The Promoswiss Board sets new accents

m&k: Mr. Germann, you are the "new" president in office at PromoSwiss, how did you get involved and what accents do you set in of your function?

Urs Germann: I have had the opportunity to familiarize myself well over the past 16 months and to adapt and add to the structures. Every leadership has its own style; mine is: clear structures on the board as well as in the association. There were various things to solve, not only to talk about the digital age, but also to introduce and implement them. My accents are "less is more", for that to make full use of what you do. To lead not only the board into the digital age, but also the association. To do this, we need to offer members training, workshops and continuing education so that they can find their way through the flood of digital possibilities and also work with them in a meaningful way.

PromoSwiss will host the PSF on 20.9. and on 21.9. organize the Touch. Can you give us some insight about the two events?

The PSF is an event for members where suppliers can present their products to the promotional products retailer, similar to a tabletop trade show. Thus, the dealer can get the latest information, ask direct questions and prepare for the trends, so that he can then in turn present the latest products to their own customers. The goal is also that the promotional products retailer can not only get the product information through the haptics, but also get a package of arguments to be able to advise the end customer properly. Especially today, when everyone is talking about sustainability, it should also be understood what is effectively sustainable about the promotional product. Touch is an end-customer trade show. That means there are nine counters that invite their customers to be able to present the catalog of haptics to them. Many of the suppliers already exhibit at PSF, and then some join them at Touch. Thus, the counter can make a tour with its customers and present the current products to them in person. The supplier then makes an offer to the counter, so that the counter can then make a definitive offer to its customer.

How has the promotional products industry changed? What has the Corona pandemic for an influence?

Customers have become more sensitive, be it in the area of sustainability, but also in acceptance. Orders have to be placed earlier due to delivery delays; some products can no longer be delivered at all because the raw materials are not available or the manufacturer has not survived the Covid period. Final prices have also gone up. In addition, much is sold digitally; there are fewer customer visits.

How do you see the future of the industry and thus also for your association?

The industry was shaken up massively and is still biting on the aftermath and also the Ukraine war. People are unsettled and struggling. Sales figures have dropped for most and are not yet at pre-crisis levels. However, people have become more modest and can take a five. An uncertainty lies above all - "can we deliver at all", "can we also make a delivery promise to the customer?". Especially in this time, the association is all the more important to network, to have a dialog among each other and to help each other out and give tips. Sometimes it's just good to talk to other competitors in the market, to hear that we're all in the same boat and struggling with the same challenges.

What is the most useful giveaway you have personally ever received?

Hmm, that's a difficult one to answer. The most useful giveaway for me is still a good pen - I use that every day. But honestly, I use everything from a water bottle to a fork to a t-shirt.

What is the importance of promotional items in the marketing mix?

The promotional product ranks third to fourth in the marketing mix. It has become almost unthinkable to do advertising without haptic products. A marketing strategy without promotional items is not thought through to its end by the management.

How is the association positioned. Is it difficult to recruit new members?

We have over 70 members in the association and there are exits as well as additions, majority additions. We can offer members a beneficial platform, with purchasing advantages among members, strategic partners that can help smaller businesses easily and quickly in the market. We offer subsidized training, workshops, continuing education with our partner KV Business School in Zurich. These are trainings tailored to the industry. We promote dialogue among members, offer discounted attendance at PSF and Touch, and PSF can even be attended for free as a member. The PromoSwiss association will continue to grow. We move with the times and look to continue to lead the way in the future.