From PPAI Drew Holmgreen President & CEO 05.25 Partnerships are strategic. They’ll amplify our voice. But more importantly, they let us create joy together – powerfully and with purpose. Starting The Movement HERE I SIT, HEADING INTO MONTH FOUR in this amazing industry. And I have to say that every moment builds on the last and reassures me of what I felt coming in. We are creators of joy. And with all the incredible things I have seen and products I have tried out, you know what’s really cool in promo right now? Partnerships. Not the “You bring chips, I’ll bring dip” kind (though let’s be honest, that’s a top-tier partnership), but the kind where associations come together, Avengers-style, to flip the script. Here’s the thing: Branded merchandise has been showing up, loud and proud, in every corner of the consumer experience for decades. But for some reason, when the rooms full of big brand execs and marketing strategists get together to map out a brand’s ecosystem, promo often shows up fashionably late, if it gets invited at all. I’ve experienced it in my past, working at agencies, and that’s a problem. Because in its purest form, branded merch is the medium that people carry with them, wear proudly, gift to friends and keep on their desks long after the TV spot fades or the algorithm buries the post. My long-term vision is to make sure promo is no longer the afterthought. I want it at the head of the table. That’s why I’m on a mission to build a coalition of marketing-industry associations – what I like to call the “Superfriends” of brand strategy. We’re talking about the American Marketing Association, American Advertising Federation, American Association of Advertising Agencies (aka the 4As), the Public Relations Society of America, the Radio Advertising Bureau, the News/Media Alliance, Digital Advertising Alliance … the whole crew. Together, we can reframe the conversation. We can position promotional products as more than just swag (although to be honest, I like that word a lot). These products are the gateway to emotional, long-lasting brand connections. At the heart of all this is advocacy, too. Because let’s face it, when the economy gives us the roller coaster treatment – and we’re all feeling it right now – marketing is usually first on the chopping block. But cutting brand presence during uncertainty is like putting your umbrella away because it’s raining. As a collective of associations, we can champion the value of integrated marketing and remind brands that this is actually the perfect time to invest and double down on the power of putting something tangible, useful and emotionally resonant in someone’s hands. That’s where real loyalty is built. But I don’t just want alliances for the sake of alignment. I want joyful collaboration. Joy is the unspoken ingredient in all great marketing. It’s what happens when someone zips up a branded hoodie and feels like they’re part of something bigger, or when they slap that sticker on their laptop and become a walking billboard because they actually want to be. That joy is what turns everyday people into influencers – not because they’re paid, but because they believe. So yeah, partnerships are the coolest thing in promo right now, if you ask me. They’re strategic. They’ll amplify our voice. But more importantly, they let us create joy together – powerfully and with purpose. And if we do this right, next time the brand strategy meeting kicks off, someone will say, “OK, what are we doing for promo?” And the rest of the room will nod, because they already know: We’re not the afterthought. We’re the movement. 4 • MAY 2025 • PPAI
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