It is with great pleasure and personal satisfaction that I have this opportunity to speak with Wes Boyd, the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Barrington Gifts and the spokesman for of one of the most visionary growth vehicles in the industry. The power of the internet grows exponentially daily and Barrington is one of the companies in the golf industry that has harnessed that clout. There story is compelling and one that everyone should understand and contemplate.
Wes, would you familiarize us with the history, principals and the mission statement of Barrington Gifts?
Barrington Gifts began 20 years ago, primarily servicing businesses with higher-end, retail-quality custom gifts. Through our factory-direct value proposition we sourced goods for important events, meetings and programs Current factory-direct corporate clients include blue-chip brands such as Microsoft, Ritz-Carlton, Fed-Ex, Facebook, Disney, Roche, SAP, Dell, NASDAQ, Wells Fargo, the National Basketball Association, PGA TOUR, US Tennis Association, Yale, Harvard Business School and many others.
Our mission is to delight our clients with truly distinctive, custom gifts that cannot be readily found in the market place with regard to craftsmanship, value and service. We accomplish this without exploiting people manufacturing the gifts under harsh conditions, but by blessing them as inherently valuable people with fair compensation and other life benefits not typically offered in overseas manufacturing. By owning and operating our own factory in Xiamen, China (vs. contract manufacturing overseas as most brands do), we are able to deliver a matchless level of customization and personalization to our clients and deliver a meaningful impact into the Xiamen community.
Barrington continues to evolve quickly but what categories of goods are currently available? Also, if you would, speak to the quality of these products and the ability of the company to customize and personalize.
Over the past four years, we have discovered that the custom lifestyle gifts (i.e. bags/luggage, leather accessories and writing instruments) we have provided to clients for business use, have the same appeal for golfers. This is a demographic that is often more interested in something different (not necessarily just another golf-specific item, which they have plenty of) according to our golf pro/merchandiser clients. This has proven true time and time again as we serve PGA TOUR and Champions TOUR events/pro-ams, the U.S. Open/USGA, the Masters/Augusta National and elite golf clubs across the U.S. such as Merion, Pine Valley, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Riviera, Southern Hills, Westchester, Winged Foot, several TPC’s, and numerous others.
Our custom branded custom fabric lining (sewn inside bags, portfolios, etc.) and gift packaging continue to make our gifts stand out in a crowded marketplace of luxury goods. We can deliver this level of customization at a minimum of only 24 units…impossible to attain from other manufacturers. We also can apply logos and personalization (i.e. initials debossed on leather, full names laser engraved onto writing instruments) to gifts from our Dallas inventory/fulfillment at only 1 unit purchased.
It is a very simple and easy to implement program…we create and manage all aspects of a custom branded gift eStore for golf and country clubs in which members can purchase below-retail priced Barrington gifts (with club logo or personalized), and the club enjoys a hassle-free incremental revenue stream. A good example is www.barringtongifts.com/quailhollowclub.
What are the key features and benefits, it seems well enough thought through that there is no down side but what in your mind is the primary upside and potential?
Clubs can offer their members unsurpassed value on a full line of luxury gifts without having to inventory them. By offering personalized gifts in addition to club logo decorated gifts, Barrington puts clubs into the holiday, birthday, congratulations and thank-you….personalized gifts business…a unique offering for most clubs appealing to affluent members always on the prowl for something special.
Additionally, Barrington has developed a risk-free way for clubs to create trial shopping at their custom gifts eStores by the use of $25 gift cards that clubs do NOT have to fund! How’s that for a teaser? I can explain how we accomplish this to any interested golf club buyer. The eStore clients can send an unlimited # of eGift Cards (free of charge) or order card stock and plastic gift cards at www.barringtongifts.com/giftcards.
Given the membership at the major clubs and the clientele at resorts it seems to me that one of the obvious opportunities this program provides is an avenue to corporate sales. How has this been addressed in the business plan?
Most golf club members are business people and influential people, and when they experience receiving a custom Barrington gift as a tee prize, they often naturally think about giving the same level of gift for their businesses. This presents a potentially larger revenue opportunity as the average business gift order is over $1,000. By simply displaying Barrington’s customization features in the pro shop or giving as a tee prize for a tournament, business people will invariably inquire into the availability of these Barrington gifts for business use.
Word of mouth should soon have Barrington Gifts a hot topic and you have a terrific sales organization that all seem to be very happy to be on board. That being said is there any other marketing you would want to share? Also if you would Wes tell us some of the social responsibility stories that I alluded to in Orlando Notes a couple of weeks ago.
I recently returned from a week in Xiamen, China visiting our factory and community. It is very encouraging to witness those benefitting, in tangible ways, from the business opportunities our clients trust us with fulfilling. We offer benefits such as healthcare coverage, maternity leave, adult education and other life-enhancing services to help our employees reach their potential. We financially support and provide human capital to help lead physical therapy and education in 3 orphanages created to serve special needs children. We are developing a few short videos from footage shot during our most recent trip to demonstrate how business awarded Barrington makes tangible, positive impact in changing the lives of “the least of these.”
This is obviously a company that has thought through their business model with an eye towards the future and the customer. The eStore concept is one I have a warm place in my heart for and everyone reading this should take Wes’s advice about contacting the company so as to understand this better and take advantage of an incredible opportunity to enhance their retail offering. To become the ambassador of driving members to the club’s own web site to shop quality customized goods which you don’t have to inventory in the shop is truly a no-brainer so much so that using Barrington for your next tournament favor and creating the link tomorrow should be easy determinations. Contact Felix Hernandez at 214-252-3557.
