Next Time the Media Slams Merch, Here's How to Respond

The Globe and Mail just published this article, “Companies need to stop giving corporate swag that people just throw in the trash.”  And it’s yet another article published over the years, by a major media outlet calling into question the value of promotional products (previous examples: NYT, Fast Company).

And we get it. We even agree. I mean, who could argue with that? People should stop buying and selling corporate swag that just goes in the trash. 

There. End of story. Right? 

Well… not quite. 

The Globe’s op-ed piece crosses into hyperbole: “But it’s not a stretch of anyone’s imagination that most –if not all– of the marketing swag we collect at tradeshows end up in the landfill.” 

“Most, if not all?”

Occasionally, a piece like The Globe will flurry to light every six months or so, enraging the conscientious practitioners in our business and earning rounds of internet flame-roasting by a more than willing public. (After all, outrage is now a goal of even some of the most esteemed media properties because netrage drives traffic).

But what’s worrisome about some of these articles is not that they aren’t justified in their concern —even those of us in the swag industry are concerned— but some of these articles are merely linkbait disguised as solutions or trends (see GQ’s “End of Merch”).

Passionate, concerned people write about the negative impact of merch. But rarely is it well-researched and rarer still, articulated with viable options. Some voices are more thoughtful. Others hope it will create a lightning rod and attract readers or foment a mini-uprising, giving their brand (whether it’s a personal brand or a newspaper) a shinier halo. Some sincerely believe ‌they are calling for radical change but their binary proposals (“stop buying merch, period”) are woefully inept. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when an anti-merch article is a pure media play or a conscientious examination because they all sound the same (“stop spending money on useless swag”). Again, we all agree. Even our industry agrees: stop spending money on useless swag. 

But the most disingenuous (and unhelpful) protest tactic against merch is when a publication takes broad swipes at the entire industry, citing Sturgeon’s law: “90% of it is crap.” When intelligent people cite some form of Sturgeon’s law (rarely do they realize they are doing so, btw), they immediately nullify their argument.

But don’t take it from us, take it from celebrated cognitive scientist, Daniel Dennet:

“When you want to criticize a field, a genre, a discipline, an art form… don’t waste your time and ours hooting at the crap!  Go after the good stuff, or leave it alone. Idealogues intent on destroying the reputation of analytic philosophy, evolutionary psychology, sociology, plastic surgery, improvisational theater, television sitcoms...you name it, often ignore this advice… make sure you concentrate on the best stuff you can find, the flagship examples extolled by the leaders in the field, the prize-winning entries, not the dregs." 

What are the best people in merch doing?

So, okay, let’s take Dennet’s tack and approach the problem the right way, what are the best people in the merch industry doing?

When Davis Smith founded Cotopaxi, he wanted to end extreme poverty through product, “supply chain philanthropy” is how he referred to it in our interview. Does the world need more outdoor gear? Aren’t there enough Patagonia and North Face jackets (and the hundreds of other outdoor brands)? Or, is Cotopaxi’s mission necessary as an effective force to bring about change because they are using one of our most vital weapons: commerce? Today, Cotopaxi has given over $3 million, they help villages and factories all over the world, and they are a part of 1% for the planet, B Corp, and are Fair Trade USA Certified. 

Skeptics argue that corporate profiteers justify their greed by launching give-back programs or hide behind certifications, but Cotopaxi decided they would be in the business of doing good as much as they could: spreading delight through product while making it their mission to change the lives of the hands that make their product and by proxy, leading change in our industry.

Cotopaxi is not alone. What once was the fringe in promo is leaning toward a majority, like commonsku suppliers and partners Gemline. SanMar. PCNA. Storm Creek. Redwood Classics. MiiR. Major promo suppliers and brands now have significant sustainability initiatives and give-back causes. Gemline just introduced carbon footprint tracking by product “tracking the carbon emissions of its products throughout their lifecycle.” Companies like Swag Cycle are emerging to help companies repurpose, recycle, and donate their obsolete branded merch in a sustainable way. Generous Coffee gives 100% of its profits to charity. Pop! Promos removed 36,000 pounds of plastic from their supply chain and earned a Bronze EcoVadis rating. Distributor Canary Marketing just earned a Gold EcoVadis rating. Merch agencies like Fairware are the OGs of conscientious promo, distributor Brand Fuel lives by their example of “purpose beyond product.” Many of us are inspired by these examples and are following their lead. 

Taking Dennett’s advice, we prefer to look to the best in the industry, the flagship examples, because those brands are leading the change they want to see in the world. And because of their boldness, the world will eventually follow. 

It’s why we refuse to fight every hit piece lobbed at the industry, we choose to celebrate the good work being done by our clients (we celebrate merch stories in our newsletter, The Backpack, which, you should consider subscribing here for some inspo). 

The Globe’s piece will not be the last article to trot out the same criticisms and half-baked solutions about promo, so the boldest response we can have (response, not reaction) is to be on the offensive so that we never have to be on the defensive. How?

Here are four ways to act NOW

1. Make conscientious sourcing a priority for you and your team. Create a core supplier program and select supplier partners based on their sustainability initiatives and their give-back. Then, publish that list, broadcast that list. Share it with your clients. Be transparent. Let them know you are ahead of this (so that you don’t have to defend yourself the next time a hit piece comes at “the industry”). Need some practical “how-to” steps? Check out our interview with Pop! Promo’s Sterling Wilson, “How to Fast-Track Your Sustainable Future.” 

2. Abolish certain products in your business. Abolish single-use plastics. Abolish doing business with certain industries if that’s something that’s a conscientious problem for you. Take a stand. Even if you are a three-person team, take a stand. 

3. Fight overconsumption and needless spending/buying by being a great advisor to your client. Is your client preparing for an event and are they a bit overenthusiastic about their expectation for merch? Are they buying too much inventory? Can you provide no-inventory solutions (with suppliers like Vantage)? Are they overspending in areas they could save? Are there ways you can help them control their spending and make it more impactful with less waste? But most importantly: Are you sharing solutions that solve problems through product or just shilling product? Deinfluencing is trending on TikTok because overconsumption is a problem. Combat waste with wise counsel.

4. Celebrate your stories. This advice will go practically unnoticed but it’s one of the most important things you can do. Some distributors still do a very poor job citing case histories, celebrating merch stories, or sharing their sustainability initiatives. When negative news hits, you should be able to cite multiple use cases where you’ve demonstrated that you are not a part of the problem; you are the solution. It’s not hard to do this. A dozen stories, three paragraphs max, beautiful imagery. You should have those stories ready for prospect presentations, newsletters, email campaigns, social. Always share the good work you do. And share it again. And again. And again.

Those are just four ways we thought of, we are sure you can add to this list. And won’t you? We’d love to hear your ideas. We know you are doing good in the world, share it with us! And if you’re a commonsku user, share it with us in the new skummunity forum and join the Sustainability group!  

The bottom line:

When anti-merch linkbait articles hit the media, don’t bite. 

Take the high road: Focus on brilliant work. Source, sell, and lead by example.

And remember to share your good work with the world.