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PPB Newslink February 23-2
February 23, 2017
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Top News
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White House Doubles Its Order Of Customized Cross Pens
Pens from Rhode Island’s A.T. Cross, which does business in the promotional products industry as supplier Cross (PPAI 114156), have been the choice of U.S. presidents since Gerald Ford. Donald Trump is no exception, and the Associated Press has reported that the White House recently placed a second order with its distributor, as the president has taken to giving out the customized, gold-plated pens as gifts.
Read more Cross
Industry News
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PPAI Joins Coalition Calling For White House Conference On Small Business
PPAI has joined a coalition of more than 50 trade and professional organizations calling on President Trump to sign an executive order authorizing a White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB), which has not taken place in more than 20 years. The WHCSB was a series of three conferences held in 1980, 1986 and 1995 to foster better relationships with the business community, Congress and the White House.
Read more Small Business
AAkron Rule Plans Facility Expansion
Supplier AAkron Rule (PPAI 111082) is looking to upgrade its facility in Akron, New York, with the addition of more than 25,000 square feet for increased warehouse and production space.
Read more AAkron Rule
IMAGEN Brands Hosts Marketing Summit For Its Marketing, Product Development Teams
IMAGEN Brands, parent company of suppliers Crown Products (PPAI 113430) and Vitronic (PPAI 114197), hosted a marketing summit for the marketing and product development teams for both companies last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Running February 14-16, this was IMAGEN Brands’ first marketing summit.
Read more IMAGEN Brands
PPAI News
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Early-Bird Rate Now Available For NALC
PPAI’s North American Leadership Conference (NALC), the premier event for leaders from across the promotional products industry, is coming to Austin, Texas, August 13-15. Early-bird rates are now available for the event, which draws a strong network of industry executives to explore and participate in top-of-mind high-level business discussions tackling the industry’s biggest challenges including economic issues, political issues, competitive issues, as well as technological and leadership challenges. Attendees can save $300 when they register by April 8. PPAI members: $2,195, regularly $2,495; nonmembers: $2,695, regularly $2,995. For questions regarding registration, contact Stacy Riddler at stacyr@ppai.org. To see a curriculum sample, the 2016 schedule is available here.
PPAI’s March Webinars Tackle Apparel Trends, Import Basics And More
Next month, PPAI’s webinar series explores a wide range of issues important to promotional products industry professionals, including apparel trends, the basics of importing, export duties and more.
Read more Webinars
Product Responsibility
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CPSC Acting Chair Buerkle Recognizes Incoming ICPHSO President Rick Brenner, MAS+
On Wednesday, Acting Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Ann Marie Buerkle addressed more than 700 product safety professionals at the International Consumer Products Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) Annual Meeting & Training Symposium in Orlando, Florida. Buerkle was tapped as the CPSC’s acting chair on February 10 and will succeed former CPSC Chairman Elliott Kaye.
Read more CPSC
Legislation Restricting, Regulating Certain Chemicals Under Consideration In 16 States
Sixteen states are currently considering 51 bills that would restrict or regulate certain chemicals such as bisphenol A, phthalates and mercury, and certain flame retardants in children’s products. The National Law Review has published an overview of the state-level legislation and the active state bills during the 2017 legislative session. Click here for more on their findings.
PPAI Research
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Promotional Products Connect With Consumers
Understanding why consumers choose to keep promotional products provides key insights into which features are most valued by recipients. Unlike traditional advertising vehicles whose sole purpose is to communicate a message; promotional products not only bring value to brands by effectively connecting with recipients, but they can also play a functional role within consumer lifestyles. For a full list of the reasons why consumers keep promotional products, check out the 2017 Consumer Study. Or, for more quick tools and tips like these, visit the Get In Touch! toolkit.
People News
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Rhonda LeGrand, a founding partner of New Ulm, Minnesota, supplier Beacon Promotions (PPAI 113702) has announced her retirement. LeGrand says, “After 31 years in this industry, I’m looking forward to retiring. I will miss everyone, but have many fond memories, including meeting your families and watching businesses grow. Thanks for the wonderful support and friendship!”
Charitable Contributions
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4imprint Awards 767 Promotional Products Grants In 2016
On the past year, distributor 4imprint (PPAI 107200) has presented 767 nonprofit organizations, schools, religious groups and charitable projects $500 in-kind grants to put promotional products to work in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, company’s one by one grant program. 4imprint doubled its commitment to the program in 2016 in celebration of its 10th anniversary, providing at least two $500 in-kind promotional products grants each business day.
Read more 4imprint
SAGE Fact Of The Week
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Why Print Catalogs Are as Relevant as Ever
With all of the advances in technology and e-commerce, you would think print catalogs would be a dying marketing strategy. But let’s get one thing straight, catalogs are still as relevant as ever. They are a driving force of sales for many companies, especially in the promotional products industry. Read the three main reasons why print catalogs are still popular with consumers and successful at bringing in sales.
PPAI distributor members can join SAGE at no additional cost through the Power of Two relationship. Contact SAGE today at 800-925-7243 or visit www.sageworld.com to get started.
This Month’s PPB
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When Good Gear Goes Global
The best business ideas involve filling an unmet need or solving the problem of potential customers, even if it’s a problem they don’t know they have. When supplier STORMTECH’s (PPAI 260245) President and CEO Blake Annable decided to go into business for himself in 1977, he saw that mom-and-pop independent retailers in small towns across western Canada were being overlooked by the major athletic equipment brands.
Read more STORMTECH
The Golden Years
In 2015, the global population of adults ages 65 and older was 8.5 percent of the total population. By 2025, U.S. Census researchers estimate an increase of approximately 236 million members of this demographic, from 617 million to 853 million. In fact, before the year 2020, the world will be home to more people over 65 than children under age five.
Read more Golden Years
Generational Selling
As the wants and needs of the people we sell to change, the way we sell is also changing. Today’s new market is driven by the Millennial generation, and they have taken the majority spot among U.S. workers and potential buyers. Members of the workforce’s youngest generation are helping to challenge traditional sales models and creating the necessity for new approaches to supply chain management within our industry.
Read more Generational Selling
Contribute To PPAI Publications
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Tout Your Technology
May’s PPB magazine is featuring wearable technology and high-tech promotional products and we want to feature your products and your marketing campaigns! Suppliers, please submit product descriptions and high-res photos. Distributors, please submit case studies with high-res photos for marketing campaigns where you’ve included wearable technology or tech products. Submissions are due by March 1.
Lifelong Learning
May PPB examines the education market. Distributors, please send case studies of programs and promotions you’ve crafted for K-12, university, professional development or on-the-job training. Suppliers, please send high-res images and descriptions of products that are ideal for this market. Send submissions by March 6.
A Distributor Asks: I’m thinking about adding a college intern this summer but I’m unsure of how to structure the set up. For those distributors who have had interns, do you pay your interns or do you work with their school to provide credit? Do you have them sign a confidentiality agreement and/or non-compete agreement? What types of tasks do you have them do? Is there anything else I should consider to make sure it’s a successful experience for both parties?
Email your answer along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by March 1 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of
PPB
magazine.
Need peer advice? Send your question to Question@ppai.org.
Read the answers to each month’s question here.
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