PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

By Peter van Gestel

Pieter Bosscher

PPP wants to become a club you *want* to belong to

New brooms sweep clean, they say. But Pieter Bosscher, as the brand-new chairman of trade association PPP, seems primarily intent on first taking a good look at where the broom is actually standing, who is holding it, and whether it is actually being swept. After all, his strategy does not revolve around even more plans, committees, and meetings, but around structure, responsibility, and visible value for the members.

“You shouldn’t just ask people to fill a committee,” says Bosscher. Anyone who wants to be involved is welcome, but involvement without a concrete task gets you nowhere, according to him. That is why the board and committees are being restructured: who does what, what knowledge is missing, and which actions belong to each portfolio? The board determines the course, committees execute, and an operational officer ensures that matters are actually taken care of.

That businesslike approach runs like a common thread through his plans. A trade association should not communicate simply because a newsletter has to be sent out, but rather provide information that members can immediately use. New legislation regarding, for example, batteries, packaging, or producer responsibility must not only be understandable to large suppliers with a compliance department, but also, and perhaps even more so, to the distributor with four employees. Short, practical, and preferably hybrid: live for the network, digital for those who cannot attend a live event. A key pillar will be the further development of the PPP Academy. Bosscher envisions not a course program exclusively for newcomers, but a broad digital training platform: from basic training to sales, AI, middle management, and executive level. Content must become more easily accessible, more up-to-date, and partly applicable internationally. This would allow PPP not only to better serve its own members but potentially also offer training to trade associations in other European countries. This generates revenue, enabling the association to become more professional and operationally stronger.

Lobbying also needs to become more visible. According to Bosscher, PPP has already achieved results, including regarding the UPV, but talks about this too little. Position papers, discussions through business organizations, and contacts with politicians and the government are valuable, but members do need to know what is being done on their behalf. Moreover, he wants to substantiate the economic significance of the sector much better with figures. Anyone still viewed by the government as “the pen and lighter industry” is immediately at a disadvantage. Good market data on turnover, employment, and tax contributions make branded merchandise a serious economic discussion partner.

This also requires a more modern positioning. Bosscher consistently speaks of ‘branded merch’. Not because a new word solves all problems, but because language partly determines how attractive a sector is perceived to be. Young professionals, in particular, recognize ‘merch’ immediately, whereas the term promotional products does not immediately ring a bell and comes across as somewhat old-fashioned. According to him, PPP should be an association where people do not have to explain why they are members, but one that makes companies think: I want to be a part of that.

The strategy is therefore clear: more structure, more practical knowledge, stronger lobbying, better communication, involving young talent, and collaborating internationally with parties that not only talk but also participate. Less of an association for the sake of an association. More of a professional club that visibly helps its members advance.