Promotional Products Marketing Magazine July 2017

JULY 2017

Promotional Products

Marketing Magazine

Essential Attributes for a Successful Distributor and Supplier Relationship

&

Helpful Marketing Can Grow Your Business Exponentially

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02 President’s Message 02 CEO’s Message 04 The Strength of Social Media for Small Business

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Small Business Minister Meeting

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Successful Distributor and Supplier Relationship

05 APPA CEO Meets with the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Federal Minister for Small Business 06 APPA – More Than Just a Trade Show 08 The APPA Foundation 09 Orbitkey 12 Your Guide to APPA Trade Shows 13 APPA Member’s Epic Awards Win! 14 Essential Attributes for a Successful Distributor and Supplier Relationship 18 Australian Roadshows 17 20 Red Tomato 22 The 6 REs of Credit Management

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25 Headwear Professionals 26 Hand Spinners – Staying On-trend and Compliant at the Same Time 28 Helpful Marketing Can Grow your Business Exponentially

Australian Roadshows 17

29 Are you Doing Safety ‘Wrong’?

31 Promotional Products Insurance 32 Milestones 34 SEAGA Group Australia Expands Pantone Range 37 Papillon Promotional Marketing 38 Understanding the Rise of Content Marketing 40 NZ CONVEX 17 43 Zinc

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Hand Spinners

NZ CONVEX 17

APPA HEAD OFFICE Suite 7, 407 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills, VIC 3127 1800 MY APPA (1800 69 2772) Australia 0800 45 1117 New Zealand GENERAL ENQUIRIES Email: sonia@appa.com.au www.appa.com.au | www.appa.co.nz

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Ky Wilson Membership & Marketing Manager Email: ky@appa.com.au DESIGN & ARTWORK Privaro Design www.privaro.com.au

46 Leadership: Auckland Chamber of Commerce 49 APPA Service Providers 2017

NZ CONVEX Best New Product

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PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE

Contents

WELCOME MESSAGES

From the President

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an you feel it? You can almost touch the buzz that surrounds APPA now. Over the past 12 months, I have heard many people comment about APPA’s direction, and it’s all with an element of excitement about their renewed industry association – and what’s more, that there is ownership.

The vision is becoming reality!

Pete Schroeder, President

From the rebuilding of systems and membership function in the back of house, to the more visible re-creation of the Industry Awards Program, invigoration of educational webinars and seminars and a massive increase in supplemental Members’ benefits – it’s easy to see where this new vibe comes from.

A huge call out and thanks to the APPA HQ team headed by Steve, but not to forget Jodie, Kate, Ky, Sonia and Cath. Without these dedicated and energetic individuals the APPA of today wouldn’t exist: it would still be just “an idea”.

Now it’s your turn!

While APPA is doing a great job getting all of its ducks in a row, we still need your involvement to really make our industry great!

My challenge to you is this – Explore and Engage!

Take another look at what the Association is doing for you and get active.

It can be as simple as reviewing and activating the awesome Members’ benefits offered to you or catching the regular educational webinars through to committing to being more physically involved by attending the wealth of seminars and events being staged for you and engaging with other Members (yes, even if they are in the same channel as you).

After all – APPA is your association.

Good trading. I look forward to bumping into you.

From the CEO

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Steve Granland, CEO

elcome APPA Members and Service Providers to the Promotional Products Marketing Magazine, the new-look APPA Members’ publication.

High on our agenda as we worked through the process of transformation and change at APPA was the need to continue the evolution of our Member communications.

The first step in this process was to reinvigorate our flagship industry magazine and connect it more directly to the broader marketing field. Although the process began in July last year, the changes we introduced in 2016 were subtle. The changes we introduced in 2016, which hopefully you will have already noticed, are not subtle. The new name, the new paper stock, the new layout and the new format have been introduced to ensure our industry is at the leading edge of industry publications. I would like to personally thank Ky Wilson, our Membership and Marketing Manager, who has tackled this reinvigoration with passion and dedication.

This Member-driven process of transformation and reinvigoration continues at a fast pace at APPA HQ. We are building to a major release of other new APPA Member communications, tools, resources and benefits which will be revealed at CONVEX 2017. The APPA Board and HQ staff are excited and confident

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that the changes continue the commitment to build Member value and raise the positive profile of our industry among identified key stakeholders.

Thank you to all who attended APPA’s keystone trade shows and professional development programs in the first six months of 2017. The APPA Roadshows and New Zealand CONVEX were a great success, APPA Member webinars continue to be extremely popular, interest in the APPA Awards has been beyond expectations and the inaugural APPA Leadership Conference was amazing (selling out two weeks before it was held). In the first six months of 2017, APPA has had the opportunity to interact directly via these activities with approximately 2,000 industry stakeholders and we look forward to building on this over 2017.

In closing I would like to thank APPA’s first Business Partner, Association Insurance. Over the last 12 months, Drew Fisher and his team have been working diligently to develop an insurance product built specifically for our industry. This is an important and significant step for our industry towards ensuring our unique risks are recognised and appropriately covered. The final steps are now being taken to launch the Promotional Products Insurance website at APPA CONVEX 2017.

I hope to see you at CONVEX 2017!

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UPDATE FROM APPA HQ

The Strength of Social Media for Small Business Sonia Drew, Marketing and Membership Coordinator, APPA

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n average, in each Australian home there are at least four internet-enabled devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, smart watches and smart televisions, all of which accentuate the desire for online social activities. Currently 87% of Australians access the internet daily and 69% are using social media. That’s about 13.8 million Australians, demonstrating that Australians are on social media in record numbers – and it’s growing daily.

Social media is fast becoming an essential marketing tool for every business, large or small – regardless of the product. Australian businesses have grown on social media since 2015, with 40% of small and medium businesses and 79% of large businesses having a social media presence. With this increased presence on social media, consumers have responded positively and actively engaging on the two-way communication platform.

The most popular social media website used is Facebook, with the average Australian spending more than 12 hours per week on it. In the 2016 APPA Member Survey, Members indicated it was both their most used social media platform and the social media platform that drew the most traffic to their businesses’ websites. Closely following is Facebook-owned photosharing application Instagram which has 31% of Australians using it, with an average of 11 hours per week.

With numbers like that, your business is at risk if you are not part of the action and you will get left behind.

Still need convincing? Even with the high usage rates and more Australians jumping on social media to connect to brands and research products, there is still 52% of small businesses that do not have a social media or online presence – and there’s a good chance that some of those businesses are your potential competition. Social media offers easy ways to build community, give your brand personality and generate genuine interest around your products and services.

So, grab the opportunity to reach your target market – the options are endless!

Here are five tips for getting started with your business’s social media pages.

1. Don’t use social media to solely advertise your business – you will not be utilising the platform correctly. The purpose of social media for businesses is to help share your brand’s 4 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

personality, to engage, to connect and to build relationships within your own community and target audience.

2. Decide what platform works well for your business and target audience. Don’t set yourself up for failure by diving into every single social media platform if you are unable to engage and connect with your audiences. Research your target audience to determine where they are going to connect with your business – whether it will be an older demographic on Facebook or the Millennials on Instagram.

3. Create a social media strategy plan. Every business has a specific set of goals and branding objectives, and your social media strategy plan should directly support these goals. Ensuring a planned approach gives your business the competitive edge and will always provide better results than randomly posted content.

4. Plan your content. Create a social media calendar outlaying the times of posting, indicating which platform and the content. There are many tools to assist with planning quality content and posting at peak times. Quality engagement and content are crucial for success on social media as consumers are more likely to trust a brand if it interacts in a positive way with its customers on social media.

They will find the content posted engaging and relevant if the brand regularly updates content.

5. Get active! Share that you are on social media with social media sharing buttons on your website, email signatures and business cards.

APPA Members: do you have questions or any tips on how best to use social media for business?

Send them through to me at sonia@appa.com.au

CONNECT WITH APPA HQ ON SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/APPA-HQ facebook.com/Promotional-Products-Work-PPW instagram.com/appahq/

linkedin.com/company/appahq

twitter.com/APPA_HQ

youtube.com/channel/UCKi8_1WNEL1xZSgn-d0d5Bw

APPA ADVOCACY

APPA CEO Meets with the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Minister for Small Business On 7 February of this year an introductory meeting was held between APPA CEO Steve Granland and the Hon Michael McCormack, MP, Federal Small Business Minister.

Following the 2016 Federal Election, the Hon Michael McCormack was appointed the Federal Small Business Minister and has ministerial responsibility for the nation’s 3.2 million small businesses.

“The purpose of the meeting was to brief the Minister on key elements of the promotional products industry and the role of APPA. We want to explore the opportunity to work more closely with the Government on initiatives linked to our industry and the small business sector on an ongoing basis.” APPA CEO Steve Granland said after the Canberra trip.

“It was important to discuss that promotional product marketing is recognised by marketers and business people as an essential part of the brand and marketing communications toolkit. There would be few private, public and Government organisations, in fact, who do not utilise this powerful medium. The Minister was particularly interested in the size of the industry (number of small businesses involved) and the innovation involved at both the supplier and distributor end. The Minister indicated he would also welcome the chance to do a meet and greet with APPA Members should the opportunity present itself.” Steve concluded.

Some of the key issues for the promotional product industry presented to the Minister: • Product Safety – linkages to ACCC and TGA (e.g. the recent Small Business Minister Summer Safety Campaign). APPA takes its role as an educator in product safety seriously (button batteries).

• Direct sourcing by end user – damaging an effective and efficient industry model which drives innovation (APPA Awards initiative) and impacts industry reputation through poor quality products and service.

• Red tape – APPA welcomes all efforts to reduce the burden of red tape for small business. »» The recent review of the tax deductibility of non-compulsory uniforms is an example (APPA has made a recent submission). »» Beneficial links between small business and education institutions (e.g. access to internships) are often thwarted by red tape (e.g. set up and reporting requirements).

• Small Business Payment terms – APPA is supportive of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s inquiry into payment terms. (APPA Members will be encouraged to complete the survey).

• Small Business and Government contracts – APPA is supportive of efforts to promote small business involved in Government contracts.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 5

UPDATE FROM APPA HQ

APPA – More than Just a Trade Show Ky Wilson, Marketing and Membership Manager, APPA

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PPA in 2017 is not the association of the past. With so many new and improved Members’ benefits and resources available it is no wonder that so many previous Members are returning, Members’ satisfaction is rising, and people from outside our membership base are now talking about APPA. We are so driven to deliver meaningful experiences to our Members that the collective total of webinars, Member visits, education sessions, industry updates, factory tours, trade shows, gala balls, the leadership conference and roundtable events held this year exceeds the total of the past three years combined.

As encouraged as we are at APPA HQ by these developments, we understand that it is just the beginning and there is so much more to be done.

We are constantly developing strategies enabling us to interact with our valued Members and their industry needs in a meaningful way, both now and into the future.

Our aspiration is to not only provide a reliable conduit to industry professionals and a positive service experience every time a Member contacts us, it is also to raise the awareness and profile of our industry.

A key element in our new partnership with our Members is listening. It is important that we hear your views, aspirations and concerns so that we can plan and deliver services that you consider to be of value. We will continue to be accountable to our Members.

If you have anything that you would like to contribute, or if I can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at ky@appa.com.au Until then, I look forward to seeing you all at CONVEX and the NZ Promotional Products Show in August!

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APPA’s 2017–2018 Objectives • Connect more Suppliers with Distributors.

• Connect more Distributors with end users.

• Educate end users about the value of using APPA Members.

• Provide a compelling value proposition for Members.

• Save Members time and money sourcing quality offers/services/ products from reputable service providers.

• Increase Member satisfaction and engagement levels.

• Increase industry education.

• Create a proactive and Memberdriven culture.

• Enhance APPA features, benefits and tools for success.

• Coordinate social gatherings to interact with industry peers.

• Provide opportunities for professional and personal growth.

• Encourage leadership opportunities.

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PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 7

APPA NEWS

The APPA Foundation With a thoughtful commitment to charitable giving, APPA is proud to announce the launch of its charity project, the APPA Foundation.

As charitable entities, private foundations have proven to be incredibly successful engines of positive change.

Why? Each year, thousands of usable promotional products are thrown out, whether due to minor faults or being discontinued.

APPA has started an initiative that will enable companies to pass these products on to charities who can use them to benefit the lives of those less fortunate. This will be an ongoing program, whereby Suppliers and Distributors alike can use the Foundation to move unsellable product in order to help those in need.

Rather than going to waste, these products can be put to good use, reduce landfill, and create an opportunity to release the inner altruist within the Distributor/Supplier donating them.

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In addition to creating and facilitating the APPA Foundation, we are also more than willing to assist in the social media sharing of these acts of generosity, thereby creating a great PR opportunity.

It is easy to forget just how many people there are in the developed world, and how powerful our single acts of philanthropy can become when pooled together.

Who can participate?

Suppliers, Distributors or Decorators are all welcome to use the APPA Foundation. The more products collected, the bigger impact we can make on a larger scale.

How do I start?

If you have any items you think could be used, please contact kate@appa.com.au, advising what stock you have, the quantity and the location (and any faults/damages). There are hundreds of non-profit organisations you can choose to donate to, and the process of selecting which organisation to support can feel like a daunting task. But you don’t have to do all the research yourself.

APPA will help you to select a suitable charity, and will put Ad_90X131.pdf 1 30/05/2017 3:53:17 PM you in touch to organise the logistics.

AUSTRALIAN SUPPLIER INTERVIEW

Orbitkey Rex Kuo and Charles Ng, Co-Founders and Directors

Where did the concept for Orbitkey come from?

Charles, an avid jogger, really disliked the sound of jingling keys in his pocket.

Coming from a design background, he naturally attempted to solve this problem Rex Kuo by coming up with a quick prototype – stacked keys, clamped together using bolt and nut – preventing the keys from moving freely.

One day, Rex (a close friend of Charles’ in the pharmaceutical field) saw the prototype and expanded on the possibilities of solving other problems that keychains presented – the main issue being the sharp edges of keys scratching personal belongings in pockets and bags. This is where the idea of the Orbitkey came to life.

How do you find people to bring into your organisation who truly care about the organisation the way you do?

We believe that our team is the main driver for the success of our business and from experience, we learned that culture-fit wins over talent and skills.

Throughout the hiring process, the one thing we constantly check for is whether the candidate will fit into the company culture.

In the past few hires, we have been lucky enough to be able to meet like-minded people with similar interests and values. Our team is currently a mix of amazing individuals we met through different design events, social activities and circles of friends.

Where did Orbitkey’s funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it?

After investing our time and money on the development of Orbitkey, we decided to launch our idea through a crowdfunding campaign, Kickstarter.

By the end of the 30–day campaign, we gratefully had 5,000 people believe in our vision and raised over A$210,000 – this really helped us to get going with our first manufacturing order.

Alongside the excitement came valuable constructive feedback on how we could make Orbitkey even better.

As a company that values innovation, design and more importantly, our community, we took on the feedback we received and instilled it into the design of our latest model, Orbitkey 2.0.

Two years after the original campaign, the new Orbitkey was again launched on crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. So far, we have been able to raise over A$1.2 million on this platform alone.

Charles Ng

How do you build a successful customer base?

We’d like to think that by creating products that offer true value – something that really changes their lives in a positive way – you will be able to build a loyal customer base.

What three pieces of advice would you give to anyone who wanted to start their own business?

• Ask for advice. We do not think that we have one particular mentor but we definitely have a number of people we go to for advice. Each and every one of them has expertise in different areas, and it is amazing to see how much they are willing to share their experience with everyone.

• Create something that you would use and that adds value. There’s a big difference between coming up with an idea and actually making it work, especially for the end users. We spent many months trialling different designs and refining them until we came up with something we were truly happy with. It’s a lot easier when you believe in the product or service you are selling.

• Most importantly, try to think from the customer’s perspective and aim to make their experience the best it could be.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

We’ve learned that you never stop learning. The past three years have taught us so much more than we could imagine. It is one of the biggest rewards from this journey.

Earlier in the business, we misjudged the involvement required to get a product made overseas. Since the start of the campaign, we had already planned to visit China to work with the manufacturer closely.

Originally, we were only meant to spend three weeks there to prepare for the mass production, but we quickly realised that we had misjudged how much involvement was needed in order to finish the production within the promised deadline. By the end of the trip, Charles had already changed his return flight seven times and also renewed his visa in China, which was a huge challenge in itself.

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AUSTRALIAN SUPPLIER INTERVIEW How many hours a day do you work on average?

10–12 hours.

Describe/outline your typical day?

There is no typical day and that’s the beauty of it. However, we can almost guarantee that it involves multiple cups of coffee and tea every few hours! Working with distribution partners and even a team member on the other side of the world (New York), sometimes means waking up really early to attend Skype meetings at home or in the office. Time always seem to fly by in the office, and by the time we finish up, we realise it’s already six or seven in the evening – sometimes even later.

What motivates you?

Seeing our customers/team members smile – when they’re happy, it makes us happy. It gives us a great sense of fulfilment for our efforts in looking after others.

Lastly, we’re working on a few new products to add to our range.

The push for innovation in our designs really empowers our team to always want to do better – it’s what we stand for.

What book has inspired you the most?

(Or what is your favourite book?)

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

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How do you go about marketing your business?

What has been your most successful form of marketing?

For us, we’ve been relying a lot on organic word of mouth and also by being visible in a lot of retail outlets. We’re so blessed to have loyal followers who would recommend Orbitkey to family and friends, and also purchase multiple Orbitkeys for gifting. Having a unique product that promotes an unconventional way of carrying your keys, we find that word of mouth to be the best form of marketing for us.

What kind of culture exists in Orbitkey? How did you establish this tone and type of culture?

At Orbitkey, everybody has something valuable to add into the business. We never fail to learn from each other, about almost anything. As we both come from a non-business background, everything has been learned through doing. There is no set way of operating, and we welcome any sort of feedback and are always open for suggestions on how to do things better.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

We admire businesses that disrupt. Companies like Airbnb/ Kickstarter are a few to mention for their innovative business models. How they enable their users to do what wasn’t possible before and for their ability to create a self-sustaining community that grows exponentially.

Over 100 Exhibitors, 15 hours of show time, 1,000 + Delegates, hours of education and one world-class venue If you want to find out what’s new and innovative – or just get inspired – there’s no better place than at CONVEX 2017.

VIP

APPA Membership = VIP • Access to APPA-sponsored, Members only education session with keynote speaker Wayne Pearce presenting “Teamwork & Creating a High Performance Culture” valued at $199.

• Exclusive APPA Member trade show bags filled with high-quality items • The opportunity to socialise with your peers in the relaxed setting of the Members only VIP lounge with catering and complimentary shoulder massages • Dedicated Members entry line • Free coffee to Members only • Unlimited access to both days of CONVEX (Wednesday, August 16 is Members only day) • Left luggage free of charge • Member e-kit to be emailed prior to CONVEX featuring: CONVEX Member only special offers from participating Exhibitors, Exhibitor list, a how to make the most of CONVEX guide, and an APPA exclusive guide on how to market your business by marketing guru Tim Reid. (Tim was voted the most popular speaker at our recent Leadership Conference.)

Members win big!

Automatically go into the draw to win hundreds of dollars in prizes including two APPA Member Rewards Packs.

Connect with your industry peers from around Australasia APPA Members send their “A-Team” to CONVEX. This allows you to meet the right people, make the right connections and get the correct answers to your questions.

Valuable business relationships will be easy to establish in the casual atmosphere of the trade show where some 1,500 promotional product professionals come to share ideas, stories, and what’s new in their worlds.

Meet with new Suppliers With new products, gadgets, and technology coming onto the market every day, just keeping up with what’s new is a full-time job. There will be plenty of new Exhibitors at CONVEX this year, and the “What’s New” product showcase will highlight the best new offerings for industry professionals. Our Exhibitors are industry experts and solution providers who truly know what is happening in the world of promotional products.

UPDATE FROM APPA HQ

Your Guide to APPA Trade Shows 5 6 Tips for getting the most out of APPA Trade Shows

Kate Richards Events and Education Manager, APPA

1. Spend the day there

Keep the day free to explore the show and make the most of the opportunities it provides. Take time to look at new products and new Suppliers, and get a refresher on some of the products your existing Suppliers offer. Don’t assume that just because you already deal with a Supplier, it’s not necessary to stop and have a proper look at what they can provide. You never know what you’ll get asked to source tomorrow.

2. Use the convention program

Make sure you check out everyone who is exhibiting, and get around the whole show. Don’t miss an aisle or you could potentially miss out on sales. And keep the program – you never know when you’ll need to refer to something you saw at the show, so having the Exhibitor and Sponsor listings on hand will help.

3. Make appointments

A lot of the bigger Suppliers will book a time to sit down with you and your team, to explain their latest range and get feedback from your staff about how they can help, what kind of clients you have and what types of products are in demand.

4. Use your Supplier’s knowledge and ask for help

That’s what they’re there for. If your client has a theme, or needs a specific colour or item, ask your Supplier! They know their products the best, and may even come up with a solution you hadn’t thought of. Better yet, they may even help you present it to your client.

5. Take business cards

You are there to make contacts, so give people a way to contact you. The number of people who turn up to shows without business cards never ceases to amaze!

APPA staff are here to help. If you remember seeing a product at the show but can’t find it, give us a call. We’ll help you track it down!

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Top reasons to attend APPA Trade Shows

1. Build your relationships

Do your research. Look at how much money you spend with your Suppliers, and why. What could your Suppliers do for you, or what could you do for them, that would benefit both your business and theirs? Exhibitors welcome feedback, so tell them what you feel they do well or what you wish they did differently.

2. Improve your product knowledge

And more importantly, your staff’s product knowledge. If you can afford it, it really is beneficial to bring your whole team along. While your salespeople are out selling, it’s important and often helpful for your production staff to be up to date with the latest products and decoration techniques. A more educated and informed staff will result in increased productivity.

3. Catch up on the latest trends

When you see similar new products between Suppliers, chances are that’s the latest trend in the market. Suppliers will often launch a new range at trade shows, so grab the latest catalogue and touch and feel their new products. If you can show your customers the hottest products you just saw at a trade show, they will feel comfortable knowing you’re on your game.

4. Find new Suppliers

Seek out Suppliers you haven’t heard of or don’t know much about as they could have key products that you’ve been searching for. Suppliers spend a lot of time and money to exhibit at shows, so make the most of what they’re offering. Use the convention program – look for the “New Supplier” symbols on the Exhibitor lists.

5. Get educated

APPA often provides education or professional development opportunities in conjunction with our trade shows. They are free for Members and provide huge benefits to you and your staff.

You never know what you might learn.

6. Stay competitive

Your competition will be at the show, doing all of the above. Don’t let them get ahead of you!

APPA MEMBER NEWS

APPA Member’s Epic Awards Win!

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PPA Member Chilli Promotions have followed up on their previous APPA award wins with amazing results at the 2017 Global Industry Awards for PPAI. They received gold, silver and bronze awards over three

With results like these, we just had to ask Andy Galbally, Chilli Promotions Owner and Managing Director his thoughts about the advantages of winning awards.

The international awards, first introduced in 1958, are the pinnacle of industry recognition. These awards recognise campaigns that demonstrate the effective use of promotional products, execution, creativity and packaging that create integrated marketing communication programs, with quantifiable results.

What are the benefits of entering industry awards?

“It’s Chilli Promotions’ dedication to solution-based selling, combined with creative inspiration and the ability to deliver promotional strategies, that resonate with customers and deliver results. We’re pleased to recognise Chilli Promotions with these awards,” commented Paul Bellantone, CAE, President and CEO at PPAI.

Does winning awards offer any strategic advantages?

Andy Galbally, Chilli Promotions Owner and Managing Director said, “We previously won PPAI Pyramid Awards in 2011, 2014 and 2015, and to again be recognised internationally really is a fantastic result”.

To be able to successfully collaborate with valued clients Bayer, Toyota and ME Bank and to be recognised by these prestigious industry awards, is testimony to the continued hard work and vision of the Chilli Promotions team. I couldn’t be prouder,” said Andy.

Chilli Promotions were awarded: • GOLD in the Business to Business Category for the Bayer Babushka Doll Campaign • SILVER in the Consumer Program Category for the Toyota TR86 Merchandise • BRONZE in the Sales Incentive Program Category for the ME Bank Merchandise.

Chilli Promotions provide an Oceanic solution, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. They also offer a range of complementary areas that support core merchandise, including marketing, product, promotions, warehousing, fulfilment and distribution of catalogue programs for their clients.

The team at Chilli Promotions is committed to sustainability and the environment. They are the world’s first and only promotional products company to offer all products 100% carbon offset at no extra cost, and they’ve been doing this for over seven years!

Apart from showcasing some great promotions with proven results, it’s also an opportunity for our clients to achieve recognition that supports their wider marketing spend and campaign.

Awards don’t mean much, unless you win them. Creative award-winning campaigns are a platform to further marketing Chilli Promotions’ capabilities and achievements to all stakeholders, enabling organisational growth through business development and resourcing talent. Clients and potential employees are attracted to businesses that can deliver results.

Should they be actively pursued?

Yes, but only if companies believe they have developed a successful promotional marketing campaign.

How can promotional product Distributors or Suppliers best capitalise on them – both internally and externally?

Distributors and Suppliers have an opportunity to attract further sales and business on the back of winning these awards, as well as attracting potential new talent. Internally, staff are also rewarded through recognition of their efforts and having had the exposure to working on a successful campaign.

Is the time and effort you spend putting the submissions together validated in the end?

It can take some time and initiative to collate and submit the application, but can be rewarding when successful.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Essential Attributes for a Successful Distributor and Supplier Relationship Ky Wilson, Marketing and Membership Manager, APPA

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In our rapidly evolving globalised world, the only constant is change.

And there is no more globalised business than the marketing, distribution and supply of promotional products.

Relationships between Suppliers and Distributors are always evolving, with overseas competition and changing market conditions among many of the external forces of change. Promotional products professionals, from either side of the fence, planning for industry-leading growth and long-term success must actively plan course corrections to their relationships to ensure they outperform their competition.

I spoke with APPA Board Members and APPA Distributors Adrian Davidson of INCK Merchandise and Robert Williams of Your Brand Unleashed, APPA Board Member and APPA Supplier Bryan Deng of Promocollection and APPA Supplier Jim Robertson of Trends Collection who gave me their definitions of what they believed were the essential attributes for a successful Supplier and Distributor relationship.

DISTRIBUTORS mock-ups and working with the Distributor to win over the client.

I believe it’s a full package whereby Distributors and Suppliers need to work together for the betterment of our industry but also to look more appealing in the eyes of our clients.

Personally, I think the current expectations of Suppliers have evolved over the years, and a lot of Suppliers have evolved to meet these expectations.

Adrian Davidson

Robert Williams

Robert and Adrian, how would you define a good Supplier and how, if at all, have your expectations of Suppliers evolved in recent years?

This involves having websites that include a lot of functionality, such as stock searching, pricing, and mark-up calculators.

This includes the option to prepare “free” mock-ups for clients using the website, as well as spec sheets, courier tracking and many more.

These have benefited the Supplier-Distributor connection and I personally believe have strengthened the delivery to our end user.

Robert

Adrian

I believe a good Supplier is made up of various elements.

We all face exponential change and the challenges of keeping our customers happy and our own businesses and teams ahead of the game in a rapidly changing marketplace. It’s becoming easier to be distracted with the new ways of working and opportunities that technology and the “Internet of Things” present. Robert has covered the important areas a Distributor looks for that can make a Supplier successful in terms of products and services, and clearly technology plays an important role.

No 1: Quality The Supplier must showcase a quality product – and back their product from start to finish. If there are issues, they must guarantee their product, as this assists with the supply chain.

No 2: Turnaround In today’s “need it yesterday” world, a good Supplier at the moment is one who meets with and listens to the demands of consumers.

During my 17 years in the industry, “urgent” orders have always been there and I believe will always be there for the lifetime of our industry. The current demand is growing to meet with 24-hour and three-day turnaround times, as witnessed in the US promotional products market. More and more end users nowadays, have pressures on them from higher up, and our products are usually the ones thought about last (unfortunately). We need Suppliers who can help with those rush turnaround times and even if it’s not a rush, have a reasonable turnaround time as part of their product offering.

No 3: Stock A good Supplier will read, to the best of their ability, about market trends and be on top of any stock issues, and predict what is trending. The biggest bugbear in our industry is when we get the order but there is no stock to fulfil it for months ahead.

No 4: Communication A good Supplier will communicate with the Distributor through various means – Facebook, email marketing, Distributor visits, and having a presence at APPA trade shows. A good Supplier understands the need for a relationship with the Distributor and simply sending out a catalogue won’t do. A good Supplier also grades their clients – like we all do in business – as As, Bs, Cs, Ds etc, and opens up offers and other opportunities to Distributors who show the same support to their business.

A good Supplier will also be an “ear” that hears and listens to a Distributor – and assists Distributors as part of the sales process to the end user. They can assist by suggesting products, creating

It’s fair to say that a typical Distributor will focus much of their time and effort on providing great customer service as a Supplier to our customers. We’re therefore in a great position to understand what it’s like to be a Supplier and as such, work out how we can be a great customer to our own Suppliers.

Robert, how can a Supplier strengthen its strategic value to a Distributor?

If the Supplier can become a partner to my business, and help with quality, turnaround, having stock, communicate with us throughout the year, including “exclusive releases” etc, and assist in the process of samples, mock-ups, spec samples etc, then this would build value for my business and for my clients, and also help us grow our relationship with the Supplier.

It would also take away issues such as price and other things that may prevent us from purchasing from them in the first place.

Adding that “extra” value would build and strengthen our relationship, and build that Supplier’s business as a result of the loyalty that would accompany this.

Adrian, what are the top do’s and dont’s to help create successful Distributor & Supplier relationships?

No 1: DO Pay on Time Pay on time and as expected. We know how important cash flow is to our business and therefore it’s just as important to our Suppliers’ businesses. A Distributor, even a small one, that pays on time, every time becomes a trusted and respected customer. Distributors with a good payment history may deserve better prices or terms, which results in a competitive edge.

Continued on page 16

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 15

FEATURE ARTICLE Continued from page 15

No 2: DON’T Blame

No 8 DO Identify and Monitor Risks

There will always be problems. Every Distributor and Supplier will make mistakes or be the victim of circumstance. Blaming the person on the other end of the telephone or complaining via email will not help the situation. Instead, work with the Supplier to find a solution.

Risks can’t be managed until they are identified and monitored.

Work with your Supplier to ensure that risks are identified at all levels of operations. Promotional Products can be a risky business and as APPA Suppliers and Distributors, we have a responsibility to manage safety, quality and compliance for all products that are put into the hands of end users.

Nobody responds to a Distributor who is heavy handed, unreasonable or unfair. Be consistent in how you manage your Supplier. Take a balanced approach and be mindful of extenuating circumstances that may be impacting upon a situation.

No 3: DO Make Friends There are good reasons to make friends with Suppliers. It is human nature to prefer to work with people we like. When you take the time to make friends not only with your customers but also with your Suppliers, then placing an order over the phone is not just a business call, it is a chance to enjoy some good conversation.

There is also a very pragmatic reason for making friends with Suppliers. People are usually willing to do more for a friend than someone they know by just a corporate account number. Having friends at a Supplier can provide access to products with low availability or even earn better prices. And after all, this business is more enjoyable if it’s fun!

No 4: DON’T Just ‘Drop In’

No 9. DO Be Proactive Addressing issues, challenges and problems as they arise prevents them from festering into something more serious. Early and frank discussion and action will build trust and respect.

No 10. DON’T Think You Know It All You may have been in business for decades or just a few years, but in the words of Albert Einstein: “The only thing more dangerous than Ignorance is Arrogance”. In our rapidly evolving, globalised world the best way to thrive and survive is to take the journey together. Our Suppliers can be our best partners, confidantes and industry friends in the New World but it’s up to us to make that happen.

SUPPLIERS

Respect people’s time. Distributors are very busy people and juggling many things. It may be convenient for you to drop in to see a Distributor without notice because you’re in the area but it is much better for both parties to book an appointment so that the Distributor is prepared for the meeting.

No 5: DO Communicate Communication creates a shared understanding. A shared understanding helps avoid confusion and disagreement. Effective communication includes a regular and healthy dose of face-to-face discussion. Although technology allows for greater efficiency in our business, we should all avoid hiding behind emails. And remember, communication is a two-way street.

No 6: DON’T Assume Since Suppliers have many customers and a number of relationships to maintain, don’t assume that you know exactly what they need. It can be helpful to ask and learn what they need from you specifically.

Some Suppliers will need certain paperwork or a process to be followed. Ensuring that Suppliers have the proper documents that are delivered in a preferred channel can speed up order processing — and a customer’s order might then be shipped sooner.

No 7: DO Help Suppliers Know What You Need Once you have a reputation of paying on time, providing orders in the proper format, and being friendly with your Suppliers, you can then focus on training Suppliers to give you what you need.

As an example, ask if it is possible to get notified when new product images are available. Or ask if it is possible to order some products in smaller or larger quantities. Many Suppliers will note your needs and help to fulfil them.

16 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

Bryan Deng

Jim Robertson

Bryan, what is your definition of a good Distributor?

The way I see it, a good Distributor is just very Australasian. It is the down-to-earth honesty and let everyone “have a go” for their fair share. I would have to say that the attributes I appreciate are open mindedness, willingness to try new things and a capacity to rapidly adapt to technology. We are in a time where businesses from around the world are put on the same playing field as never before, with the likes of Alibaba and Amazon.

We are now challenged not only with our resources and business skills but the very core of how we communicate and connect with our peers, which should be with openness, honesty and integrity.

Jim, how would you define a good Distributor and have you noticed a change in your expectations over the years?

Good Distributors understand our industry and are constantly evolving and adapting as it changes. They know the importance of the Supplier and Distributor relationship and embrace it to work closely in a mutually beneficial relationship. The expectations of Distributors are certainly changing and are driving continuous improvement on the Supplier side of the industry.

Successful Distributors realise the need to concentrate on maximising sales and seek the support of their Suppliers to manage all aspects of production and delivery. In the past, a Supplier offered a warehouse full of stock and sent unprinted stock to a decorator. In the modern world of promotional products, Suppliers are now being defined by the additional services and support they offer Distributors.

Bryan, in your opinion how can a Distributor strengthen its strategic value to a Supplier?

Focus on the functions that you are best at and utilise Suppliers for the rest. A good Supplier will be able to align with you in different ways, providing solutions to suit your needs and deliver results to your clients efficiently. Add-on services and flexible service options are what we as Suppliers should strive to offer.

Make yourself a low-maintenance client, allow room for better costs and support from your Suppliers. It is with the trust that is accumulated from the in-depth industry connection and client relationship between Suppliers and Distributors where opportunities for further collaboration present themselves.

Jim, how can a Distributor strengthen its strategic value to a Supplier?

All Distributors large and small can be invaluable to Suppliers so work closely with your key Suppliers and really support them. As a Distributor, you are engaging with end users on a daily basis and this places you in a powerful position to offer Suppliers feedback on market trends and expectations. This helps them to grow their businesses and give you better support to ensure you are meeting the end user’s requirements.

Bryan, what are the top do’s and don’ts for successful relationships between Distributors and Suppliers?

No 1: DO Participate Do participate in new projects that can evolve our business models.

No 2: DO Be Open Do openly seek new ways of forming strategic alignment in the supply chain with Suppliers.

No 3: DO Communicate Do give honest feedback and ask for improvement where required.

No 4: DO Be Upfront Do try to give a clear and honest budget target for sourcing jobs.

No 5: DO Pay Do pay your bills on time.

No 6: DO Be Polite Don’t be rude or nasty to your Suppliers. We are also colleagues.

No 7: DON’T Exaggerate Don’t over promise the potential of an order. Be honest and you will be surprised by how generous Suppliers can be.

No 8: DO Respect Timeframes Don’t push Suppliers to skip sampling/QA steps due to time pressure, which may impact the success of the job.

No 9: DO Negotiate Don’t try to negotiate for a discount without any reference or proven reasons. Reasons are needed for adjustment.

No 10: DO Be Reasonable Don’t demand payment terms Suppliers struggle to offer.

Jim, what are your top do’s and don’ts for effective communication between Suppliers and Distributors?

No 1: DO Visit Your Suppliers Do visit your Suppliers regularly to understand their capabilities and branding processes and build a rock-solid relationship. They are an important part of your business and working closely is the best way of growing it as well as adding profitability.

No 2: DO Be Part of the Solution Do become part of the solution when orders don’t go to plan.

Decorating and delivering promotional products is a complex process and all Suppliers do their utmost to deliver the right product which is correctly branded and on time. When it doesn’t go to plan for whatever reason, work constructively with both them and the end user to resolve the issue.

No 3: DO Place a Value on Your Time Do value your own time as it is limited. Ensure your focus is on sales, business development and adding more value for the end user. Work closely with your Suppliers so they want to support you with services that reduce costs and free up your time.

No 4: DON’T Stop Learning Our industry is constantly changing and we all need to change with it and keep on educating ourselves. Take advantage of educational sessions and webinars as well as subscribing to industry magazines.

Learn as much as you possibly can about branding and keep up with product and market trends.

No 5: DO Give Feedback If something is not quite working for you, then let the Supplier know.

Nobody knows your business better than you and the feedback provides the opportunity for a resolution that works for both the Supplier and you.

Jim, finally, what are your thoughts on supporting our industry association?

Without an industry association, we don’t have an industry. It is important for Suppliers and Distributors to support our industry association and work together to ensure it becomes stronger and more credible. An industry association is simply a reflection of the businesses and individuals in that industry and we all need to ensure our association is the best it can possibly be.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 17

APPA EVENTS

Australian Roadshows 17 MELBOURNE

20 March 2017 Caulfield Racecourse Exhibitors 88

The APPA Australian Roadshows ran from 20–30 March 2017 in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

SYDNEY

22 March 2017 Hordern Pavilion Exhibitors 85

BRISBANE

24 March 2017 RICC, Brisbane Showgrounds Exhibitors 76

PERTH

30 March 2017 Ascot Racecourse Exhibitors 52

In addition to Exhibitors showcasing their latest and greatest products, APPA Members were treated to Member only prize draws that included designer surfboards, cash prizes, wine gift packs and big discounts from service providers.

Here is some of the feedback received:

There were Member only VIP trade bags and free barista coffees for Members at all four shows (a big thanks to The Mug Factory for being coffee Sponsor in 2017 and Tradebags.com for their continued support).

“A very good representation across a variety of Suppliers.”

For the 1,581 delegates, finding Exhibitors could not have been easier thanks to the APPA Roadshow app that contained Exhibitor lists, Sponsor information, floor plans, a CEO message, barcode for entry, parking information, venue information and FAQs. As always, we are incredibly grateful to all our valued Members who take the time to respond to the post-event survey. The responses we receive help us build bigger and better events every year.

“It’s a big job to be an interstate Exhibitor for a one-day fair and they all do it very well.”

“The quality this year was fabulous. The team came away with many ideas for our clients.”

“Professional polished approach.”

“Every year the Roadshow gets that little bit better, so keep up the great work.”

“This year the Roadshow was seamless. APPA have done a terrific job!”

“Very happy with set-up, venue and all staff involved, thank you.”

“I found it to be one of the best shows that I have been to. There was plenty of colour among the Exhibitors.”

“The APPA staff I dealt with were excellent.

Everything was done with a smile which always puts you at ease.”

“This is our fourth year and I look forward to both events. The APPA team provide an extremely well organised trade day. I really appreciate how stringent you are with who can attend. Look forward to the next one.”

“The association is in a really great space.”

“APPA works really well for Suppliers and the inclusive nature of these Roadshows is of great benefit to them and also helps Distributors to grow their markets, which is of benefit to all.”

AUSTRALIAN ROADSHOW DATES 2018 Melbourne – Monday, 19 March Sydney – Wednesday, 21 March Brisbane – Friday, 23 March Perth – Tuesday, 27 March.

1 8 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 19

AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR INTERVIEW

Red Tomato Justin Reynolds, Managing Director

What ignited the spark in you to start Red Tomato?

Coming from the corporate world in sales and marketing I had always wanted to start my own business. I had a friend who was working in the industry and it looked like a fun industry to be involved in. Why not I thought? The tools I had learnt from the corporate world have set up a great foundation to build the Red Tomato to where it is now.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful Distributor in the promotional products sphere?

Patience, Perseverance, Passion.

How many hours a day do you work on average?

What motivates you?

I really enjoy helping develop staff. The greatest asset to Justin Reynolds any successful business are its team members. Being able to mentor and develop staff has really been personally satisfying. Happy Team + Right Tools = More Sales.

How do you define success?

10 to 11 hours.

Happy Staff, Happy Clients and Sustainable Profits

Describe/outline your typical day?

What is the best way to achieve long-term success?

Up at 6:30am! I get into the office around 7:30am and head straight to the coffee machine! I love my coffee.

The first hour of work is my time. This gives me time to prepare for the day and any upcoming meetings before the team arrives. I’ll check my emails and action those that are needed straight away.

Throughout the day there might be different sales and marketing catch-ups or client brainstorms. I keep up to date with our CRM system to keep abreast of what is happening with our clients. I’ll make time to run financial and sales reports to ensure that we are heading on the right track.

Part of my day is also dedicated to interacting on LinkedIn and researching prospective new clients, following up on estimates and reminders that have been created in the CRM system.

Before I head home around 6pm I’ll spend some time reflecting on the day and start to think about the upcoming day.

How has being a business owner affected your family life?

Running a business can have a big impact on your family life (surprise, surprise). There have been a lot of personal sacrifices that have had to be made to help 2 0 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

build Red Tomato to where it is now. I’m constantly working on getting a better work life balance though. More holidays required!

Over the past 12-18 months I have been really focused on mapping the company and my personal goals. Making sure that we have these goals documented and these are shared with the team so we are all heading in the right direction. Everyone is clear on the path we are taking. It’s been amazing to see the transformation this has made by having it down on paper. Our Company Ethos and Goals are constantly evolving as the team grows. Long term success is measured against what we have planned for.

How do you build a successful customer base?

We have really looked at what our ideal client is and our new business focus has been about trying to attract this type of client into the Red Tomato family.

If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?

Coming from a golfing background I admire Greg Norman for what he has been able to do on and off the golf course. He was the ultimate professional in his heyday. He exuded confidence on the golf course and he has been able to take that into the business world through his many business ventures.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

My parents. They have been married for over 50 years and are living the retirement dream. Over their working careers they ran several businesses and have been very supportive in the Red Tomato journey.

What book has inspired you the most?

(Or What is your favourite book?)

I’m not a big book reader. My drive to work is about 30 minutes and each morning I listen to a different podcast each day. The one podcast series that has had the biggest impact on me over the past 12 months is by Gary Vaynerchuk. He inspires me to get stuff done!

What would you say are the five key elements for starting and running a successful business?

Passion, Planning, Perseverance, Structure, Consistency.

How do you go about marketing your business?

What has been your most successful form of marketing?

• Monthly Newsletters • Social Media

• Self Promotions - This has been our most successful tactic.

We have landed some awesome clients through our creative self promos. This is a great way to demonstrate to prospects that we are practising what we preach.

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful business owner?

Running any business can be difficult. Stability, stress, work life balance, income, sleep deprivation and the comfort of a corporate job are all things that you are going to have to sacrifice when running any business.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

Atlassian. The founders are two Aussie blokes with a great success story that has taken the technology world by storm. Their motto of “We’re for teams” personifies the importance of teamwork not only through their internal teams but the product that they provide.

Some of the biggest companies in the world rely on their products.

Atlassian has recently listed on the Nasdaq in the US and regularly wins one of the best places to work in Australia. They understand the value of TEAMWORK.

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PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 2 5

PRODUCT SAFETY

Hand Spinners – Staying On-trend and Compliant at the Same Time Paul Bergman, Director of Sales and Marketing, High Caliber Line of Australia

T

he world has gone crazy over these trendy new gadgets and they could easily be called the hottest item currently on the market. But are Suppliers in such a rush to stock and sell these spinners that they are overlooking important safety and compliance details?

The answer is both Yes and No and it is up to you to determine.

Anyone reselling goods is burdened with the task of ensuring product safety and compliance within their own supply chain. Local Suppliers need to make sure the spinners they are importing comply with Australian Standards, and Distributors utilising these Suppliers need to confirm that this has taken place.

There is accountability on all sides and making assumptions or looking the other way can have devastating consequences.

Hand spinners have already made headlines here in Australia regarding safety and compliance. I have seen an LED model get recalled in connection to button-battery regulations and more recently, a child has been injured in WA from a spinner with sharp edges.

This shouldn’t scare or stop any of us from selling hand spinners, but it should challenge us to be smart about what we sell. Let’s break down some simple facts about spinners that will help to explain what Standards they fall under. To start with, hand spinners are items with play value appealing to a large age group. I see two things right away; the first being that the item will require an age grade.

Age grading sets the “tone” for a product, impacting what Safety Standards you will need to adhere to as well as the appearance of your packaging. The second applies to the item

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having play value, which means that it will fall under Australian Toy Standards. Keep in mind that if you are exploring a model with blinking lights, sounds, or sharp edges, the product may fall under additional Regulated Standards.

For the purpose of this article I am looking at a basic model with three rounded arms each containing a counterweight. Within the Australian Toy Standards there are two Standards that apply directly to this basic model. AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2016, which is a Standard that covers choking hazards in toys and AZ/ NZS ISO 8124.3:2012 / AS 8124.7:2013, which addresses the migration of certain elements like lead and other heavy metals that can be poisonous. Both of these Standards need to be adhered to when launching any product that has play value and appeals to children. Although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, good luck finding a manufacturer that has tested their products to these Standards.

With that said, there is a European Standard (EN71) which provides adequate testing for both standards listed above. EN71 is recognised within the Australian Standards and is noted for being more rigorous with its requirements. Remember that this is a common occurrence with safety and compliance and often manufacturers and/or local Suppliers will test products to the strictest applicable internationally recognised standards.

As a Supplier/Importer/Distributor you control who you order from. I encourage each and every one of you to keep informed and stay educated. Knowing which Standards need to be met is the first step, and I hope the above helps to set the foundation. The next step is up to you, confirming that the testing has taken place and that the product complies. Require EN71 compliance/testing documents on any spinners you are ordering and you’ll be staying on trend and compliant at the same time.

Wholesale supplier of high quality Awards, Trophies, Paperweights, Gifts & Plaques to the promotional products industry.

Australia’s largest manufacturer of 3D crystal & more

E: corporate@imaage.com.au P: (02) 4970 4494

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 27

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Helpful Marketing Can Grow your Business Exponentially Tim Reid, Marketing Expert, Small Business Big Marketing

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B

eing helpful is unquestionably a good thing to be in life.

Helping other people doesn’t just make them feel good. It makes you feel good.

The minute you treat your prospects like your best mates and help them, that great obstacle “Oh no, they’re just trying to sell me” (which always makes people not just guarded but less likely to believe you), comes crashing down. They’ll connect with you. You’ll connect with them. Your staff will feel better about coming to work knowing they’re working for a helpful business. (And how important is the attraction and retention of great staff?)

Think back to the last time you went to buy something and someone was really helpful. Didn’t it make buying from them so much more appealing? It instilled a confidence that you were buying from the right business, right?

When you are helpful in your marketing, good things happen. It’s my woo-woo theory in action. It’s the way the world goes around. Get out there and don’t look at the sale’s scoreboard. Just start being helpful and set an expectation around the structure and frequency of your Helpful Marketing.

Being helpful doesn’t just apply to marketing, but to life in general.

I was at the supermarket the other day. One of those crowded, busy, rushing, long queue kind of days. You know what I mean – like just before Christmas and Easter when everyone stocks up for fear that they’ll all die of starvation if the shops aren’t open for just one day!

Anyway, at every aisle there were at least three trolleys lined up. Ahead of me was a woman with a couple of older kids, and ahead of her was a young mother trying to juggle her newborn crying baby with one hand and unload her trolley with the other. She looked really stressed and, obviously mindful of the fact there were long queues, was trying to go as fast as she could.

The woman with the older kids behind, stepped ahead, told her not to worry about the groceries and to just take care of her baby, while she and her boys unloaded the trolley for her onto the counter and then put the bags back in at the other end.

The young mother looked as grateful as if she’d won the lottery. She couldn’t stop thanking the woman and

her sons but the woman simply shrugged it off with a smile.

I could see that it had made that young mother’s day.

But I reckoned it also made the other woman’s day, because I commented to her that it was a really nice thing she’d just done, and she beamed back at me.

“What’s a couple of minutes out of your day, when it makes someone else’s day – and yours – so much better?” And she was right.

It’s the little one-percenters that make people feel good. Being helpful is definitely one of them. It doesn’t take much. But boy, does it come back in spades (or boomerangs!). People talk about random acts of kindness, but I think we should add random acts of helpfulness to that too.

Think about the last time you helped someone or they helped you, or the last time you were around someone who was really positive and useful. Those people are like magnets. Be one of them, and you’ll pull people towards you.

I recently received a booklet in the mail from Dan Murphy’s. Instead of it being the usual catalogue format of product/price, product/price, it was 16 pages dedicated to everything you needed to know about craft beers – their history, the different types, the various ingredients, and their provenance. It was so helpful. Upon reading it I felt very well informed, and I’ve now placed Dan Murphy’s at the top of my shopping list for when next time I want to buy craft beer. Thanks, Dan, for being so helpful.

Being helpful has a roll-on effect in business too – and not just for your prospects and clients either – although it’s well-documented that customers are less price sensitive if they feel the business they are dealing with is genuinely helpful.

It’s also about all the other people around your business.

It’s kind of like a ripple effect. Staff love working for helpful businesses. They put more in, they give more, they care more and they feel more involved. Suppliers would much rather do business with people who are helpful, too. Wouldn’t you?

Bottom line, I really encourage you to be helpful in the marketing of your business and in life. It really is like a boomerang – put it out there and believe me, it will come back to you time and time again.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Are You Doing Safety “Wrong”?

Amy Towers, Founder and Director, Risk Collective

I

’m tired! I’m tired of seeing companies doing safety the wrong way.

Safety is not supposed to be complex. These days there’s too much focus on LTIs, LTI(FR) and all the other safety jargon. It all becomes a bit blah, blah, blah. And honestly, workers don’t care about the company’s safety stats: stats don’t make them think and act more safely.

We need to get back to the core of health and safety risk management. To get safety right, we need to start with the basics – master the basics before we advance.

behaving in alignment with each other, and it becomes even huger.

How do you do safety?

What’s the safety culture like in your company?

No really, what is it like?

Let’s start with your company’s commitment to safety. Where would you say it fits on the scale of commitment? (See Table 1).

Invested

In my experience, one of the biggest barriers to getting safety right in a workplace is a lack of commitment, knowledge and understanding about health and safety at the top end – leadership.

Too often, I’m standing in front of a group of employees, delivering a session on health and safety that the organisation’s leadership team has not yet addressed but requested for the teams. At around the halfway mark of the session the penny drops for the employees: “Oh, so our company should be doing all these things? But they’re not”. The employees throughout this session are processing the information and identifying many deficiencies in their company’s health and safety management system. They walk out of the session knowing more about health and safety responsibility and risk management than their leaders do.

A bottom-up approach goes nowhere and I see it happen time and time again. While the leadership team believe they are doing the right thing by having their staff attend health and safety training, training alone is not the answer. It’s all happening the wrong way around. The result is an unsustainable safety system.

Peter Bregman, a leadership expert and author of “Execution Is a People Problem, Not a Strategy Problem” article, says that an organisation’s biggest strategic challenge isn’t strategic thinking – it’s strategic action, because while strategy development and communication are about knowing something, strategy execution is about doing something. And the gap between what you know and what you do is often huge. Add in the necessity of having everyone

Committed Compliant Commitment Grudging Compliance Non Compliant

Table 1

Negligent

It’s common for companies to identify themselves as hovering in the Non Compliant to Grudging Compliance ranges. They know they should be doing something about health and safety but they don’t know where to start or they don’t have the time or resources to invest in it.

OK, how about you and your leadership team? What does the relationship with health and safety look like?

(See Table 2).

Again, it’s common for leadership teams to identify themselves in the Reactive or Genuine range. Sadly, there are not too many that can put their hand on their hearts and say they are Proactive or at the highest end of the scale – Progressive.

For various reasons, health and safety is treated like the poor cousin. It’s often dumped on the “juggler” of the organisation; you know, the person who’s been asked to do payroll, HR, administration and everything else. It’s pushed to the side and often only focused on when something goes wrong, or when a new leader Continued on page 30 PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 29

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Continued from page 29

Progressive Proactive Genuine Leadership Reactive Ignorant

enters the business and identifies a need.

• Start at the top – educate the leadership team on the foundations of health and safety and due diligence.

A lack of commitment to health and safety can have costly and damaging effects. A dismal safety culture can lead to your workers being uninspired and even worse, disengaged and withdrawn, resulting in absenteeism, presenteeism and workers’ compensation claims.

• Get the conversation started – a good quality chat with a cross-section of the company can go a long way to understanding your operational risks.

Health and safety has become a complex beast, so much so Table 2 that the words due diligence and health and safety duty scare people off even wanting to explore what they might need to do to manage health and safety in the workplace. Even for those companies that are doing something about health and safety, a good number of them are just doing safety “wrong”.

Apathetic

As a risk insight and strategy professional, I’ve worked with many clients over the years to gear them up to get health and safety on track. My top tips to getting safety right are:

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• Don’t jump into an audit – it’s common for businesses to start their safety focus with a safety audit. In my experience, it’s not a good place to start as you end up with a long list of all the things you’re not doing right and don’t have the knowledge or resources to do anything with it.

• Strategise – the leadership team need to own safety. Think small and don’t try to fix all risks at once. Consider the company’s two biggest risks and what requires the most attention for the next six to 12 months. Get your workforce involved in the strategy development.

Think smart and practical Our aim is keep our people healthy and safe. For this to happen we need to take them from a state of withdrawal where they are uninspired and disengaged to a point where they are onboard and inspired. To reach our goal, we need to shift how we think and do safety. We need to start at the top and ensure the leadership team are proactive and progressive, ensuring the company is committed and invested.

NEWS FROM APPA’S BUSINESS PARTNER

In partnership with APPA we have developed a suite of general insurance products for the promotional products industry.

We believe that this is the first time that an insurance and risk management advisory company has successfully designed, developed and launched a bespoke insurance solution for your industry.

We protect the livelihood and brand reputation of our clients and we do this by providing market leading, cost-effective insurance solutions.

Our insurance value proposition includes highly competitive premiums with comprehensive cover underwritten by our secure and responsive insurance partners.

“Our exclusive partnership with APPA has allowed us to work together to understand the risks associated with your industry,” said Drew Fisher, Managing Director of Association Insurance Australia.

“Our insurance solution includes cover for your property (building, stock, contents), customers’ goods, business interruption, theft,

public and products liability, professional indemnity and for stock while being transported. We can also provide you with cover for management liability, cyber-crime liability, corporate travel, event cancellation, voluntary workers, personal accident, workers’ compensation and motor vehicle,” Mr Fisher continued.

We will provide APPA Members with exclusive insurance products, pricing stability, relevant risk management articles, excellent claims advocacy and when required, independent legal support.

Over the coming months we will launch the Promotional Products Insurance website which will be a central point for all the information that you will need.

You can contact our team on 1800 277 624 or send us an email info@ppi.com

Association Insurance Australia is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Insurance Advisernet Australia Pty Ltd. AFSL No. 240549 Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1239086

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 31

APPA MEMBER NEWS

Milestones Shoreditch Corporate

PromoCollection

After 15 years working in the specialised corporate wear industry and working for Shoreditch International for the last twelve months, I (Rebecca Haws) have had the fantastic opportunity to purchase Shoreditch Corporate. It is a joy to be able to continue to support such an awesome group of on-sellers to grow their businesses and offer our own personalised service. Shoreditch Corporate strives to work with on-sellers as a trusted advisor and will not go directly to the end user.

Ashley Crawford joined the PromoCollection team at the end of January 2017, taking over the role of Business Development Manager. Prior to joining the company, Ashley lived in Shanghai for seven years, working in retail management, sales, marketing and ecommerce roles. He has already had the privilege of meeting many people from the industry at the APPA trade shows earlier this year.

Relying heavily on his marketing background, Ashley hopes to drive the idea of promo products as part of a complete emarketing solution to grow the industry.

Our amazing staff are Amy Falentine (Sales & Marketing Specialist), Angela Li (Apparel Planning and Production Supervisor), Charles Zhang (Warehouse and Customer Service Representative) and Julie Crick (Office Administrator). We also employ Sales Agents - Karl Cukeric (NSW), Jill Chapman (Qld), Di Iveson (WA) and David Johnson (SA/NT). Amy is your representative for Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand.

Dooze Promotions Natalie Ayash has just reached her 10th year at Dooze Promotions in the month of June. “It has been tremendous to see the evolution of the promotional products industry, Dooze as a whole and more recently APPA! Dooze is a huge part of who I am, and how I see the world... I am so excited about the next 10!"

Paddywack Promotional Products Jason Segrott, Business Development welcomed his third child, Rosie Elizabeth Segrott, born on the 14 January.

Mayhem After 14 amazing years of being together – Paul Jones and Sam Liddle decided to make it official in March 2017.

Hyper Active Merchandising Thirty years! Hyper Active Merchandising was established in 1987 supplying branded clothing and promotional products to corporate, government and sporting industries. Hyper Active directors, Michael Einfeld and Steven Sabel, are proud to celebrate our 30th anniversary! Initially starting in a lift well within an old building at Surry Hills, Hyper Active purchased their current factory at Marrickville in 1999. Hyper Active are leaders and innovators within the promotional clothing and promotional product business.

Red Tomato Red Tomato has a new team member! Joanne So is very excited about adding value to the Red Tomato team in her new role as Sales and Production Co-Ordinator.

Trends Collection

Melton Enterprises

Pat Robertson welcomed his first child, Karlie Deleon Robertson, born 21 February.

Melton Enterprises have a new addition in the family!! First Grandson for Alaster Adams, Lachlan Robert Adams. Born in Perth on the 9 June.

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Arid Zone

Disrupt Sports

Arid Zone 30th Birthday! Champagne corks are popping in South Melbourne as Arid Zone celebrates 30 years of business. Initially marketing the “Conserv” clothing label, the company started by Anthony Brown and Clive McCorkell has grown to become one of the industry’s most highly awarded and respected distributors.

Disrupt Sports just opened a new office in LA that will be headed up by Max Vikers who is in the top 10 professional skateboarders in the world. In Australia, Disrupt Sports are finalists for Australian retail pop-up of the year 2017 for their custom visual reality sports equipment.

Chris Bailey, COO is getting married on 16 September and Gary Elphick, CEO is being ordained and will be marrying them in the ceremony.

Having outgrown several premises in that time, Arid Zone currently occupies a substantive environment (featuring a “stunning” showroom) centrally located near Melbourne’s CBD. There are 20 full time and part time employees, many with over 10 years’ service.

Recently Arid Zone acquired PromoShop (another highly respected company with a 30-year history) which has now been integrated as a separate identity offering a convenient customer interactive site.

The service offer is complemented by Points Shop, a specialist Rewards and Incentive company.

Foxy Promotions Ten years reached in February. Foxy Promotions was founded by Ann Williams as a Sole Trader in 2007 and was restructured to Foxy Promotions Pty Ltd as a Company in 2011. Foxy Promotions is a B2B Distributor of Promotional Merchandise and Uniforms to industries such as Pharmaceutical, Corporate, Mining and Sporting Clubs.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and suppliers who have been loyal to us over many years allowing us to build strong, supportive relationships and enjoyable, successful business dealings.

Focus Promotions Ian Foster has just turned 70 and is still going strong after 26 years in our industry. He has had to deal with daily challenges that most people don’t but he turns up day after day maintaining his sense of humour and positive outlook through all adversities – we should all be celebrating his milestone and achievements!

Capax Capax will be 30 years in the business as of 2017! Yvonne Grimshaw started the company on 1 September 1987.

Superior Activewear Message from Donovan Callaghan: As you know it was announced that I have sold Superior Activewear to Gildan. Many of you have been our customers for much of the last 13 years since we opened the doors in 2004. None of the success the business has enjoyed over these years could have been possible without your continued support, so I say, thank you. I would be lying if I didn’t say that the last 13 years building this business hasn’t been enjoyable but as they say, “all good things must come to an end”.

I leave behind a team of dedicated people (friends). Robert Taylor who has been here since the beginning and is now General Manager will continue to the run the business locally in the new role of Director, Sales (Australia), with Kathryn McAllister as Office Manager and Paul Brannan as Warehouse Manager and the valuable assistance of Rhys and Stacey along with Shanna and Crystal.

I have no doubt that for you the customer in terms of the people and the service you will receive, nothing will change.

Julie and I are looking forward to more adventures, a sea change, more landscape photography and more time with our first grandchild. I may have to stop back by the office just for a rest from time to time.

Essential Wetsuit Holders

Sporte Leisure

Essential Wetsuit Holders celebrates 20 years of APPA membership.

Sporte Leisure is welcoming two new account managers – Amanda Kissane & Nohemia Marcelino and a new Logo and Account Coordinator – Anna Darby.

KC Sports

ASB Marketing ASB Marketing celebrates our 25th year in the promotional products industry in August this year.

Celebrating 36 years in business; KC Sports is a West Australian family owned and operated company, specialising in uniform and branding solutions. We offer competitive pricing, an extensive range of quality products and outstanding service to match. Whether you are in the market for Business Apparel, Sport & Club Uniforms, Hi Vis & Workwear, Promotional Items or Event Merchandise, KC Sports are here to help.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 33

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

SEAGA Group Australia Expands Pantone Range

E

stablished printing, packaging and pantone supplier SEAGA Group Australia has recently been permitted to sell the entire Pantone product range. The move has resulted from consistent sales growth while selling for the internationally recognised colour guide maker and authority on colour. In recent years, SEAGA has deeply entrenched itself within the Australian market and is now the ultimate source for Pantone products in the area.

SEAGA has been selling Pantone products for over 20 years. As a business embedded in the printing and packaging industry, the step to embrace colour dictionaries and guide books from Pantone was a natural one. Traditionally, SEAGA has sold only Pantone Graphics products, otherwise known as PMS colours, for graphic designers, printers, web and digital design. Now, as part of the initiative to better service the region, SEAGA has expanded its range to encompass Pantone Fashion, Home & Interiors division, and the Pantone Plastics division for industrial design.

In November 2016, SEAGA successfully launched its Pantone Fashion, Home & Interiors range, a division specifically catering to fashion and textile designers, interior and hard home design and

3 4 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

cosmetic design. This includes all TPG and TCX formats plus all Pantone Cotton swatches.

This newly expanded range was met with another inclusion in February 2017 as SEAGA launched its Pantone Plastics range for industrial design. The series features all Pantone plastic chips for colour matching. They are offered in both opaque and transparent selections. In addition to this, SEAGA now offers all Pantone Plastic standard chips featuring FHI colours, and Plastic PLUS chips featuring PMS colours.

This extensive range will be met with further advancement later in 2017 when SEAGA expands its current Pantone Universe collection to incorporate all Pantone Universe items. The radical expansions are part of a larger project to offer the region the full selection of Pantone products across all divisions so as to replicate the variety within the US region, which does not currently supply Australia or New Zealand.

To celebrate the launch of the new ranges and to reward readers for their continued support of APPA, all Members will be eligible for a 5% discount on Pantone products from SEAGA Group Australia for a limited time.

NOW IN STOCK

ITEM # T-751

FIDDLE SPINNERS These Fiddle Spinners can reduce stress & anxiety, improve focus, and alleviate boredom! Each Fiddle Spinner is packed inside a form fitting plastic tray and individually boxed with a “ready for retail” look.

All boxes marked with child safety warning. EN71 Compliant.

OVER 20 COLOUR COMBINATIONS!

Size: Approx. 76mm Diameter Imprint Area: 19mm Diameter Material: ABS Plastic Colours: Black or White Body with your choice of centre disc colour: Forest Green (PMS 350) Purple (PMS 267) Orange (PMS 021) Blue (PMS 072) White Cyan (PMS Process Cyan) Black Lime Green (PMS 375) Red (PMS 185) Pink (PMS 212) Dark Grey (PMS 423) *PMS numbers are approximate only.

TAG HEADING

If you want to find out what’s new and innovative—or just get inspired — there’s no better place than at NZ Promotional Products Show 2017.

Date: Wednesday 23 August 2017 Time: 11.00am-4.00pm Venue: Alexandra Park, Green Lane West, Epsom, Auckland

Auckland Professional Development Session Date: Wednesday 23 August 2017 Time: 10.00am-11.00am “Order from Chaos - Marketing in the Age of Information Overload” Presented by Richard Liew Entrepreneur, Marketing Strategist, and Publisher, shares his views on marketing in this age of information overload.

• Marketing chaos - what’s going on out there and who the hell invited Google?

• Entrepreneur insights - what are the key challenges for business owners in this complex marketing landscape?

• Content marketing - what is it, why do you need to know about it, and what’s behind its rise?

• Promotional product marketing - what does all this mean for the promotional products industry and how might you position yourself for success going forward?

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NEW ZEALAND SUPPLIER INTERVIEW

Papillon Promotional Marketing Christa Parsloe, Founder and Director

How did the idea for Papillon come about?

Having worked in the promo industry for about 30 years, I decided I’d had plenty of “practice” and it was time to challenge myself and take the next step.

What three pieces of advice would you give to beginners looking to enter the promotional industry?

Be prepared to go the extra mile. Service is what will set you apart. Know your products and your customers.

Find your niche and be the best you can be at that.

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I would move to business ownership sooner and I would take advantage of all the education the industry can offer – you can’t be too busy to learn.

What motivates you?

The challenge of the sale! Introducing exciting new products. Every day tends to be different and I do love to see what each day will bring.

How do you generate new ideas?

The Internet is key to seeing what is happening overseas and what the trends are. I’m always thinking about what is coming up and how I can apply it to my business. Trade shows are a perfect opportunity to see the best and the latest showcased.

What is the best way to achieve long-term success?

Just keep plugging away. Have more than one string to your bow so you are always busy regardless of what is trending currently. Planning and hard work. It all takes time – you can’t eat an elephant in one sitting.

How do you build a successful customer base?

Referrals and word of mouth.

Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful business owner?

Every successful person I have ever met knows what they ultimately want to achieve and are prepared to put the work in to get to that place. Being someone your customers can rely on is also vital to ongoing success.

If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?

This is a hard one. A sit down and a glass of wine with Michael Parkinson, Jimi Hendrix and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – for the conversation of course!

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Mum and Dad started a business from next to nothing and worked together happily and successfully for 40 years.

What book has inspired you the most? (Or what is your favourite book?)

Christa Parsloe

Early inspiration came from The Unfair Fight by Sam Hazeldine. It’s about looking at things from a small business point of view and the flexibility and advantages that can give you.

What is your favourite aspect of being a business owner?

It would have to be the freedom to make the decisions I want to make and the flexibility to be there for my family.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Winning a Best Customer Service in NZ Award in the Hanna Match days and achieving APPA Life Membership were two highlights I have to say.

Creating invoice #001 for Papillon Promo was also a biggie for me.

How do you go about marketing your business?

What has been your most successful form of marketing?

Exhibiting at the trade shows twice a year and just keeping in touch with customers, whichever way works best. Out of sight is out of mind in this industry.

What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?

I love reading, anything to do with space, Egyptology or archaeology I find fascinating. I’m also a big fan of Speedway which my brother introduced me to a few years back and now I’m hooked!

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful business owner?

Time away from my precious daughter and some long hours.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

Balloons Funtastic – Brie and John Martin. They live and breathe what they do, they are positive, creative, proactive and flexible, turning their hand to almost anything. Their passion is contagious.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 37

KE YNOTE SPEAKER: RICHARD LIEW

Understanding the Rise of Content Marketing What does it mean for promotional product marketing?

Richard Liew, Founder and CEO, Espire Media

I

n marketing there are two ways to get the attention of potential customers. We can either buy it or we can earn it. When we buy attention, we interrupt. When we earn attention, we attract.

Let me elaborate With traditional advertising we place ads that are designed to interrupt the attention our potential customers were previously directing at something or someone else. That pop-up ad or adblock right in the middle of the article you are trying to read – it’s trying to interrupt the attention you are paying to the article.

That global insurance company’s logo on the football field – it’s trying to interrupt the attention you are paying to the game. That radio spot you’re trying to turn down right now – it’s trying to interrupt the attention you are paying to those songs you love.

Here’s an analogy that might help for understanding the rise of content marketing.

Have you ever been at a bar or a party, having a conversation with someone, maybe a dear friend you haven’t seen in years, or maybe someone you’ve just met and with whom you seem to just click? You’re having a great discussion, sharing quality time and it seems like there’s no one else in the room, just you and your friend or friend in the making.

Well, advertising is like the stranger that walks up, puts their arm around you, and says: “Hey – what are you doing talking to this loser? Look at me, I’m the one you should be paying attention to. Give me all your attention because look, I’m right here in your face”.

What’s more, the stranger says: “If you don’t give me your attention then I’m going to keep coming back every few minutes, louder and even more in your face until you do. And then guess what? If you decide to leave this party, I’m going to follow you around anyway because I’ve got a secret strategy called ‘remarketing’. And if you decide to stop going out don’t worry because I’ve got means and ways of

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following you wherever you go. In your home, on the streets, on your screens…

I am going to hound you forever and ever and everrrrrrr...!” Is it any wonder our reaction to ads and the companies behind them is Richard Liew annoyance? To paraphrase an often-used quote, “If people spoke to us like advertising does, we’d want to punch them in the face!”

Similarly, when it comes to marketing we can either be the stranger crashing the party, or we can earn the right to be the life of the party, to become the thing others are directing their attention to.

Over the last few years, due to the saturation of advertising in our ever-crowded markets, we have seen content marketing finally get the acknowledgement and attention it deserves.

Most marketers are finally realising that hijacking everyone’s attention is nowhere near as good for our brand as being the brand customers actually want to engage with.

Learn more If the popularity of content marketing is on the rise, where do promotional products fit in your customers’ marketing mix? I’d like to suggest that promotional products could perhaps be seen as a tangible form of content marketing. Find out more at the Professional Development Session, at the 2017 APPA NZ Promotional Products Show – 10am, Wednesday, 23 August, where I’ll be talking about the key challenges we see business owners facing in today’s complex marketing landscape, and my take on positioning promotional products in today’s marketing mix.

From Wanaka, New Zealand, Richard Liew is an entrepreneur with a specialty in sales and marketing.

He is founder and CEO at content marketing agency Espire Media.

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PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 39

APPA EVENTS

That’s a Wrap!

New Zealand CONVEX 2017 On Wednesday 5 April at Mount Smart Stadium in Penrose, 262 delegates attended NZ CONVEX. The day got off to an inspiring start with our Professional Development Session on: “More income. More time. Delighted customers” conducted by Debbie Mayo-Smith, one of the most in-demand speakers in New Zealand and Australia. Debbie proved why she is in the top 7% of speakers worldwide, presenting a three-step blueprint on how to enhance income, customer service and personal productivity. A whopping 100% of the delegates that attended the session rated her presentation as good to excellent.

We thank Shiny for being our 2017 Professional Development Sponsor.

Delegate feedback: “Debbie is an excellent speaker. Well done in securing her.” Once the show got underway, delegates could peruse the 38 exhibits that were showcasing new products and local talent.

The standard of the APPA Supplier Members was evident with 95% of the delegates rating the quality of the Exhibitors as good to excellent, 96% of the delegates rating the overall experience of NZ CONVEX as good to excellent and 77% of delegates indicating they spent between three to five-plus hours at the show.

Delegate feedback: “I thoroughly enjoyed the show and got a lot out of it.” APPA Members were the big winners of the day with prizes valued at over $500 on offer including coaching sessions, graphic design work and wine packs. Thanks to our Coffee Sponsor Logo-Line, the Members also enjoyed free unlimited coffee all day.

New Zealand CONVEX Best New Product There were some notable entries into the Best New Product category at NZ CONVEX this year and we would like to congratulate the team at Trends Collection for their win with a new product called the Bobby Anti-Theft Backpack.

The Bobby Anti-Theft Backpack from XD DESIGN combines tough uncompromising security with advanced storage features and a streamlined futuristic design. It boasts a myriad of security and safety features including a unique zero entry main zip closure, two secure hidden pockets, reflective night safety strips and cut-resistant internal panels on the front and sides.

Bobby is a dream to wear with extensive breathable back and shoulder padding and a revolutionary weight dispersal system which effectively reduces shoulder weight by up to 20% when compared to regular backpacks. Other features include

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the choice of three opening angles, an external phone charging port, a luxury carry handle and a luggage strap so Bobby can slide over the handle of a rolling suitcase. The outer construction features two layers of tough waterproof polyester with 6-millimetre shock absorbing foam and the cut resistant panels sandwiched between them. All the internal pockets are padded and designed for securely holding a laptop, a tablet, a camera and headphones etc. Bobby is presented in a printed unbleached cardboard gift box with carry handles.

To view a demonstration of the backpack and its many functions visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiTD6Hs6HBk

APPA Member Lounge APPA Members also had the opportunity to relax in the fully catered Members Only Lounge to take some much-needed time to review and connect with fellow peers. 91% of Members in attendance utilised the lounge.

Delegate feedback: “Perfect space and great that it was away from the show and clearly marked Members Only. Well done!”

“Good size, and the ability to just have quiet time or talk more with others was great.”

“Brilliant lunch, good selection and bought out fresh sandwiches frequently. It worked well.”

APPA would like to thank our valued Sapphire Sponsors – JB’s Wear, Headwear Professionals, Trends Collection, Anvil, Print & Supply and BIC graphic.

The successful day concluded with a warmly embraced happy hour thanks to our valued Members and Happy Hour Sponsors – Banners Ink and CardSprint.

UPCOMING NEW ZEALAND EVENTS New Zealand Promotional Product Show 2017

New Zealand APPA Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner

Wednesday 23 August Alexandra Park, Epsom, Auckland Professional Development 10am–11am Show Access 11am–4pm.

Wednesday, 23 August The Langhm, Auckland 6.30pm-11.30pm.

NEW ZEALAND CONVEX 2018

Wednesday 11 April.

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NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTOR INTERVIEW

Zinc Grant Forbes, Managing Director

Grant, what motivated you to join ZINC? Having come from the UK, I wanted to be part of a bigger multifaceted organisation with an international perspective, offering more services beyond traditional merchandise.

How do you find people to bring into your organisation who truly care about the organisation the way you do?

That’s a tough one. The best you can do is bring in skilled people and know that your enthusiasm, passion and pride for the company will rub off on them. Passion is a major for me; you have to be passionate about what you do. We also have a dedicated People & Culture Director who helps with this on-boarding process.

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

Not a lot different to what I’ve done now. I’m happy with the steps I’ve taken and the direction we’re heading. I believe it’s come from a solid Auckland University degree majoring in Marketing and International Business, then cutting my teeth in the NZ marketing scene, moving to London for nine-plus years and working the international scene and now returning to apply some of those leanings back here locally.

How many hours a day do you work on average?

Nine hours a day in the office, then I login later at night and do a few more hours emailing and chatting to colleagues/supply partners in our international markets.

Describe/outline your typical day?

My day starts off with breakfast with my wife and little boy. It’s important that we share one meal a day as a family and have that time together. Have a quick play on the floor with Tyler then into the office.

A series of internal or external meetings, emailing, calling, etc. Once home and settled after dinner is generally a bit more work before putting the feet up.

What motivates you?

Building something we as a group can be proud of all the while being fiscally viable, having fun along the way, helping our customers, all the while sleeping well at night knowing we’re doing our bit to help the environment and the less fortunate along the way through the charities we support.

What is the best way to achieve long-term success?

Building a strong dedicated and passionate team that are all striving for the same goals and ambitions. The clients will appreciate this and join us on this journey.

Grant Forbes How do you build a successful customer base?

We try and offer a unique blend of services that attract the right customers for us.

Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming successful in the promotional market space?

No real pattern I think: this industry has been around for a long time, but having the ability to change and adapt quickly is important, as well as hard work and a bit of luck. I think we all know Thomas Jefferson’s saying: “I’m a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have”.

If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?

Nelson Mandela. He experienced so much oppression and still had such compassion for his fellow man.

A wise man who I’d love to have a steak and beer with.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

My family. My parents ran their own businesses and I learned a lot about what worked and didn’t from them, both in the workplace and outside of work.

They’re brilliant and set the bar very high.

What is your favourite book?

The Little Yellow Digger. A story of a little battler, struggling against the odds and saving the day the acclaim and admiration of his beloved town folk.

At the moment I’m reading it cover-to-cover about three times a week for my little 19-month-old!

To what do you most attribute your success?

Enjoying what I do.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Flying to San Francisco, getting picked up by a limo and heading down the 101 freeway to Googleplex. Tours of the Google campus and some business to boot, then flying straight out again. Who knew branded merchandise could have a rock star edge to it. I enjoyed that so much I started doing it every three months.

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Leadership: Auckland Chamber of Commerce

W

hile each business and situation is different, requiring different approaches, there are some fundamentals that can be found embedded within the behaviours of all good leaders.

Effective leadership and the creation of effective teams are based on great communication. Great communication does not need to be extensive, but it does need to be regular and it also needs to be clear, so if you are short of time, it is about regular, high quality touch points with your staff rather than a marathon effort every three months. Furthermore, as part of these communications you need to clearly articulate and mirror in your own behaviours the vision and values of the organisation.

Another foundation of effective leadership is the need for flexibility. A good leader will always adjust their leadership styles to meet the needs of the industry, the business, the team and perhaps most importantly the individual they are dealing with at the time. While directive leadership may be suitable when dealing with an inexperienced and disengaged staff member, it will be seen as overkill and “micro-managing” if used with an experienced and engaged one. You have to be prepared to adjust your style to meet the needs of each specific situation.

Company Z Company Z was struggling to deal with a poorly performing team and an unimpressive bottom line.

While the GM was a charismatic individual, there were relationship issues between her and the team. One of the first things to action was getting the GM to sit a 360° leadership behaviour profile, whereby she assessed her own leadership behaviours in comparison to how her team rated her. The gap between self and team perception was significant and came as a bit of a shock to our gregarious GM. As you might imagine, she initially reacted defensively, however, to her credit, she quickly saw this as an opportunity to improve relations within the team and the performance of the business overall. Using the report generated from the 360° assessment as the basis, we then created an action plan and identified the priority areas she needed to work on in developing her effectiveness as a leader. This involved setting specific homework tasks that required her to challenge the weak areas in her approach to leadership.

Six months later, the 360° assessment was repeated and we conducted a gap analysis of the results.

Pleasingly, the GM now displayed much greater

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self-awareness. so her self-score aligned much more closely to the team score she received. Furthermore. her efforts to improve had seen a strong upward trend in the scores given by the team as well.

Now it should not come as a surprise to anyone that also around this time the overall performance of the business had started to improve significantly, with monthly targets not just being regularly met for the first time, but also exceeded! There really is little wonder that top CEOs can command such hefty remuneration in the world’s largest businesses in terms of the impact they can have on performance.

However, it is important not to look at things in isolation and to recognise that, along with leadership coaching. the company also needed to set up a robust platform for the management of all HR issues. This included communicating the business vision and values to the team, as well as putting in place structures that encouraged both employee engagement and improved performance.

Company Y Company Y had the express desire to enhance the leadership capability of their newly appointed General Manager who was stepping into a void created by the current owner taking a step back. The new GM was an existing employee. While the GM showed excellent analytical ability and was a friendly person. he did have a history of rubbing people up the wrong way and being overly directive in his approach to dealing with subordinates. There were some real concerns from some individuals within the team that the new appointment might result in micro-management and conflict.

However, these predications were well and truly avoided by providing the new GM with regular leadership coaching. This not only helped him understand his own tendencies in terms of leadership style but also the style preferred by his individual team members and the need to use different leadership styles within different situations.

As part of this coaching we also covered more general topics such as managing performance. emotional intelligence and dealing with conflict. The GM proved to be an outstanding student and really took on board the coaching material and immediately started to model excellent leadership behaviours within the workplace.

Pretty quickly the team relaxed, realising that the GM was not going to be their worst nightmare and that there were actually some real benefits to having him

in the position. He approached business decisions and dealt with people in a very logical and considered manner and while he had to make some tough decisions they were always in the business’s best interest and this was recognised by all involved.

This particular GM is rapidly becoming a poster child for the concept that leaders are made, not just born.

Company X Leadership within Company X is a slightly different scenario to that of Company Y or Z above. This was not a case of fixing issues that had already emerged or developing the skills of a newly appointed leader but to develop the leadership skills of an individual showing the potential to step up into a leadership position.

The impetus for this was the fact that succession planning revealed the current GM’s timeframe for retirement. While this was not in the near future the industry that Company X operates within means that someone would be unlikely to walk in off the street and have the skills required for the role.

The employee in question (let’s call him Murray) was performing very effectively within his role, however he did appear to be cruising a little and while he

appeared to easily have many of the capabilities of taking over the GM role, there were some question marks over his ability to “lead” the team. The decision was then made to offer leadership development coaching to Murray to help him grow and also to assess his leadership capability. The process involved Murray undertaking a Team Member 360° profile assessment that assessed his leadership potential as perceived by himself and the team he worked alongside. As with the GM in Company Z, this involved setting an action plan with Murray identifying areas he particularly needed to work on developing.

Following on from this. Murray is now receiving monthly coaching from both the current GM and mentor from the Board to help him develop wellrounded leadership capability.

Just how much Murray develops his leadership capability is really up to him at this point in time and his willingness to change. However, Company X can be confident that by engaging Murray in this process they are doing the right thing by both the company in terms of finding out the capability of a highly talented individual and by Murray in terms of developing him to their best ability.

APPAAwards

for Promotional Excellence New Zealand 2017 BOOK NOW! APPA Awards Gala Dinner Join the celebration at the 2017 APPA Awards night Date: Wednesday 23 August 2017 Drinks & Canapés: 6:30pm-7:00pm Dinner: 7:00pm - 11:30pm Venue: The Langham, Auckland Dress Code: Black Tie MC: Ben Hurley NZ 0800 45 1117 | www.appa.co.nz | awards@appa.com.au PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 47

International Freight Solutions Sea & Air Freight (incl FCL & LCL) Border Clearance Co-ordination On Ground Transport International Parcel Couriers

www.personalised freightsolutions.com

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Business Partner Association Insurance Australia and Association Insurance New Zealand Association Insurance Australia and Association Insurance New Zealand are the Association Insurance People®, their business model is to be specialists, not generalists. AIA and AINZ were chosen to be APPA’s first Premium Business Partners. AIA and AINZ are Corporate Authorised Representatives of Insurance Advisernet, one of the largest and most respected General Insurance businesses in Australia and New Zealand, with an ever-growing network of over 180 insurance advisers across 140 locations. AIA and AINZ are well known for their knowledge and expertise working with associations and their members.

Association Insurance Australia www.associationinsuranceaustralia.com.au 1800 ASSOCIATION (1800 277 624) info@associationia.com.au Association Insurance New Zealand www.associationinsurancenewzealand.co.nz 0800 4 ASSOCIATION (0800 427 762) info@associationinsurancenz.co.nz

Premium Service Providers AHRI:ASSIST The Australian HR Institute (AHRI) provides APPA Members with access to the AHRI:ASSIST resource centre at a special APPA rate of $80 per annum. Sign up and you will receive access to information sheets, checklists, guidelines, templates, and more - perfect for business owners searching for information and guidance. Access to AHRI:ASSIST can also save you thousands of dollars, not to mention hours trying to find information and answers to your HR queries. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, send your question through the email service http://ahri.com.au/appa and the team at AHRI:ASSIST will respond. Additionally, APPA Members will receive access to AHRI specialised HR related webinars at a discounted rate of $30 (inc GST) per webinar.

CreditorWatch CreditorWatch is a commercial credit reporting bureau dedicated to giving businesses the information they need to improve their credit management processes. APPA Members will receive a 15-day free trial and 20% off monthly subscription.

Contact: Luke Demetriou Toll free: 1300 50 13 12 or 02 8188 2025 Email: luke.demetriou@creditorwatch.com.au

FC Capital

end to end solution. We have assessed the pitfalls of traditional lending products and developed systems and processes that alleviate difficulties.

With First Class Capital APPA Members can expect: Simple online applications, Flexible repayment choices, Undisclosed funding options, Secure payment processing, No property security required, Localised support through our franchisee network, Peace of mind.

Email: mark.occhiuto@fcccapital.com.au www.firstclasscapital.com.au

Gun Web Systems (GWS) Promotional Industry Software Solutions. Are you spending too much time quoting? Generate EXPRESS QUOTES in under 30 seconds. MyPromoSource is designed uniquely for the promotional products industry for fast, easy and accessible quoting. Need a job management solution?

Create easy EFFORTLESS PRODUCTION work flow. Talk to us about our Job Management platforms; Xebra and Promo Office.

5% discount for APPA Members Tel: +61 02 4302 0160 Email: help@gunwebsystems.com.au gunwebsystems.com.au

MeFleet MeFleet help everyday people to save money on running their car – like fuel, tyres, roadside assistance, insurance and many others.

Our mission is to deliver real savings to all APPA members. Our goal is to save you between $800 and $1500 per year. If access to fleet pricing isn’t enough, MeFleet also provides central record keeping for tax records. Fuel cards store all your fuel transactions and also provide a great discount on all your purchases. You can even provide MeFleet to your employees as a company benefit!

Contact Matt Keegan on 0401 700 253 or 03 8592 6491 Email: matt@mefleet.com.au www.mefleet.com.au/appa

Office Beacon Office Beacon is a global leader providing software and services to suppliers and distributors, and promotional product companies.

With over 1500 full-time employees globally, Office Beacon provides significant competitive advantages to its customers including artwork and order entry processing, websites, ERP and call centre services.

Contact: Pranav Dalal Email: pdalal@officebeacon.com

World First

First Class Capital is an Australian-owned and independent finance company. We deliver working capital solutions to clients and their trading partners like no other lender in the country.

APPA has teamed up with World First, the award winning currency specialist, to help you get more for your money when making international payments.

We have a national network of people, not branches, with over 160 nationwide. Our network has been successfully providing financial services for over 14 years. Our focus is the small to medium sized business market, which is under-serviced by banks and where working capital and cash flow is constantly a challenge. Our involvement is not just limited to the provision of lending products like many of our competitors: we provide our clients with a complete

Tel: Client Relations 1800 835 506, 02 8298 4960, NZ 0800 666 114 Email: auspartnerships@worldfirst.com

Whatever the reason for your transfer – making a one-off payment, moving overseas, buying or selling property, repatriating salary or to make payments for your business – World First will help you find the right solution for your needs.

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Service Providers Baldwins Baldwins is a leading intellectual property firm practicing in Australia and New Zealand. Baldwins would like to offer APPA Members a complimentary “IP Boost”. This involves a 30-minute consultation with Baldwins in person or over the phone at no cost. APPA Members also receive 15% off the fee component of their first bill.

Tel: 09 359 7720 Email: sue.ironside@baldwins.com

Bellingham Wallace Bellingham Wallace is a contemporary firm, unrestricted by tradition or rigid outdated principles. Instead we encourage fresh thinking and expansive strategies that challenge convention. We also challenge ourselves to always add value. Because for us, it’s all about the “plus” - plus experience, plus inspiration, plus energy, plus insight, plus empathy; it’s everything we add to accountancy that makes the difference.

Contact: Matthew Bellingham Tel: +64 9309 7851 Email: matthew.bellingham@hayesknight.co.nz

Blaise Drake Consulting International Promotional Product Sales and Marketing Training Email: david@blaisedrake.com or Tel: +1 610 685 9700 Email: rick@blaisedrake.com Tel: +1 610 685 9700

CLOUD Business Coaching and Training Whether you manage a major promotional company or you’re an owner manager, your business is of great value. CLOUD Business Coaching is a training and coaching provider whose programs help you better understand your business at each stage of its cycle, and restore the edge to your business life. Discover how CLOUD Business Coaching can help you put into action the changes that will shift your business to the next level.

of industries and has also assisted senior corporate executives for large corporations.

Contact: Amy Towers | Founder and Director Tel: 0400 288 500 Email: amy@riskcollective.com.au www.riskcollective.com.au

Sew Simple Sew Simple has been trading now for some 40 years in the embroidery industry representing Toyota and ZSK embroidery machines, together with Data Stitch, ZSK and Wilcom software in the Australian and New Zealand Market. We have installations as far away as Tonga in the Pacific and Lae in New Guinea. We offer a quality range of support products with our new ZP7 Cut away that tears away, and FuFu Embroidery rayon and polyester threads. We offer service to most brands of machines on the Australian market.

Our team can be contacted on 02 6282 7144 or 0412 623 838.

Email: luke@sewsimple.com.au www.sewsimple.com.au

SGS SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We are recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 85,000 employees, we operate a network of more than 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world. Our Services: Product Testing & Certifications, Pre-shipment Inspections, Quality & Ethical Audits etc.

Contact: Ray Hartland Email: Ray.Hartland@sgs.com Kamal Bedi Email: Kamal.Bedi@sgs.com Tel: 03 9574 3200

Smaart Recruitment

Marty Daley Graphic Design

If you’re looking to fill a vacancy at your company, SMAART can help.

By specialising in the industries we know best, we ensure a superior service for both clients and candidates. We have 20 recruitment consultants and can provide you with great staff in the following industries: Sales & Marketing, Office Admin & Accounts + other customer facing roles. To access your special APPA Introductory Offer of 9% for you next permanent placement:

With years of industry experience and offering special rates exclusively to APPA members. All forms of graphic design, logo re-draws, artwork preparation and artwork approvals. His expertise and pricing provide excellent benefits to APPA members. Call to find out more.

Contact: Alexis Petridis on 03 8637 4444 Head Office, Level 2, 385 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.

Email: alexis@smaart.com.au

Tajima Australia

Contact: Marty Daley Tel: 0402 117 005 Email: redraw@martydaley.com.au

Tajima Australia is proud to offer you a selection of the very best in garment embroidery and printing machinery, as well as Australia’s largest range of thread and consumables. We are the Only Authorised Tajima Dealer in Australia, our technicians are trained in Japan and collectively have over 85 years’ experience. Our customers also have peace of mind knowing that the 100% Designed and Made in Japan promise guarantees our customers that every machine meets the high-quality standard that we have come to expect from Tajima.

Contact: Brett Heasman Tel: +61 (0)408 11 26 11 www.cloudbusinesscoaching.com

Risk Collective Amy Towers is obsessed with setting you free when it comes to your work health and safety obligations. A risk expert with more than 15 years’ experience working as a Health and Safety Specialist and Consultant, Amy enjoys solving complex business problems and is truly passionate about guiding, directing and protecting you and your business against health and safety risks. Amy has provided health and safety advice and solutions to clients across a variety 5 0 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

Contact: Darren Chisholm on 03 9484 5898 Email: darren@tajimaaustralia.com.au. www.tajimaaustralia.com.au

The Success Unlimited Group

Exclusive offers for APPA members:

Gary Petersen is the founder of The Success Unlimited Group and has had over 35 years’ experience in Sales, Marketing and Management.

He is a sales and goal setting specialist who is totally focused on “serious sales and personal development”. Exclusive offers to APPA Members -for APPA Members Gary is happy to waiver his hourly fee to discuss any concerns that you have about increasing sales or any challenges that you may be experiencing in the market place.

• Free Freight Health Check (valued at AUD 150.00) • Personalised Freight Calculator (valued at AUD 75.00) • Discounts on International Parcel Freight bookings • Discounts on Domestic cartage.

Tel: 0438 318 713 Email: gary@successunlimited.com.au www.successunlimited.com.au

Amanda Terblanche Mobile: 0455 500 347 Email: operations@my-pfs.com www.personalisedfreightsolutions.com.au

Freight Service Providers

VersaPrint

Capital Transport

VersaPrint Turning Art into Articles. We provide a wide range of printed items, equipment and consumables. VersaPrint offers APPA Members a 5% discount on orders for custom printed ribbon and consumables for our printing systems for garments, glassware etc.

Email: aaron@versaprint.com.au

Capital Transport is your trusted national, full service, transport and logistics partner. We proudly provide innovative, flexible transport solutions to Australia’s premier companies. We specialise in metro on demand transport, permanent vehicles and home delivery services. We have over 1100 vehicles nationally ranging from Courier Vans and Trays, 2 to 14 Tonne Trucks, Semi-Trailers, Tailgate vehicles, Crane Trucks and Pantech’s.

WLF Accounting & Advisory Every business in the promotional products industry is looking for an edge – something that sets them apart from the competition and sets them up for success. It might be an undiscovered efficiency, an untapped opportunity or even a risk avoided, or getting the day-today essentials right. We service all of Australia and businesses of all sizes, providing expertise in the latest cloud accounting solutions; cashflow budgeting; tax minimisation; business planning and how best to protect your business, family and key assets. Our first meeting is free and we can provide a fixed price quote for services to give you further peace of mind.

Contact Paul Lyons (Partner) on: paul.lyons@wlf.com.au

Premium Freight Service Providers 2Star Logistics 2Star Logistics are a full-service logistics provider, specifically designed for the promotional marketing space. Handling everything from basic stock fulfilment of online retailers to elaborate customeractivation projects, 2Star are there to provide whatever you or your client needs to do with their stock. With amazing freight rates, 2Star are able to save clients a lot on their traditional postage costs.

Additionally, with warehouses in China Free-Trade-Zones, 2Star gives greater access to logistics services for products made in China.

For APPA Members – 2Star Logistics provide APPA Members with 10% off standard storage charges.

S6, 391 Park Rd, Regents Park NSW 2143 Tel: 02 9188 5835 Email: info@2starlogistics.com.au www.2starlogistics.com.au

Personalised Freight Solutions Personalised Freight Solutions is an International Freight Forwarding company, facilitating the movement of cargo globally. They have a combined 25 years’ experience in dealing with international shipping, border clearance and importing known brand products with trademark procedures. Their specialist account managers with promotional industry experience will ensure that you are “in the know” every step of the way.

Contact: Tracey Titlow | National Business Development Manager The Capital Transport Group (Australia wide) Tel: (02) 8832 5104 Fax: (02) 9638 5499 Mob: 0409 222 992 www.capitaltransport.com.au

CourierPost CourierPost is one of New Zealand’s premier courier providers, with a reputation for speedy and reliable delivery. CourierPost is now offering exclusive additional benefits to APPA members.

For more information simply contact: nzinfo@appa.net.nz

DHL Express DHL Express are an Air Express provider offering fantastic rates in Australia and New Zealand on international express courier services for APPA members. To be contacted by a DHL representative, go to: Australia visit: http://shipping.dhl.com.au/appa New Zealand visit: www.simplydhl.com/nz/appa (DHL will contact APPA to confirm membership before rates are applied) Customer Service Team Australia: 131 406 New Zealand 0800 800 020

DHL Global APPA Members can now access discounted shipping rates with DHL Global Forwarding. Flexible – Air or ocean freight solutions to suit the speed or service you require. Simple – Door-to-door or door-toport solutions. Personable – Speak to your local contact Rosanna in Australia or Stu in New Zealand to assist you with using DHL Global Forwarding.

Helen Fitzgibbon | Lead Qualifier Tel: +61 3 9344 8484 Fax: +61 3 9344 8995 Email: Helen.fitzgibbon@dhl.com

Ryders Customs & Forwarding (NZ) Overseas Freight Forwarding specialists for the New Zealand Region – Special discounts for APPA Members apply!

Email: glenn@ryders.co.nz Tel: 64 9 275 5229 PROMOTIONAL PRODUC TS MARKE TING MAGA ZINE – 51

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Sendle “We’re always looking for new ways to bring added value to your APPA membership and we know that delivering parcels can be a big part of running your business. Sendle provides parcel pickup and delivery services at low, flat-rates about 40% cheaper than lining up at the post office. It’s convenient, cost-effective and 100% carbon neutral. Sendle won a Telstra Business Award last year and The Australian Financial Review awarded Sendle “Australia’s Most Innovative Business Model” in 2016. APPA Members can sign up for a free Premium account with Sendle saving $10 per month. This gives you access to simple, reliable and affordable shipping and you’ll get an extra $1 off every parcel you send for 12 months from the time you sign on. So, for example, it will only cost you $6.95 to send a 500g satchel across Australia, $8.95 to send up to 25kg in the same city, only $9.95 to send 2kg from Sydney to Perth, and only $24.95 to send up to 25kg nationally!”

Email: business@sendle.com

StarTrack StarTrack (formerly AAE) offers discounted rates on air and road freight for all APPA Members. A verification of membership letter from APPA is required to redeem this benefit.

1kg: $8.88 exc fuel costs etc.

3kg: $9.51 exc fuel costs etc.

5kg: $15.21 exc fuel costs etc.

15kg local: $9.21 exc fuel costs etc.

Email: info@appa.com.au

TNT Discounted rates in Australia and New Zealand. TNT is one of the world’s largest freight providers and offers APPA Members exclusive rates on both Road Freight and Air Freight. You must have a letter of authorisation from APPA to receive this discount.

Contact: TNT Australia Email: jimmy_kassis@tnt.com.au Tel: 02 8304 8221 TNT New Zealand Email: lana.kruger@tnt.co.nz Tel: +64 9 256 7893

Toll IPEC Toll IPEC are extremely proud of their service capabilities and network and are pleased to offer special APPA Member discounted rates on their road express and priority overnight services. To take advantage of these rates, please contact Jodie on jodie@appa.com. au to set up online and begin trading. Toll IPEC have made changes over the last 22 months, and are at the beginning of this journey which APPA are excited to be part of, more on this can be found here.

into New Zealand is a particularly strong area for TFS as well as a focus on customer service and providing the most cost effective and efficient freight solution available.

Our exclusive offer to APPA Members is the ability to process documentation & arrange bookings for all transport movements without any additional administration fees – The ease of transaction that no one else provides. With TFS you talk to real people in a real office.

Contact: Mark Clark Account Manager (03) 62 484 012 or M: 0417 002 530 Email: mclark@totalfreightsolutions.com.au www.totalfreightsolutions.com.au

Transtar International Transtar International Freight understand your industry.

Our vision is to be the leading provider of freight and logistics services in the Asia-Pacific market. Free Customs clearance special for APPA Members only. For the first five custom entry fees.

Contact: David Lambert, NSW Branch Manager Tel: 1800 941 161 Mobile: 0447 246 049 Email: info@syd.transtar.net www.transtar.net

Member Benefits New Zealand Chambers of Commerce The New Zealand Chambers of Commerce is a body of some 30 Chambers throughout New Zealand, supporting over 12,000 members and representing over 40 million businesses. Each Chambers’ role is to support and inspire business vitality and success. As not-for-profit business membership associations, the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce promote, support and encourage sustainable, profitable business growth. You can build business connections, access business expertise, find staff and save on business expenses. As a Chamber member you can market to 12,000 other business decision makers throughout the Auckland region who have networked to do better business, together.

APPA Member Associate Annual Rate: $189.11 incl GST Tel: 09 309 6100 Email: lsmart@chamber.co.nz www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

Pantone Colour Guide Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of colour across a variety of industries. Contact APPA for special Member rates – Australia and New Zealand.

Contact: James Nguyen | SME Account Executive Tel: 03 9254 2131 Email: james.nguyen@tollgroup.com www.tollgroup.com

Contact: info@appa.com.au

Total Freight Solutions

Joining Fee: $240 (save $130) 1 year: $420 (save $90) 2 years: $750 (save $175)

Total Freight Solutions (TFS) operate a Freight Brokerage service, providing global and domestic freight forwarding solutions. Services range from overnight envelopes to large cargo. Shipping via FedEx 5 2 – J U LY 2 0 1 7

The Qantas Club A verification of membership letter from APPA is required to redeem this benefit.

Contact: info@appa.com.au

Attention: Decorators, Suppliers and Service Providers APPA is now releasing two premium issues of Promotional Products Marketing Magazine annually – Reserve your advertising space now!

Edition 1: Post APPA Roadshow - June Release Edition 2: Post APPA CONVEX - December Release These bumper issues will be full of pertinent editorial and education, photos and reports from our industry. With only two issues being released, the advertising opportunities have never been better!

Promotional Products Marketing Magazine 2017/2018 Advertising Rates & Booking Form Post APPA Roadshow Issue - (June)

Space

Post APPA CONVEX Issue (December)

Both Issues

Full Page

$2000

$2000

$3500

Half Page

$1025

$1025

$1700

$550

$550

$950

$2800

$2800

$5100

Quarter Page Outside Back Cover (full page only)

Note: All prices listed are exclusive of GST and subject to change.

I wish to advertise for (please tick): Advertising Space

Full Page

Half Page

Quarter Page

Outside Back Cover

Company Name:

Contact Person:

Credit Card Payment Option (Surcharges applicable: 1.5% for VISA & MASTERCARD, 3.5% for AMEX & DINERS) Credit Card Type (please circle):

VISA

AMEX

DINERS

MASTERCARD

Name On Card: Card Number: Expiry Date:

/ /

/

/

Signature

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS LEAD-TIMES Booking confirmation (1 October 2017):

Artwork (16 October 2017):

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS:

Important note: No print proof will be supplied. Your print ready PDF is also your approval to print.

APPA CONTACT Ky Wilson | Ph: 1800 MY APPA | Email: ky@appa.com.au

COMPLETE INSURANCE PROTECTION FOR THE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY

1800 277 624 info@promotionalproductsinsurance.com Association Insurance Australia is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Insurance Advisernet Australia Pty Ltd. AFSL No. 240549 Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1239086