Incentive - December 2008 - (Page 63) Here & Now continued from page 61 it’s the $1,000 TVs, the high-end Dooney & Bourke bags that [consultants] are able to go in and make very good programs with,” says Cook. “They’re saying, ‘I not only can do the marketing for you, but I can do the incentive plan as well. I can do the safety plan for you as well.’ ” He sees the “brand.” initiative as a way to add another tool to the belts of promotional consultants as they reach out to potential clients or expand their offerings with existing ones. While promotional consultants have incorporated incentive merchandise into programs previously, Cook says “it has been in indirect ways in the past, and we’re trying to make it more direct this year.” The struggling economy is on the minds of promotional planners, and PPAI is approaching those concerns head-on, even adding the slogan “Now, More Than Ever” to the event. Acknowledging that sales will be challenging in this environment, Cook emphasizes that the industry is resilient and has weathered tough situations before. He says preregistrations for the Expo are at the same levels they were last year, and points to the dip the industry saw following 9/11. While growth was not as strong during that period, the promotional products industry returned to double-digit growth soon after. “This industry does well at ‘hunkering down,’ so to speak, and investing in their products and people when a crisis comes about,” says Cook. incentivemag.com | December 2008 | Incentive | 63 http://Radisson.com/StMartin http://Radisson.com/StMartin http://www.incentivemag.com
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