Joe Fleming, Trina Bicknell, Mike Fleming and special guest Alex Morin joined the show to talk about HUB Promotional Group’s recent acquisitions, how HUB selects suppliers to buy, what distributors can expect from HUB Promotional Group moving forward, and more. Plus, Sean and Brendan dig into that Fast Company article that called for the entire promo industry to shut down…
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Spooktastic Special! Jay Busselle Talks Branding Nightmares, Halloween Promotions and #PromoChat
In the spirit of everyone’s favorite haunted holiday, Jay Busselle joined the show to discuss branding nightmares, his favorite Halloween promotions and scary marketing in general. Is your promo business making any of the branding mistakes Jay mentioned? Listen and find out! Plus, Sean and Brendan discuss Burger King’s gross new nightmare sandwich, terrifying VCRs and much more. Don’t listen alone!…
Read MoreJeff Laniado, Promo Buyer for CBS, on His Distributor Past, Landing Large Accounts and the Dreaded Suitcase Full of Samples
Jeff Laniado, who worked for distributor Axis Promotions before moving to a promo buyer role at CBS, gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like making the switch, what he and other promo buyers are looking for, landing large accounts like CBS and some common mistakes distributors make when pitching prospects. Let’s just say Jeff isn’t a fan of the suitcase full of samples. Plus, Sean and Brendan get Gritty!…
Read MoreiClick’s Taek Sung on PopSockets, Content Marketing and the Unexpected Pitfalls of 275% Growth
Taek Sung, senior vice president of sales and marketing for iClick, joined the show to talk about PopSockets, content marketing and the unexpected speed bumps that accompany 275 percent year-over-year growth. (Such as: Do you have enough parking spaces? What about bathrooms?) Plus, Sean and Brendan discuss Colorado Timberline’s sudden closing due to a ransomware attack…
Read MoreBrandVia’s Sam Brown and Eric Nelsen Talk Organic Growth, Company Culture and Getting Sh*t Done
BrandVia Alliance was a big riser on our 2018 Top 50 Distributors list, jumping eight spots from No. 31 in 2017 to No. 23 this year. Sam Brown and Eric Nelsen joined the podcast to talk about that growth, plus a look at company culture, customer experience and (a recurring theme) getting sh*t done. Plus, Brendan and Sean discuss the fake Warren Buffett Twitter account that captivated the internet…
Read MoreGoldstar Pens’ Parker Melvin on Switching From Distributor to Supplier, How Both Sides of Promo Work Together
Before joining Goldstar Pens, Parker Melvin spent his entire promo career on the distributor side of the industry. That makes him uniquely qualified to talk about the state of collaboration and communication between distributors and suppliers—what’s working and what needs work. Plus, Sean and Brendan discuss Disney’s move to eliminate plastic straws at its theme parks, and analyze the most important and exciting story of the summer: SHARK HEIST 2018!…
Read MoreGeiger’s Dale Denham Talks 2018 #Online18, Promo’s Top Influencers, Secrets to Social Media Success
Dale Denham’s 2018 #Online18, the annual list of the promotional products industry’s top social media influencers, launched last week. It’s one of our favorite stories of the year, so we invited Dale, who moonlights as Geiger’s chief information officer when he’s not blogging for Promo Marketing, to give us a behind the scenes look at…
Read MoreFacilis Group’s Chuck Fandos on the Promo Industry’s Tech Gap, Putting Relationships First and More
Are promo companies ahead of or behind other sectors in tech adoption? How does the widening tech gap between large and small distributors affect the latter’s ability to compete? Is the industry over-relying on tech? In episode 5 of the Promo Marketing Podcast, Chuck Fandos joins the show to chat on those questions and more, with some surprising answers! Plus, we kick off summer blockbuster season with a look at some memorable movie marketing over the years. Do we talk in detail about that awful 1998 Godzilla movie? You know we do!…
Read MorePPAI’s Paul Bellantone on Mergers and Acquisitions, Embracing Competition and Facebook Whining (Positivity, People!)
On episode 4 of the Promo Marketing Podcast, PPAI’s Paul Bellantone joined Sean and Brendan for a wide-ranging discussion on mergers and acquisitions, outside competition, Promotional Products Work! Week, Legislative Education and Action Day, and why it’s time for the promo industry to grow up and start respecting itself, dangit! Plus, have you seen those apology commercials from Uber, Facebook and Wells Fargo? Man are they bad!…
Read MoreHong Kong Gifts Fair: The Magnet Group’s Dan Jellinek Talks Pricing, Weird Lack of Tech Products and 13-Hour Flights With No Power
In episode 3 of the Promo Marketing Podcast, Dan Jellinek of The Magnet Group gave us the inside scoop on pricing, products, color trends and much more from his trip to the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair. Plus: a shipping change the promo industry should steal from Amazon, the perils of 13-hour flights with no way to charge your electronics, and terrible meeting advice from Elon Musk…
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