Links Unlimited: Helping Distributors Tap the Power of Brand Merchandising
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With two of the major trade shows taking place in the promotional products world in January, RNN checks in with Links Unlimited, one of the largest master fulfillment companies focusing on the promotional products marketplace and the growing role of distributors in the world of brand promotions.Understanding the Difference Between Brand Merchandising and Incentive and Recognition Programs
Using Technology to Minimize Inventories
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When most people in the incentive and recognition business think of program design, that means setting up the purpose, goals, and objectives of the program; the business rules; training and communication elements, measurement, etc. When it comes to the use of brands in the world of promotional products, program design often has a different meaning, according to Scott Kooken, CEO and Co-Founder of Cincinnati-based Links Unlimited.
Understanding the Difference Between Brand Merchandising and Incentive and Recognition Programs
“When a brand sponsors a major event, they are not just stamping their logo on a product and handing it out. The questions are: what is the company trying to accomplish? How will this product further the messaging of the corporation and support their goals? How will that message be aligned with what the company is saying to employees? These programs are often much more complicated than a company store.”
The second largest business category for Links, promotional distributors, Kooken says, get involved with major brand merchandising programs that often have little to do with points programs. His company’s distributor partners get involved with brand activations to support sponsorships, events, new product rollouts, sales and customer meetings, etc. with many aspects just as complicated in their own way as the psychological and business aspects of incentive and recognition program design.
Considerations, he explains, begin with selecting the right retail brand or combination with a non-retail brand based on the audience, budget, and use case. This requires a deep understanding of brand stories but also the ability to meet the logistical and imprinting demands of corporate promotions. Identifying the right customization or kitting strategy to both enhance value and reduce costs depending on the product; establishing an inventory strategy to maximize delivery speed and accuracy and addressing the logistics of bulk or drop-shipping are just a part of the challenges. Managing a large promotional program for a big company, he underlines, requires deep relationships with brands that give large companies like his an advantage to meet the sometimes exigent demands of large clients.
Using Technology to Minimize Inventories
“In a world in which no one wishes to hold inventory and there is increasing interest in printing on demand, the reality is that the quality of print on demand in most cases is poor and that the pain of inventory can be greatly reduced today by technology, inventory, and logistics planning.”
Because a lot of his company’s distributor customers already are well versed in the needs of promotional gifting, Kooken says most understand the benefits of the complete support his company can provide. That said, he believes that many distributors remain wary of brands and that the industry as a whole can benefit by providing traditional training for distributors on both the use of brands in traditional promotional products programs and incentive, rewards, and recognition.
For More Information
Links Unlimited
Corporate Sales
866-465-4657
corporatesales@linksunlimited.com
Catalog Website
Booth No. 3165 at 2025 PPAI Expo
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