerous sponsors and eventsupporters.Thisyear’s categorysponsors were Geiger,Preseli, DTB, PF Concept,Bic Graphics, PromoCollection, Victorinox and Bgroup.Several members of theBoard also presented on thenight. WCM+A generously provided thetrophies andthe BPMA Recognition trophy wasby Laser Crystal. Melt in themouth chocolates at thedinner were supplied by TheSweet People
Hosting andcompering theevent,the BPMA’s charismaticChairman HaydnWilletts kicked off theevening withhis thanks to all attendingtoget theevening offtoa roaring start.
The first categoryupwas Supplier of the Year up to £2m,and thefinalists were The USB Group, BioLaboratories and Desktop
IdeaswithBio Laboratorieslanding the winning vote forthis category.
Next up was Supplierofthe Year £2m+ sponsored by Geiger,witha strong line up of finalists of Laltex Group,XDConnects and WCM+A.LaltexGroup scooped theAward andfloodedthe stage witha very excited team.
ThenextAwardsannounced focusedon distributorsand this year,moreturnover categories were recognised.
Distributor of theYear up to £250k, sponsoredbyPromo Collection, had finalists ZippyPromos,ETC.Branding and AA Promotional Products on theedgeof their seats. ZippyPromoslanded this first distributor award.
Distributor of theYear £250k-£500k, sponsored by Victorinox,announced contendersBeelinePromotionalProducts TSFBranded andManicMerchandisewith Manic Merchandise winning this category.
SponsoredbyPreseli, Distributorofthe Year £500k-£1m finalists were Cyan Group, Navillusand Project Merchandisewith Navillustaking theAward home
Distributor of theYear £1m-£2msponsoredbyPFConcept,hailed finalists One Stop PromotionsLtd,GoPromotionaland BounceCreativeDesigns. Bounce Creative Design dulyjumped on stage to accepttheir awardfor this category.
Taking ashortpause fordinner,the room wasbuzzing with excitement forthe final awards of theeveningwhich includedthe long-awaited Product Awards Grand Prix and BPMA Recognition Award.
Bic Graphics,sponsoring the Distributor of theYear£2-5m category,wereonstage as finalists Allwag Promotions, Premier,and Pellacraftwaited to hearwho had won. Allwag Promotionsreceivedthis Award to cheers and applause.
With thefinal Distributor of theYear Awardover£5m,sponsored by DTB, contendersFluid, TotalMerchandise and BrandAdditionwaited nervously for thegoldenvelope to reveal Fluid as this year’s winner The Distributor andSupplier Marketing Campaign of theYear Awards were next. Willettsshared thejudge’s feedback before naming this year’s winnerand talked of theinnovationand inspiration from everyentranttothiscategory. Judgedbyanindependentmarketing judging panel, TheDistributor of theYear Marketing Campaign finalistswereFluid for their ‘Festivals &Events’ campaign,Vibrant Colour forits ‘MasterYourMerch’campaign, andGeiger’s‘Geiger Green Live’campaign. Geiger took theaward with their‘Geiger Green Live’campaign, impressivework
Supplier of theYearupto £2m
Winner: Bio Laboratories
Supplier of theYear £2m+,sponsored by Geiger
Winner: Laltex Group
Distributor of theYearup to £250k, sponsored by PromoCollection
Winner: ZippyPromos
Distributor of theYear £250k-£500k, sponsored by Victorinox
Winner: Manic Merchandise
Distributor of theYear £500k-£1m, sponsored by Preseli
Winner: Navillus Print Gifts
Distributor of theYear £1m-£2m, sponsored by PF Concept
Winner: Bounce Creative Design
Distributor of theYear £2m-£5m, sponsored by Bic Graphic
Winner: Allwag Promotions
Distributor of theYear £5m+, sponsored by DTB
Winner: Fluid Branding
Distributor Marketing Campaign of theYear
Winner: Geiger -Geiger GreenLive Campaign
Supplier Marketing Campaign of theYear
Winner: WCM+A -Sustainable
British Manufacturing Campaign
BRIMAN Award
Winner: Premier Print & Promotions
BPMA Recognition Award
Andrew Hill
withlong-term strategy in mind. Judges alsoawarded VibrantColour’sentryHighly Commended.
The Supplier Marketing Campaign of theYear sawfinalists WCM+Afor their ‘Sustainable British Manufacturing’ campaign, TheOutdoors Companywith their ‘TakeA Stand, Source Responsibly’ campaign, andKingly’s ‘InspirationalStories’ campaign. Thewinnerofthiscategorywas WCM+A's ‘Sustainable British Manufacturing campaignfor itsexcellent work during2022, driving exceptionalresults, new clients, and revenues. Kinglyalso received Highly Commended from our judging panel
The BRIMAN Award wasafurther opportunityfor distributors to show off the best of British.Judged by BRIMAN members looking fordistributor memberswho had promotedBritish made andfinished promotionalproducts, Premier Print & Promotions walked away with this Britcentricaccolade.
The ProductAwardsGrand Prix wasalso awardedatthe dinner.A new additionto theProduct Awards lineup; theGrand Prix wasawarded at thefinaljudging panel and selected from all PlatinumProduct Award winners. Juniper Product’sWellnessJournal wasvoted GrandPrixwinnerbythe panel and adelightedteam received theaward to ahugeround of applause.
Lastaward of theevening wasthe BPMA RecognitionAward The BPMA Board decided to startanew tradition this year, recognising outstanding contributors to our industry. The person selectedfor this year's BPMA Recognition Awardwas Andrew Hill who has formanyyears gone above and beyond, makingsurethe reputation and position of theindustry is upheld
The eveningconcludedwithconversation, music,dancing and fun and while PM was surethere were fewsoreheads forday two of Merchandise World, this fantastic event markedthe returntobusinessasusual for 2023.
all it “Su s explain a a act carbo
per”.Ormaybe :firstofall reaonthe clip;and nd all printed nfootprint.Isn’t it Super?
Maybe you wonder whywecallit“Super”.Ormaybe you already know it.But just in case,let us explain:firstofall because of itsmoder style; also because of itsbig printing area on theclip;and it’s made in Europe with 100% renewable energy andall manufactured and printe in BIC factoriesfor alow impactcarbon footprint. Isn’titSuper?
Imagine.Ready?Great:imagine thefamousBIC®Super Clip made from natural raw materials likewood flour,castoroil and talc powder*. Just imagine,aBIC®Super Clip thatcontributes to amoresustainable future. Now stop imagining it:you have it here.
Promotional clothing and bags are twoofthe most popular choices for end users. Notonly aretheyvalued by recipients, but they represent large and mobile media that can take a brand name or message out intothe market place They also tend to be long-lasting meaning that the cost per impression is a good value investment
However, textiles have had a rough time during the past couple of years Like merchandise of all descriptions they have been beset by supply chain disruption
Billy Hussain, director of bespoke clothing specialist Alvastone, says that issues with the clothing supply chain are still unwinding after two years of pandemic stress when shipping costs went through the roof and simply obtaining stock was a problem
“The supply chain has been awful for a while and to a certain extent it remains very difficult Id say it has stabilised rather than got better
Forcustomers, this meansthat lead times can still be lengthy andcosts have increased.
“Onthe manufacturing side, it is taking longer because manufacturers arenot producing as muchastheyused to.Minimum orders have alsogot higher,” he says.
For Alvastone, the company has built in contingency by holding more fabric than it used to in the past Historically it would buy fabric in when it was required, but now it looks to have stock to ensure orders flow more seamlessly
Hannah Brewer commercial sales and marketing executive at Outdoor and Cycle Concepts (O&CC) says supply chain delivery issues appear to have been very much resolved for UK and Euro-based companies, however, there do seem still to be issues from further afield
“Prices have seen an increase due to a number of issues including resourcing conflict and more sustainable
production,” she says. “This is something we have seen across all industries and garments arenot exempt.”
Brewer says that becauseO&CC’sgroup sales team formspart of amuch wider business, it has access to hundreds of brands.
“Wehavethe ability to offer the best product from our range to match the needs of the end user This not only provides a great opportunity to get what the customer wants but also helps sustainability as the user is not having to replace or reorder items as often ” she says
The company has noticed more and more requests for branded clothing as promotional merchandise
Anew service that enables promoters, festivals and bands to get qualitypromotional clothing printed in 24 hourswas launched at Merchandise WorldinCoventry.
Samedayprintwear.com has been set up as asister websitebythe experiencedteam that has been running samedaybags.com forthe last 10 years.
The eco-friendly screen printers have expanded theirheadquarters in Monmouthshire, from whichtheyhave been turning around last-minuteorders forpromotional bags forexhibitions, conferences and events and arenow offering T-shirts, hoodies and other clothing withdelivery within 24 hours when required.
Director HelenGreen said: “There is a huge demand forfast turnaround clothing merchandise. Ournew service will help festivals, who often have to change line-ups at thelast minute. Tour and event sponsors
can be givenlonger to decide on backing an event as their logos can still appear on promotional clothing.
“It will also help bands and promoters who half-way through atour suddenly find they have ahit on their hands and demand formerchandise soars. Being able to order morewithout compromising qualityisareal advantage.”
Helen and her husband Melvin started out in promotional festive clothing beforespecialising in bags 10 years ago.Theyhave alwaysscreen-printed T-shirts and clothing as a side offering to thebags but arenow launching a sister websitededicated to theclothing range.
It will have thesame
“Companies and organisations arelooking moreand moretoinvest in qualitygoods that will not only meet their sustainability criteria but stand thetest of time,” she adds. “Withbranded goods, customers not only align themselves withleading outdoor brands, but to find products that the recipient will be proud to use or wear.”
Quality also aligns with another desirable must have fortoday’sbuyers– sustainability
Stormtechdirector of sales Kyle Annable says that whereiswas once viewed as aluxurythat could not be afforded, perceptions arechanging fast.
“The realityisthatthis is an extremely personal and important topic foralot of people and especially young people,” he says.
Companies realise that overhauling their supply chaindoesn’t happened overnight but that making agenuine commitment to amoresustainable model can start quickly by developing arealistic and impactful strategy to achievegoals.
Stormtech’sjourneytosustainability includes using morerecycledmaterials, and while it will take time before allfabricisfrom recycled materials, thereare simpleand effectivechanges it has madeinthe interim.
It has stopped theuse of harmful PFCs in waterproofing. It also uses poly bags from recycled materials and cardboardalso comes from recycled sources.
The company, whichlaunched its Polygiene Stay Fresh technology range to UK distributors recently,emphasises buying qualitytocut down on textilelandfill.
Rachel Salisbury, divisional head at Bags HQ also notes that in thelast fewyears thedemandfor sustainable bags has been increasing, withcustomers wanting alternative options that have been made withrecycledmaterials and eco-friendly recyclable credentials.
“Wehavegradually been investing in more
environmental standards and quick turnaround and be produced from the same base in Raglan wherethe business is recruiting morescreen printers, office staff,sales staff and designers over thefirst quarter of 2023 as thebusiness expands. They will be offering theEarthPositive range of shirts whichare organic, ethical and climateneutral.
EarthPositiveshirts aremadein manufacturing facilitiespowered by green renewable energy, reducingtheir carbon footprint by 90%.
Samedayprintwear.com uses vegan, water-based inks and glues so everypart of theproduct can be environmentally sound.
The EarthPositive collection also comes in 46 different colours and various styles and fits.
so every part of the product can be sound. comes and fits.
eco stockand nowhavea largerange of products made from arange of materials, such as RPET, recycled paper,recycled card, recycled cotton, organic cotton and more. This allows our customers to offer agreat choice of items to those who would prefer an environmentally friendly promotional bagornotebook.”
For2023, Bags HQ has added GOTS (GlobalOrganic Textile Standard) certified bags in to therange, withdifferent sizes and weights available. GOTS is theworldwide leading textile processing standardfor organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, and all bags withthis certification have atab stitched intothe side to back up its credentials.
GRS(GlobalRecycled Standard) bags are also new for2023. GRSisavoluntaryproduct standardfor tracking and verifying thecontent of recycledmaterials in afinal product. The standardapplies to thefullsupply chain and
addresses environmental principles, chemical content and muchmore. All bags in this collection aremade from 50%recycled cotton and have atab stitched intothe side to showtheir certification.
The companyhas also teamed up with Three Peaks GBRtobring anew option for customers. Three Peaks aligns withBags HQ’s environmental values, as it partners with ocean charitiestoreduce plastic pollution.
“It’sagreat choice to provide an eco-friendly,brandable and premium option forthose businesses that want a different type of bagfor travelling, outdoor sports and muchmore,” says Salisbury.
All Three Peaks GBRbags aremade using RPETmaterial, asoft yethardwearing, high qualityand water-resistant material.
Despitethe disruption of supply chains, time sensitivitywill also be an issue for certain projects. Meeting those needs has become aUSP of Samedaybags.
Director Melvin Green, explains that offering aquick turnaround means that companyholds alot of stockwhichmeans
it has not been greatly affected by supply chain issues.
“Our sustainably sourced bags mostly come from Asia and we order well in advance so that we canalwaysoffer choice to customers,” he says. “Thereare occasions when we maynot have aparticular bag in aparticular colour and then we work withcustomers to find an alternative bag or solution. The fact that thenatureof our product is time sensitive definitely makes the conversation easier withour customers, as they’reoften looking to order as amatter of urgency. Havingstock andchoice available allows us to offer an immediatesolution.”
He adds:“Withcosts rising we arefinding customers want bags to work harder for them and last longer.Wewould encourage people to opt foradurable bagand have an eye-catchingdesignas it encourages the user to makethe most use of thebag.”
The business is nowtaking its quick turnaround model intoapparel withthe launch of Samedayprintwear.com withthe aim of printing clothing within 24 hours (see box p23).
“Companies and organisations are looking to invest in quality goods that will meet sustainability criteria and stand the test of time.”
The apparelcategoryfor theBPMAProduct Awards is always ahotly contested one; theapparel sector has come on leaps and bounds in recent yearswithmajor playersin themarket. Innovative productiontechniques and sustainableofferings have impressed the industry together withthe traditional and lovedstaples which form thefoundationof manyorders
This year’s BPMA Product of theYear categories forapparel and bags didn’t disappoint. In theapparel category, theSilver Apparel Product of theYearwas bagged by PromoCollection’s Full SizeSublimation Bucket Hat. Afun and versatile product withfully customisable print, this wasa popular choice forfestivalbranding and outdoor sports.
Likemanyentrants to this category, the next categorywinners were represented by robust and stylish jackets. The Hiker Jacket from United Brands of Scandinaviawas a perfect example of ahigh-qualityshell jacket withall thesuperbfunctions we expect from this supplier who took theGoldApparel Product of theYear.
The Hiker Jacketalsofeatures zipper pullers in contrasting colour and it is possible to add zip pullers in other colours matching thecompanylog With great sustainable touches su o. ch as
its compostable polybag, judges praised the function and form of this promotional staple.
The Platinum Product of theYearwas hands down theRab Downpour Eco Waterproof Promotional JacketfromThe Outdoors Company(main picture). With akey component theabilitytobrand, this high-spec jacketboasted asustainable menu of features to impress. Built from recycled 2.5-layerPertex Revolve fabric with afluorocarbon-free DWRtreatment, the Rab Downpour Eco JacketisRab’s first ever mono-polymer waterproof jacket.
The Bag &Folder categories also presented some fantastic product ranges, finishes and options. Judges forthe Product Awards awarded a‘Highly Commended’ forOldeani’s Shield RPETLaptop Bag; made of recycled bottles foradurable and attractive finish.
The SilverBag &Folder Productofthe Year camefrommultipleaward winners, Juniper with itsComorecycledPET folder andbinderrange. These high-qualityfolders and binders aremade from recycledmaterial; covermaterial, andinner pockets areCOMO RPETmade from recycledplasticbottles.The linings aremade from RPET polyester(again recycled). Recycled boardisthen used and thepaddingswitched from PVCfoamtoan organic cellulosecloth.The writingpads are alsomadefromrecycled paper.
Samedaybags.com scooped theGoldBag & Folder Product of theYear withtheir Salvage Recycled Shopper Tote Bag, whichtakes waste to inspirational style. This soft feel tote bagis made from 100% recycled materials featuring a Tgusset and twilleffecttothe fabric face.
The Platinum Bag &Folder Product of the Year winner came from another multiple winner,JuteBag withthe NingaRecycled RPETRecron GreenGoldToteBag.This trailblazing bagwas lovedbythe judging panel who applauded thecredentials of this latest star from JuteBag. The Ninga Recycled PETRecron GreenGoldToteBag is made from 100% recycled plastic waterbottles. A stylish, robust and eco-friendly shopper,each bagisembedded withtracer technology for forwardand backward traceability, providing full product transparency.
The Ninga has an extensive list of eco-credentials that sets it apartfromstandard RPETbags.Plastic bottles areshredded, transformed intoyarnand wovenintobeautiful and versatile tote bags.
1-2 weeks.
The base of the Como &Porto material is rPET,made by recycling old plastic bottles that would normallygoto landfill, to then form anew soft, tactile,and flexible material.
Eco Credentials
•80% rPET –made from recycled plastic bottles
•16% non-woven cellulose
•4%PU
•rPET polyester lined
•Recycled board
•Organic cellulose cloth padding
•REACH Compliant
•Vegan friendly
The NewYearis alwaysfullofpromise to alterourselves, our lifestyles, our environment but howoften do we promise to alter the waywelookatour business?
We’reacouple of months in now, so have we made those changes we promised to ourselves that we would?
Running asuccessful business can be adrain on your time. Often theclamour to service clients and fulfil orders takesoverthe opportunityto really consider your business’s fortunes, including analysing your exposureand your risk.
We allknowthat2023 is goingtobeanongoing challenge withcashflow so nowisthe time to study or scrutinise your customers’payment habits.
Is there aparticular customerwho has taken longer thanusual to pay?
If so,makeanoteonyour accounts system to flag them up as aconcern. Then makethem your priority when you’re conducting your credit control,contact them first. The quickeryou action aconcern, thespeedier youare going to get paid
Is there aparticularcustomer whohas consistentlyordered, or triedtoorder,more goods thanyoursuggested credit limitshould allow?
Nowisthe time to conduct some credit and diligence checks on that customer.Make surethat they areworthy of the extended credit limit that you have already granted to them.
If you’re aBPMAmember that has fully activatedyour membership benefit Account Assyst package, youcan consistently checkwhether thecustomer should be receiving alargercredit value. If they areworthy of
an increase, then consider extending their credit limit. Your customer will appreciate thevoteofconfidence and mayevenprovide further orders and profit.
If youhavenot yetactivated your BPMA benefit package, then simply contact Ian Jenkinson on 07860197476 to discuss your needs. Sometimes we canhelp in afew short seconds.
NotaBPMAMember? No worries–talk to us anyway We aresupporters of the promotional goods industry and so will alwayshavea solution to help…whichmight even include an advisory to join theBPMAifthis is beneficial foryou cost-wise in obtainingarelationship with us. We’rejust heretoprovide best advice and guidance.
Should your customer not be worthy of an increased credit limit, then what actions areyou taking to protect yourself on futureorders?
This is whereaPersonal Guarantee can help.APersonal Guarantee provides alittle bit moreprotectionand securityagainst acredit risk and allows afurther avenue of pursuit should thecustomer’s business go through atricky financial time in thefuture.
The new and improved Account Assyst package will help youeasily securePersonal Guarantees. This we believe is an additional featurethat we will become essential during thenext 12 months.
The new financial year beginning on 6April is a time, just likeany other new year,for fresh starts and new beginnings, so let’sbegin by putting best practices intoour businesses forastronger position.
MikeCollins is managing director of Direct Route/ Account AssystLondon and South David Barker dbarker@directroute.co.uk 07766545871
Midlands and East Anglia
KenBrown kbrown@directroute.co.uk 07795214426
Wales and North West
Ian Jenkinson ijenkinson@directroute.co.uk 07860 197476
North East,Scotland andNorthern Ireland
MikeCollins mike@accountassyst.com 07866 427363
With the start of the new financial year looming, it makes sense to step up assessment of how to deal with customers says Mike Collins
Leading with a compelling narrative, the BPMAs StepForward Pledge sets out the importance of the plan for every member business to aim for high standards for the products they sell the people who work for them and the planet we live in This straightforward and compelling approach has the industry sitting up and paying attention
The BPMA has set the Pledge up as a voluntary route to help members on their path to sustainable best practice
BPMA Board Director Melissa Chevin who has been working closely with the team at the BPMA to devise and launch this initiative, explained why it is important
This is aimed at changing the way we work and theworkwemake. A very simple expression to describe theway we need to approach the huge task for member companies ” she said “It’s important to the future health of our industry that we get our house in order; our customers expect it from us Open to every member of the BPMA, this voluntary process helps you assess where you are, where you need to get to and support on the journey so no matter what stage you ’ re at, we can help you improve your position as a business ”
In theface of mounting pressureto combat climatechange, businesses and
consumers are paying greater attention to their impact on the environment Our end user customers are pretty savvy and whether they are a micro-SME or a large corporate most are looking for the solutions presented to have a supply chain we can traceand products whose impact on the planet is properly understood.
In a session ran earlier in January, BPMA President and ownerof Allwag, Angela Wagstaff was interviewed about the customer awareness and demands she is experiencing Detailing her types of customer and the different approaches they may expect she noted her customers big or small, all need to hear that her team understands exactly what they are selling and are able to evidence the production and manufacture story Tested in a recent client meeting as to whether she knew the backstory of a specific product with a strong sustainable material specification she said: “We’re having great meetings with clients and we need to be prepared to answer all and every question Doing the homework is critical and we need to be able to provide a clear pedigree for every product ”
Those invited to register their interest in thePledge this January,toldthe BPMA
more about the demand and reliance on sustainable sales within their organisations With 61% of members stating that the demand for evidence of sustainable best practice was high only 7% stated they weren’t asked for this information Some 62% of those respondents said they had a sustainable programme or policy in place and while 32% said they didn t have any current policies, they were keen to implement a sustainable best practice One member visiting Merchandise World was registering interest in the Pledge after losing a significant contract due to the lack of sustainable policies and product evidence Revenue generated from sustainable sales was also growing exponentially across the industry as end users migrated their requests from a nice to have to a ‘must have’ aspect of their orders While not every sale was attributable to a pure sustainable sale more than 70% of respondents stated up to 50% of their order books were linked to a sustainable product With 32% of suppliers now stating the majority of their income (75-100%) is in sustainable goods, PM expects the reporting in sales to all be based on a sustainable supply chain within the next two years
Members signing up to the Pledge
The BPMA has launched the StepForward Pledge as a way for members to demonstrate to merchandise users that they appreciate the importance of a sustainable approach
are subject to an online assessment and need to provide a sustainable policy to qualify Armed with resources and support to help complete a series of continuous improvement goals, the Pledge is based on Environmental, Social and Governance targets (orESG) crucial forbothbusiness growthand establishinglong-termbenefits. The Pledge has been supporting members in managing the risks and opportunities of ESG, embedding sustainability within their products, operations and in the communities in which they serve
The StepForward Pledge is a sectorspecific guiding set of principles that encourages members to take steps in embedding sustainability within their products, services and in the communities in which they operate
Signatories are asked to declare their commitment to measuring tracking and improving their sustainability performance against a set of criteria each year between now and 2030
Only open to BPMA members, the Association is hosting a series of webinars in March and April to cover each step to complete the Pledge what members need to provide and why Registration for these sessions is via bpma co uk/events and listeners can choose from several dates More detail is also available via bpma co uk/stepforward-pledge
Webinar dates are:
• 12:30pm 22nd March 2023
• 09:30am 12th April 2023
In addition, anyone interested in the Pledge can also register their interest and while this is only open to members, the BPMA is inviting the industry to find out more by getting in touch PM readers can register their interest via bit ly/StepForwardPM
Why are we launching the Pledge?
Businesses and consumers are paying evergreater attention to their environmental impact.
Environmental, Social andGovernance (or ESG) efforts arecrucial in delivering tangible, long-term benefits and business growth. To support our members in managing the risks and opportunities of ESG and embedding sustainability within their products, operations and in the communities in which they serve, we arelaunching the BPMA StepForward Pledge
• Join a network of pioneering businesses taking steps towards improving the sustainability performance of their business and the wider industry
• Enhance your reputation among customers, staff and local community
• Demonstrate to customers and value chain partners that your business is committedto playing a distinct role in supporting the transition to net zero
• Help raise the profile and relevance of the promotional merchandise industry as one that takes tackling climate change and environmental issues seriously
Whether you are just starting your journey or you have been working on your sustainability for a while, you can pledge your support
Signing on to the Pledge means committing your business to working towards improving your sustainability performance in three key ESG pillars:
• Procure and supply an increasingly greater percentage of recycled and/or sustainably sourced products
• Ensure an increasing number of products are packaged in materials that can be sustainablysourced and easily recycled
• Make sustainability claims easily verifiable so that consumers can trust the marketing messages they are presented with
• Increasingly procure renewable energy tariffs for business premises
• Choose delivery partners that take steps to improve fuel efficiency
•Reduce harmful emissions whilst travelling
• Use resources efficiently and transition towards a circular economy
• Measure and reduce emissions from supply chains
• Meet or exceed the Greening Government Commitments by reducing climate impacts
• Report on sustainability performance in a transparent manner
• Train employees to incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day thinking
• Focus on employee wellbeing
• Support our local community
• Pay employees a national minimum wage and provide flexible working conditions
You also agree to track your performance in each of these areas every year (from now until 2030) To be eligible to sign the Pledge, organisations must either have a published sustainability statement or make plans to publish one, the latter, with guidance notes provided by the BPMA We are requesting a sustainability plan because it is an important tool to help you improve your operations, reduce costs, stay focused on your goals, and avoid misleading customers with greenwashing We’ll be there to help guide and advise every member who wants to sign up
We are now gathering interest from our members in the Pledge as we prepare resources to be released later this year
Step 1 Register your interest in supporting the BPMA StepForward Pledge Step 2 Receive a link to sign on to the Pledge (through the BPMA member website) Step 3 Complete an online assessment form
Step 4 Receive a BPMA endorsed StepForward Pledge logo
Step 5 Access a complimentary sustainability toolkit for your business
The government has confirmed that single-use items likeplastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trayswillbe banned in England to protect the environment.
Atimeline is not yetclear on themeasure whichcould cut the1.1 billion single-use plates and morethanfour billion pieces of plastic cutleryused in England everyyear
Only about 10%ofitems arerecycled and plastic wastecan remain in landfill formany years polluting soil and water.
The Department forEnvironment, Food and RuralAffairs (Defra) is to publish the results of along consultation on theissue.
Minister Therese Coffey has said she will banarange of single-use plastic items mainly relating to takeaway food and drink. Single-use plastic straws, stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds were banned in England in 2020
Scotland brought in its ownlegislation last year covering items including plates,
cups, cutleryand balloon sticks. Laws for asimilar baninWales were approvedin December and will come intoforce later in this year
This latest measuredoes not, however, coveritems found in supermarkets or shops. The government said it would address those by other means.
Maxim Gelmann, founder of Stroodles, whichhas created an innovative range of edible tableware, welcomed thelegislation whichhesaid would complement the education around thetopic of plastic alternativesthat suppliers have
been feedingintothe market.
“Anidea can alwaysbeasamazingly innovative butunless it offers huge cost savings adoption will alwaystakeages especially withhuge companies,” he said. “However, withlegislation in place this alwaysposes thebestreason to accelerateadoption as suddenly theidea has thenatural sign-off by compliance, shareholders and wider company. ”
Although sustainable products command apremium,Gelmann said the cost had to set against positive marketing and PR spin off,plus lowercosts for wastedisposal and cleaning. Companies can also charge foramoresustainable product, making them arevenue centre, he claims.
“Withapaper cup youcan’t charge that outtothe customer as no one would pay, howeverwithaStroodles cup youcould pass on thefullcosttothe consumer and even makeapremium.”
Merchandise company, B-Loony, innovatedinadvance of legislation introducing its cardboardBalloongrip holder as an alternative to plastic balloon sticks whichwereinline to be banned.
Kris Baker,marketing manager B-Loonysaid thecompanywas already investigating alternative materials when initial discussions arose around the potential Single Use Plastics ban.
“Weactively encouraged all our customers to switch as we sawthatthe continued use of plastic sticks would fuel negative perceptions of balloons withthem also being mistaken forplastic, although they’renatural rubber,” said Baker
DuetoBrexit, EU directivesonsingle use plastics were not transposed to UK aw and thehome nations eachtook their ownapproach,whichhas muddied hewater on legislation, said Baker
Aplastic ban to be introduced in England is forcing companies to be more innovative
To represent the steps our members aretaking on this journey,weare launching the StepForward Pledge in 2023.Nomatter whereyou areonyour sustainability journey,register your interest in the StepForward Pledge today.Beone of the first to step forward and support the Pledge.
Visit bpma.co.uk/StepForward-Pledge to register your interest and find out moreabout what’s involved. We arehosting webinars in February, March and April to explain why the Pledge is important to your business and answer your questions. The StepForward Pledge is amember only initiative. If you would liketofind out moreabout becoming amember and signing up to the StepForward Pledge,get in touch today via membership@bpma.co.uk.
Our industryisembracing sustainability, changing the way we work and the work we make.
Wirelessheadphonesand earbuds arefastbecoming one of thetop selling promotional technologyproducts. They makethe perfectpromotional campaign gift, loyaltyrewardorincentive,event giveaway,orstaff motivational incentive
They appeal to allage groupsand have become an essentialbusinesstool as manycompanies continuewithvideo meetings rather than face to face.
Noise-cancellingheadphones were originally developed forpilots to help deal withnoiseand improve comfort duringlong haul flights. The first consumerversions were designed forregular passengerson these flights and were aluxury gadget.
Prices arenow dropping rapidly and many manufacturers include this technologyin all their product rangesnot justthe topend models. This has opened up aclear opportunity forour marketasmoremodels become available anddemand increasesfor use in a varietyofsituations suchasvideo meetings
Twocurrent technologiesare leading theway andbothimprove theheadphone user’s experience in different ways
ENC earphones are engineered to cancel or suppressall ambient background noisewhile protectingorenhancing thesubject’svoice.
ENC is enabled during calls and neutralises the environmental noise by generating an ‘opposite’ sound. The headphones knowwhatsignals to output to cancel theenvironment noise by recordingthemwithanintegrated microphone and processing them beforecreating thecancelling output.
Your voicecan then be heard more clearlybypeopleparticipating in thecall, because thebackground noise suppression enhancesthe overallqualityofthe call
The userofthe headphoneorearbuds will not directly noticethe difference. This technologyisgenerallyless expensivetoproduce andisbecoming popular in many lowercostoptions
works in a s r mann affects the the headphone’s instead the microphones. The benefit of ANC is disturbing ambient anti-noise or white noise.
ANC worksinasimilarmanner to ENC although it only affectsthe output sound from theheadphone’s speakers instead of themicrophones. ThebenefitofANC is that it dampens disturbingambient noise via anti-noiseorwhitenoise.
from the surrounding sound, which is captured by microphones
This anti-soundisproduced om thesurrounding sound, whichiscapturedbymicrophones in theheadphonesand earbuds.Then thesoundisanalysed and twisted, so the person usingthe headphones or earbuds hears less ambientnoise. This wayitisn’t necessary to turnupthe volume in anoisy environment, which is better foryourhearing. Bothofthesetechnologies arenow standardinmanyleading brands suchas Apple, Samsung, andBose. It is becoming moreaffordable than premium brands and perfect forpromotional marketing.
Matt Pluckrose is managing directorofDesktopIdeasLikemanyindustrysectors, there areworking groups led by their tradeassociations who concentrate on keyareas of best practice, trends, research andcompliance to help thebusinesses they look after achieve and succeed more. The BPMA Boardhas brought together industryleading figures to help plan thenext steps on thepathto promotional merchandise betterment. Concentrating on an agenda which covers sustainability, research,compliance and standards through to their growing Awardprogrammes to recognise excellence, BPMA Chair HaydnWilletts has chargedthe teams withascope to coverbothshort-and long-termoutcomes. Together witha group looking at diversityand inclusion, theagenda
is drivingamix of events, advice and leading research to help itsmembers position their businesses and grow theindustryoverall.
The sustainabilitygroup has already launched theStepForward Pledge, theBPMA’s sustainable standards programme formembers and withmoreplanned to support members overthe coming year,lookout formore information on this.Research is also underway on several work streams considering buyer behaviour,economic impact and insight generating studies to armdistributors with keysales messages linked to theproven effectiveness of merchandise in themix
Compliance and standards arenever far
8March
BPMA International Women’s Daylunch, London
8March
The Big Promotional Trade Show, Glasgow
15 March
Haptica Live,Bonn, Germany
22 March
The Big Promotional Trade Show, Dublin
18 April
The Big Promotional Trade Show, Manchester
27 April
The Big Promotional Trade Show, London
from anyone’s agenda and witha sharpfocus on supply chain value and evidence, moreis coming to members to informand educate across arange of topics withmoreresources being provided on critical ‘must know’ areas. In addition thediversity and inclusion group is hosting its first International Women’s DayLunch on 8March this year followed by anationwide creative industrycensusin15thMarch
Bringing in keythought leaders alongside theBoard from Senator,Fluid, Prominate, WCM+A, BH1 Promotions, PF Concept, Navillus, XD Connect, Desktop Ideas; these areones to watchastheybuild abetter futurefor theBPMAand theindustry. Visit bpma.co.uk formoreinformation on events and news. Questions? Contact enquiries@bpma.co.uk
13 September
Merchandise World, Milton Keynes
2024
9-11 January
PSI, Dusseldorf,Germany
24-25 January
Merchandise World, Coventry
Weall invest alot of time, money and energy in promoting our businesses to new and current customers. Whether it’sthrough calls, emails, social, newsletters, or advertising, everypoint of contact is your opportunitytotell agreat storyand be thereason whyyour company is thefirst one to ask when theneed arises.
Most of us don’t have access to acrack team of marketing specialists to hone our communications but afew simple checks on your next round of newsletters or social messages could be thedifference that drivesreaction and action.
Ultimately,you want to engage your audience withaclear and interesting stand out reason. Whether it is an industrycommunication between suppliers and distributors or from distributors to end users, give them agreat reason to open that latest email.
Onedistributor told PM they had receivedmorethan400 emails from suppliers in a48-hour period,filled withcompelling promotions and offers. Realistically,they won’tall be read so make your headline count. Sounds simple but unless thereisaclear call to action, it’s possible your content might be missed.
Don’tbeafraid to put your heart on your sleeve–ifyour mission and values matter to youinthe wayyou conduct
business, sayso–it’scritical if this drives theoutcomes too. We respond to positive values and we prefer to do business with people who care. Defining thevalues that matter to youand help convince apotential customer it matters to them toomay need some work to ensure aclear message is conveyed; theimpact can be instant and put youand your team front of mind.
Notevery communication has to be about aproduct either.Tellyour customer a storyabout progress, innovation… anything that delivers impact and triggers theidea is worthwhile especially forend users.
It’salsoimportant to remember forend users, you’re theexpert. Whether they arearegular customer or apotential one, they will have alot less knowledge than youofwhat is possible when it comes to products and what they could order Providing new knowledge that could matchtheir values, particularly when it comes to delivering on thesustainable agenda, could land thenext order foryou.
By standing out and forthe right reasons, means youwill stand out and be different from therest. It’stempting to sayyour standout memorable point of difference is service or even price but stop and consider first what truly makes youdifferent. The unique points of difference youpromotemean you aremorelikely to be remembered, and re-told, and provides an answer to every buyer about whythey chose you.
Traditionally,welookata classicfeatures, benefits and experience of products to promoteourselves. To appeal to our customers, we need to take into account theirconscious and subconscious wants, fears and needs. What arethe rational drivers forpurchase? Is thereahidden need? Could therebeanemotional driver of thepurchase? Is therearisk of switching to your business or product range? What happens if they do nothing as aresultof seeing or interacting withyour business?
When we arecommunicating with customers, we’redoing several things; we’re building the‘brand’ message withthem aboutyour companyorwe’re activating a‘sellnow’message. The memorable triggers whichhelp influence sales over thelong term,priming them emotionally to prefer your business can and should be apart of thecommunication mix so when you’re ready to push atargeted sales message, it’smorelikely to hit home.
PM’s advice on great communications is keep your marketing communications clear, represent your companybrilliantly and tell acompelling storyabout whydoing business withyou is an excellent idea.
This article is based on aBPMA webinar whichtookplace in January 2023 on Brilliant Communications. Members have access to brand building worksheets and other resourcesvia bpma.co.uk
When it comes to building brilliant communications, it is business critical to create abrand narrative that cuts through
Once upon a time...
Coronation guidelines were finally released this Februaryasthe nation prepares forKingCharles III and The Queen Consort’s Coronation on 6May 2023 PM hasbeen busy reviewing theCoronation plans which will allowthe promotional merchandise industrytoproduce awidevarietyofgoods.
The great news is merchandise is featured heavily in theguidance and fantastic assets have b available forUKcompanies
The logo has been release be used free of chargeand not requireapproval via th Lord Chamberlain’s Office whichisgood news forthe industry. The Coronation logo suiteofassets have been confirmed and are available foruse forall activities associated with theCoronation including communityand national events, publications, retail, and merchandising.
PM has covered some keypoints from theguidance below and encourages the industryplanning to use theCoronation emblems t carefully review and read a theguidance. In theguidan thereare specific merchan examples whichprovide th guide theindustryshould
Detailed guidance and downloadable assets can be found at royal.uk/coronation-emblem.
It’simportant to knowwho theCoronation emblem can be used by.Itisintended for use by charities, companies and individuals forcelebrations to markHis MajestyThe King’s Coronation in 2023. This does include commercial use, merchandise and advertising but we’readvised theemblem should not be redrawnorre-constituted.
If you have questions on its use, the industrycan receivea swift response
from theLordChamberlain’s Office in writing to Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA or youcan email them at royalwarrants@royal.uk.
Aren’t therules usually very strict? Under normal circumstances, theuse of theRoyal Arms and other Royal Devices forcommercial purposes is prohibited unless thepermission of the Member of theRoyal Family concerned has been obtained. The King and The Queen Consort have approvedthe rules governing thecommercial use of Royal Photographs and Official Insignia may be temporarily relaxedtoallowtheir use on souvenirs marking theCoronation.
The guidance carefully explains how manufacturers mayuse official Royal Devices and detailed guidance has been published on theuse of theCoronation Emblem and PM recommends a thorough review beforeyou start.
Souvenirs, subject theguidance aredefined as “articles of apermanent kind” specifically designed to markthe Coronation and identified withthe occasion by the incorporation of aphrasesuchas:
•The Coronation of King Charles III and The Queen Consort –2023
•The Coronation ofKing Charles III –6th May2023
•The Coronation 2023
This also appliestosouvenirs produced using regional language variations.
To qualify forthe privileges in the guidance, such souvenirs must be:
a. In good taste.
b Free from anyform ofadvertisement.
c. Carry no implication of RoyalCustom or Approval.
Containers or Receptacles of Merchandise
PM hasalso learned that as aspecial exception, containersorreceptacles ofmerchandisewill, for this Coronation only,qualify as souvenirs provided that:
a. Theyare permanent in nature -i.e.metalware, ceramic orother semiindestructible material and speciallymade forthe occasion.
b. Theycomply withthe requirements of Paragraph3 in theGuidance notes. With particular regard to Paragraph3 (b), the nameofthe manufacturer anddetails of the contents mayappearonly on theunderside or interior of thecontainer or on thestopper
c. TheRoyal Symbolsthatmay be used on containersorreceptacles arelimited to photographsofThe King, TheQueen Consort andthe CoronationEmblem.
Important notefor theindustry:
theuse of theRoyal Arms and theRoyal Cyphers arespecifically forbidden on containers and packaging. Holders of theRoyal Warrant of Appointment may use theRoyal Arms only in accordance withthe Lord Chamberlain’s Rules.
