PROMO SPECIALIST | Meet Rachel Mudge
As Main St. Group expands our Promotional Products division, we are thrilled to introduce you to Rachel Mudge, our Promotional Products SME.
Rachel brings decades of experience in account management and marketing for Fortune 500 clients at major advertising agencies across North America. She has overseen integrated marketing programs, large-scale promotional merchandising and fulfillment, and, just before joining the team at Main St. Group, gained experience in AI-driven digital marketing. Rachel’s role here at Main St. Group is to work with clients to ensure that the creative promotional items we source and produce are much more than just “swag” – they are memorable extensions of their brands.
We asked Rachel to sit down with us for a brief Q&A - a great opportunity, we thought, to introduce herself and speak to the expertise she brings to our team.
How did you get into promotional products and what do you love about it?
I actually landed in promotional products through a referral from one of my clients. It was a world that I didn’t even know existed, but I believe it happened for a reason, because it is my dream job! Essentially, I get to study brands and be a personal shopper for them. Every day is a mix of strategy, creativity, fun, and sometimes pressure. Every day is different, so I never get bored!
Do you have a favorite project from over the years that you still think about and just think is so cool or that you’re really proud of?
I am very proud of several projects that I have worked on. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a project you poured your heart into out in the wild. My favourite project was part of a curated kit for a high-end OEM. We did custom colour nail polishes that matched the all-new car paint colours launching that year. They were fully custom-packaged and had a retail feel, exemplifying the brand’s message and strategy interestingly and creatively.
How do you plan to apply your expertise in this space to help MSG better serve our customers?
MSG boasts a stellar lineup of clients and a solid track record of delivering exceptional customer service, creativity, and results. I am here to use my array of knowledge to seamlessly extend that into creative merchandise, helping brands create cohesive impressions through tangible giveaways, experiences, and apparel. I aim to utilize my experience to creatively and innovatively ideate and deliver projects in an accurate and timely manner.
What is your favorite part of working at MSG so far?
The people, both the clients and colleagues. We have incredible clients across the lifestyle, food, and beverage categories that make it easy to wake up every morning looking forward to the day. My colleagues have all been warm, helpful, and, above all, we all share a common goal: exemplary customer service and client satisfaction. Everyone wants to innovate and raise the bar constantly – it is a very productive and inspiring environment to be a part of.
Do you have a unique perspective or philosophy that you bring to your work in promotional products?
Absolutely. I aim to be a brand expert for every one of my clients. I want to know everything about assets, events, strategy, marketing, and so on, so I can arm myself with as much information as possible. This detail provides my clients with peace of mind, and it enables me to merchandise accurately and creatively. I also stay on top of retail trends, as I find the industry mirrors retail as fast as it can adapt. Keeping up with trends enables me to offer our clients relevant and unique items beyond the ballpoint pen. (A ballpoint pen is also a great item that has its own time and place 🙂)
Is there anything else our prospective clients/customers might like to know about you and what you’ll be doing at MSG?
Yes – our ideas are free! Do not hesitate to reach out at any point: yearly/quarterly planning, events, stores, inventory, etc. MSG is a full-service agency which extends into branded merchandise. We do more than just SWAG. Let’s discuss your goals and how merchandise can help you achieve them.
How about outside of work? Any fun facts or hobbies? Special interests?
I am a culinary school dropout, so I have a passion for cooking and baking. I also think that great music can heal a lot of what ails you – I love discovering new music and attending live shows.
What’s your drink of choice?
I could probably live on diet root beer. I’m also mostly an IPA girl, but there is a VERY applicable time and place for a gin martini or a classic old-fashioned.
