What if the reason your marketing is not working is not your products but your foundation, your follow-up, and your message?

In this episode of The Promo Playbook, hosts Lisa Fosdick and Adrienne Barker sit down with Gloria LaFont of Action Marketing to talk about what distributors actually need to do to stand out in a crowded promo marketplace. Gloria shares how she went from distributor to marketing strategist, why cookie-cutter marketing fails, and how narrowing your audience makes growth easier, not harder. The conversation also tackles what happens when distributors hire agencies that don't understand the promo industry, why your website still matters more than most people want to admit, and how follow-up and engagement are the make-or-break factors once leads start coming in.

Key takeaways

→ Marketing has not changed; the medium has. Target the right audience and speak directly to them

→ Cookie-cutter marketing can be a starting point, but it cannot be your growth plan

→ Your website is your foundation. If it looks like everyone else, you are competing on price

→ Niche marketing is not limited. It is the fastest way to become memorable and referable

→ Most distributors underestimate the value of clean data, a usable client list, and consistent client communication

→ Ads are not a standalone strategy. Retargeting is often the smartest and most cost-effective place to start when you have traffic

Quote-worthy moment: “Social media is not a standalone. You need a good foundation because people are going to go to your website.” Gloria LaFont

About the guest: Gloria LaFont is a marketing strategist and the founder of Action Marketing. She helps promotional product distributors move beyond mass-produced marketing by building strategy-driven campaigns rooted in positioning, audience clarity, and strong foundations that support growth. Learn more about Gloria here: https://actionmarketingco.com/author/glorialafont/

Connect With the Hosts Follow Lisa Fosdick, Adrienne Barker, and Kim Ballerene on LinkedIn for more supplier success strategies and behind-the-scenes insights.

Reach out:

Kimberly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymillerballerene/

Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-fosdick/

Adrienne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennebarkermas/

Ever opened an “art file” that looked fine… until you tried to print it and suddenly it turned into pixel soup?

In this episode of The Promo Playbook, hosts Lisa Fosdick, Adrienne Barker, and Kim Ballerene break down why production-ready vector art is the quiet hero of the promotional products industry.

They’re joined by Mark from Vector Art, who shares how offshore artwork teams can help suppliers move faster, scale smarter, and deliver cleaner proofs, better imprints, and happier customers. The conversation covers what suppliers should collect up front, how to set up a workflow that doesn’t collapse under email chaos, why “garbage in, garbage out” still applies, and how suppliers can even turn artwork into a profit center instead of an expense they resent.

6 Key Takeaways

→ Vector art isn’t optional in promo. If you want crisp imprints and fewer rework loops, “close enough” files don’t cut it.

→ Offshore teams work best with structure. Clear briefs, templates, and SOPs reduce back-and-forth and speed everything up.

→ Match the workflow to the real approval chain. End user → distributor → supplier → approvals at multiple stages, so documentation matters.

→ Collect details early to avoid “version five.” PMS colors, brand guidelines, and proof expectations should be gathered before production starts.

→ Dedicated artwork emails keep things moving. Centralize requests, reduce lost info, and make outsourcing scalable across clients and teams.

→ Artwork can be a profit center. Suppliers can build fees into setup, add a separate artwork charge, or appropriately mark up services.

Guest Spotlight

Mark (Vector Art) shares how his team supports suppliers with services like vector conversion, virtual proofs, embroidery digitizing, order entry, and even marketing support—while aligning availability to U.S. business hours and federal holidays to keep production flowing.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

→ What makes an “art file” print-ready (and why Canva doesn’t solve that part)

→ Why suppliers should set up artwork support before the first order hits

→ How storage, proof history, and art notes reduce repeat-order mistakes

→ The pros and cons of offshore support and how to make it a smooth partnership

→ Why fast approvals from distributors can make or break the entire timeline

If today’s episode helped you rethink how you handle artwork, subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Have a topic you want covered on The Promo Playbook? Message us—we love listener ideas.

Ready to take your supplier business to the next level?

Subscribe to Supplier Promo Playbook, leave us a review, and connect with us on LinkedIn to share your questions or topic ideas. Let’s grow your supplier success together.

Lisa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-fosdick/

Adrienne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennebarkermas/

Kimberly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymillerballerene/

Until next time: stay smart, stay strategic, and keep growing your supplier success.

Are you a boutique supplier trying to get distributors to notice you without becoming “that annoying email” they delete before coffee?

In this bite-sized episode, Adrienne Barker, Lisa Fosdick, and Kim Ballerene break down practical outreach strategies suppliers can actually execute, especially for small teams. They cover why regional shows can beat the big trade shows for relationship building, how to treat attendee lists like gold, why email marketing only works when your CRM and list hygiene are solid, and how LinkedIn can put you directly into a distributor’s focused attention. They also bring back the unsung heroes: phone calls, handwritten thank you notes, and “lumpy mail” that gets remembered.

6 key takeaways → Regional shows are the most doable play for small teams and a powerful way to meet local reps who actually work your market

→ Attendee lists from shows are a seed list for long term marketing, treat them like a real business asset

→ Email marketing works best with a real CRM, clean data, and consistent cadence, not random blasts from your inbox

→ Even unopened emails still build brand recognition because your name and subject line still get seen → LinkedIn is the best social channel for this industry because it reaches business decision makers in a focused environment

→ Relationships win, so mix channels: calls, notes, mailers, and value-driven outreach make you memorable and easier to buy from

Call to action Want to be a guest on the show? Reach out on LinkedIn, or email Lisa or Kim at thepromoplaybook.com to get scheduled.

Adrienne - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennebarkermas/

Lisa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-fosdick/

Kimberly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymillerballerene/