The loss of LeBron James to Los Angeles has surely been hard on Cleveland. There, he was much more than an athlete. And in a city where basketball is the only real hope of a championship (or even a few wins in the case of the Browns), having someone like LeBron as the talisman is…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
Canada’s New Tariffs List Includes Ballpoint Pens, Postcards and More
The newest rounds of retaliatory tariffs from Canada announced yesterday point directly at a few items with direct ties to the promotional industry, like ballpoint pens.
Read MoreShakira Accidentally Made Tour Merchandise With Nazi Imagery
An item from Shakira’s “El Dorado World Tour” merchandise is receiving some heat for what critics say is a striking resemblance to the Black Sun image used by Nazi Germany and modern far-right extremist groups. As a result, concert producer Live Nation has stopped the sale of the necklace two weeks into the tour (coincidentally,…
Read MoreHarsh Penalties, Shady Practices: Mumbai Becomes Largest City to Ban Plastic Bags
In what is possibly the largest and most severe plastic ban, Mumbai has issued a ban on single-use plastic bags, cups and bottles. While the size of Mumbai (population: 12.4 million) is enough to make this big news, it’s the way that officials are carrying out the ban that stands out the most…
Read MoreAmazon Is Expanding Its On-Demand Merchandise Service
Amazon’s presence on the periphery of the promotional products industry has been known for a while, and it’s grouped in with the likes of CafePress, Redbubble and Custom Ink (among others) who are adopting the direct-to-consumer model of custom products sales. To say that Amazon is now a competitor is old news. However, the extent…
Read MoreThe New Online Sales Tax Ruling Probably Won’t Affect Your Promotional Products Sales
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that states can require retailers to collect sales tax from online shoppers, even if the company doesn’t have a physical presence in the state, reversing a 1992 decision. Some retailers celebrated the decision, but huge e-commerce businesses like Amazon and Etsy saw their stocks take hits on the day…
Read MoreFirst-Class Travelers Steal a Ton of Branded Stuff, and Airlines Have Embraced It
There are plenty of freebies in air travel—snacks, earbuds, the occasional adult beverage on international flights. Airlines use plenty of branded gear, as well. Think of the blankets, pillows, napkins, etc. As you could imagine (or have even seen firsthand) the more upscale your aviation experience, the more upscale the items tend to be. For…
Read MoreActivists Give Out Thousands of Pro-Dreamers Promo Items to Congressional Baseball Game
A group of activists used promotional products typically used for team spirit to protest when they showed up to the Congressional Baseball Game on Thursday with T-shirts, can coolers and foam fingers. The items weren’t to cheer on the players, mind you. They were to remind the players (members of Congress) about legislation protecting “Dreamers”—undocumented…
Read MoreSupreme Court Reverses Previous Stance, Votes In Favor of New Online Sales Tax Legislation
The Supreme Court surprised the e-commerce world by ruling that states can require retailers to collect sales tax from online shoppers even in places where the business has no physical presence. This is a reversal of a previous Supreme Court decision set in 1992, which said that the Constitution doesn’t allow states to require businesses…
Read MoreWhy Mexico’s World Cup Captain Isn’t Allowed Near Any American Promotional Products or Materials During Event
Though he’s captaining the Mexican national soccer team at the World Cup, Rafael Márquez isn’t warming up in the same apparel or drinking from the same branded drinkware as the rest of his El Tri teammates. It’s not because he gets some special captain privileges. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s because Márquez is currently on…
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