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With this in mind, we have
completely rebuilt our web-
site and will continue to roll
out improvements in the
future. With our new site,
using better, more intuitive
search tools we can provide
our customers with an easier
way to find the solution that
fits their needs.
PPB
What business prac-
tices do you feel suppliers
should begin phasing out?
Isaacson
We are not smart
enough to be able to tell
somebody else how to run
their business. We try to do
what we believe is best for
our customers and others will
have to decide what they
think is best.
PPB
What are some of the
less obvious benefits to
staying ahead of the curve
as a promotional products
business?
Isaacson
I have been run-
ning Gemline since 1994
and have seen most of our
competitors from that time
disappear. For the remaining
competitors, they have sur-
vived through a form of nat-
ural selection. They are well-
run companies with signifi-
cant resources. When the
world is changing, especially
as fundamentally as it is
today, sometimes you have
to take a chance or try to do
something different in order
to be successful in the
future.
(Continued from previous page)
62 •
PPB
• JULY 2016
THINK
WE CAN’T SEEM TO
put our phones and tablets down for more than a few minutes a
day, but when we do, what do we see? The brains behind Portland, Oregon-based
Toast hope it will be laser-etched logos, brand names or other custom images on its
wood and leather device covers. In addition to tablets, laptops and smartphones, Toast
makes face frames for Pebble Smartwatch.
Launched with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, Toast laser-cuts
ultra-thin covers from responsibly sourced wood and bamboo, which are
paired with a 3M adhesive to adhere them to devices rather than being
snapped on. Customer-submitted high-res images and vector files become
the templates for designs that make each cover unique to its recipient or, in
the case of branding, the gift-giver. Big-name brands that have graced Toast
covers include American Airlines, Nike and Nexus by LG.
Custom device cases catch consumers on the flipside
BRANDABLE
Toast products are laser-cut from
wood veneers and leather.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOAST
You Say
Goodbye
,
Brands Say
Hello