Quality Logo Products’ Commitment To Brand Safety Is Leading The Way With New Sales
In 2003, two college seniors, Bret Bonnet and Michael Wenger, secured a loan from the Coleman Foundation of Chicago. They took this money and started a little online promotional products business called Quality Logo Products. Since then, the company has evolved into a $50 million operation with two offices, 115+ employees and an international client base.
The media has taken note of this growth, with the company being named as one of Promo Marketing’s Top 50 Distributors, Counselor magazine’s Best Places to Work, and fastest-growing U.S. companies on the Inc. 5000 list.
While Quality Logo Products is an online retailer, that doesn’t mean that it’s staffed by a bunch of robots. Quite the opposite. Customers have one dedicated, 100% human customer service professional assigned to every order. Representatives keep buyers updated throughout the ordering process, from the time of initial quote to when items are delivered. This attention to detail and personalized service sets them apart from other online sellers.
Another competitive differentiator is the company’s involvement with QCA’s Distributor Advocacy Council (DAC) and its pledge to use suppliers who consistently deliver safe, high-quality, socially compliant and environmentally conscientious merchandise. This commitment to brand safety has landed such high-profile clients as Grammy award-winning artists, major sports franchises and Fortune 500 companies—all of whom demand safe and compliant products.
“It’s important for our customers to feel good about whom they choose to work with,” says Marketing Manager Kelsey Brown. “Purchasing from suppliers who undergo meticulous safety evaluations is one of the most important decisions we make to protect our customers. After all, we didn’t put ‘Quality’ in our business name for no reason!”
Kelsey says one of the company’s top priorities as an organization is to make sure they are playing their part in protecting consumers who shop for promotional products online. “It was clear that partnering with the DAC was the best way we could ensure our items are safe and will serve as effective branding opportunities for our customers,” she explains.
However, while there is much talk about brand safety and responsible sourcing with the promotional products industry, there’s still a significant knowledge gap for the average customer.
“The biggest misconception buyers have is that everything they buy is safe and produced ethically,” Kelsey says. “When you’re browsing the aisles in a store, you don’t always know what kind of environment the products you’re purchasing came from. Many consumers understand why microwaves or dishwashers are tested for safety, but they might not understand why branded lip balms or water bottles need to undergo similar quality testing. By becoming a member of the DAC, we’re empowering our customers by letting them know their promotional items are safe.”
Sales representative Jay Hoffman says, “What our clients don’t know is that a lot of the items we sell are widely available from different manufacturers. However, we pick and choose whom we work with based on their track record,” he says. “After all, our customers aren’t ordering their promos from ‘manufacturer XYZ’; they are ordering from us, and that’s all they need to know.
“QCA Accreditation is something that I can see all suppliers not only wanting but also needing to do because of the competitive nature of our industry. This not only benefits them but, us as well. It’s a heck of a lot easier to sell something in large quantities knowing that whom you’re getting it from is just as obsessed with quality and safety as our clients and we are.”
Kelsey says that one of the most impactful things they have learned is that customers love to know the items they are interested in are safe. “You’d be surprised how many questions we get about the background of our products and how they are manufactured,” she says. “Our partnership with the DAC has made it easier and more efficient to explain our safety standards to our customers.”
Moreover, these customers are taking notice. Potential clients place more orders for products that come from QCA Accredited Suppliers than ones who don’t. “We are talking more than 90% of our new orders are for products that come from QCA Accredited Suppliers,” says Vice President Michael Wenger. “We are always glad to answer questions about QCA, and the QCA seal next to products from accredited suppliers is a conversation starter for many new leads. After receiving so many questions, we started blogging about it. You can check it out here. QCA is a big deal, and being involved with the organization makes big deals happen!”
