Marketing Noise vs Marketing Results with guest Gloria Lafont: What Promo Distributors Miss

What if the reason your marketing is not working is not your products but your foundation, your follow-up, and your message?In this episode of The Promo Playbook, hosts Lisa Fosdick and Adrienne Barker sit down with Gloria LaFont of Action Marketing to talk about what distributors actually need to do to stand out in a crowded promo marketplace. Gloria shares how she went from distributor to marketing strategist, why cookie-cutter marketing fails, and how narrowing your audience makes growth easier, not harder. The conversation also tackles what happens when distributors hire agencies that don't understand the promo industry, why your website still matters more than most people want to admit, and how follow-up and engagement are the make-or-break factors once leads start coming in.Key takeaways → Marketing has not changed; the medium has. Target the right audience and speak directly to them → Cookie-cutter marketing can be a starting point, but it cannot be your growth plan → Your website is your foundation. If it looks like everyone else, you are competing on price → Niche marketing is not limited. It is the fastest way to become memorable and referable → Most distributors underestimate the value of clean data, a usable client list, and consistent client communication → Ads are not a standalone strategy. Retargeting is often the smartest and most cost-effective place to start when you have trafficQuote-worthy moment: “Social media is not a standalone. You need a good foundation because people are going to go to your website.” Gloria LaFontAbout the guest: Gloria LaFont is a marketing strategist and the founder of Action Marketing. She helps promotional product distributors move beyond mass-produced marketing by building strategy-driven campaigns rooted in positioning, audience clarity, and strong foundations that support growth. Learn more about Gloria here: https://actionmarketingco.com/author/glorialafont/Connect With the Hosts Follow Lisa Fosdick, Adrienne Barker, and Kim Ballerene on LinkedIn for more supplier success strategies and behind-the-scenes insights.Reach out:Kimberly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymillerballerene/Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-fosdick/Adrienne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennebarkermas/