Proforma Design Management's George Klare Talks Creativity and Learning Experiences

It’s always fun to flex our creative muscles a bit more than usual. In the promotional products industry, that opportunity arises when clients come to you with a need, but not a fully fleshed-out solution. Whether that creativity means finding the right product, designing an eye-catching imprint or thinking up an  effective marketing plan, there’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with tinkering with an idea. George Klare, co-owner of Proforma Design Management,  Alvarado, Texas, got the chance to design a product as well as learn more about the industry his client was part of.

Promo Marketing: Could you give me a brief  description of what this promotion entailed?
George Klare: The item is a scaled-down version of an oil/gas drill bit. The intent was to show the item to engineers and key decision-makers of how the product looked based on the particular technology needed for that drilling location (whichever part of the world that would require a specific drilling type).

PM: What did you like about this promotion in particular?
GK: I enjoyed helping create a handheld model of what’s doing the work. This was particularly interesting, as I live in an area that they are actively drilling for oil/gas, so it kind of puts a “name to a face” on the process and how it works.

PM: Did you run into any roadblocks with this promotion? If so, how did you overcome them?
GK: Many roadblocks occurred—trying to find a vendor that could create the product to make it lightweight, and then to find someone that could paint the product. The company designated signature colors in a way that would make it a keepsake.

PM: Do you have any advice for distributors looking to do something similar?
GK: Always think outside of the box. Look to your peers for advice when these types of projects come up. We all encounter very cool projects at times, so reaching out to networks of distributors can help with finding the right vendor for the job. Proforma uses social media groups for their owners to help share information and to ask for advice when ad hoc projects like this come up outside of the normal day-to-day business. It’s because of our network I was able to learn how to tackle this job and find the resources that someone else had already used.

PM: Is there anything you’d like to add?
GK: Be the distributor your clients come to for everything. That’s our goal with all businesses. We want our customers to ask us first, then guide them to how we create successful promotions. My personal goal is to never say no! I can find a solution, and provide solutions so that I’m always the first company they call when they are in a jam. It makes my job that much more fun. My customers call for some of the craziest things, and we typically land most of those jobs because we support their efforts always.