Light Upon the Australian Market of Promotional Products…

Interview with Kyle Smith, director of one of the leader promotional product companies in AUSTRALIA: Boost Promotional Products

Kyle, we are really enthusiastic to know more about your company and your market.
Thanks a lot in advance for your cooperation !!

First of all, Kyle, could you give us some feedbacks on you and your company?
When did you start working in the fantastic industry of gift and promotional product?
What is your position on the market?

Boost Promotional Products was formed in 2005. Prior to this I was involved in the agricultural industry and our family was based in New Zealand. We saw this as an opportunity to leave an industry which was made up of ups and downs along the way. Our family life was enjoyable, however we were tied to the land in a way that only most agricultural business owners would know. Reflecting on the situation at the time, I was a slave to my business. The Promotional Products Industry ticked all the boxes for our new business venture. And without a doubt I knew that we could establish a business that would in time grow to be something I would be very proud of. Here we are 4 years later down the track operating a business from Australia. The Australian market appealed to us in many ways and from that point our family decided to move to Australia. Boost is now operated in Queensland and we service clients from all over Australia.

We are leading the Australian Promotional Products industry and Conference Supplies Industry. We work with large Businesses, organizations and other companies. Our team of enthusiasts which has grown over the years, love to work every day in our business.

Could you describe the structure of your national market?
Do you have a strict structure control like the one implemented in the USA by PPAI and ASI?
How many importers? How many distributors?

The Australian market is governed by the body called APPA (The Australian Promotional Products Association). APPA began in 1986 and includes the regions of Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. They also hold trade shows on a regular basis which offering the most recent innovations in promotions and provide excellence awards for Promotional Product companies that excel in particular areas.

This is made up of over 2,500 companies offering Promotional Products services within the countries that they govern.

Do you sell in the entire country, or is it separated per region?
Where are the limits of the commercial territory?

Yes we do. We distribute our products and services Australia wide and have done so for many years. We find that there is a diverse mix of clients that we deal with a one-on-one basis. You basically known limits to the commercial territory of Australia and many other companies operate nationwide. Due to the efficiency of freighting services provided in our country, Promotional Items can be delivered to a variety of clients within the shortest time frames possible. As other people will know in this industry, most clients leave their orders till the last moment.

Do you know roughly what was the sales volume in 2007/ 2008 ?
In the US (and Europe) it was approximately 19.6 Billion dollars in 2007…

I believe in Australia $2 Billion dollars per year over the last couple of years, however this year will be reduced due to the economic slowdown that we see on a global scale.

What are the Flagship items in Australia?
Do you sell as much silicone wristbands than here in Europe?
Which products will have the wind in their sails this summer?

Our main focus within Australia has been in the Corporate Gifts Area. We are also heavily involved with conference market in Australia who love Conference Bags. I heard the silicone wristbands are a huge market for Europe, however I think of Australia is types of promotional items are just catching on. The younger generation tend to love these types of products which are trendy and colorful.

Promotional products which always do well during the summer periods of the year include Hats and Caps and typically Promotional Clothing. During the Australia some as we find many parts of our country to be very hot which encourages people to purchase these items. Generally speaking there is more than enough advertising from local governments to remind people to use these types of items for sun protection.

In a few last words, how do you think the australian market of premiums and gifts will evaluate in the next years?

The Australia Promotional Products industry is very sound. I think over the last 12 months it has been rough ride for many of the companies within our country but we are optimistic for the next couple of years ahead of us. Certainly the first stop on an agenda for a businesses or company during these times is to reduce their advertising budget. However, on a positive note, when businesses can start thriving again, the advertising budget will be the first increase for many business to inject cash into and hence the need for more Promotional Advertising. We all know that promotional products are a great medium for advertising any brand into a well targeted market place. The intrinsic value that many people place on these items can sometimes be worth their weight in gold. I personally think all we could do is look forward to great times ahead for everyone in our industry.

Thanks you so much Kyle for sharing your experience!
We are honoured!

You can visit Boost Promotional Products web page to learn more about the company.
And don’t forget to visit Boost’s blog: Promotional Products Blog