Alibaba.com helps customized products company, Martini Incentives, rise to the top of its industry by providing its diverse clients with tailored products at affordable prices. Founded in 2004, the US, California-based Martini Incentives is a custom-brand promotional products and packaging agency offering everything from T-shirts to pens to tote bags and hats.

“At Martini Incentives, we feel we have a strong competitive advantage compared with other companies in this industry for how quickly we are able to respond to our client's needs,” said Robert Ilas, CEO of Martini Incentives. “We realize time is money, and as much as that is a cliché, it's very much true in today's times; when supply chains are impacted, we need to make sure that we aren't wasting our clients’ time.” Robert admits that there are many companies in the market similar to his, however, Martini Incentives sets itself apart by providing 24/7 service on Alibaba.com.

When founding the company, many of the orders that Martini Incentives fulfilled for clients were with domestic distributors who had inventory on the ground in the United States. However, as his business grew, Robert started to realize that his company was at a disadvantage because this model wasn’t price-competitive, and he was losing orders to competitors because of the difference in margins. By leveraging an around-the-clock business model on Alibaba.com, Robert realized he could ascertain his clients’ product needs within hours and deliver several options for them to review, evaluate, and eventually approve for purchase. “Today, we use the Alibaba.com platform effectively to deliver products for our clients quicker, but also at a better price than our competitors can.”

The Trust in Alibaba.com and its Supplier Database

Because of this longstanding and lucrative partnership, Martini Incentives trusts Alibaba.com to its core. Whether through Trade Assurance or Inspective Services, Robert and his team have come to expect nothing less than excellence when purchasing through the platform. With Trade Assurance, Robert enjoys added assurance and peace of mind that his order – regardless of whether it’s a sample or the final product – will be delivered accurately, securely, and on time. If it doesn’t, Robert’s can file a claim within 30 days of the order.

“Fortunately, we've had a very high success rate, and we've never actually needed to leverage the customer support team!” said Robert. “Trade Assurance is an extra layer of insurance in the event that something could go wrong. As our orders increase in dollar size, there's a lot more risk involved. We want to make sure that we protect ourselves and our investment because most times our clients don’t pay us until they receive the product.”

Inspection Services Ensure Eyes on the Ground

Martini Incentives uses Trade Assurance to ensure three key aspects of the order process with its suppliers. The first is to make sure that the production process is done correctly. Two, that the orders are properly packaged because there can be a lot of things that go wrong with logistics, especially for international shipping. And three, to confirm that the product was dispatched on time and that timelines will be met. Robert knows that purchasing overseas has its risks, and since he’s not on the ground at the suppliers’ sites, he trusts Alibaba.com to ensure that the order process moves smoothly and that when he receives the product, it's received appropriately.

Flexibility on Payment Options

One of the most important reasons Martini Incentives uses Alibaba.com is because of the reliable and efficient transfer of money. By offering so many payment options, including via corporate credit card, companies like Martini Incentives are able to find the best payment options and terms to suit their growing business needs. In the past, Robert was required to make bank transfers to domestic suppliers, meaning he had to pay for goods upfront before being reimbursed by his customers. With Alibaba.com, Robert pays Trusted Suppliers on Alibaba.com using his corporate credit card, significantly improving his cash flow.

“It’s one of the biggest reasons why we use Alibaba.com. As well as trust, the payment methods available mean we don’t need to do wire transfers with our bank, which are very costly,” said Robert. “By paying via credit card, we’re not sitting on something that we've paid upfront for 100 percent. In terms of logistics with financing, we can go 30 days on a credit card, pay no interest, but still move orders.”