How Positive Relationships Saved One Distributor's Promo Campaign

Putting together a special promotion can require managing a few moving parts. For Rachel Minogue, senior account executive at Monarch and Company, Chicago, that meant working with multiple suppliers and delivering on time for the client. When things didn’t work out as originally planned, she relied on her positive relationships with her supplier partners and delivered something that the client loved in the end.

Promo Marketing: What’s a promotion you’ve done that you feel is one of your best?

Rachel Minogue: We created a kit for Bernzomatic last year to promote their new torch during camping season. We created a high-end wooden box [from] Moslow Wood [Products] with a [Camping] S’mores [Kit] Tube [from] Midnite Snax, and a custom curated cocktail kit with a full-color wrap.

The camping kit for Bernzomatic assembled by Monarch and Company

PM: What did you like about this promotion in particular?
RM: The client was really passionate about this having a camping feel throughout, so to upgrade this kit, we used wood chips as the filler with a campfire oil dripped on top. When the box was opened, you had a few senses triggered: You saw the beautiful full-color decals and products, you smelled the campfire oil and you felt the rugged wood chips.

PM: Did you run into any roadblocks with this promotion? If so, how did you overcome them?
RM: Yes! The first box we created was the wrong size, which was completely my fault, as I made some assumptions that were incorrect. This was a huge roadblock, as the client was expecting these to be done on a particular date, and Moslow had hand-created these amazing boxes that we couldn’t use. We overcame this by working with our partners on both sides. There were at least a few hard, transparent conversations had with our client and supplier partners. We truly value the partnership relationships that we strive for with everyone we work with, especially in times like this. Moslow worked magic and re-crafted these in a week’s time, and the client understood and loved the final product.

PM: What advice would you give distributors looking to do something similar?
RM: Never assume anything—no matter how small you may think the detail is! It is better to double check than to assume and be terribly wrong. We would be nowhere without our supplier partners, and we need to treat them like a partner. You never know when you may need to see if they can wave their magic wand to save you.

PM: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
RM: Kitting is hard and really intimidating, but it is also one of the easiest ways to unleash creativity and challenge yourself to grow. I learned so much through just that one project (and several other kit projects) that carry over to my everyday work.