Animal Shelter Director Heather Achenbach on Branded Merch Ideas for Small Nonprofits, Why Online Pop-Up Shops Are a Great Idea

When we last talked to Heather Achenbach, executive director for a small nonprofit animal shelter, she was gearing up to launch a two-week online pop-up shop selling branded merchandise to help raise funds. Heather joined the show to tell us how it went, what she looks for as a merch-buyer and why online pop-ups are a great option for organizations like hers…

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Grossman Marketing Group’s Ben Grossman on SwagCycle, Promo’s Coolest New Service for Brands

Ben Grossman of Grossman Marketing Group joined the show to talk about SwagCycle, a new sustainability program we’re honestly pretty excited about. Ben told us how it went from idea to reality and gave us some real-life examples of big-name brands that have already participated. Plus, Sean and Brendan discuss a new merch-selling feature from Facebook and issue an important alien-related correction…

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Meridian’s Jake Chanson on Sustaining Double-Digit Sales Growth, Making Things Easy for Customers, BizTech and More

Meridian clocked in at No. 10 on our 2019 Fastest Growing Distributors list with 44 percent year-over-year promo sales growth (and five straight years of double-digit growth). We caught up with Jake Chanson, head of business development, to find out what’s behind that success. Plus, Sean and Brendan break down the Great Chicken Wars of 2019 as Popeye’s new sandwich becomes the viral marketing champ…

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UnScripted’s Bill Petrie and Kirby Hasseman on PromoMBA, Idea-Sharing, Building Community and (of Course) Van Halen

It’s the promo industry podcast crossover event of the century! Bill Petrie and Kirby Hasseman of PromoCorner’s UnScripted podcast joined the show to give a sneak peek at PromoMBA, the new education event designed specifically for the working distributor. Plus, we’re talking end-buyer takeaways from the Something Inked show in Las Vegas, ranking Heinz’ new unholy hybrid sauces and answering the important Van Halen questions…

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The Tricor Brand Communications Gang on Dealing With Artwork Issues, Decorating Mishaps

Every promo distributor is bound to run into artwork issues at some point. What do you do when it happens? How do you make things right for your client but also salvage the relationship with your supplier? What can suppliers do to make the artwork process easier for distributors? We talked to the gang at Tricor Brand Communications to find out. Plus, we’re talking all things pizza! (Including a cool pizza-shop promo idea)…

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alphabroder’s Tricia Lyster on Digital Marketing Resources, Promo’s Shift Toward Retail-Style Marketing

After a brief summer hiatus, the PM Podcast returns with Tricia Lyster, marketing manager for alphabroder. The gang talked about digital marketing and creative, including alphabroder’s new resources for distributors and the industry’s shift toward more retail-style marketing and creative. Plus, Sean and Brendan discuss PromoMBA, the 2019 Top Distributors List, naming your kids after video game companies and more!…

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Hotcards’ Greg Schwartz on Working With an NFL Team, What Pro Sports Clients Want, Landing These Accounts

Greg Schwartz, vice president of sales for Hot Cards, a promo and print distributor based in Cleveland, joined the show to tell us what it’s like working with the Cleveland Browns, how he landed the account, what kinds of products high-profile professional sports teams are looking for and how other distributors can get into the market. Plus, Taco Bell has a new hotel, and “Stranger Things” is reviving New Coke…

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