There is only one original

#003 | 03.07.23

March 07, 2023

Newsletter #3

Good morning!

What a week! Our subscriber list grew by 102% since our last newsletter. Sure, we just launched two and a half weeks ago, but still. Need to start somewhere!

We changed the format a bit for this edition. More structured and bite-sized pieces of information. Reply back to this email with your thoughts on the newsletter overall so far! Really want to make this a true community and improve the content based on your feedback.

Today’s newsletter rundown:  
Merch around the Internet
Deep Dive: The Banker Bag
Promo Industry Job Postings
The Colonel stays afloat
Interview with Stacey from Warwick Publishing

Taylor Swift launched a new merch collection for her upcoming tour
She could probably sell anything and her fans would buy it. Would love to see her sell something more creative than t-shirts and records, no? She could absolutely start a sleek home goods line — candles, blankets, etc. Would be interesting to see…

Tim Andrews celebrated 20 years at the helm at ASI
🥳 Congratulations, Tim! In his short essay, the promo vet talks about relationship-building, technology advancements, and the importance of being proud of this industry.

Barstool Golf launches co-branded PGA Tour merch for select 2023 events
Barstool is a force. Golf is a force. It’s a match made in heaven for the PGA Tour. And it doesn’t seem like tacky merch either:

Yes, ‘Cocaine Bear’ Has Its Own Line of Collectible Funko Pop Figurines
Listen, we don’t make the rules. You see a Cocaine Bear Funko Pop. You get the Cocaine Bear Funko Pop.

Brazil's Bolsonaro announces his latest project: merch
Strike while the iron’s hot, Jair! At the PromoPepper, one of our 10 Commandments is ‘Thou Shall Not Merch Shame’. If someone wants to capitalize on their moment to make some money, let ‘em. And with that, does anyone want to sponsor this newsletter? Reply to this email!

Shop Here: Stewart’s Shops Drops Some Swag
Joining other convenience stores with cult followings dropping merch, Stewart’s Shops makes a solid entrance. The website could use some work, but I’m sure that won’t stop its loyal fans from purchasing. See also: Wawa Merch, Sheetz Merch, Buc-ee’s Merch.

Editor’s Note: This is our first Deep Dive of the weekly newsletter. In this section, we will highlight something specific in the promo industry with a closer look. Hope you enjoy it!

“There is only one original”

And that’s the Banker Bag. Since its inception in 1978 by Warden Brooks, the Wall Street banker bag has been ubiquitous across a wide range of occasions including internships, conferences, special events, elite clubs, associations, university and prep school reunions, offsite meetings, corporate programs, and incentive groups. Its iconic status as a must-have item has been cemented over time, but how exactly it achieved this cult following remains a topic of interest.

With a small loan from her parents at the age of 28, Joan Killian Gallagher set out to create a new concept of branded merchandise for American businesses. Despite being a young woman newly married with a degree in Journalism and only four years of experience, Joan was determined to succeed and accepted the challenge. E.F. Hutton was her first client and they prepaid the $75,000 necessary to purchase the initial inventory. Dow Jones followed suit with their own collection of Warden Brooks custom-designed and manufactured merchandise, and sales took off from there, reaching $1m that same year.

To meet the growing demand for this style of quick turnaround merchandise, Joan designed a line of canvas bags featuring the Warden Brooks design trademark, including a jacquard-woven ribbon that incorporated clients' logos. She saw an opportunity to showcase logos in an elegant and subtle repeating pattern. The timeless look was an instant hit.

The classic Warden Brooks Banker Bag

One bag, in particular, emerged as the clear favorite right from the start: the classic canvas Wall Street duffle. Almost fifty years later, it remains a symbol of corporate America. However, only the original Wall Street Duffle, designed in 1978 and made in America every year since, carries the Warden Brooks label.

The Colonel blows off some steam on his own pool inflatable toy

This week, I interviewed Stacey Gluchman, Web & Digital Marketing Manager for Warwick Publishing. Hope you like it!

What is Warwick Publishing?

Warwick is a 4th- and 5th-generation family-owned manufacturer. We started making promotional calendars in 1926 and have grown to include pocket folders, greeting cards, picture frames, packaging, and many other unique paper products. One of the tag lines we like to use sums us up pretty well: Making Paper Perform.

What is your role at WP?

I am the Web & Digital Marketing Manager. I manage our social media, email marketing, product photography, and web content, and I assist our designers with creating product samples. I also regularly throw our National Sales Manager, Phil Martin, under the bus for the sake of creating content. Sometimes it's a bit off-the-wall, but it's on-brand, and it works!

What's the most exciting project you've worked on at WP?

Honestly, taking over social media management. The role landed in my lap when the previous social media manager left for a new opportunity. I wasn't big into social media before, but I was a copywriter and had created content for social media. I learned from my predecessor and paid attention to—and engaged with—others in our industry.

What do you love about the promo industry?

Having come from the music industry (working with music educators), it was odd to enter a seemingly random industry with so many passionate people. I didn't expect it! I started with Warwick in 2011 and it still amazes me how "into it" people get. But I get it. It's satisfying to go from concept to production to in the consumer's hands. I never realized how many branded products a person uses or sees on a daily basis.

How do you think the promo industry evolves over the next 5 years?

I'm going to echo what others have been saying for several years: sustainability. Not just with the product material, but in the manufacturing of the product. Transparency and manufacturing innovation from suppliers will help us all move forward.

How has technology impacted your business?

Digital printing has opened up many doors for us. We're able to offer smaller runs with digital printing, and those smaller runs are more cost-effective than the same quantity with ink offset. But on a larger note: the internet has dramatically changed how end users are ordering and how they find our products. In some cases, it's impacted the pricing of products. Tech has allowed us to get products, services, and selling ideas out to the marketplace much faster than in the past.

How do people find you / what sales channels are most effective for you?

You can't beat face-to-face interaction. Phil is on the road a LOT, meeting with distributors and getting to as many trade shows as possible. But you can't neglect the online features: social media, DC, SAGE, and ESP have all made an impact on how we gain exposure and communicate with our distributors.

Click on each link to see the application/job description page

Well, that’s all we’ve got for this week. Hope you liked the new, more digestible format. We’ll listen to your feedback and go from there!

Have a great rest of your week,

J.