Genumark is a Toronto-based branded merchandise distributor with over 40 years in the industry, working with organizations across Canada and the US to help them build stronger brands through merchandise that reflects their values, not just their logo. In 2023, Genumark, the largest Canadian-owned corporate branded merchandise distributor, officially became a Certified B Corporation, defined as a company that uses the power of business to address society’s greatest challenges.
As a certified B Corp, Genumark’s commitment to doing business responsibly is built into their day to day operations and extends to their suppliers. Inclusive procurement is a deliberate part of their supplier strategy, prioritizing women-owned, minority-owned and other diverse suppliers when building out product programs for clients.
When evaluating suppliers Genumark looks at a combination of factors that ultimately result in who is the successful bidder: “can we confidently put this supplier in front of our clients?”
Clients want to know where products come from and how they’re made. Suppliers who can answer those questions clearly, with total transparency on source, labour practices and environmental impact are the suppliers Genumark wants to grow with.
Well known is the fact that the branded merch industry is enormous and has thousands of suppliers. The challenge for both suppliers and buyers is that diverse-owned businesses are often underrepresented in the channels where distributors like Genumark do most of their sourcing. They may not have the same trade show presence, the same marketing budgets, or the same established relationships, The result is that many are overlooked, not because of what they offer but because of how the industry is structured. Rather than waiting for diverse suppliers to find them, Genumark takes a proactive approach by looking for them through industry networks and certification organizations like WBE Canada.
The other challenge facing branded merch distributors like Genumark lies in the client-side. Even when procurement teams have supplier diversity goals, branded merchandise often flies under the radar. It’s not always top of mind when diversity spend is being tracked and the people buying merch aren’t always the same people driving supplier diversity strategy. Identifying the gap and bringing the two sides closer together to bridge the gap is an internal challenge faced by many corporations. Genumark is determined to resolve the gap.
The third challenge continually facing their industry is the perception of trade-offs when choosing diverse suppliers. As Alexis (Goldenberg) Lehava, Senior Director of Sales & Vendor Partnerships at Genumark explains ~ “Some clients assume that choosing a diverse supplier means compromising on price, turnaround, or quality. Our job is to demonstrate that’s not the case and to build enough depth in our diverse supplier base that we can back that up consistently.”
To learn more about Genumark: www.genumark.com
To learn more about B Corp Certification from BDC: https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/sustainability/environment/3-steps-to-becoming-certified-b-corp
To learn more about WBE Canada Certification:www.wbecanada.ca/certification
