Must Read | The Coolest Stuff In Promo THE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY is built on innovation. Distributors are constantly looking for the latest products, newest suppliers and freshest ways to communicate, market and sell. And suppliers are always seeking superior materials, more efficient processes and reliable partners. After all, if you want a lengthy, fruitful career in promo, you simply can’t rest on your laurels, especially with the breakneck pace of doing business in 2024. So, we’re recognizing the ideas, trends and movements making an undeniable impact on the industry. Consider these novel concepts as ways to improve business and your community, as well as inspiration for a better world and bottom line. Coolest Apparel Trend For Remote Workers Who Do Yoga With so many retail brands entering the promo market, quiet luxury – high-end items with subtle branding – is on the rise. “Ten years ago, our industry was very in-your-face with branding,” says Chelsea Williams, owner and CEO of Spark Branded Solutions. “Everyone wanted their logo as big and as colorful as they could get it. But that’s not what people want to wear outside of work. So, if you’re doing a nice apparel piece with quiet luxury in mind, you make the logo tonal, or maybe it’s in a secondary location instead of left chest.” Coolest Tag Team Partner Since André The Giant Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak, co-founders of sustainability-focused supplier Rupt and its venture arm Rupt Ventures, aim to invest in “founder-led businesses with compelling stories and unparalleled potential within the promo industry.” Read all about the first supplier they've backed, Sweeter Cards, on page 34 of this issue. Coolest Campaign That Doesn’t Bombard Us With Annoying Commercials PromoCares, a volunteer-driven group of industry members dedicated to corporate social and environmental responsibility, is making a difference in the world. Its latest PromoCares 4Good campaign was Water4Good, which raised $150,836 to build AquaTowers for disadvantaged schools and communities in Mexico. The initiative benefitted the Planet Water Foundation, a nonprofit focused on bringing clean water access and hygiene education programs to the world’s most impoverished communities. 42 • MAY 2024 • PPAI
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