The panelists also emphasized the importance of reframing promotional products as a core marketing channel, rather than an afterthought. Holmgreen hinted at PPAI’s intention to reposition the medium as a true marketing channel, not an afterthought, pointing to promo’s advantage of recall and likeability with target audiences. “We are twice as impactful as digital, and digital gets a hell of a lot more spend,” Holmgreen said. “When you bring data, focused numbers, return on investment and become both a creative and financial consultant to [clients], now you’ve got the opportunity to really make your mark and help us make that turn from pushing products to pushing concepts. At the end of the day, that’s what brands need – conceptual partners. And that’s where we can really break through.” Economic uncertainty, the panelists said, has only accelerated innovation. As client budgets have tightened, that means a focus on maintaining margins, with an emphasis on technology. Alavez prompted deeper discussion on opportunities through AI, automation and robotics. Andrews pointed to apparel firms already envisioning warehouses run by robots within five years. Both agreed that education will be key to capitalizing on the changing landscape. Both organizations have recently rolled out new education initiatives, including the PPAI Advance professional development track. While the two national organizations compete in some ways, both leaders underscored the value of regional associations and stressed the complementary role of each entity. Holmgreen alluded to a reforming relationship between PPAI and ASI. The two organizations have partnered on advocacy and some research projects and frequently attend one another’s events. “We both do things extremely well,” Holmgreen said. “The regional associations, versus our two groups, are paramount for anybody who is going to advance in this industry. You can invest in yourself in ways that are local, national and global. And that’s where the power comes in.” Andrews called the regional associations “the heart of the industry,” a source of community, relationships and support system, while national organizations provide broader scale for education, large events and international reach. PPAI Media LIVE Reveals 6 Industry Trends & Predictions Just past the halfway mark of a transformative year for the promotional products industry, PPAI Media brought together a panel of industry insiders to help businesses understand and respond to the forces shaping their path forward. The “PPAI Media LIVE: 2025 Mid-Year Trends & Predictions” webcast on July 29 was an insight-rich session exploring how current market pressures are compelling firms across the industry to adapt with greater precision and strategic intent. The conversation was moderated by newly minted PPAI Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Ralston and featured expert insights from: • Alok Bhat, market economist, research & public affairs lead, PPAI • Jodie Schillinger, executive vice president, Maple Ridge Farms, PPAI 100’s No. 49 supplier • Jeffrey Wurtzel, senior vice president of marketing, HALO, PPAI 100’s No. 2 distributor “We’ve asked some tough questions and some forward-looking questions,” Ralston said of the work prepared going into the session. “We’re not just reflecting on the past, but we’re really preparing for what’s ahead.” Amid external and promo-specific factors, the PPAI Media LIVE session identified six industry trends that are pertinent going forward for the rest of the year. Those trends include: • Growth is slowing and firms must adjust. • Tariff pressure is reshaping global sourcing. “This is one of the most significant moments that we have seen this year,” says Bhat, in regard to the tariff pressure. “More than 64% of PPAI 100 suppliers say that they are actively expanding their sourcing beyond China. The new sourcing map includes Vietnam, India, Mexico and the United States as a local source.” • Buyers are demanding more than products (including personalization, ESG and speed). • Fulfillment is becoming a strategic priority. • Resilience will define the winners. “Post-tariff volatility really has required prioritizing client needs,” Schillinger said. “It has given a lot of firms the opportunity to flex their agility and resilience. That’s not anything new, necessarily, but things like pricing and speed now dominate conversations.” • Advocacy is turning strategic. “Some of these points are accelerating and have been building for years,” said Wurtzel, after the six trends had been listed. “The biggest thing we’ve invested in is what we call value-add services. That’s a pretty wide range of things. Fulfillment, which was mentioned, is one of them, but there’s likely 20 important value-add services that preserve profit and margin.” 94 • OCTOBER 2025 • PPAI Community | Inside PPAI
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