Financial terms of the deal, which was made public yesterday, were not disclosed. Moving forward, CPI will retain its name and formally be called CPI Promotions, a division of Brown & Bigelow.
“CPI brings a roster of Fortune 500 clients,” said William D. Smith, Jr., president of Brown & Bigelow. “We are very excited to have an organization with the creativity and reputation of CPI Promotions join the Brown & Bigelow family.”
Per the terms of the deal, Cary Caliendo will maintain his position as president of CPI Promotions. Founded in 2002, CPI has focused on acquiring large national accounts and has served clients like MillerCoors, Kohler and Dish Network.
“I started CPI with the goal of being the most unique hybrid company in the industry,” said Caliendo. “Our unique services and creativity allowed us to land some of the top premier branded companies in the world. When the opportunity arose to partner with a powerhouse like B&B, the first thing I thought was how great this partnership would be for our clients. The blend of professionals and fun personalities at Brown & Bigelow is a perfect fit.”
Ranked by Counselor as the 27th largest distributor in the industry, Brown & Bigelow reported 2012 North American ad specialty sales of $60.8 million, a year-over-year rise of 0.5%.
“We’re a service company that happens to sell shoes,” Hsieh said shortly after striding onto the stage yesterday as the keynote speaker at the 2014 PPAI Expo. “We decided that we wanted our brand to not be about shoes, but about delivering the very best customer experience. That’s our brand and I'm pretty confident we can sell any item with that as our foundation.”
Hsieh, wearing jeans and an untucked flannel button-down, delivered a soft-spoken yet powerful speech to his riveted audience. Touching on how to build a hyper-motivated and productive workforce, as well as how to service customers in a memorable way, Hsieh said he believes companies can only be successful today if they have an untraditional approach. “Companies need a vision that has a higher purpose than just revenues and profit,” said Hsieh, who built Zappos into a $3 billion business and is the author of Delivering Happiness. “You should work every day to chase your company’s vision, not the money. Money can’t be the primary motivator.”
To Hsieh, the most successful companies are the ones that have a clear corporate culture and are dedicated toward always feeding that culture. “Our number one priority in our business is culture,” he said. “If we get that right, everything else will work out. Your culture is your brand, whether you like it or not. You have to be willing to hire and fire based on corporate culture and whether people fit into that – not whether they’re simply good at what they do. Sometimes, that’s not enough. Everything in your business –everything – should align to those stated values.”
Hsieh spoke on the first day that the exhibit floor was open at the PPAI Expo, which continues through Friday. Follow Counselor Editor Andy Cohen on Twitter at @asi_andycohen for updates and product highlights from the PPAI Expo.
Instead, consider upgrading the office surroundings. That’s right, it’s time to snazz up the office. Install a state-of-the-art kitchen complete with Keurigs for your staff members, or put together truly collaborative conference spaces with comfortable seating and creative surroundings. Frivolous, you say? Why waste the money, you say? Don’t be so quick to judge.
Some of the fastest-growing companies in the industry have office spaces that would rival Google’s, and employees say an engaging office environment is one of the keys to employee productivity. Indeed, many of the companies on this year’s Counselor Best Places to Work list have office spaces that are more like swanky Madison Avenue ad agencies than typical ad specialty companies. Take Proforma Albrecht & Co. (asi/116308) in Ohio, number two on this year’s list, where co-founder Suzette Albrecht has made it her personal mission to create a workspace, complete with colorful barstools and ergonomic seating, that makes employees comfortable.
“I’m really picky about how this place looks,” she said. “I want people to feel comfortable here.” The company also regularly invests in the latest gadgets for new employees, and surprises them by installing them in their workspaces overnight. These enhancements aren’t just “nice to have,” Albrecht says, they motivate employees to work harder. “I hear people talk about motivating employees by giving them free products they’ve gotten from suppliers, and I’m amazed by that,” she says. “That’s not motivating. For me, motivation is creating a real nice workspace for people.”
Another side effect of a well-designed workplace: an increase in creative collaboration. So says Phil Reilly, president of CMD (asi/170680) in Portland, a full-service marketing agency that also made Counselor’s Best Places list this year. The 150-employee firm has 11 different conference rooms (all named after board games like Clue and Pictionary), and staffers work in sleek, open-air spaces to foster collaboration. “It’s a true team atmosphere,” contends Reilly, whose company took in $50 million last year.
There’s no denying it – aesthetics matter, and can be a key productivity-driver. So take a walk around the office, and look – really look – at employees’ surroundings. Are people comfortable? Does the design, and furnishings, foster collaboration? Does the décor send the right message to employees and clients? If not, perhaps it’s time for an office makeover.
Looking for a great travel industry item? How about a product perfect for senior centers? Need an idea for a fun self-promo campaign?
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