With more than 15 years of professional advertising experience in computer graphics and packaging design, Dudley Swain brings a fresh new perspective and outlook to Los Angeles-based Del Rey Gourmet. His background also includes television, magazine publishing, desk top publishing, offset printing, pad printing, silk screening and merchandising. As marketing director, his mission will be to provide innovative sales tools that will shock the imagination of our customers and increase their sales as a result. “We are very excited to have Dudley Swain at the helm of our marketing and branding development department,” said Mark J. Hobbs, CEO. “He is a highly intelligent and very
Read MoreDress Me Up for the Ballgame
It was bound to happen sooner or later. The work-life collision. I actually wrote this entire blog in my head at a baseball game. But let’s start from the beginning …
This past Friday, I went to see the Phillies play (they lost to the Mets, which was kind of a bummer, but it was the most perfect baseball-game weather ever, so I got over it pretty quickly).
Anyway. Before the game, I decided to peruse the store to get myself a new Phillies T-shirt. I’m really not picky, I just wanted something fitted and not ugly. As I made my way
The Folly of E-mail
If you’ve never taken anything I’ve blogged about to heart these three months or so, please don’t let this entry fall on deaf ears.
There is a small project I’ve been working on in the evenings, and, like most things these days, much of the correspondence with those involved has been through e-mail. Almost a month ago, I’d e-mailed the project’s financier with some specific questions related to the work. After the first week passed without receiving a response from him, I grew uneasy, but did not take action. An obvious next-step would have been to make a follow-up call, right?
It’s
Media Manners
I’ve shouted out to The Tercet Group before in this blog, but in light of recent revelations, I’ve decided to shill compliments one last time. As of May 31, 2008, the Chicago-based full-service marketing and communications agency will be closing its doors.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with these ladies for the past year, as they’ve represented industry supplier S&S Activewear. We say it all the time around here at PM—if every company in the industry dealt with the media the way this group did, we’d have a much easier time getting things done.
This industry has been blessed with
ASI Vegas-Lag
ASI Vegas-lag is kind of like jet lag, only worse. Not only are you tired and unsure of what time it really is, you start to see promotional items every time you close your eyes (maybe some of you live this way already). Admittedly, I’m a couple of days out from the show, but I still feel like I’m recovering. The 10:40 red-eye flight back to Philly didn’t help (the whole time cursing the people who just took Tylenol PM and slept the entire flight—you know who you are).
I was wondering what others thought of the show. I think the shows are
The Book Company Goes Green on the Web
Delray Beach, Florida-based The Book Company recently launched a green-specific Web site (books4greenliving.com) to help showcase the company’s vast array of earth friendly book titles, said Doug Greenhut, president. “Books related to green issues are smart promotional products because they clearly tie-in to a company’s green message,” said Greenhut. “A book on recycling may fit a waste management company’s message, a book about saving energy can be used to promote a power company’s agenda and a book titled, ‘Greening Your Office’ may perfectly support a promotion for an office supply company,” he added. “Beyond the standard promotional product made of recycled materials, green
Read MoreCarrigar Appoints Hudicka as National Director of Sales and Marketing
Jivan Coelho, president of Princeton, New Jersey-based supplier Carrigar, announced the appointment of John M. Hudicka, CAS as national director of sales and marketing for its promotional products operations. Hudicka brings a wealth of industry knowledge and work experience from both the distributor, supplier and service provider industry sectors. His responsibilities will include the mentoring and management of the company’s multi-line sales representatives, including new business development and key accounts management, marketing initiatives and promotion of the company’s recycled and 100 percent certified organic product line. “I look forward to this opportunity of educating and managing our reps on our company’s ‘green’ product line,
Read MoreFifteen Distributors Affiliate with iPROMOTEu in March 2008
Wayland, Massachusetts-based iPROMOTEu announced 15 promotional products distributors have affiliated with the company in March 2008. Each of these new iPROMOTEu affiliates is an experienced industry sales professional working as either an existing independent distributor or a successful salesperson working for another distributor company. Presently, 376 distributors from 42 states (plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia) are affiliated with iPROMOTEu. The following individuals are among the industry distributors and salespeople that affiliated with iPROMOTEu in March: Todd Brown of Impact Image Apparel in Denver; Brian Cole of Georgia Promotions in Suwanee, Ga.; Maureen Gilbert of Print-N-Stitch in Kenner, La.; Sherri Gordon of
Read MoreGusto! Leed’s Launches $10 or Less Line
Pittsburgh-based Leed’s, a member of Polyconcept North America, the second largest supplier within the promotional products industry, responded to a slowing economy by unveiling Gusto!, a product line designed to help distributors provide products that fit end-users’ shrinking promotional budgets. According to Jeff Brown, vice president of product development and marketing, “We wanted to introduce products that are inexpensive, not ‘cheap.’ Each Gusto! item has bang for its buck with clever designs and Leed’s level of quality.” Created with unexpected features that offer unexpected performance, the gadgets span a variety of uses from self-mailers that come in a ready-to-mail envelope to computer-compatible desk accessories.
Read MoreSenator Inks Gauger and Corrente to New Positions
Senator Promotional Group USA, based in Greensboro, N.C., announced the appointment of two senior additions to its marketing and sales service teams. After a two-year absence, Carol Gauger returns to Senator’s subsidiary Dart in the role of vice president, marketing and will report to Dale Baur, vice president, sales and marketing for both the Senator and Dart brands. Gauger is a 15-year veteran of the promotional products industry and last served as senior manager, member relations for Promotional Products Advertising International in Irving, Texas. Prior to that, Gauger served at Dart Business Accessories as marketing director. “Carol brings a wealth of industry experience and
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