• • • • • • April 1 • 2014
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Top News
PPAI’s Inaugural Technology Summit Targets Leading Industry Companies
PPAI is introducing its inaugural PPAI Technology Summit on May 21-22 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, immediately following Expo East 2014. The event brings together the promotional products industry’s technology leaders for a day and a half of education, discussions, demonstrations and networking.
Read More Technology Summit
Industry News
Content Length Online Found Imperative To Marketing Effectiveness
How long should a blog post be? When is a YouTube video too long? What’s the ideal length for a Facebook post? Online content that overstays its welcome loses its effectiveness, and a number of guidelines have emerged on ideal lengths and durations for effectual marketing.
Read More Content
Facebook Drives Most Of Today’s Online Retail Traffic
In a poll of its clients, Shopify, a company that offers e-commerce platforms and services, found that Facebook was responsible for nearly two-thirds of visits to its sites.
Read More Online Retail
Hasseman Marketing’s Kirby Hasseman Publishes "Delivering Marketing Joy"
Hasseman Marketing owner Kirby Hasseman (UPIC: H314957) has written a marketing book, Delivering Marketing Joy. The book, Hasseman’s third, focuses on how businesses and organizations can use promotional products to grow their business and increase customer loyalty. PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, wrote the forward for the book.
Read More Delivering Marketing Joy
PPAI News
PPAI Staff Travel To Meet With Members One-On-One
PPAI staff was on the move last week to visit member companies in cities across the nation.
Read More Members
Promotional Products Work! Week: Customer Appreciation
Promotional Products Work! Week (PPW!W) is an industry-wide collaboration of regional associations, distributors, suppliers, multi-line representatives, corporations and small businesses working together to promote the use of promotional products, share facts on the medium’s effectiveness and provide greater access to the market. An annual event, PPW!W 2014 runs April 21-25.
Read More PPW!W
PPAI Issues Board of Directors Call For Candidates
PPAI wants to hear from members who want to help shape the Association, who want to lead the industry or who know a fellow PPAI member who does.
If you think you can bring something new to the board, access Volunteer Central and complete your profile by April 15. Board-specific questions are included on the profile form. Questions? Contact PPAI Member Engagement Program Manager Lisa Beck at LisaB@ppai.org.
PPAI Technology Awards Is Accepting Submissions
In an industry that prides itself on developing creative marketing programs, technology continues to play a strong role in its success. It takes a company with keen vision and unconventional thinking to create innovative and awe-inducing technological solutions. These companies deserve recognition; this is where the PPAI Technology Awards come in. It honors achievements, advancements and overall excellence for Web Content/Functionality, e-Commerce Websites, Special Interest Websites (legislation, trends, etc.), Blogs, Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Others), Video Content and Mobile. The submission deadline is April 11. Entry details are available online. Questions? Contact awards@ppai.org.
PPAI’s April Webinar Series Showcases Expo 2014 Highlights
For April, the PPAI webinar series brings together a number of the education opportunities last seen during The PPAI Expo 2014’s education program, among other subjects.
Read More Webinars
PPAI Law
Support L.E.A.D. And The Industry Through The Virtual Fly-In
PPAI is preparing for the fifth annual Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.), April 9-10, when Association leadership and industry professionals will visit Washington, D.C., to meet with senators, congressional representatives and their legislative staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss pending legislation and issues relevant to the promotional products industry.
Read More L.E.A.D.
Product Responsibility
Senate Bill Would Expand CPSIA’s Phthalate Prohibitions, Definition Of Children’s Products
In March, Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand introduced legislation that expanded the prohibitions in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) on the production, distribution and importation of children's products that contain phthalates.
Read More CPSIA
Product Safety Awareness Program Webinars, Next Steps Available Online
PPAI’s Product Safety Awareness program is part of a larger PPAI initiative to create confidence in promotional products as an advertising medium at every level and position it as a powerful and safe marketing strategy. As part of the program, all industry companies (regardless of member category) who want to access the PPAI marketplace through trade-show exhibit space, sponsorships and advertising must obtain Product Safety Aware status no later than the start of Expo East 2015. The requirement is for a designated roster employee to complete a minimum of four hours of product safety education, including three required webinars—Product Safety Basics, Prop 65 & State Regulations and Undue Influence Training, plus a fourth picked from a selection of approved education webinars and live sessions. All have been archived on PPAI’s website. The website also includes in-depth information on the program and the steps for industry companies to take to become Product Safety Aware.
For more information or questions, contact PPAI Product Responsibility Manager Tim Brown, MAS, at TimB@ppai.org or 513-755-1152.
People News
Suntex Industries (UPIC: SUNTEX), a supplier in Winston Salem, North Carolina, has hired Gwen H. Kelly as its new customer relations manager. Kelly will also manage the social media websites for Suntex Industries. She is new to the promotional products industry and brings 20 years of experience working as a paralegal to the position.
Dan Livengood has joined St. Croix Promotions and Retail (UPIC: SCMG), a distributor based in Bloomington, Minnesota, as vice president of sales and marketing, effective April 9. Livengood comes to St. Croix with a 20-year promotional marketing and full-service agency background and his responsibilities will include helping build, train and lead the organization’s sales and marketing team.
Supplier Kenro industries (UPIC: KEND8832) has named Neil Lipper its director of promotional products. Lipper is a past president of SAAGNY and brings more than 30 years of industry experience to the Mineola, New York-based company.
Regional News
PPAI Staff Connect With Regional Association Membership
PPAI’s regional relations staff have visited with several regional associations across the country in the past month. These visits were opportunities to participate in their events, meet with association leadership and explore ways for PPAI and the regional associations to collaborate going forward.
Read More Regional Association
Charitable Contributions
ActNow Media’s Philanthropy Helps Families In Need
Alpharetta, Georgia-based supplier ActNow Media, Inc. (UPIC: ACTNOW) continued its support of needy families during the 2013 holiday season, donating $2,000 to the Appalachian Community Fund in December.
Read More ActNow Media
SAGE FACT OF THE WEEK
Email Marketing Matters
Research shows that email is more popular than social media. According to Ipsos, a market research firm, 85 percent of people use the internet for email, while 62 percent use it for social media purposes. Ipsos polled more than 19,000 people in 24 countries, including the United States. SAGE offers an email marketing solution within SAGE Online with prices starting as low as $15 a month. To learn more about the email campaigns module in SAGE Online, or if you don’t already have SAGE Online, contact SAGE to find out how you can get it at no additional charge through the Power of Two relationship, exclusive for PPAI members.
This Month’s PPB
Time Is Money
Distributors give away product research, art preparation, logo design, copywriting, creative, media research, media planning and ad design—living on the margin generated by the sale. But it's time they think about billing for their time.
Read More Time
New Frontier
A Zambian-based distributor is building a vibrant business in the heart of sub-Saharan Africa.
Read More Frontier
Marking The Days
As far as promotions go, a calendar is a no-brainer. Just think of the benefits: it’s useful, it provides a daily “touch” that keeps brands top-of-mind, and if done well, the calendar turns into a memento, which turns into a collectible, which turns into a tangible history of a brand’s past and its relationship to customers.
Read More Calendars
Contribute To PPAI Publications
Fleece Outerwear
PPB is exploring fleece outerwear in the June issue. Suppliers: Please submit high-res images and product descriptions of fleece sweatshirts, jackets, hoodies, scarves, gloves and hats for possible inclusion. Distributors: Please submit decoration tips, case studies and questions about this category. Send all materials to Tama Underwood by April 16.
Around The House
Editor’s Picks in June will focus on products made for use in and around the home. Suppliers, send images and descriptions of kitchen, home improvement, yard, toolshed and garage products by April 17. Distributors, send your case studies or share your tips on pairing these products with programs to Jen Alexander McCall by April 17.
Senior Solutions
June PPB’s Market to Market examines the senior/retiree market. Volunteer your expertise and share what you know about working with clients in this sector; email Jen Alexander McCall by April 17. Suppliers, send images and descriptions of products suited for this market by April 17.
What Would You Do?
A Distributor Asks: Why do suppliers call me on the phone to verbally confirm orders I've submitted in writing, sometimes stopping the order if I can't take their call? I'm more comfortable submitting written orders because mistakes are more likely to be made over the phone, and I don't think these calls are necessary.
What's Your Answer? Email answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by April 4 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.
Need peer advice on a sticky situation? Send your question to Question@ppai.org.
Read the answers to each month's question here.
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