On Tuesday at the PPAI Expo 2019, Vince DiCecco, president and owner of Your Personal Business Trainer Inc., shared five sales secrets for promo distributors navigating the ever-evolving economy…
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The Best of PPAI Expo 2019: Day One
The exhibit hall at PPAI Expo 2019 opened this morning, and there was a lot to see and do. Since it’s impossible to get to it all, we figured we’d help out in the best way we could—by highlighting some of the cool products, interesting people and creative booth displays we spied on our travels up and down the show floor…
Read More4 Customer Engagement Strategies That Add Value
It was 2010, and Delta Marketing Group was at a crossroads. As the recession bottomed out, the company lost its top three clients. To survive, it would have to reinvent itself as more than just a promotional products seller. For Cathy Houston, vice president for Delta Marketing Group, that meant one thing…
Read More‘Idafornia’ Custom T-shirt Sparks Tense Online War
Idaho artist Scott Pentzer released his “Idafornia” T-shirt to poke fun at the droves of California transplants moving to Idaho, but what happened next was a furious online debate no one saw coming.
Read MoreAIA Promotes Clay Hall to Director of Owner Success
AIA Corporation, Neenah, Wis., announced today the promotion of Clay Hall to director of owner success. Since joining AIA in 2015, Hall has served in several roles, including owner success and recruitment, as well as sales development…
Read MoreQCA Announces Restructured Participation Model, Tiered Payment Plans
Quality Certification Alliance, Chicago, announced a newly restructured participation model and tiered fee structure to further engage and include distributors and end-buyers, along with providing more access for suppliers and distributors of varying sizes. The new model will have four categories: End-Buyer Supporters, Distributor Advocates, Certified Distributors and Decorators, and Accredited Suppliers. “What we’ve done…
Read MoreHUB Promotional Group Acquires HandStands, Its Seventh Acquisition in Two Years
In a deal finalized on Dec. 21, 2018, HandStands, Salt Lake City, Utah, joined HUB Promotional Group, which is now made up of eight suppliers. Established in 1983, HandStands was one of the first companies to bring mouse pads to the promotional marketplace. Today, HandStands offers a wide variety of products, from phone and tablet accessories…
Read MoreHow to Compete With Big Online Promo Distributors: Don’t
How’s a small or independent distributor supposed to compete with Amazon and the mega online promo distributors? It’s a question we hear a lot, especially as those large distributors grab more and more of the market share. But there might be a simple answer: Don’t even try…
Read MoreWest Virginia University Joins Other Schools in Questioning Alliance With Badger Sportswear
When the Associated Press last month issued a report detailing shipments from a Chinese labor camp to a U.S. apparel supplier, Promo Marketing looked at higher learning institutions’ decision to part ways with the goods provider, Badger Sportswear, concluding our analysis by mentioning the possibility that other schools might likewise end their alliance. Three weeks…
Read MoreUniversity of South Carolina Gets New Logos in Battle of USCs, But Not Everyone Is Happy
The University of South Carolina has a fight on its hands, as it has met with resistance due to its Jan. 9 decision to unveil logos it hopes will help it claim abbreviation distinction after years of competition against the University of Southern California…
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