PPB Newslink May 22: Bags Overtake Calendars For Top-Three Spot In PPAI Annual Sales Volume Survey

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May 22, 2012 • Share PPB Newslink • Send News To JamesK@ppai.org

Bags Overtake Calendars For Top-Three Spot In PPAI Annual Sales Volume Survey
As first reported on May 8, U.S. distributor sales of promotional products rose 7.02 percent in 2011 to $17.7 billion, according to PPAI’s annual estimate of promotional products sales. Along with measuring sales, the study determines sales performance of specific industry product segments and programs. Read more Survey

CPSC General Counsel Announced As Keynote Speaker At The PPAI Product Safety Summit
Cheryl A. Falvey, Esq., U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) general counsel, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming second annual PPAI Product Safety Summit in New Orleans on August 14, 2012, at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. Read more Product Safety Summit

BPMA And Trade Only Extend Relationship
The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) and Trade Only Limited (UPIC: trade) have announced new developments in their relationship. BPMA has secured Trade Only as a patron of the organization, and the two have released a revision and extension of their existing cooperative agreement. Read more BPMA

PPEF Establishes George C. Matteson, Jr. Endowment Fund
When George C. Matteson, Jr. passed away on May 16, 2011, at the age of 82, he had one last card to play in his long relationship with the promotional products industry. Matteson made a generous gift through his estate to create the George C. Matteson, Jr. Endowment Fund for the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF). Read more Matteson

PSL Canada Affiliate Sweda SZ Electronics Passes SA8000 Inspection
Sweda SZ Electronics, a facility affiliated with Richmond, British Columbia-based supplier PSL Canada (UPIC: PSLCAN), has passed the SA8000® factory inspection, earning an “outstanding” result. Read more PSL

iPROMOTEu To Host Boardwalk Bash Event At PROMOTIONS EAST
Wayland, Massachusetts-based distributor iPROMOTEu (UPIC: IPRO9320) will host its annual “Boardwalk Bash” event during the upcoming PROMOTIONS EAST show. Read more iPROMOTEu

In Memoriam: Diane L. Deluca-Thompson
Diane L. Deluca-Thompson, owner of Erie, Pennsylvania, distributor The Agency Alternative (UPIC: agencyal), passed away on May 12 after a battle with cancer. She was 56. Read more Deluca-Thompson

Lapine Associates, Inc. Renews Distributor Contract With Panasonic Corporation
Stamford, Connecticut-based distributor Lapine Associates, Inc. (UPIC: LAPI0001) has renewed its contract with electronics company Panasonic Corporation to act as an authorized distributor of its products to the premium industry. Read more Lapine

iClick Launches Pen Cup Research Project
iClick (UPIC: IClic342), a supplier of custom USB drives and pens headquartered in Seattle, Washington, has launched the Pen Cup Research Project. Read more iClick

PPAI’s Marketing Team Recognized With Two Communicator Award Wins
PPAI has been selected from a field of 6,000 entries as the winner of two 2012 Communicator Awards of Distinction for its work on the PPAI New Professional Development Certification Program integrated marketing campaign and PPAI New Industry Certification Program video. Read more Communicator Award

Bob Lilly Professional Promotions’ Bob Lilly Jr. Speaks To PPAI Staff
On May 21, Bob Lilly Jr., owner of Bob Lilly Professional Promotions (UPIC: BOBL8430), visited PPAI’s offices to share the story of his company and his philosophy on doing business in the promotional products industry. Read more Lilly

Sweda’s Jamie Berridy And Cathy Corbell Visit PPAI Headquarters
PPAI recently hosted a visit from Jamie Berridy, marketing manager, and Cathy Corbell, territory manager, with Sweda Company, LLC (UPIC: SWEDA). Read more Sweda

PPAI Recognizes 15 Industry Professionals Who Earned Professional Certifications In Recent Months
PPAI is pleased to announce that in March, April and May of 2012, 15 professionals have achieved their CAS certification. Read more Certification

Nominations Are Now Open For Three Prestigious PPAI Awards
Three important awards categories—the PPAI Hall of Fame, the PPAI Distinguished Service Award and the PPAI H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award— in the PPAI Awards and Recognition Program are now open. Read more Awards

Support Your Professional Development, Sign Up For A PPAI Webinar
This spring, PPAI is offering a variety of webinars to support industry members’ professional development, expand their skills and broaden their business knowledge. Read more Webinars

South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy Visits CARO-LINE/Bandanna Promotions
CARO-LINE/Bandanna Promotions (UPIC: BANDANNA), a supplier headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted a visit May 21 from Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina’s 4th district. Read more CARO-LINE

PPAI’s Webinar Series Looks At Product Safety Reporting Requirements
On Wednesday, May 30, PPAI’s webinar series will look at the best practices in product safety reporting requirements and document storage for promotional products companies. Read more Webinar

St. Paul, Minnesota-based supplier Crystal D has hired four new employees. (From left) Becca Bruns joins the company as marketing assistant, Laura Wilhelm has come on board as an accounts receivable clerk, Doug Grave was hired on as an award advisor/territory manager for the Southern region and Sheri Koos as a production artist in the art department.

Samantha Gotlieb has joined Wayland, Massachusetts-based iPROMOTEu (UPIC: IPRO9320) as the distributor’s new director of marketing and business development. Gotlieb will be responsible for the company’s recruiting and business development projects and will play an instrumental role in formulating its marketing strategy.

Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc. (UPIC: BENS0002), a Woodinville, Washington-headquartered distributor, has named Preston Akers its director of product and supply chain integrity.

Steve Levschuk, MAS, president of London, Ontario’s Talbot Marketing (UPIC: TALB0001), has been invited to sit on the Presidium, the governing body, of the World Advertising Gift Exchange, a nonprofit organization for businesses in the promotional products field.

Lillian Aguilera has joined Gardena, California-based supplier CleggPromo (UPIC: CLEGG) as a production coordinator. She brings an extensive history as a customer service lead at a cosmetics company to the position.

Hinda Incentives Recognized For Its Involvement With Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center
Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center, a health care and social service agency, has named Chicago, Illinois-based Hinda Incentives (UPIC: H272390) its 2012 Crystal Ball Business Honoree. Read more Hinda

EmbroidMe Names Bodek And Rhodes Its Vendor Of The Year
Bodek and Rhodes (UPIC: ULTRACLB) has been named EmbroidMe’s (UPIC: Embro699) Vendor of the Year. This is the third time the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based supplier has received the honor. Read more Bodek And Rhodes

Chocolate Inn’s Growing Sales Volume Recognized At Premier Promotional Group Awards Ceremony
Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant (UPIC: CHOCINN), a supplier in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received an award at the Premier Promotional Group’s Award Ceremony on May 5. Read more Chocolate Inn

MadeToOrder Recognizes Partners’ Accomplishments With Five Star Vendors Accolades
MadeToOrder (UPIC: mto), a Pleasanton, California, distributor, awarded its 2011 “Five Star” vendors during an event at the Promotional Marketing Association of Northern California’s (PMANC) Showcase in Monterey. Read more MadeToOrder

Proforma Wins Three 2012 American Inhouse Design Awards
Proforma (UPIC: PROFORMA), a distributor company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, took home three 2012 American Inhouse Design Awards from Graphic Design USA. Read more Proforma

Charles River Apparel Donates Dragon Boat To Cancer Survivor Boat Team
Charles River Apparel (UPIC: CRA) purchased and donated a dragon boat to the Wellness Warriors, Massachusetts’s only dragon boat team for cancer survivors and caregivers. Read more Charles River

National Gift Card Corporation’s Promotions Benefit The Arbor Day Foundation
National Gift Card Corporation (UPIC: ngcgroup), an Elgin, Illinois-based supplier, reports that promotions on its NGCecodes orders on April 22 in recognition of Earth Day and on April 27 in recognition of Arbor Day, have resulted in an $800 contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation. Read more National Gift Card

Each day, there are 100,000 hits on SAGE websites. SAGE offers customers two websites to choose from: SAGE WebExpress is a free website that distributors receive with their SAGE Online subscription, while SAGE WebExpress Pro is a step up and adds more advanced customization features including product showrooms and presentations. To learn more about this and the other benefits available through your PPAI membership, click here.

Subscribed
“The march of the subscription-based model continues.” This is how one website described a host of new monthly fee-based businesses cropping up. Over the past year or two, entrepreneurs have launched auto-ship services for almost every product category and niche interest imaginable. Read more Subscribed

Collegiate Connection
Score some info, tips and trends specifically for the college market. Read more Collegiate

Leading The Charge
In March, 60 promotional products professionals headed to Washington, D.C., for PPAI’s third-annual Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.). They scheduled more than 200 meetings with key members of Congress and their staffs to educate them on the industry’s needs, challenges and interests. Janie Gaunce, owner of Lenexa, Kansas-based distributor Grapevine Designs LLC (UPIC: Grape238), and a member of the PPAI Board of Directors, was there on the front lines at Capitol Hill. Here, she provides a close-up of the day’s happenings. Read more Leading

Culinary Adventure
Delightful, delectable, delicious and daring—food gifts are the focus in August PPB. To submit your new, unique food offerings for consideration, send product descriptions and high-resolution images to Jen Alexander McCall by May 29.

Capturing Retail And Franchise Customers
Opportunities abound for creative campaigns in the retail and franchise fields. PPB wants to know your guidelines for successfully partnering with retailers and franchises, along with case studies of successful promotions. Please contact Jen Alexander McCall by May 29 to for inclusion in an upcoming article.

Yes, Sir!
Suiting up in a custom uniform helps build a brand’s reputation, lends authority to staffers and protects employees on the job. The August issue of PPB will feature the best and most innovative uniforms, so send your product descriptions and high-resolution images to Tama Underwood by May 31 for a chance to be featured.

What Would You Do?
Last year we introduced a new fashion product to the industry. A distributor said its client, a well-known celebrity, was interested in adding our product to the client’s retail line, so we sent random samples and designed numerous virtual images for the distributor. After following up, we didn’t hear from the distributor again and never received an order. Recently, we saw the product for sale on the celebrity’s website, using a slightly modified version of the layout we created. When we called the distributor to ask what happened and why we didn’t get the order, we were told: “Oh, the client really beat us up on the price, so we went direct to a Chinese factory.” What would you do?

What’s Your Answer? E-mail answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by May 31 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.