Colleen McKenna

Your clients want coats that not only make the wearer look good, but their brand too. Here are 10 things to keep in mind as you sell gear for winter 2014/2015.

Planning ahead is part of the job description at a magazine. We plan the stories we will write, who will travel to industry events, when the magazine will go to the printer and then out to you, when we will take a long weekend so that it does not interfere with production. We are always planning at least a month or two ahead of time. Promotional products distributors plan even further in advance by selling programs three or four months (or even a year) ahead of the event or giveaway.

Studies show that Americans prefer soccer to NASCAR. Here are five items to sell to soccer fans.

Three women reported finding notes from factory workers in their garments from Primark, though the company claims it does not manufacture clothing in sweatshops. 

Decoration methods in the promotional industry are ever-expanding. You already know the top two decoration options for apparel and accessories—embroidery and screen printing—but rhinestones and dye sublimation both have loyal followings as well. Decorators always are exploring different ways to apply these imprint favorites, coming up with creative ways to get the most out of the item's decoration. This exploration can create a lot of choices for you and your clients, the biggest of which being indirect or direct decoration.

Self-promotion is often an afterthought for promotional distributors. You are so busy running around promoting your clients' brands that you forget about promoting your own. Grandee Ann Ray, president/CEO of Grand Ideas Inc., Charleston, S.C., shared a self-promotion she did to promote her promotional business and support a local eco-friendly nonprofit.

A look at a school promotion that went beyond the standard notebooks and pencils.

The low-down on selling in-store displays and shopping bags to the retail market.

Last night was The Met Gala and the fashion stars in attendance displayed new trends for spring and summer.

Imprinted T-shirts are in with the fashion elite. Here's how they are styling the tees.

Promo Marketing had certain expectations when interviewing sources for the health care feature: We'd hear about hospitals and sunscreen, mostly. While we did hear about those, we learned something new: Health care promotions no longer revolve around health care companies or products. The most successful wellness-related promotions were ones for companies outside of the health care market that used items not typically seen at hospitals and health centers. Here's how to tackle the health care market from the outside.

Fashion brands are introducing gym gear lines. Here's how to add style to your workout and wellness promotions.

Providing cross-promotion products increases the brand exposure for your client(s). Here are two cross-market promotion ideas to celebrate warm weather.

Fashion month (New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks) has come to a close. Here are the top five trends to know as you sell apparel for next fall.

Five apparel pieces fit for any stadium, team or any baseball-loving client to give away.