Ask The Intern: Would You Want A Career In Promo?

(Editor’s Note: PPAI Media intern editorial assistant Hanna Brookshire is a sophomore studying theatre at Texas Christian University.)

As Generation Z continues to enter the workforce, countless articles have been published explaining how to best recruit and keep Gen Z employees. Everyone wants the fresh eyes and innovative ideas from this idealistic and tech-savvy demographic, generally made up of people born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s.

The promotional products industry is no exception.

In my opinion, there are a few issues central to this industry that are making it difficult to attract Gen Z employees. Luckily, promo also has a lot going for it that would be attractive to young people beginning their careers, which companies should focus on communicating.

A proud member of Gen Z, I have had the opportunity to experience this industry up close for the past couple of months. I am an actor by trade, but also a former high school journalist, so I was excited to dive into my internship with PPAI Media.

I stumbled across the position after a long job hunt, and at the time was largely unaware that there even was a promotional products industry. I have since come to appreciate the promo business. I now find myself constantly fighting the urge to spout random facts about promotional products wherever I go.

Prior to working at PPAI, I naively assumed that the swag I loved receiving just popped out of thin air.

As a college student, I am no stranger to free merch. We get it all the time at football games and other events around campus, but I never gave much thought to where it came from. After learning about all that goes into it, I realized my earlier thought was laughable.

But it isn’t uncommon. I believe the biggest hurdle to attracting young employees is simply a lack of awareness of the industry among Gen Z, and more specifically what working in it would be like. We expect to continue receiving promo products from our employers once we’re in the workforce, but many of us just don’t realize that we could be part of the teams creating these products.

Given my recent experience, I believe I can supply some insights helpful for promo companies struggling to attract Gen Z talent.

Here are five reasons someone from Generation Z would enjoy a career in promotional products.

To the counter, here are three Generation Z concerns that promo companies must overcome.

There are so many reasons why talented people from Gen Z talent are needed in the promotional products industry. But more importantly, there are just as many reasons they are meant to thrive in it. The only boundary is getting the word out and overcoming the misconceptions.

These why-and-why-nots are simply what I have gathered in my time with PPAI Media. Generation Z is an incredibly diverse generation, so my opinion is just one out of many. But, in my time at PPAI and learning about the promotional products industry, I have found so many ways I can help make an impact. There are millions of people like me ready for that chance.

I will return to university very soon, and I am quite sad to leave. Now, whenever I grab a free pen or a sticker on campus, I will reminisce fondly on this summer and even look forward to potentially returning someday.