RAMSEY COUNTY – STREAMLINING PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

BACKGROUND

Ramsey County, Minnesota is one of the largest counties in the state, with numerous departments—each operating with unique needs, budgets, and branding requirements. However, their decentralized approach to ordering promotional products created challenges that affected both efficiency and brand consistency.

CHALLENGES

  • Lack of Coordination: Departments ordered independently, causing duplication, inconsistent pricing, and confusion about contacts.

  • Inconsistent Branding: Without central oversight, logo use and brand guidelines were applied inconsistently.

  • Limited Budget Visibility: Disconnected ordering made it difficult to track total spend or allocate funds strategically.

  • Admin Bottlenecks: The communications team spent significant time fielding requests, collecting quotes, and managing vendors.

OBJECTIVES

  • Eliminate inefficiencies and duplication in promo product ordering

  • Ensure consistent brand representation across departments

  • Provide visibility into county-wide spending

  • Free up internal communications staff from vendor management

SOLUTION

We partnered with the Ramsey County Communications Team to design a centralized, managed program:

  • One Program, One Partner: A county-wide promotional product program that serves all departments through a single vendor relationship.

  • Centralized Billing & Ordering: All departments now order through one system with consolidated billing and transparent reporting.

  • Brand Standards Built In: Built-in controls ensure every item meets county logo and branding requirements.

  • Streamlined Support: Departments have one point of contact for product ideas, orders, and assistance—no more shopping around.

RESULTS

INCREASED EFFICIENCY

STRONGER BRAND IDENTITY

IMPROVED BUDGET OVERSIGHT

REDUCED ADMIN BURDEN

Since launching the program, Ramsey County has experienced measurable improvements across departments. Teams now spend significantly less time sourcing and managing promotional products, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities. Every item ordered aligns with the county’s branding guidelines, resulting in a more consistent and professional public image. Leadership has gained greater visibility into promotional spending with clear, consolidated reporting, helping them stay within budget and make informed decisions. And perhaps most notably, the communications team has been freed from the burden of managing quotes and vendor communication—giving them more time to focus on strategic messaging and county-wide initiatives.

By consolidating Ramsey County’s promotional product efforts into a single, streamlined program, we turned a fragmented system into a scalable, brand-aligned solution. Now, every department gets the products they need—without the administrative burden. Interested in doing the same for your team? Let’s talk.