--- title: Promotional Products & The Supply Chain - Inck Merchandise description: If you want to understand how Promotional Products & The Supply Chain can affect the quality of your branded merchandise, then read on. image: https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-quintin-gellar-2199293-1024x684.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for#main-content) ![Inck Branded Merchandise Specialists](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png?width=1024&height=510&name=Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png) - [About Us](https://www.inck.com.au/about/) - [Our Work](https://www.inck.com.au/our-work/) - [Our Approach](https://www.inck.com.au/our-approach/) - [Explore Products](https://www.inck.com.au/shop/) - [Ethical Sourcing](https://www.inck.com.au/ethical-sourcing/) - [Blog](https://www.inck.com.au/blog/) - [Contact Us](https://www.inck.com.au/contact-us/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About Us](https://www.inck.com.au/about/) - [Our Work](https://www.inck.com.au/our-work/) - [Our Approach](https://www.inck.com.au/our-approach/) - [Explore Products](https://www.inck.com.au/shop/) - [Ethical Sourcing](https://www.inck.com.au/ethical-sourcing/) - [Blog](https://www.inck.com.au/blog/) - [Contact Us](https://www.inck.com.au/contact-us/) 5 June 2024 12:16:47 AM # Promotional Products & The Supply Chain – What to Watch Out For. [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for) A successful supply chain is one where you know exactly WHERE your goods are coming from, WHO is making them and WHAT they are made of. That said, as long as your batch of branded T-shirts turn up looking good, isn’t that all that matters? Well, yes. If you are working with a trusted supplier (*like, maybe – Us!)*, hopefully all you *will *need to worry about is getting your quality promotional products delivered on time. However, if you source direct or choose your supplier on price alone, the lack of transparency could backfire. Big time. **What to Watch Out For?** **Rock Bottom Prices: **Sure, we all want to save money – but not at the risk of quality and safety. Dirt cheap promotional products are a false economy. If they break easily and add little value, then they tarnish the reputation of your brand and will have a shorter shelf life – the exact opposite reason for engaging a promotional marketing strategy! **Sourcing Direct:** If your supply chain operates across international borders (and for the purpose of reducing cost *most* of them do), then transparency across every link becomes more important still. Building up trusted relationships with manufacturers and distributors takes time, and if you are flying blind (without a team on the ground), the potential for delays, stuff ups and unethical behaviors increases even more. **A Clueless Supplier:** Even if you have engaged a local supplier, it is worth doing a bit of further research. These days, *anyone* can be a supplier/retailer, and just because they have an online presence, it doesn’t mean they are experienced. We suggest you check reviews, ask for referrals, make sure their business is committed to corporate social responsibility and has a supplier code of conduct that their contractors must comply with. At [Inck](https://www.inck.com.au/), we believe our responsibility extends *beyond* the mandatory testing, risk assessments and quality procedures expected. Working closely across the supply chain allows us to maintain full transparency and ensure safer working conditions and products responsibly made. So,** if you are looking for quality branded merchandise, with less smoke and mirrors, give the team at[ INCK](https://www.inck.com.au/) a call today!** [branded merchandise](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/branded-merchandise), [Supply Chain](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/supply-chain), [Compliance](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/compliance) ## Related posts [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7475818-1024x751.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-mikhail-nilov-7475818-1024x751.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/corporate-social-responsibility-promotional-products-do-you-care) [branded merchandise](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/branded-merchandise), [Sustainability](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/sustainability), [corporate social responsibility](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/corporate-social-responsibility), [orporate social responsibility](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/orporate-social-responsibility) ## [Corporate Social Responsibility & Promotional Products – Do You Care?](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/corporate-social-responsibility-promotional-products-do-you-care) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 5 June 2024 12:23:36 AM WARNING: If you are looking for the cheapest promotional products you can possibly find, then this... [Read more](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/corporate-social-responsibility-promotional-products-do-you-care) [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3790805.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3790805.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-these-promo-products-hot-or-not-you-decide) [Blog](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/blog) ## [Are these Promo Products Hot ?or Not ? ?….. You Decide.](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-these-promo-products-hot-or-not-you-decide) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 5 June 2024 12:21:20 AM A product that might be promotional gold for one customer, could leave another with reputational... [Read more](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-these-promo-products-hot-or-not-you-decide) [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Darren-Woolley-Trinityp3-Interview-Branding-in-Asia.jpg?height=200&name=Darren-Woolley-Trinityp3-Interview-Branding-in-Asia.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-vs-branded-merchandise-managing-marketing-podcast-w-darren-woolley) [Sustainability](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/sustainability), [Supply Chain](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/supply-chain), [corporate social responsibility](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/corporate-social-responsibility), [Design and Creative](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/design-and-creative), [Blog](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/blog) ## [Promotional Products vs Branded Merchandise – Managing Marketing Podcast w Darren Woolley](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-vs-branded-merchandise-managing-marketing-podcast-w-darren-woolley) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 4 June 2024 11:51:14 PM Did you know there’s a difference between promotional products and branded merchandise? Did you... [Read more](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-vs-branded-merchandise-managing-marketing-podcast-w-darren-woolley) facebook-f icon linkedin-in icon Twitter icon instagram icon - Menu Item 1 - Sub-menu Item 1 - Another Item - Sub-menu Item 2 - Menu Item 2 - Yet Another Item - Menu Item 3 - Menu Item 4 --- [![Inck Branded Merchandise Specialists](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png?width=1024&height=510&name=Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png "Inck Branded Merchandise Specialists")](http://www.inck.com.au) 123 Main Street, City, State 11111 Copyright © 2026, Inck Merchandise ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Adrian Davidson", "url" : "https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson" }, "dateModified" : "2024-06-04T14:16:47.656Z", "datePublished" : "2024-06-04T14:16:47.000Z", "headline" : "Promotional Products & The Supply Chain - Inck Merchandise", "image" : [ "https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-quintin-gellar-2199293-1024x684.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/promotional-products-the-supply-chain-what-to-watch-out-for", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hubfs/Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png" }, "name" : "Inck Merchandise" } } ```