The Petrie Dish

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Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, I have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip.

State-by-State Breakdown of Promotional Product Sales – “Must Read” Article of the Week

This study, masterfully put together by ASI, is simply fantastic. Just like the title of the article says, there is a breakdown by state of the revenue spent on branded merchandise. Additionally, each state has an infographic sharing other details such as preferred tech product, the most influential products, and the percentage of people who have favorable impressions of promotional products. Home run, ASI.

Promotional Products Highlight Philadelphia and More at the DNC

A good article (but likely not the last) of the use of promotional products during the election year. Focused on the merchandise used in and around the Democratic National Convention, the article focuses on an industry distributor and how they worked with the Host Committee to design the product widely seen last week.

5 Ways to Grow Your Brand Awareness Using Promotional Merchandise

While this article breaks no ground in terms of enlightening the buying public about the value of promotional products, it is positive and useful for people not familiar with the industry. The tips are a little basic (help retain or recapture current or past customers), the advice is put forth in a thoughtful, straight-forward manner.

Authenticity – What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How to Get It

Along with “disruption,” authenticity is a marketing term that has almost completely lost its meaning. This article is a fantastic overview of why being authentic is so important in the first place. It ends with five places to find authenticity within a brand. For those in the promotional products industry looking at rebranding, this should be a critical read. 

3 Key Promotional Product Milestones CEO’s Must Participate In – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

I had high hopes for this article – REALLY high hopes. Hopes that were dashed about five sentences into the copy. This article suggests the CEO’s should insert themselves at the proposal/planning stage, artwork/proof approval, and payment. Last time I checked, this is why companies had marketing and accounting departments. I would doubt the financial viability of any company where the CEO is involved in promotional products from design to delivery to payment.