Clip It. Snap It. Pin It. Flash It.

IS THERE ANYTHING more American than baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet? Yes. And promotional products distributors will be glad to learn the item just might be the promotional button. Yes, that’s right, the promotional button. From the time of Abraham Lincoln and before, people have used it to tout causes from the fronts of their lapels. It’s a staple of both politicians and protesters, and more recently, its popularity as restaurant “flair” seems to be on the rise. No one will forget “I Like Ike,” or the more current button reference, “Potter Stinks!” Now though, with improved printing processes, customers can get their buttons noticed, even if they don’t have a slogan as good as “Make Love, Not War.”

George Gaida, promotional products division manager at LarLu, Winona, Minn., has seen how advances in technology have improved quality. According to Gaida, “Technology has made it possible to provide overall faster delivery, with multicolor and full-color imprinting on both small- and large-quantity orders.” This means, even smaller distributors can provide their customers with the best quality button. Which is good news, because with an expanded election cycle and campaign spending at record highs, distributors are likely to see a plethora of political customers coming in. He mentioned the upswing before elections is noticeable at LarLu and foresees this trend continuing. “I believe political buttons will continue to have a place in campaigning and election politics,” said Gaida, adding that he thinks of them as personal billboards that “are inexpensive and long-lasting.”

But as much as technology helps, it isn’t the be-all and end-all. Gaida reported service and prompt delivery can go further to win a distributor’s trust than even the latest innovation. He said, at LarLu, “It’s a reputation we’ve built over our 46 years in the industry.” Clearly, in the case of both the company and its product, longevity wins the sale.

THE WORLD ON A STRING

It really is a lanyard world. Take a moment to look around and see just how prevalent the items are in business and culture. Employees affix security key cards to them. Doctors, nurses and hospital staff dangle credentials from them. Journalists, rock stars and roadies use them to flout backstage passes and exclusive access most people envy.

Lanyards have come a long way from being a cotton strap with a clip on the end. Plus, the technology and intricacies of today’s lanyards make customers more likely to customize them. The differences may be subtle and hard to notice over the course of months, but when compared to five or ten years ago, the upgrades are obvious. Companies now add features such as rhinestones (or bling, as it is now commonly referred to), full-color printing and increasingly intricate embroidery. Also, new fabrics such as neoprene and recycled cloth are coming into play. For distributors, this means a wider, more diverse selection of products to offer customers.

When asked about lanyards, Bernard Friedman, president of Sonoma Promotional Solutions, Sonoma, Calif., mentioned a growing concern his company is addressing—safety. “Lanyards with a safety reflective coating are getting popular,” he affirmed. The safety of lanyards is an issue that is becoming more important to end-users, as well. Friedman brought up an important fact: “Lanyards normally don’t stretch. If snagged on an object, they can transfer a great deal of force before the material tears.” To deal with this concern, Sonoma Promotional Solutions introduced a specialty line of “breakaway lanyards” that fasten securely during normal use, but release when presented with sufficient force. “End-users that tend to be active, such as food-service personnel, security, and certainly trade-show exhibitors and attendees, should seriously consider this important option,” noted Friedman. Keeping all of this in mind, distributors will find extending into new markets with quality lanyards won’t be a problem anytime soon.

WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING ...

Keep the end-user happy. That’s the name of the game in the promotional products industry and it may apply double when it comes to promotional badges. The triumvirate of supplier, distributor and end-user quickly can create a circus of time-consuming phone calls as people confirm personalization, check order status, place reorders and confirm shipments. End-buyers call distributors, distributors call suppliers, suppliers return distributors’ calls, distributors leave messages for clients, clients call distributors—and that’s before the sale is made. In no time, 10 or 12 calls or callbacks have been made just to see if the 2,400 badges were sent to the Yuma, Ariz. Chamber of Commerce. But the good news is, with advances in technology, that trend (headache) may be changing. One illustration of this can be seen in an innovative new strategy from the Minneapolis-based Halls and Company. Vice president of sales and development, Eric Johnson, explained how his company is helping distributors lessen time-consuming reordering processes while providing the end-buyer better service.

In January of this year, Halls and Company launched an online interface designed to allow end-buyer to personalize and reorder badges without having to contact the distributor. Here is an example of how the new Halls/ID Line system works:

STEP 1. A distributor places an initial order for 500 badges, but takes a delivery for only 100 items.

Step 2. The end-buyer receives the first 100 badges and access to an online ordering site. The 400 remaining badges are held in reserve as employees change.

Step 3. As employee turnover occurs, the end-buyer can access its secure account to enter shipping and personalization for as many new badges as are needed. The end-user never sees Halls and Company’s information.

Step 4. Both the distributor and Halls and Company receive the order at the same time, but the end-buyer believes the order is going to the distributor directly.

Step 5. The order is fulfilled with the end-buyer receiving shipment directly from Halls and Company.

Johnson explained: “The entire system is blind to end-users, so they aren’t even going to know who we are as a company. [The] distributor is in control of the [sales] loop.” The system benefits all parties involved. End-buyers can easily manage their ordering, and the distributors have an easy way to keep clients happy. Halls and Company can continue to help distributors deliver quality products on time. And happily, Johnson noted, the company has had “huge amounts of success" with the program.

Now that's a slogan fit for badges, buttons and lanyards.