97 highly reflective! Rollup-backpack “FLASH-BLACK” • highly reflective • water-repellent Rollup-backpack “TRYCYCLE” • water-repellent • Luggage carrier mount • Backpack function Visit us at BOOTH 518 04.-05.09.2024 Evpo Houten Messe Art. No. 58815 Art. No. 53115 / 53130 2024 - number 4 - promzvak.nl note American Geiger Acquires German WER GmbH It has been anticipated for some time. American distributors have been searching for acquisition candidates on the European mainland for a while. Now, it has happened. Geiger has acquired WER GmbH. Geiger is the largest independent distributor in the world. This strategic move marks an important milestone in Geiger’s ongoing international growth strategy, significantly strengthening its presence in Europe (the company had previously made five acquisitions in the UK). WER GmbH, founded in 1992, has six offices and various warehouses in Germany, including in major cities such as Munich, Cologne, and Frankfurt. With a dedicated team of over 100 employees, WER GmbH has built a reputation for innovative product media solutions and excellent service. Their alignment with Geiger’s extensive service offering will further enhance the range of services available to the new combined customer base. The integration process will begin immediately, with WER GmbH being rebranded as WER GmbH, a Geiger Company. “We have known Geiger for many years as a global leader, operating with honesty and integrity, and sharing the same values and culture as WER. These qualities are essential for working in our market and with our customers,” said Alex Heinecke, CEO of WER GmbH. “Geiger’s global network and industry leadership will offer our customers enhanced services and offerings. We are confident this partnership will benefit both our customers and employees.” All employees have been taken over by Geiger, including Marc Strickrodt, CFO, and Mirco Häßlich, director, along with Alex Heinecke, CEO of WER GmbH, who will continue to lead the division under the new ownership. The expertise and leadership of the WER GmbH management team will be instrumental in ensuring a seamless transition and driving future growth. “Geiger continues our strategic path in serving global clients. The culture of WER GmbH, the commitment to the highest service, quality, and ESG standards exceeded our expectations. By leveraging the strengths and resources of both organizations, we will offer even more value and innovative solutions to the market,” declared Jo-an Lantz, President and CEO of Geiger. She continued, “One thing is certain, Geiger is global. Now more than ever.” In Volkskrant Magazine, there was recently a column by Tobi Lakmaker with the provocative title "A Chic Word for Crap Gift." He attempts to argue in this column that a promotional gift is a crap gift. He also claims that you "do not give a promotional gift to anyone with whom you have a valuable relationship." I am afraid I am about to engage in a semantic debate here. What exactly falls under a 'promotional gift'? If I give my wife a beautiful jewel – and yes, we have had a very valuable relationship for decades – then that could be called a promotional gift. And that bouquet of flowers I give my mother? Promotional gift? Could be... Of course, I also know that the term promotional gift is often used for business relationships, such as between employer and employee or between company/brand and customer. But to label these as not valuable? Of course, there is a huge difference between the relationship between lovers and the relationship between, for example, employer and employee. But both relationships are valuable enough to occasionally reinforce with a gift/promotional gift. It is obvious that this gift should be desired by the recipient. It is not for nothing that we have been advocating within our profession for fewer trashy items and more meaningful gifts that are used for a long time. Our profession specializes in confirming, maintaining, and strengthening relationships. The time of crap gifts is long behind us. It is up to me and you to convince people outside our profession of this as well. Promotional Gift: Crap or Desired Gift?
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