Around 10 p.m. on a recent Thursday night, Matt Wagner started writing a song the way countless songwriters have done over the course of pop music history: He grabbed his guitar, strummed a G chord and started tossing around some lyrics about getting referral business as a promotional products professional. By 5:30 a.m., he had finished “Promo Expert.”
“I hadn’t pulled an all-nighter since I was 26, and it was for very different reasons,” Wagner says. “But, nevertheless, inspiration struck.”
Wagner’s song leads us through the story of someone referring a customer to his promo business, and Wagner assuring them that “I can get you that lanyard. I can get you that pen.”
Because, ultimately, baby, he’s your promo expert.
Music was one of Wagner’s loves long before he found the promotional products industry, and his journey through the creative and competitive music industry influenced his new life as vice president of sales for the Fields Family of Companies.
“Being self-managed in the highly competitive music industry forces you to market very creatively to venues, radio personalities and to your fan base,” Wagner says. “This is an environment where sales, marketing and creativity all collide into one.”
Musicians and artists are no strangers to branded merchandise, after all. And working with venue owners and managers is a lot like his current sales process.
“Now, while all that experience is valuable, I still haven’t seen any of my music at the top of the charts and there isn’t a Grammy on my shelf, so I must not be that good at it,” Wagner jokes. “Nevertheless, like everything in life, each experience leads you in a direction and takes you somewhere. My musical journey ultimately lead me to the promotional products industry and working for a supplier firm that I’m passionate about.”
So this leads us to where we are now, with Wagner using his musical gifts and humor to add some positivity to a tough situation we’re all dealing with.
“In all sincerity, I just wanted to create something relatable that would make people smile during a time when bad news seems to have encapsulated our lives,” he says. “When times get dark, it’s important to be the light no matter how big or small the action, and that is what truly makes a difference.”
Matt’s song got us thinking about how others in the industry are passing the time social distancing, and how we can all #PromoTogether even when we’re apart. Are you doing anything to stay creative, have fun or sharpen your skills? (It doesn’t have to be a song, or even anything promo-related, but bonus points if it is.) If so, we want to hear about it! Here’s what to do:
1. If you don’t already, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
2. Share a picture or video of yourself doing something creative with the hashtag #PROMOtogether and tag us in the post. (Make sure your profile is public so we can see your post!)
3. We’ll share your post and enter to you to win a #PROMOtogether T-shirt (coming soon). Then, we’ll add your entry to a story that will run in our e-newsletter celebrating our entrants.
That’s it! We look forward to seeing all your entries, and in the meantime, if you need some lanyards, you can always reach out to Matt. We hear he knows a guy.
