With the Democratic National Convention going virtual, organizers had an opportunity to expand the merchandise offering a bit. There are still plenty of Milwaukee-centric items, touching on local culture like dairy farming and using the outline of Wisconsin, but there are things that play into the nationwide viewership…
Read More
Each year, we dig through the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. to see which promo companies made the list. Here are the ones we found. While there are many traditional promo businesses on this list, not all of the companies we included fit the standard supplier/distributor profile…
Read MoreResearchers in Australia’s national science agency think they’ve found a way to tweak the molecular code of cotton so that it grows in all different colors. So far, they’ve created cotton in red, gold, purple and black in petri dishes, and hope to create reproducing plants in the near future. The implications for apparel manufacturing are pretty huge…
Read MoreIn a Merkle survey of industries such as health care, retail, finance, tech and nonprofit, 52 percent of respondents overall said they’ve increased their marketing spend over the last few months. For promotional distributors, this may be an indicator of the verticals that are able to spend some money again…
Read More
We’ve all heard the expression “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” However, there are many people who let their quality of life rely too much on one factor. This becomes glaringly apparent during a financial downturn. Quality of life factors include: · Financial / Career · Family / Friends · Physical health ·…
Read More
HALO Branded Solutions, Sterling, Ill., recently concluded “Connect2020,” the company’s virtual national sales meeting. The two-day event included sales training, supplier trend sessions and evening happy hours—including a “virtual progressive dinner” featuring company executives and their families serving, a five course dinner and supplier “dine-arounds” with small groups of staff, and support staff meeting with…
Read MoreApple is facing criticism after shipping records revealed that it sourced apparel from a Chinese company facing U.S. sanctions for using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. The apparel was most likely uniforms for Apple Store employees. The timing is especially poor, as Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told Congress that he would not tolerate…
Read More
Gemline, Lawrence, Mass., announced yesterday a strategic partnership with Chicago-based Modern Sprout to bring a collection of smart, simple, sustainable indoor and outdoor gardening products to its growing product portfolio. Modern Sprout uses the logic of hydroponics redesigned to create beautiful, space-savvy products. Its company mission is simple: un-complicate indoor gardening. Since its founding, Modern…
Read More
HPG this week announced the launch of Batch & Bodega, a new brand that brings the supplier into the food gift category, bundling exclusive edible products from across the country with popular hard goods from HPG’s catalog to create unique kits. Customization is a huge part of these “batches,” and customers can choose design elements like high-end retail packaging and handwritten notecards for added personal detail…
Read More
There has been little debate among public health professionals that widespread mask use is crucial to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Where there has been some debate, though, is over the most effective face mask types outside of the approved medical-grade varieties. Which of the many available face coverings protects most against transmission of the virus? We finally have some data…
Read More
