Change the Conversation

Growth doesn't happen by talking louder

I've been in the promotional products industry for a long time – 26 years to be exact. To put that number in perspective, I've lasted longer in this industry than the average career of a Major League Baseball player (6 years), longer than the average marriage in the United States (8 years), and even longer than David Lee Roth fronted the mighty Van Halen (14 years). That's a long time to be in one industry.

For the first 13 years, I held executive leadership positions at leading distributors, and although I was involved in the industry, I wasn't fully invested. Of course, I attended major industry events and even sat on the board for PPAChicago, but I was hardly what anyone would even remotely describe as committed. If I was known at all, it was as a sales leader/recruiter for large industry distributors that blended into the background. This all changed, however, in January 2014 when I lost my job.

Through no fault of my own, I was at a career crossroads. I knew I needed to change the perception people had of me in the industry if I were to survive, so I set out to do precisely that. I started consulting for suppliers and distributors while I looked for a job. I began not only to write a candid weekly blog to share my honest thoughts with the industry, but also to share my personal experiences. I developed education sessions and spoke at regional associations, PPAI events, and commonsku's skucon. I freely gave time and volunteered for my regional association (PPAMS), the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, PromoKitchen, and PPAI committees. I started hosting podcasts (unScripted, Promo UPFront, and Between 2 Brands) and, to date, have recorded almost 800 weekly episodes across the three, receiving two Pyramid Awards along the way. I led and grew PromoCorner for three years before starting brandivate in 2020. I've continued to volunteer and was inducted into the PPAMS Hall of Fame in 2023, and I was honored with the PPAI Icon Award for Distinguished Service in 2024.

Since the time I lost my job back 11 years ago, I can honestly write that I accomplished exactly what I set out to do: I've built brandivate to the point where it's viable, relevant, and thriving. In the process, I changed people's perception of me in the industry.

Sometimes, however, perception can shift too far.

I've come to realize that my perception as a respected writer, industry speaker, and podcaster has, at times, diverged from reality. Many times, I'm known more for writing, speaking, and podcasting about marketing and branding than being an expert on those very same topics. Despite years of direct experience, I am primarily seen as a podcaster who writes a blog and speaks, which is not the full scope of who I am or what I do.

The same can be said for many promotional products distributors and how their clients perceive them. Almost every salesperson can share a story about visiting a long-term client only to find a branded Yeti tumbler (or other product) on the desk that the client had not ordered from them. After asking the client why they didn't get the order, the response is some variation of, "I didn't know you sold Yeti tumblers! I thought you only sold apparel.”

If your clients only see you as the "apparel guy" or the "backpack lady," their perception of you and your areas of expertise is hurting your reality. When this happens, the only recourse is to shift the perception by effectively communicating to your clients what you do and the value you provide. It's changing the conversation from a product salesperson to a solutions provider who happens to utilize branded merchandise as the vehicle. If you don't take the time to do that, you'll continue to be slotted with an inaccurate perception. You don't want to be the "t-shirt guy" who only gets the t-shirt business.

As I stated above, it's time for me to change my conversation in the industry. What I do at brandivate – and the value we provide – goes far beyond writing, speaking, and podcasting. Those three things are essential to what I do, but I don't want people in the industry to lose sight of the actual work behind those pieces of content. Clients choose to work with brandivate because we design, develop, and execute marketing strategies that positively impact their bottom line. Whether it's creating compelling digital marketing that moves a target audience to action, delivering creative advertising campaigns that elevate both the brand and the merchandise, developing a complete corporate rebranding, finding new ways to deliver messages where the intended audience lives, or leveraging content marketing to ensure messaging is received, brandivate clients trust the company to help them drive growth and scale their business. They may initially learn of brandivate because I spoke at an event, wrote a blog post that was shared, or they heard me on a podcast, but that activity doesn't move their business forward. Thoughtful strategy followed by executing the right tactics that bring results do, and that's what brandivate delivers.

The bottom line is that I'm an expert in sales, marketing, branding, and promotional merchandise, which is what gives me the platform to write, speak, and podcast. If I don't share that I – along with brandivate – stand for more with that audience, then I'm complicit in perpetuating the incorrect perception.

Next time you feel that your audience's perception of you is hurting your reality, it's time to change the conversation. Remember, perception is reality, and only you can change conversation.