The Australian Promotional Products Association (APPA) supports distributors and suppliers to the promotional products industry in both Australia and New Zealand. It promotes development, professionalism, and the integrity of the industry.
Membership to the Association requires demonstrated commitment to the Code of Conduct and the APPA Constitution, which were created with the agreement its members. As members we trade honestly and ethically to ensure the long-term viability of our multibillion-dollar industry.
There are many benefits to being an APPA member, which in turn, create advantages for our customers.
Most importantly as members we are linked through the Association to an extensive supplier network. These suppliers need to follow the same business disciplines as members and they are monitored by the Association. With social and product compliance an ever-growing concern, integrity in the supply chain is very important.
Purchasing directly from overseas – either for end users or for distributors – can be tricky. Safety and quality concerns, the possibility of unexpected charges, and most importantly, lack of legal recourse if the products you receive are not as expected are some of the risks of dealing with overseas entities. APPA suppliers are bound by Australian law, they offer members discounted rates, creative services, the customisation of product lines they specialise in, product training and sourcing, and assistance with the global distribution of items if required. All these services ultimately benefit our customers.
APPA also helps keep its members up to date providing weekly newsletters, a monthly publication explaining global trends and other pertinent industry information. They have also recently commenced a podcast series for members. APPA also monitors members-only social media groups, where we are able to obtain prompt answers for unusual requests.
Additionally, APPA organises tradeshows and networking events. Tradeshows allow members to solidify their relationships with suppliers, suppliers to showcase their products and distributors to see and touch new items, delivering the benefit of greater understanding of the products we sell and ensuring APPA members are the best informed promotional product distributors in the Australian market place.
Finally, should there ever be a dispute unable to be resolved between distributor and supplier, or indeed by a client and their distributor, the Association can step in to assist.
The importance of brand integrity in the provision of promotional products has been a repeated theme in our Quick Reads, utilising trusted and ethical traders who are part of the APPA network ensures the protection of ones’ brand.
For more information about APPA, please check out their website – https://www.appa.com.au/
Does your organisation purchase their branded collateral from an Australian Promotional Products Association member?
“The SCOODA Quick Read” is a monthly educational series created on “all things promo”