IMRA's "unsung heroes" - Guest Column - Industrial Manufacturers' Representatives Association, Supplier Member Board - Brief Article - Column

DSN Retailing Today, March 25, 2002 by Bob Verdisco

What do AAi Foster Grant, American Greetings, Coca-Cola, COELIMA, Colgate-Palmolive, Del Pharmaceuticals, Eastman Kodak, Energizer, Fiskars, Fuji, Gillette, Hallmark Cards, Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, HMG Worldwide, Manco, Maxell, Neuville Industries, Opus, Procter & Gamble, St. George Crystal, Unilever, Williamson-Dickie and Worldwide Dreams have in common? If you said they're all highly successful corporations, you're only partly right.

The rest of the answer? All 23 of these stellar product or service suppliers are represented on IMRA's Supplier Member Board, or SMB.

The SMB's mission is to strengthen relationships between IMRA's retailer and supplier members by focusing on the needs of the consumer and sharing ideas and resources that will ultimately increase value for IMRA members. A highly desirable goal; and one the group has been consistently striving to achieve for as long as I can remember. But until now, the SMB has operated somewhat out of the limelight, with not a lot of visibility or recognition for their efforts--"unsung heroes," if you will. That's about to change.

Instilled with new energy and exhibiting heightened commitment, the SMB has come through with major, substantive contributions to IMRA and the mass retail industry.

At IMRA 2001, last year's annual convention and business development forum, the SMB funded an exciting research project that provided an in-depth look into consumers' motivation: "Why They Buy--Understanding and Influencing Your Customer's Buying Decisions."

This year at IMRA 2002, the SMB is sponsoring a very different kind of research that will answer a perennial question on the minds of retailers and suppliers alike: How will tomorrow's consumers approach shopping? This study will tap the talents of college students enrolled in retailing courses who will poll their peers to predict lifestyle changes a decade from now and how those changes will affect retail.

The SMB also is the force behind one of our most successful convention events: The retailer/supplier breakfast forum, which provides an opportunity for senior executives from retailer and supplier companies to interact and discuss pressing business issues in a constructive, relaxed environment.

The spirit of retailer/supplier partnerships is further enhanced at our annual convention by the SMB's presentation of its partnership award to the retail executive who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to developing and fostering genuine working partnerships with the supplier community.

SMB companies also have become increasingly involved in IMRA's government affairs activities: Helping shape the mass retail industry's legislative agenda, assuming active roles on our Legislative Education and Advocacy Team (LEAD) and effectively representing the supplier perspective on key legislative issues. They also play a major role in shaping the educational curricula of our conferences and promoting conference attendance.

And just recently, the SMB has assumed a presence on IMRA's Web site (www.imra.org) with its new Supplier Member Forum, which gives our supplier members an opportunity to access IMRA's membership benefits, express opinions, share ideas and keep up-to-date on SMB activities.

I'm extremely proud of the SME's substantive contributions to IMRA and our industry and want to personally recognize their efforts; each SMB member deserves a big round of applause. And a special tip-of-the-hat to the new SME chairman John Kahl of Manco.

We've been preaching partnership for a long time. IMRA's Supplier Member Board, it appears, has heard us loud and clear. If their efforts are any indication of IMRA's future, you can count on it being very bright.