Promotional Products Industry: Balancing Risk and Reward

Ultimately, we're not just talking about risks and rewards and making sales and growing businesses—we're talking about the overall sustainability of the promotional products industry. Do you want to be the last straw for an end-user and the reason that she, or he, potentially steers away from promo products in lieu of "safer" alternatives, like gift cards? Or do you want to be part of the effort that's fueling confidence and trust on the part of customers, as well as growth and prosperity for the promotional products industry as a whole? It is, after all, our collective choice.

Jeff Jacobs is the executive director of Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), the only independent organization accrediting supplier processes in the promotional products industry. QCA is setting the standard for safe and socially compliant manufacturing. Prior to joining QCA, Jeff was the director of brand merchandise at Michelin N.A., serving on its worldwide quality committee for promotional and licensed products. Prior to that, he worked with brands in publishing, home video and broadcasting.

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The opinions expressed here are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the positions of Promo Marketing, its staff or its publisher.