THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS won the Super Bowl and raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The season will be remembered for Troy Polamalu’s flying hair, Ben Roethlisberger’s frequent concussions, and of course, the return of a fan favorite, the Terrible Towel. Created by longtime Steelers sportscaster Myron Cope in 1975 as a way for fans to inspire a team, the Terrible Towel is more popular than ever. And, just maybe, promotional product distributors might do well to take a nod from Steeler nation and in a gloomy economy start looking for a Terrible Towel of their own to help start winning, and selling, again.
Learn the Playbook
Dana Zezzo, vice president of sales at Pittsburgh-based Pro Towels Etc., noted a challenge among distributors he talks with. Zezzo, a former apparel specialist turned towel aficionado, sees a vacuum, albeit unintentional, in distributors’ knowledge about towels. “I’m a 20-year apparel guy and it’s amazing to go out and call on distributors or decorators … and very few of them have ever sold a towel before,” he said. That’s not to say clothing distributors should drop everything to offer an all terry-cloth product line all the time, but they should start thinking of towels as something to keep in the cupboard for a rainy day.
Zezzo added that in his time with Pro Towels Etc., he’s had success in informing distributors about towels. “No distributor here in two years since I took over Pro Towels Etc. has said, ‘You know what, I already know all that.’” In fact, as distributors learn more of the product specifics, it piques interest in the market. Zezzo said he often gets the reaction, “Okay, I’ll learn the towels, but why?” The why, of course, is sales dollars. As Zezzo noted, “Towels are a great Plan B to apparel.”
Move the Ball Forward
Tania Boon-Richardson, vice president of administration at Woodstock, Illinois-based E.P.S. Solutions, views towels as an affordable product with wide-ranging appeal. “Towels lend themselves to most any event, the strongest being the customary printed or embroidered golf towels for golf outings, or beach towels for sales giveaways or awards programs,” she explained. “Any sports event would not be complete without printed rally towels nor would a charity walk or run be complete without a sports or workout towel.” Even as it seems every other part of the economy is shedding jobs and advertising dollars, Boon-Richardson said the company has seen an increase in its business with hotels, casinos and cruise lines.
In addition to increased interest in the hospitality side, Boon-Richardson sees the eco-market as a great opportunity for distributors, stating, “We have had more requests asking if our products are organic.” Further, she noted E.P.S. Solutions’ towels are made from U.S.-grown cotton.
Even with some markets still wide open, none of this is to imply a 60×80″ piece of cloth is going to sell itself. Zezzo is quick to point out the advantage the towels offer. “We spend a lot of time in front of our customers teaching them and talking to them about how to sell a towel and why to sell a towel.” He points to the beach towel as an example. “The beach towel is such an underutilized category for what the end-user gets dollar for dollar.” It’s a product that offers many advantages over more traditional products, such as the large imprint area and the one-size-fits-all nature.
The Final Yard
With the economy’s black cloud looming over every sales proposal, both Boone-Richardson and Zezzo see a way forward. Boon-Richardson commented on the fact that even though things are slow, the economy doesn’t just stop. “Although the media insists on telling us that the market/economy looks bleak, we feel that the only way to change it is to get out there and promote our names, our businesses and our industries,” she insisted.
Zezzo offered a final bit of advice to both suppliers and distributors. “To sum it all up, it’s a great, great category, [but one] that you have to understand. So don’t go out and try to sell it without understanding it,” he maintained. “We’re dead in the water if we expect distributors to just start selling towels. If we get a chance to tell our story and prove ourselves and back up what we promise, we have success.”
And for those truly of the glass-half-full ilk, Boon-Richardson reminded everyone how the pieces make the whole. As companies continue to advertise and push through the tough times, advertising with products like golf, hotel and yes, even Terrible Towels, can help lead the way. “Promotional products are a way to make the economy turn for the better,” she concluded. “It’s a chain reaction that we can’t control, but we certainly can contribute to.” And a giant Amen to that.
