Here at Tempe Trophy we like to think of ourselves as the ultimate trend setters when it comes to custom trophies and personalized gifts. Little did we know that we actually are. Turns out that little ole’ Tempe Trophy is being closely watched, and copied, by some big-time companies! And, this is not the first time we’ve dealt with imitation. Who would’ve thunk it?! Who would have imagined that our mom-n-pop shop (literally owned and operated by a mom and pop) could garnish so much attention?
What A Rip-off
We were blown away when we recently ran an internet search on one of our Fantasy Football Trophies, and discovered that our original Golden Armchair Quarterback Trophy was no longer so original. That’s right; after a few years of Tempe Trophy crafting and selling this popular FFL trophy, some big online trophy seller decided to take the SAME trophy, use LESS DETAIL in the finish and the placard design, use an eerily similar description as ours, and OF COURSE minimally undercut us on the price.
We know that we offer a better-quality product that is designed exactly as our customers specify, and most times finished with personalized touches by hand (as opposed to being finished on some factory conveyor belt in Timbuktu). Being the small, homegrown business that we are, people should inherently feel more encouraged to purchase our products, which are always made with love and attention-to-detail. But, now that these major internet corporations are pulling out their big guns by selling lower-caliber merchandise at nearly the same price, we feel so inclined as to climb up our little mom-n-pop soapbox, and set the record straight! In this case, our Fantasy Football League customers may think that they are getting the same Golden Armchair Quarterback Trophy at a discounted price from these big guys, but they so are not!
Positive Recognition
Here’s the thing – we know we’re good because our clients tell us we’re good! They continuously give us positive feedback on our work. Plus, we have several nominations and awards to prove just how great we are. The international trade group that governs our industry, the Awards and Personalization Association (formerly the Awards and Recognition Association), not only nominated us in 2011 as their International Small Business Retailer of the Year, but their affiliate also recognized us in a magazine publication for our outstanding customer service. In addition, they follow us on Twitter and other social media outlets.
We are excited to maintain a rapidly growing social media platform. With Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook followers including industry leaders and corporate vendors, we have really been launched into the limelight. No wonder we have imitators popping up all over the web!
The Bottom Line
Just as we study the bottom line of our financial statement to determine a profit or loss, we must examine what is happening here. Well… we’ve mulled it over and have decided that this is a gain. We have once again been imitated, and for now we feel no threat. We feel flattered. After all, we make and sell creations developed from the heart of a small business, with personal detail added to industry leading products. We continue to drive forward with an unwavering will to compete, and we succeed. We’ll just continue to smile and say, “Often imitated… but NEVER duplicated!”
#TempeTrophy #Engravablez #FantasyFootball #Trophy #Imitation
#TempeTrophy #Football #FFL #FantasyFootball