4imprint’s strategy is to develop its position as a leading direct marketer of promotional products in the fragmented markets in which it operates whilst developing a sustainable business that delivers value to all stakeholders.
Strategic objectives
Building a commercially and environmentally sustainable business that delivers value to all stakeholders
- To protect and enhance the 4imprint brand as synonymous with the principles and values that it represents
- To deliver the extraordinary customer service required to acquire and retain the customer relationships that support long-term value creation
- To curate and preserve a distinct and diverse culture that develops, empowers and values team members
- To embrace environmental initiatives tailored to achieve maximum impact in the context of our business and operations
- To maintain collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with our supplier partners, grounded in clear social and ethical expectations
- To support, participate in and give back to our local communities
- Relentless focus on excellence in customer service
- Culture guided by application of the 4imprint Compass and ‘The Golden Rule’
- Investment in environmental initiatives, and setting of clear and measurable performance targets
- Clear social and ethical policies and expectations
- 4imprint Supply Chain Code of Conduct
- Charitable giving programme and encouragement of all team members to volunteer or otherwise participate in their local communities
Market leadership driving organic revenue growth
- To establish 4imprint as ‘the’ recognised promotional products brand within our target audience
- To be the leading direct marketer of promotional products in the markets in which we operate
- To expand share in fragmented markets through sustained investment in a diversified, evolving marketing portfolio
- To drive organic revenue growth to achieve our target of $1bn in Group revenue
- Competitive advantage through continuous development of and sustained investment in:
- People
- Marketing
- Technology
- Differentiation through operational excellence:
- Customer service
- Merchandising and supply
- Efficient processing at scale of individually customised, time-sensitive orders
Cash generation and profitability
- To deliver reliable and increasing free cash flow over the medium to longer-term
- To balance short-term profitability with marketing investment opportunities leading to sustainable long-term free cash flow and EPS growth
- Reinvestment of cash generated from operations into organic growth initiatives based on multi-year revenue/return projections
- Disciplined approach to investment:
- Marketing investment based on our assessment of both prevailing market conditions and a combination of current and future customer-centric metrics, including prospecting yield curves, retention patterns and lifetime revenue profiles
- Capital investment evaluated based on cash payback and discounted cash flow parameters
- Direct marketing ‘drop-ship’ business model, facilitating efficient working capital management
- Low capital intensity
Effective capital structure
- To maintain a stable and secure balance sheet aligned with the Group’s growth objectives
- To have the flexibility to be able to continue investing in the business through different economic cycles
- To enable the Group to act swiftly when investment opportunities arise
- To meet our legacy defined benefit pension commitments as they fall due
- Conservative balance sheet funding approach
- Capital allocation priorities in line with strategic objectives
Shareholder value
- To deliver increasing Shareholder value through execution of the Group’s growth strategy
- Financial discipline in evaluation of investment opportunities
- Clear priorities in capital allocation:
- Organic growth initiatives
- Regular dividend payments
- Residual legacy pension funding
- M&A opportunities
- Other Shareholder distributions