IMRA Urges "Turning Challenges Into Opportunities"
April 02, 2008
By Alex Palmer
The final day of the 38th Annual Marketing Conference for the Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance (IMRA) explored challenges and opportunities facing the promotion of incentive and premium merchandise in the months ahead, presenting them as two sides of the same coin. As a number of industry figures took the podium in the San Bernardo West meeting room of San Diego's Rancho Bernardo Inn, the discussion consistently came back to the changing concerns of corporations and consumers, and how these changes can encourage the use of incentive products.
Paul Kiewiet, who recently stepped down as chairman of the Promotional Products Association, International (PPAI) started his presentation during the morning's State of the Industry Roundtable by citing Brandweek's 2007 study on the growing number of "ad avoiders"—these consumers "find ads annoying" and are not likely to be reached by traditional promotional strategies. Kiewiet identified promotional products, if properly presented, as a way to reach these avoiders. Rick Blabolil, president of the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) as well as president of Marketing Innovators International, cited other big-picture concerns for suppliers of incentive merchandise, including the "brain drain" of retiring baby-boomers, heavier use of technology and a more consumer-driven, rather than supplier-driven, economy. He described shifting corporate values—such as corporate social responsibility and accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley—as important for suppliers to keep in mind.
"We need to use their language," said Blabolil, explaining that companies lose interest when sellers use industry jargon like "SKUs". "They want to hear us echo their problems."
Before opening the floor to questions, IMA President Karen Renk reemphasized that, "this is an interesting time," and that industry members should capitalize on what appear to be challenges and instead, "look at them as opportunities." Renk explained that the Incentive Federation would be key to that, as they produce more research in upcoming months and continue forward with its legislative awareness campaign.
Following the roundtable, outgoing IMRA Board President Gary Slavonic announced that Kate Marie, currently the i-training executive director of IMRA, had been officially promoted to executive director of IMRA, describing her organizational work at this year's conference as a demonstration of her readiness to have the "IT" label removed from her title. Slavonic also recognized the current board and invited incoming Board President Joe Gabler up to the podium. Gabler explained that going forward IMRA is shifting into a "committee organization" with five entities handling the alliance's business, including an education committee charged with increasing awareness of merchandise incentives in the marketplace, and IMRA Events, which will plan and oversee tradeshow events and networking gatherings. He announced that a separate committee would plan the 2009 Marketing Conference, which will be held at the Hilton Daytona Beach in Florida.
Paul Kiewiet speaks at IMRA's State of the Industry Roundtable. Photo taken with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7
Editor's Note: Read all of Incentive's comprehensive coverage of the 2008 IMRA event: 2008's IMRA Conference Kicks Off and Sales Excellence Awards Honor Top Sellers at IMRA.
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