Advertising Specialty Institute

Sloan Coleman, co-owner of St. Louis print shop Tiny Little Monster, came up with a way to generate revenue for themselves and other struggling small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first time in more than a decade, promotional products distributors’ collective sales experienced a quarterly decline, dropping nearly 5% in Q1 2020. In this podcast, Counselor Executive Editor Christopher Ruvo and Nathaniel Kucsma, ASI’s Executive Director of Research & Corporate Marketing, discuss the out-of-the-blue drop, offer insights on how 2020 industry sales will go, and share signs of hope for a revenue rebound.

In this episode of the Promo Insiders podcast, Sara Lavenduski of Advantages magazine speaks with Counselor’s Chris Ruvo, staff writer John Corrigan and multimedia coordinator Kyle Ashenfelder about what they’ve been up to in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. The group’s been getting into different streaming shows, learning new things and following fun social media accounts.

In this edition of the Promo Insiders podcast, Sara Lavenduski with ASI Canada welcomes Fabio Campanella, a tax, investment and personal finance expert with Campanella McDonald LLP in Toronto, for a look into key aspects of the government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan and how it benefits companies and workers who’ve been hard-hit by the recent business shutdown orders.

This Promo Insiders podcast explores the ramifications of Wayfair v. South Dakota, a landmark case that completely changed the rules of sales tax for online companies. Featuring Stan Hansen, director of tax for the ASI Family of Companies, and hosted by senior writer John Corrigan, the podcast includes a discussion about the obligations of suppliers and distributors when collecting sales tax and how to avoid the administrative headaches.

In late March, HanesBrands (asi/59528) came up with a design for three-ply cotton face masks, working closely with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to meet a critical need among frontline workers fighting the spread of the coronavirus. In the span of a week, the apparel company was able to finalize designs, get approval by the Food and Drug Administration, and then convert its factories from T-shirt, fleece and other basics and ramp up production on millions of masks. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content at ASI, chats with Rachel Newman, vice president and general manager of Hanes Activewear, to learn more about how this impressive feat was accomplished.

Randy Chen, the president of Impex International, shares an in-depth account of the harrowing personal health battle he went through after contracting the coronavirus.

In this edition of the Promo Insiders podcast, we break down the CARES Act – the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package signed into law last week – and how it pertains to small-business owners. Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content, talks with Tom Vaughn, a corporate finance lawyer with Detroit-based law firm Dykema, about the best loan and grant opportunities that struggling entrepreneurs can pursue right now.

This Promo Insiders podcast explores how Utica, NY-based distributorship A&P Masters Images (asi/102019) has successfully pivoted to selling – and even producing -- personal protective equipment that’s badly needed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Featuring A&P CEO Howard Potter and hosted by Counselor Executive Editor Christopher Ruvo, the podcast includes a discussion about the controversy in promo over selling PPE, as well pitfalls and protections of which industry firms must be mindful.

Based in Seattle, Gifts by Design is essentially at “ground zero” for the coronavirus in the U.S. Company President Jamie Stone explains how she and her team have been coping with working from home for the last three weeks and the economic impact the pandemic has had on her business. Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content at ASI, spoke with Jamie Stone about the devastating impact of the coronavirus on her business and the promotional products industry as a whole in the latest episode of Promo Insiders.

Growing a business requires owners to know where they are, where they want to go and their roadmap to getting there. In this podcast, senior editor Sara Lavenduski speaks with Maria Brady of Marakae Marketing in Pittsburgh about her experience in the industry, where she is now and her plans for moving forward.

Working from home. Social distancing. Quarantines. This is the new reality for millions of Americans as the government tries to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These extreme measures have completely upended the rhythms of everyday life as people cope with extended isolation. In this latest episode of Promo Insiders, Editor-in-Chief C.J. Mittica and Counselor Executive Editor discuss what companies in the promo industry are doing to make it through difficult times, what creative tactics distributors can use to hold onto orders, and why at the other end of this crisis lies hope.

ASI’s editorial team steps into the time machine to discuss the growing demand for ‘90s fashion, ‘80s movies and other products from yesteryear in this groovy edition of the Promo Insiders podcast.

BAMKO (asi/131431) executives Phil Koosed and Joshua White deliver powerful insights about coronavirus’ current and future impacts on the promotional products industry in the first ever Promo Insiders podcast.

It’s been nearly two years since Wayfair v. South Dakota, a landmark case that completely changed the rules of sales tax for online companies. The decision has created a major administrative challenge within the promotional products industry. Companies potentially have to know the sales tax laws of every state, file sales tax forms for every state and be registered to do business in every state. Bradley Scott, whose wife is the president of their family-owned wholesale jewelry company Halstead Beads in Prescott, AZ, will be speaking at a Congressional hearing regarding the Wayfair case on March 3. In this podcast, Scott explains the issues his company has faced by collecting online sales tax, his recommendations to the government on fixing the process and how other business owners can get involved.

ASI's Vinnie Driscoll interviews Javier Melendez of All Star Incentive Marketing about his use of the social media platform TikTok, the effects it's had on his business, and whether those in the promo industry should be using it.

Vinnie Driscoll is joined by Abby Koss, ASI’s director of marketing on the distributor side, to talk about the best time to post on social media.

Vinnie Driscoll is joined by Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content, to discuss some of the changes they'd love to see on social media platforms. Tired of not being able to edit tweets? You're not alone!

HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000) rocked the promo industry again with its latest Top 40 acquisition: Axis Promotions (asi/128263). The move potentially makes HALO the second largest distributor in the industry, with combined revenue of nearly $660 million. In this exclusive podcast, HALO CEO Marc Simon and Axis President Larry Cohen reveal how the deal came together and what’s next for both companies.

What impact is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in China having on the North American promo products industry? How will it affect the supply chain, shipment timing and costs, planning, business travel overseas, and even human health? Larry Whitney, Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America’s (PCNA, asi/78897) director of global compliance, is an expert on overseas sourcing and manufacturing. In this exclusive podcast, he offers insights into those pressing questions.