A multibillion-dollar marketing experience company that already has a big footprint in the commercial printing market has entered the promotional products space.

Quad (asi/232306), an international firm with 12,000 employees across 14 countries and 2,500 clients, has launched a new branded solutions division that plans to focus on the $26.6 billion promotional products industry.

Executives believe Quad can be a force in the merch space, providing clients solutions for traditional promo initiatives like trade show giveaways, corporate gifts, employee uniforms, incentive programs and special events, while also enabling customers to benefit from its suite of existing services.

“With 77% of marketers reporting that they currently face complexity within their marketing ecosystem, they have limited bandwidth for managing an impactful branded solutions program,” said Oliver Kimberley, Quad’s general manager of managed services. “Quad makes it easier for marketers to include branded merchandise as a consistent and cohesive part of their brand’s marketing mix with the high-quality results and frictionless experience we’re known for.”

Quad has added promo talent as part of its push into the merch space, with Wendy Knapp having joined as vice president of sales of the branded division. Knapp’s previous promo roles include being executive vice president of sales and marketing at supplier iClick (asi/62124), formerly a Counselor Top 40 supplier, and senior director of sports marketing and sponsorship activation at Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616).

“Quad makes it easier for marketers to include branded merchandise as a consistent and cohesive part of their brand’s marketing mix.” Oliver Kimberley, Quad (asi/232306)

Headquartered in Sussex, WI, Quad reportedly generates about $3.5 billion in revenue. Printing Impressions, a publication of ASI partner PRINTING United Alliance, ranks Quad as one of the largest commercial printers in North America.

Ad Age numbers Quad among the biggest agency companies in the United States – a status bolstered by the firm’s full-service media agency, Rise, and creative agency, Betty. Quad said it offers brands tools to build their businesses that include data intelligence, production, integrated media solutions and smart tech that strives to automate manual processes, tighten production time and improve speed-to-market media and channels.