Summer 2024 - 102

The 2024 Spotlight
Awards winners
were honored by
Gift Shop® Plus and
Stationery Trends
with a breakfast
ceremony that drew
nearly 70 attendees
cheering on their
industry peers.
Photos by Gift
Shop® Plus staff.
How do you engage with your audience or
customers to ensure your products meet
their needs and desires?
ANDY MEEHAN: in short, looking and listening. Getting
to visit as many creative retail stores as I can, and going
to as many trade shows as I can (that equals 'seeing')
and then talking to everyone and listening to anecdotes
and diving into data that helps us see as clearly as
possible what the future may bring.
JANICE CHRISTENSEN: We
are in tune with our customers
through our social media
channels. Nora also does
in-store signings so she is
communicating directly with
hundreds of customers to hear
their stories. We also have
a close relationship with our
partners and our retailers to ensure we're hearing what
people want and need.
JANINE KWOH: I'm often engaging with my customers
to get their honest feedback on current products
and ideas for what new designs would be valuable
to them. Much of this happens online through social
media (mostly Instagram) and email newsletters. I also
really treasure the in-person time I get with customers
at wholesale trade shows and retail markets - it's
so helpful to chat with customers, and also to be
able to observe what people gravitate towards. Last
year, I conducted my first customer survey to better
understand what draws people to Kwohtations, where
102 SUMMER 2024 GIFT SHOP® PLUS
I can make improvements to the products or overall
purchasing experience, and what else they would like to
see from Kwohtations. Based on the survey results, I've
already made some changes, e.g. minimizing packaging
for retail orders, and have more planned for this year.
CARLOS LLANSO: One of the most useful advantages of
the increased use of technology in customer service and
the buyer experience is the ability to get almost immediate
feedback from customers, consumers and our sales force.
The fact that we manufacture most of our products in
house and that everything from product development and
art acquisition to printing, manufacturing, warehousing
and fulfillment are done in house gives us the ability
to test products, bring products to market and scale
manufacturing in ways that allow us to meet the changing
needs and desires of our customers quickly.
JOURDAIN FOSTER: Not
only do I welcome feedback,
but I also consider it
essential from my team. With
14 representatives in the
field daily interacting with
customers and consumers, and
although I spend considerable
time on the road myself, I can't
be omnipresent. I heavily depend on the feedback from
our representatives regarding consumer demands.
The diversity of perspectives from individuals across
the United States enriches this feedback. Additionally,
I regularly meet with some of our top accounts on a
monthly or bi-monthly basis to assess sell-through
performance. After all, numbers speak volumes.
Summer 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Summer 2024
