• 12/02/2021 5:30 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    Eight-Legged Media Announces New Promo Industry Holiday!

    National Catalog Day is Coming January 4th!

    Park Ridge, IL— December 1, 2021 Through social media and email,  Eight-Legged Media has announced the first ever National Catalog Day set for January 4th, 2022, enabling Promo Manufacturers and Suppliers the opportunity to digitize, host, and release their catalogs through the DASH platform for free.

    “DASH is the easiest and fastest way to digitize your .pdf files and turn them instantaneously into searchable flip-through catalogs that are hosted for free.” Dustin Harris, Principal Eight-Legged Media.

    A Friendly Reminder

    There are already 100’s of promotional catalogs hosted on DASH; both general and seasonal. Eight-Legged Media has been digitizing and hosting catalogs for free since its inception in 2007.

    With three clicks you can go from static PDF to an interactive, page turning, searchable digital catalog. When asked for a comment, Bryan Hernandez, Director of Marketing at Logomark Inc. said We will be uploading all of this year’s catalogs, and future ones moving forward.”

    National Catalog Day / Free Catalogs

    National Catalog Day was driven by customer feedback and is part of Eight-Legged Media’s commitment to deliver the latest products, solutions, and innovations all in one, easy to use platform. Free catalog uploads and hosting for  National Catalog Day.media/national-catalog-day/.

    2007, Eight-Legged Media is the Promotional Product’s leader in email and digital marketing. help Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Distributors simplify and automate their marketing efforts.

    Eight-Legged Media, DASH, and National Catalog Day Eight-Legged Media

    Dustin Harris

    877.485.6332

    dustin@8lmedia.com

    National Catalog Day:

    https://dash.eightlegged.media/national-catalog-day/


  • 10/26/2021 11:40 AM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    CAAMP Announces the Election of  Four New Members to its Board of Directors (2022-2024).

    Carolinas Association of Advertising and Marketing Professionals (CAAMP) is pleased to announce the newly elected Board members (2022-2024).

    They are Shannon Butkus I Goldner Associates I National Account Manager I Distributor Member, Erin Burgess I Identify Yourself I Brand Manager I Distributor Member, Jennifer Walker I Koozie Group I Regional Account Manager I Supplier Member, Mark Thieleke I Showdown Displays | Territory Sales Manager Mid Atlantic I Supplier Member.

    CAAMP’s President, Lisa Parker, MAS, MASI stated, “I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the candidates that  participated in the election process for the 2022 CAAMP board of directors.

    The CAAMP Board of Directors demonstrates leadership characteristics and inspires teams to excel to their potential. These members are meaningful, inspirational and communicate specific leadership characteristics that are important to CAAMPs success. We are extremely excited to welcome these new elected leaders to the CAAMP board of Directors."


  • 10/13/2021 4:57 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    ZOOMcatalog Adds Jessica Gibbons-Rauch as Marketing Manager. 

    Boulder, CO, October 11, 2021 – Jessica Gibbons-Rauch has been hired as  the Marketing Manager for ZOOMcatalog; the industry’s leader in digital marketing technologies. Gibbons-Rauch will lead the strategic marketing direction for the brand and work with Bryony Zasman and Donna Lomazini to align product messaging with application. Gibbons-Rauch comes with robust experience in the promotional products market on both the distributor side and the service provider side of the industry.

    “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring JGR onto our team. Her experience in the promotional products industry as a distributor and with digital marketing is the perfect balance for ZOOMcatalog.” – Bryony Zasman, Co-Founder.

    Gibbons-Rauch, based in Chicago, has spent 16 years in the promotional products industry in positions with Top 40 distributors as an account manager, director of key accounts, and director of program development, merchandising, marketing, and vendor relations. She has served on the board and been the RAC delegate for PPAChicago, a PromoKitchen Chef, and was a 2014 PPB Rising Star. She has her MBA with a focus on strategic marketing from Northern Illinois University and has been a part of their Digital Marketing Board of Directors and an adjunct professor for the Digital Marketing Program. Recently, Gibbons-Rauch has been an independent consultant, working with distributors to build their operations, marketing, and merchandising programs. This year she has been a presenter at the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference, SAGE Show, Shirt Lab, and Promotional Products Association Canada Conference. She has also been a guest on podcasts such as Tacos with Jay and Jeff, Promo Insider, Delivering Marketing Joy, PromoEQP Got Your Back, CommonSKU Skucast, and Order My Gear.

    “I have always admired the team at ZOOMcatalog and their amazing ability to solve industry problems with a modern, cutting edge digital solution. I am so excited to be a part of their future and be able to help communicate their robust product offering," Gibbons-Rauch said.

    About ZOOMcatalog

    ZOOMcatalog is a leading technology provider to the promotional products industry, helping suppliers and distributors create, search, customize, and share powerful digital marketing materials.

  • 10/04/2021 3:02 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    PCNA Partners With JanSport®

    Supplier adds eco-friendly styles from popular bag brand to retail brand portfolio

    Pittsburgh, PA – October 4, 2021 – PCNA is once again expanding their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, JanSport®. The backpack brand joins an already impressive family of brands in not only the bags category but also among the eco-friendly styles carried by the supplier since the majority of JanSport packs available at PCNA will be made in part with recycled materials.

    When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA says, “JanSport is a brand whose legacy precedes them. They represent a feeling of nostalgia for so many people and we are thrilled to add them to our impressive portfolio of retail brand partners.” Haesler continues, “As a leader in the bags category, we take great pride in making sure we provide our distributor partners with the best selection of quality, on-trend pieces. Not only does JanSport offer a great selection of packs made in part with recycled fabrics, but their packs are designed to last and come with a limited lifetime warranty, minimizing the brand’s waste and environmental impact – so with every sale, we are one step closer to protecting our environment.”

    PCNA is launching the brand with a JanSport backpack style and more bags will be added by the end of the year and into 2022. By housing JanSport inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

    JanSport is available through PCNA in the U.S. and can be found at PCNA.com.

    # # #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

    About JanSport®
    JanSport, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC., was founded in 1967 in Seattle, WA, by three pioneers in the outdoor industry. Though the brand began by manufacturing and marketing world-class outdoor backpacks, today the product offering includes backpacks, bags and accessories sold on www.jansport.com, department stores, and specialty and boutique retail locations throughout the world. All JanSport packs are backed by a lifetime warranty to guarantee they stand by customers through their life's adventures.

  • 10/01/2021 7:00 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

     

    Dale Denham, MAS+, constantly reminds himself that, in matters of both business and life, it’s all about perspective. No two people will ever see a situation in the exact same way, he says, and therefore, it’s all a matter of how you choose to, or are able to, receive it.

    In his 30 years of experience, Denham has learned the importance of not resting on his laurels but to stretch, grow and evolve as needed—even if it’s uncomfortable. Entering into this high-profile leadership role after key positions with major industry companies, most recently as senior vice president and chief information officer of Lewiston, Maine, distributor Geiger, Denham sees his new journey with PPAI as a way to continue to drive “meaningful change.”

    “Good leaders are constantly looking at the environment around us and where it is going to lead, and while you don’t have a clear roadmap, the more you are listening to experts, both in and out of the industry, the more prepared you are for the need to change, either when that time comes or before it,” he says. “So, the way I’m preparing right now is a lot of reading, listening and observing, and trying to understand where the market will go and what people need from us. This is the job of a leader. The problems and the challenges have changed, but the role of the president and CEO is to be constantly looking to where we need to go and to prepare the team to execute on that.”

    Denham wasn’t looking for a change when he was approached about the top leadership spot at PPAI. He was content in his position at Geiger, where he’d been for more than a decade. But in considering the role with PPAI, he realized that the rich experiences and skillset he had honed while working with one of the industry’s largest distributors had also prepared him for the role.

    “I’ve been in multiple businesses in the industry, and at each one I’ve been able to drive meaningful change,” he says, adding that Geiger, which focuses on giving back to its community and reinvesting in the business, shares cultural similarities to PPAI. “It’s been an established company since 1878; so much like PPAI, it has been around for a long time and is well-respected, also much like PPAI is. One of the benefits of working at Geiger is that I have been in the role and seen the day-to-day of what the majority of our members go through. Even as large as Geiger is, the company is made up of 400-plus salespeople and all the individuals and systems that support them.”

    Geiger is considered a large distributor, but Denham says that it deals with the same challenges as most other PPAI member companies, including vendor relations, sales and technology challenges. “Since I was responsible for vendor relations, my work at Geiger gave me real insight on what to look for when working with suppliers. It also gave me a whole new respect for the importance and value of each person’s role in the supply chain,” he says.

    Denham’s area of expertise is leveraging technology to solve business problems and he enjoys exploring the potential that innovative solutions can bring to the promo space. After graduating from University of South Florida, Denham became a partner and director of a consulting group, and later was general manager of a large semiconductor and electronic component distributor. He entered the promotional products industry in 1995 as president of Impact, a small Florida-based firm that provided numerous resources to the industry, before joining Advertising Specialty Institute in 2000, where he was senior vice president.

    Over the years, Denham has been an active volunteer for his regional association, many industry groups and PPAI. He was chair of PPAI’s Technology Committee from 2013-2015, served four years on the PPAI Board of Directors, and was board chair in 2018-2019—all experiences that, although he was unaware at the time, helped prepare him even more for his new, internal role with PPAI.

    “It’s a huge head start for me,” he says of his volunteerism with PPAI, “even though being on the board you don’t know as much about the day-to-day operations. I’ve had the opportunity to have relationships with most of the staff and look forward to developing those relationships further in the years ahead. Becoming a board member and seeing things from a board perspective, and then going back to becoming a PPAI member only, really helps too, to know how differently you view things when you’re on the inside of an organization versus on the outside. Having both perspectives is immensely useful.”

    But it wasn’t only industry-related scenarios that guided Denham on how to serve as an effective and thoughtful leader. As a lover of world travel, a few years ago, he visited the Ryan-ji Temple Rock Garden in Kyoto, Japan. The majestic garden belonging to the Zen temple features 15 boulders, which visitors observe as they take in their surroundings. However, no matter where a visitor stands in the garden, it’s only possible to see 14 of the 15 boulders at once, and tradition says that it’s only possible to see all 15 after reaching enlightenment. “Whoever made this garden, part of their thinking, they say, is for you to realize that no person is perfect because we all have limited perspective,” he says.

    From this, Denham gathers that no matter how much experience you may have, or where you are standing (both physically and mentally), there is always something left to learn, someone left to understand and another way to grow.

    “I would say that being on the board helped me see more ‘rocks,’ and being on the inside has helped me see even more. And by being able to see the rocks from different perspectives, I’ll be able to adjust and say, ‘from this perspective it looks this way and we can do this,’ and vice versa. Our suppliers and distributors face this same choice, because what looks good to one of our members may not look as good from the other perspective.”

    Outside of the industry, Denham keeps busy (and keeps his perspective) as the father of four—two sons, ages 18 and 17, and twin daughters, age 12. Married to his high school sweetheart, their clan also includes a five-year-old Goldendoodle.

    As someone who has commuted and traveled for his job more than 50 percent of the time since the mid-’90s, Denham relies on a tightknit network of family and friends to lend a hand if needed. “I had already figured out that work-life balance, giving my family what they need and getting enough family time, and being able to invest in them and them in me when I’m around.” But the coronavirus pandemic, and the slowdown it required, he says, allowed him and his family time to spend together that was truly cherished. “We have a great sort of tradition where, if we’re home, our dinners are a lot of fun, and out of all the things we’re going to miss, it’s having as many dinners as we had during the past year and a half.”

    Moving forward, Denham says his focus over the next six months will be on “listening and engaging with the PPAI team, the active volunteers and greater membership.” He says, “While I like moving quickly to add value, I’m not going to move too quickly overall because, again, I need perspective. So, internally it’s important to figure out what’s really going on and where I can contribute, while also understanding the team we have and need, and what our members need in the long-term. What we needed five years ago or even two years ago isn’t what we need today,” he says. “Beyond that, I think I’ll know more around day 90 or 100 about what we’ll be doing in the next year and beyond.”  

    ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

    Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB.

    FILED UNDER PROFILE | DALE DENHAM | PPAI'S NEW LEADERSHIP | PPAI WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO | GEIGER | OCTOBER 2021 | RYAN-JI TEMPLE ROCK GARDEN | PERSPECTIVE AND LEADERSHIP

  • 08/16/2021 4:15 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    PCNA Expands ‘Home’ Collection With New Categories

    Supplier Capitalizes On Global Trends By Adding Candles, Plants And More

    Pittsburgh, PA – August 16, 2021 – PCNA has expanded its line of housewares with the addition of new categories, including candles, plants and more. This move strengthens the supplier’s position as an industry leader in identifying and adopting global trends.

    “We couldn’t be more excited to expand our collection of housewares,” says Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA. “The home improvement movement isn’t new, but its popularity has grown wildly over the last 18 months, and we see a lot of potential for this to be a hit within the promotional products industry as well. People are spending more time at home, and lots of companies are letting employees continue to work remotely, so gifts that spruce up the home are in high demand,” Haesler continues. “Our product development experts pay close attention to trends, making sure we’re providing the most sought-after items. When you look at all our products for the home, you’ll see a curated assortment based on the research we’ve done. It’s not just about what’s new here – it’s about expanding on a category with which we’re already seeing great success. It’s always our goal at PCNA to offer the industry’s best product selection.”

    New brands like EKOBO, Good & Well Supply Co. and Sprigbox are already gaining popularity on PCNA.com, and the supplier will continue to add to its housewares collection with future product launches. “We’re never satisfied. We’re always looking for room to grow, and this is just the next step forward for PCNA,” added Haesler.

    In addition to candles, grow kits and eco-friendly kitchenware, PCNA offers wine and cheese sets, insulated drinkware, blankets and more. To see the entire assortment, go to PCNA.com.

    #    #   #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.


  • 08/09/2021 11:38 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)


    PCNA Partners With Top Mobile Power Brand mophie

    mophie is a global leader in portable power and mobile charging technology


    Pittsburgh, PA – August 9, 2021 – PCNA is thrilled to announce that they’ve expanded their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, mophie®, a global leader in mobile charging technology. This partnership significantly strengthens PCNA’s position as an industry leader in tech.

    When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer for PCNA says, “We are ecstatic to add mophie to the PCNA brand family with the launch of seven new power banks and wireless charging pads. We’re always looking to bring popular products into promo at the same time they’re getting hot in retail. And mophie is such a huge name in charging technology, so we couldn’t wait to bring them on board. It comes at a great time, too. With travel restrictions winding down, people are getting out and exploring more than ever, creating tons of demand for portable charging technology.” Haesler continues, “As a tech leader in promo, it’s important for us to offer the best selection in the industry. We want our customers to feel that they can rely on us to fulfill their needs, and mophie helps make our assortment that much better. We’re elated to offer mophie products as part of our tech selection.”

    “At mophie, we see ourselves as the leader in portable power and mobile charging technology, and we know PCNA is recognized as a tech leader within the promotional products industry,” said Chris Ahern, chief executive officer for mophie.  “We’re excited to partner with such a world-class team in our pursuit of solving the need for power.”

    By housing mophie inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

    “We’re also excited to add mophie products to our Perfectly Packaged™ program,” Haisler mentions. “Mobile charging tech makes a great gift for anyone, especially when it’s a popular brand like mophie. And now we can take it a step further by giving customers the option to combine mophie products with other PCNA items for a custom gift box that can be drop shipped directly to people’s homes or offices. It’s a game-changer for gifting.”

    PCNA currently has an assortment of seven mophie power banks and wireless charge pads, all of which are sold decorated. You can view the entire mophie collection at PCNA.com.

    # # #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.


  • 07/16/2021 3:02 PM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

    PCNA Introduces New Vice President of Sales

    Veteran Sales Executive Bill Peterson Brings 30+ Years of Experience to Promotional Products Leader

    PITTSBURGH, PA — July 15, 2021 — PCNA announced today that Bill Peterson has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. With more than 30 years of sales experience, Peterson comes to the promotional products supplier from Direct Sourcing Solutions, where he was Vice President of Sales and Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing sales in both North America and the European Union.

    “We are thrilled to add Bill to our team,” said Holly Brown, Chief Revenue Officer. “With his customer-centric approach, Bill is laser focused on making things easier and delivering real value for our distributor partners. He’s an outstanding leader whose experience and expertise will be an immense benefit to both our organization and the customers we serve.”

    Having spent much of his career with Staples, Peterson brings a long track record of success to PCNA, leading new business development and account management in the United States and Canada. He takes over as Vice President of Sales for David Grobisen, who spent 16 years with PCNA.

    #    #   #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

    CONTACT:

    Kara Reilly

    Marketing Specialist

    kreilly@pcna.com

  • 06/28/2021 9:32 AM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)

     


    PCNA LAUNCHES CAMELBAK® TRITAN™ RENEW DRINKWARE STYLES

    Supplier To Offer Bottles Made From 50% Recycled Material

    PCNA is excited to announce the launch of four CamelBak Tritan Renew water bottles. The new Tritan Renew styles are made from 50% recycled material, supporting the company’s focus on bringing more sustainable styles to the promotional products market.

    Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA says, “We are extremely fortunate that we have a brand partner like CamelBak who is continuously looking to improve their eco footprint. We have had huge success with our CamelBak drinkware line and know this shift toward sustainable styles will only continue to drive demand,” continues Haesler. “These new pieces have the same style and durability that our customers love about CamelBak which is why we’ve made a conscious shift to only offer the Tritan Renew styles as part of our CamelBak plastic bottle collection.”

    “We have seen the shift that PCNA has made toward sustainability, so we couldn’t think of a better company to offer our Tritan Renew styles,” says Phil Notheis, Director of Product Management for CamelBak. “The call to climate action asks for continued innovation and unique sustainable solutions. We will continue to evolve our most sustainable products, knowing we can always do better,” continues Notheis. “Introducing a 50% recycled material in our best-selling bottles while maintaining durable integrity is something we are thrilled to bring to the promotional products marketplace.”

    PCNA will be replacing their Chute and Eddy®+ styles with new Tritan Renew pieces. The Tritan Renew styles are highly durable, dishwasher safe and free of BPA, BPS and BPF chemicals. All four styles will be sold in the U.S. and Canada and are available now at PCNA.com.

    #    #   #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

    About CamelBak

    Founded in 1989, CamelBak invented the hands-free hydration category and is the global leader in personal hydration gear. CamelBak is achieving its mission to continually reinvent and forever change the way people hydrate and perform by offering a mix of award-winning products that include everything from technical hydration packs to reusable bottles. For more information, go to www.camelbak.com.

    CONTACT:

    Kara Reilly

    Marketing Specialist

    kreilly@pcna.com

  • 05/24/2021 10:07 AM | Eliana Franklin (Administrator)


    PCNA EXPANDS TECHNOLOGY LINEUP BY LAUNCHING BOSE PRODUCTS

    Company to offer selection of speakers from corporate gifting powerhouse

    PITTSBURGH, PA —May 24, 2021— PCNA is excited to announce the addition of Bose, the leaders of sound innovation, to their industry-leading technology lineup. PCNA now offer select Bluetooth® speakers, which are stocked in-house at PCNA’s Pittsburgh warehouse and are available for quick turn through the company’s SureShip® service.

    When asked about their newest retail brand, Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA explains, “This is about more than just offering products from one of the greatest sound companies in the world, it’s about making sure our customers can rely on PCNA for all their needs. Bose is a brand known around the globe for their unmatched sound quality and PCNA is known in the industry for our dedication to technology and product safety, with an entire team in place who works solely on this product category,” Haesler continues. “We are extremely honored to offer Bose products as part of our tech assortment.”

    “It gives us great pleasure to align with PCNA to bring a selection of Bose speakers to the promotional products market,” according to a representative of Bose’s authorized distributor for corporate gifts and incentives. “We are a company that prides ourselves on representing Bose for corporate gifts, incentives and rewards. In talking with the PCNA tech team, we understand that they share those same values through both product development and decoration. We have full trust in them to bring these products to promo.”

    By housing Bose inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

    “We have also received feedback from customers that a brand like Bose would be a great addition to our Perfectly Packaged™ offering,” Haesler mentions. “A brand as recognizable and sought after as Bose makes a great gift on its own but we love that we can take it one step further by having an option to pair a Bose speaker with other PCNA items for a custom gift set that can be drop shipped right to people’s homes.”

    PCNA currently has two Bose Bluetooth® speaker styles available, the Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth® Speaker and the Bose Soundlink Revolve II Bluetooth® Speaker, with plans to expand the product selection in the future. Both speakers are sold decorated. You can view the Bose collection at PCNA.com.

    #    #   #

    About PCNA

    PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyconcept, the world ’s leading promotional products supplier. With headquarters near Pittsburgh, Pa., PCNA operates Trimark, Leed ’s, Bullet, JournalBooks and ETS Express, offering customers the industry ’s biggest and most diverse collection of products. To learn more, go to www.pcna.com.

    CONTACT:

    Kara Reilly

    Marketing Specialist

    kreilly@pcna.com


INDUSTRY NEWS

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