2022 Top Distributors: How HALO's Rebrand Helped them Top Their Huge 2021

As part of Print+Promo Marketing's 2022 Top Distributors list, we asked some of the top-ranked distributors about what their future plans look like, and trends they've kept their eyes on in the industry. Here, we talked to HALO CEO Marc Simon — No. 2 on our 2022 list — about the company's rebrand, and how it's contributed to their success in 2021.

HALO Branded Solutions had another monster year, finishing 2021 with $822.9 million in sales, up from $765.7 million in 2020. That was enough to make HALO the top-ranked promo distributor for the second year in a row, edging out a resurgent 4imprint for the honors. While HALO missed out on the top overall spot in our rankings due to the return of HH Global (formerly InnerWorkings), whose print sales carried it to nearly $1 billion in 2021 revenue, it was still a stellar follow-up campaign to HALO's tremendous 2020.

"HALO has achieved significant growth over the last several years, and the scope of our capabilities has increased dramatically," says Marc Simon, CEO of HALO. "We launched a comprehensive rebrand in 2021 to better articulate the integrated solutions we now offer, including branded merchandise, corporate uniforms, and recognition and incentive programs. And we unified our sales teams, employees and business units into a single, energizing vision: that we connect people and brands to create powerful, lasting experiences."

Future Plans: "We are keenly focused on supporting the sales process—from prospecting to order management—with technology-enabled innovation," says Simon. "We are very optimistic on the impact the cultural changes we have made related to continuous improvement will make for our business going forward."

What They're Watching: "Our industry's goal is to help clients build their brands. But during inflationary periods, pricing pressure creates challenges for clients seeking to distinguish their brand in the marketplace. Value-added services such as creative, digital, marketing activation and innovative merchandise programs will be required, as clients look to amplify their brand message through hate most efficient and effective channels."

View the full 2022 Top Distributors list (including a list of the fastest-growing distributors and top distributors by product category) here, or click here for stats, trends and analysis from the list.