South Bend firm strategizes trade channel loyalty programs
Cindy Philipson and Joyce Manthay say there's a “secret sauce” at their B2B loyalty, rewards and fulfillment company in South Bend.
The colleagues run Premier Business Solutions with what Philipson calls an “A-team” of passionate professionals. Together, they use their marketing expertise to help manufacturers increase engagement with — and sales of — their brands.
“We've got some secret sauce here that makes a big difference,” said Philipson, who launched the company in 2001. “We're passionate about what we do.”
Premier Business Solutions manages the back end of rewards programs that encourage sales professionals to stay loyal to the brands their clients sell. Using their own software system, the company customizes how each rewards program works to meet client sales goals, then provides point-of-sale data back to manufacturers.
“We are frequently the only way these manufacturers have access to these trade sales professionals,” Philipson said. “Because they enroll in the (loyalty) program, and they're getting rewarded, we're able to collect sale-through information that manufacturers wouldn't normally have.”
Handling loyalty ‘specialty’
The value of the services Premier Business Solutions provides is real, say clients such as Rachel Weise, trade channel manager of showroom marketing for Indianapolis-based Delta Faucet Co.
Premier Business Solutions, known as PBS, manages the showroom rewards loyalty program for Delta Faucet and has for more than a decade. In addition to rewarding sales associates, the program also provides Weise's team at Delta Faucet with information about which products sell well and which don't — along with when and where product sales occur.
“This program tries to build advocacy with those that are on the sales floor … It's hugely important. It's a specialty. We don't have the resources or the capability to be able to manage that in-house,” Weise said about the rewards program, which offers cash, a Delta Faucet branded reloadable debit card and experiences such as hot air ballooning or whitewater rafting among its prizes. “PBS partners with us, manages that program and works to increase that loyalty.”
The need for a specialized agency in the realm of rewards and loyalty only has grown as trade channels, ecommerce and marketing have become more complex, PBS leaders say.
“These trade channel loyalty programs are very, very important for the manufacturers,” Manthay said. “It really helps them build stronger partnerships with the people that are influencing what is being sold.”
Marketing means connecting
Before running PBS together, Philipson and Manthay met when Manthay was hiring to fill a role on her marketing team at the University of Notre Dame. Manthay said she “couldn't afford” Philipson's level of expertise. Both have MBAs — Manthay from the University of Notre Dame and Philipson from Indiana Wesleyan University. The two stayed in touch because of their passion for getting the details of marketing just right.
“We always felt, because of our work ethic, that we could do things better than a lot of other companies,” said Manthay, of South Bend. “We both really love marketing and know how important it is to connect with the people or company that is buying from you. It's more than just the transaction.”
Manthay built her marketing know-how at Sara Lee Bakery, while Philipson, of La Porte, joined the staff of a fulfillment company when her previous job relocated from Elkhart.
In the early days of running PBS, Philipson said she spent a lot of time cold-calling advertising agencies in Chicago. Almost two decades before the era of remote work and Zoom meetings, the move paid off. Philipson said PBS landed “a beautiful account” managing promotions and loyalty programs for Miller Brewing Co. as well as “a number of other very large clients.” At one point, the client list — secured through just two Chicago-area ad agencies — included Miller, Huggies diapers and Del Monte canned goods, among others.
“We were fulfilling for babies and beer products,” Philipson said.
“We've touched some really interesting brands,” Manthay said.
The strengths of PBS have evolved into the realm of strategic consulting, they said, which helps trade channel loyalty programs accurately reflect the look-and-feel of manufacturers' marketing to consumers. Manthay and Philipson now see their small team of about 10 full-time employees as a “creative consulting agency” moving into the future.
“We're going to put a strong focus on being more than just your loyalty partners,” Philipson said. “We are a very strong player in trade channel marketing. It's more than just loyalty and rewards; it's helping you understand the market as a manufacturer.” •
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