Readers, today is a somber day in the Promo Marketing office, because it’s the final day here for our dear friend and colleague Hannah Abrams.
Hannah has been a vital part of our team for years, consistently producing promotional products stories that are poignant, intelligent, relevant and funny. And, beyond the byline, she was involved in most of the critical behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a monthly magazine, deploying daily newsletters and crafting web content. Most importantly, she’s always been a positive force here at PM HQ.
So, to send Hannah off, we’ve compiled a few stories she’s written that have resonated with readers and her co-workers alike.
1. The time a hot dog restaurant in New Jersey got gross with T-shirts
This is a tough subject to tackle with grace, but Hannah is a pro. When a New Jersey hot dog restaurant called Weenies tried to make obvious, crude jokes with a T-shirt design, customers found them tacky and vulgar.
2. When Patagonia decided it wouldn’t let its vests be the tech-bro uniform anymore
This one was a pretty huge deal. It’s gotten to the point where a caricature of a Silicon Valley tech tycoon comes stock with a down or fleece fest, typically from Patagonia. The apparel company decided it was over this trend, though, and would take a more hands-on approach to deciding which companies can and can’t rock its vests.
3. A look at 2019 trends in apparel
Hannah always had her finger on the pulse of apparel trends. (Who could’ve guessed that living in Los Angeles would help with that?) There’s still plenty of time in 2019, so her always-solid predictions are still worth a look! While we’re at it, here’s her latest on spring/summer 2020 color trends!
4. The ongoing proclamation of Minor League Baseball’s promotional superiority
If you read this site, you know we’ve been talking about how awesome Minor League Baseball teams get with their promotional products. It helps that they usually have incredibly creative team names. Here’s a rundown of 10 killer MiLB promotions from this past spring. Here’s another bonus: the teams that sell the most merch and why.
5. Just what the heck is a “Bridge Millennial?”
These generational tags are getting excessive, but if you want to reach the kids with your promotional items, it’s important to get a grasp on exactly what each age group wants. Not all millennials are created equally (and they’ll be the first to tell you that). Here, Hannah dissects a particular faction of young people and their apparel choices.
6. Keeping tabs on Amazon
We’ve been keeping tabs on Amazon and its growth in the promotional products space for a while now, and Hannah especially has been tracking it through new patents, services and product offerings.
7. The Fave 5
Finally, the Fave 5, Hannah’s weekly contribution to our Threads newsletter, was one of our favorite things she wrote. Each week, she’d fill us in on promotional products she spotted in the wild. Here’s the most recent addition, but we’d recommend going back and looking at the back catalog, too.
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So, that’s that. There is, of course, a ton more where that came from. But, without any further ado, it’s time to wish bon voyage to our friend Hannah. Of course we’re sad to see her go, but we wish her absolutely nothing but the best in her new position as U.S. Ambassador to Suriname.
Play the music!
