Distributors capable of providing print and promotional products solutions can be more valuable partners to clients than distributors that just do one or the other. That value can translate directly to sizable gains in sales for the multifaceted firms — on both individual campaigns and over the course of relationships with clients.
“Tapping into the promo industry offers massive growth potential,” says Michael O’Neal, an executive spearheading the expansion of Counselor Top 40 promo distributor BAMKO’s commercial print business.
Still, for print distributors, the world of promo can feel like uncharted territory. But as print professionals that offer promo attest, branching out into branded merchandise doesn’t have to be scary. Sure, it requires dedicated work, but it’s well within reach. Here are five strategies to help set printers up for promo success.
1. Don’t Panic: You Know More Than You Think
Industry veterans believe print pros have a leg up when it comes to learning promo. That’s because printers already possess knowledge that crosses over into the space of branded apparel and hard goods.
“As a print professional, your expertise in areas like print-on-demand and understanding of material properties will be invaluable in promo,” O’Neal says.
Steven Flaughers, owner/president of Ohio-based Proforma 3rd Degree Marketing, an affiliate of Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma, holds a similar view, saying that print pros should take confidence in that they’re not starting from ground zero. “Print pros understand colors, ink, PMS, SPOT, and digital right out of the gate. Print folks will know registrations as well,” he says. “It’s a good base from which to start.”
$26.1 Billion – Promotional products distributors’ total sales in North America in 2023 – an annual record.
ASI Research
2. Understand Promo’s Scope & Complementary Potential
Of course, it’s important not to oversimplify. There’s still a learning curve. As such, an intelligent first step is to establish a foundational understanding of the promotional products industry.
Research from the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) shows that distributors’ collective North American promotional products sales in 2023 were $26.1 billion — an annual record for the industry. 2024 was on track to set another highwater mark, according to ASI, the largest technology, marketing, events, and information provider in the promo industry.
The annual revenue figure in ASI’s research includes sales of everything from branded apparel and soft goods — T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, fleeces, polo shirts, headwear, tote bags, backpacks, and more — to what the industry commonly calls “hard goods,” which encompass categories like drinkware, writing instruments, housewares, technology items, awards, and desk/business accessories among others. In terms of revenue, T-shirts, drinkware, polo shirts, headwear, and bags are the biggest sellers, ASI Research shows.
Promo pros sell these and other products to a wide range of industries. The markets in which promo distributors generate the most sales are, in order, education, healthcare, construction, manufacturing/distribution, financial/insurance, retail, and nonprofit.
And of course, all those markets have print needs, too. Just ask Allen Landis, who owns Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based franchises associated with Signarama and Fully Promoted, the latter firm being a Counselor Top 40 promo distributor.
Landis does considerable business with small- to medium-sized construction companies. Clients rely on him and his team for both their print/signage and promo needs.
Interestingly, the promo side of the business feeds him print work, and vice versa. For instance, Landis’ Fully Promoted firm began a business relationship with a construction company by executing a small decorated-apparel order. More business followed, and along the way Landis brought up that he does signs, too.
“Since we already had the relationship with them, they were open to working with us for their signage needs, and the next thing you know we were doing their new building sign and wrapping their vehicles,” Landis says. “It’s turned into tens of thousands of dollars in business.”
3. Get a Grasp on the Merch Market’s Supply Chain
If you’re a printer keen to sell promo products, this may come as a surprise: You don’t have to invest in new printing equipment to get started.
You can, for instance, buy embroidery machines or screen-printing presses to decorate apparel if you wish to control more production in-house, but it’s not a necessity.
Why? Because of how promo’s supply chain is set up.
While some promo distributors certainly have in-house decoration capabilities, many in the market do not. Instead, they focus on being front-line sellers, developing relationships with end-clients who need promotional products.
These distributors then source the merch items from suppliers — the industry participants that produce/manufacture collections of products.
Some suppliers, particularly when it comes to hard goods, will decorate those products, too. In other cases, more so when it comes to apparel, the distributor will have the supplier send the ordered items to a contract decorator, who then applies branding, graphics, and messaging as instructed.
If desired, printers entering promo can take a similar approach to sourcing swag.
“Find the suppliers you feel most comfortable working with, in terms of quality, customer service, and pricing,” says Kevin Homer, partner at The Homer Group, a Pennsylvania-based distributor that services clients with print and promo. “You might also want to find specific products to offer.”
Still, Homer and other industry pros admit pinpointing great suppliers and products is a bit easier said than done for those just starting out.
4. Build Product Knowledge & Identify Supplier Partners
Fortunately, there are a variety of ways for print distributors to develop a strong promo sourcing chain. A great jumping off point is to attend a promo industry trade show, where a broad spectrum of suppliers will be exhibiting a comprehensive selection of products. (Start planning now to attend the ASI Pavillion at PRINTING United Expo 2026 when it returns to Las Vegas to see both print and promo distributors together under one roof.)
The boots-on-the-ground approach enables promo novices to see firsthand the cornucopia of products available, and which companies carry what — an empowering orientation. For sure, printers can get conversations going with suppliers and even meet promo distributors from outside their immediate locale, some of whom may be willing to offer advice — a good turn that happens with regularity in what’s still a relatively collegial industry.
“The more I’ve taken advantage of industry events and developed relationships with other distributors that I’m not in a competitive situation with, the more success I’ve been able to have with promo,” says Ed Gibson, president of Gibson Print Source, a printing-first company that generates roughly a fifth of its business through promo sales.
Additionally, consider joining an industry association that offers business-building supports, including product sourcing tools. While not the only provider in promo, ASI offers ESP and ESP+, promo business management platforms that include searchable, continuously updated databases of suppliers and their products from across the North American promo market. And of course, with the partnership between ASI and PRINTING United Alliance, Alliance members can see huge benefits joining both.
Industry sourcing tools such as ESP enable distributors to rate suppliers, which can be helpful in identifying potential quality partners, notes Stacey Wilks. “Pay attention to how the vendors are rated by other distributors,” advises the resource and procurement specialist with Missouri-headquartered Executive Print & Promo.
Furthermore, leverage the expertise of suppliers in one-on-one settings. Reps who work for promo suppliers achieve their objectives by helping distributors become more successful selling the supplier’s line of products. They’re a ready-made resource for collaboration. Distributors — especially those just starting with swag — should seek the guidance of vendor reps.
“You can tell them about promo opportunities you may have and ask for advice,” says Flaughers. “Have them hold your hand, baby step you through it. You can say, ‘Hey, I need 100 mugs. Here’s the client’s logo. How do you feel it will print best?’”
5. Serve Promo Clients as a Consultative Seller
The merch knowledge-bulking and strong vendor network will increase your capacity to serve as a promo consultant to clients. And no doubt, top-performing swag sales pros agree that being a value-adding partner to customer’s efforts related to marketing, human resources, and other initiatives is vital to scoring branded merch success.
Beyond cultivating product/decorating knowledge, being a consultative pro requires distributors to understand the client’s business, the goals of each particular promo campaign, and the audience the customer is targeting.
“Dial down to what your customer wants before you go sourcing product,” advises Wilks. “Find out how much they want to spend, how many they need, color preferences, and keep in mind what business they are in. You probably won’t sell trucker caps to a law office — or $60 polos to a small automotive repair company. When you ask a lot of questions up front, the customer will appreciate it in the end when you send over a proposal that has exactly what they didn’t even know they needed.”
Gibson shares one final word of advice: Take a breath. You don’t have to learn promo in a day. Just keep deepening your knowledge and expertise, and continue to put each client’s particular needs at the center of your focus on every order. “Pace yourself,” says Gibson, “and grow into it.”
