Episode 165: What Clients Care About Now with Denise Taschereau and Karie Cowden, PromoCares
Diversity, equity, inclusion, responsible sourcing, sustainability, community impact, advocacy, giving back …. these are no longer sideline issues for fringe customers, these are values that the world is shifting to. And when we say “the world,” we mean that your buyers are asking these questions as it relates to how and why they spend their money with you.
Today on the skucast, we’re joined by Denise Taschereau and Karie Cowden on behalf of PromoCares. Now if you’re familiar with PromoCares it’s highly likely you have the wrong idea about this organization because PromoCares is not about them it’s about you, and the dramatically changing buying criteria that your customer is evolving into. PromoCares brings awareness to environmental responsibility, ethical sourcing, diversity equality inclusions, sustainability, and community impact in the promotional products industry.
The conversation you’re about to hear is one that could create a subtle but dynamic ripple effect in your business that touches every aspect of your work, from your employees to your customers, to your supply chain partners. Join us as we chat about:
Why it is vital to be transparent and share the story of your business and products
Why we need a new framework for supplier partnership selection and the changes we need to make when assessing supplier partners
How COVID-19 has focused clients on spending less money and facilitating conversations about higher quality
The emerging trend of transparency and looking for the supplier story and connection
How distributors can tell their story and adopt the principles of PromoCares
Our guests today:
Denise Taschereau is on the Board of Directors for PromoCares and the CEO and Co-Founder of Fairware, a company specializing in sustainable products. She is passionate about the role of businesses in driving environmental and social change. Denise was previously the Director of Sustainability and Community for Mountain Equipment and is currently a Business Mentor at Spring Startup School. She has an MRM Masters in Environmental Resource Management from Simon Fraser University and studied Environmental Management and International Development at Trent University.
Karie Cowden is on the Board of Directors for PromoCares and the President and Founder of Connect the Dots Promotions. Karie has 25 years of experience in the promotional products field. She was previously a Promotional Consultant at Team Shop Premium and worked for Vantage Apparel and Hold Marketing Group. Karie attended Michigan State University and is on the Board of Directors for DanceMotion Performing Company.