Nothing brings you closer | European Promotional Products Market

The promotional product industry has been influenced by the increasing internationalization of its business operations and, due to its extensive range of products, is heavily dependent on EU legislation. Even though most European countries have their own national trade association, due to the internationalization of the market the need for a pan European association emerged. In 1999 EPPA (European Promotional Products Association) was established as an umbrella organization for the European promotional product market. Its membership consists of the national trade associations representing suppliers (manufacturers, importers) and distributors (promotional product traders and consultants).

The primary concern of the European association is to shape the basic political, social and economic conditions of the European promotional product market. Its current member associations, from 11 European countries, amount to over 8,000 businesses from the promotional product sector. Its goals are:

• To provide quality statistical information to assist member companies to identify and compare industry facts and trends;
• To look after the interests of its members with regard to European Legislation impacting on the industry and to increase lobbying in Brussels;
• To establish codes of conduct and good practice in order to raise professionalism and the credibility of our industry;
• To provide a well-respected education program for our industry;
• To provide a forum for debate and knowledge within the membership;
• To create a business environment whereby members, both suppliers and distributors, can benefit commercially.

The members are:

Austria	VÖW	www.werbemittelhaendler.at
Belgium	BAPP	www.bapp.be
France	2FPCO	www.2fpco.com
Germany	BWL	www.bwl-lieferanten.de
Greece	GAAGC
Italy	ASSOPROM	www.assoprom.it
The Netherlands	PPP	www.ppp-online.nl
Spain	FYVAR	www.fyvar.es
Sweden	SBPR	www.sbpr.se
Turkey	Promoturk	www.promoturk.org
United Kingdom	Promota	www.promota.co.uk

 

Speaking with one voice

The ‘Nothing brings you closer’ campaign has been developed to fight prejudice on promotional products and provide clarity about promotional products being effective business builders. Promotional products deserve a fair share in the marketing mix of any company. Any marketing campaign will benefit from promotional items that stay close to the receiver and remind them of the company they received it from. This campaign will strengthen our industry’s’ voice at the customers’ table and will reconfirm the power of promotional products.

Increase the professionalism of the industry by learning courses

The European industry for promotional products needs to professionalize further. With learning courses, the national trade associations are able to provide their participants qualified education to raise the level of professionalism. Participants will have a good insight in the importance and use of promotional products, how to handle complex orders and procurement, to know the important legal constraints, judge purchase and selling conditions, gain knowledge about materials and how to use, know the possibilities of ennobling products, can name the environmental aspects of quality control, the measures for controlling quality and an overview of durable production and CSR.

So talk with your qualified distributor for support in the selection of the most effective product to build a relation with your customers. And benefit from the expertise that our industry has build over the years.