Top Distributors 2017 Q&As: No. 3 - BDA LLC

Jay Deutsch

Every year, Promo Marketing releases its Top 50 Distributors list. To give you some insight into what it takes to make it to the top, we spoke to Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of BDA LLC, and our No. 3 spot.

Promo Marketing: What led to your company’s success in 2016?
Jay Deutsch: 2016 was all about growth and honing our craft. We launched a new website, hired great people and opened offices in the Philippines and the U.K. bolstering our services to key European, Middle East and African markets. This year was truly a testament to our talented sales and operations teams who maximized key opportunities with new and existing clients.

PM: What was the craziest, weirdest or coolest thing you’ve seen with BDA on your journey to becoming a Top Distributor?
JD: We like to think of ourselves as a pretty creative team, so the crazy, cool stuff usually comes from within our walls. In 2016, we imagined a campaign for Corona during football season, which featured a 4-foot-tall bobblehead of Corona’s spokesperson, Coach Jon Gruden. The army of giant bobbleheads was deployed to 4,400 retail locations nationwide, creating social media buzz and increasing beer sales for Corona. We’re always looking for the next innovative thing to raise the bar on ourselves. Last year it was giant bobbleheads. This year? We’ll see.

PM: What’s the one thing you know now you wish you’d have known when you started in the promo industry?
JD: You always have to bring something new to the table in order to stay successful. Luckily, we’ve always had a hands-on, start-up mentality, which we continue to practice today. We’re constantly leveraging ideas from our talented team, whether a seasoned veteran or a rookie, fresh out of college.  We understand that a good idea can come from anywhere. Encouraging our associates and providing them a platform to speak up and share their ideas has been critical to our success in this industry.

PM: What is the key to becoming (and remaining) a Top Distributor?
JD: We’ve learned a lot on our 33-year journey from startup to industry leader. Simply put, it’s surrounding yourself with the best people. We take pride in not only finding the best people, but instilling in them a sense of ownership and an entrepreneurial spirit to deliver the results our clients expect. These values are key and are baked into the DNA of this company. As our global reach continues to expand, we’re excited and ready to bring in more top-tier talent to help us really grow!