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