Propell Corporation to Acquire The Branding Spot

Propell Corporation, San Anselmo, Calif., announced that it has agreed to acquire assets of The Branding Spot, a promotional products and apparel company originally based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and named its founder, Brett Kaufman, as senior director of marketing.

At Propell Corporation,, Kaufman will oversee all marketing, PR, social media, and community engagement. He will report to Ed Bernstein, CEO of Propell Corporation.

Kaufman founded The Branding Spot in 2006, before being named to his most recent position as a senior marketing executive of San Francisco's Livescribe Inc. At Livescribe, he led that company's e-commerce and online marketing initiatives. He has also been involved in the publishing, online media, and entertainment industries.

"Brett brings tremendous e-commerce and social media marketing skills to Propell—along with broad experience selling to our exact markets," Bernstein said. "We're delighted, and fortunate to have him on board, as well as to have the opportunity to serve his past customers."

The Branding Spot's focus was similar to Propell's, targeting K-12, colleges and the sorority and fraternity markets, and pioneering the use of online ordering for its clients. "The Branding Spot helped hundreds of brands and companies with their promotional and apparel needs over the past five years, so I understand what customers need. That's why I'm extremely excited to be part of the Propell brand," Kaufman said.

He added, "On-demand fulfillment like Propell's is the future of retail in the 21st century, and Propell's combination of marketing, technology and customer service is perfectly poised to meet that need. I am eager to help spread the PropellShops brand to new customers around the country—with particular focus on the school, military and small business markets."

Kaufman's role is effective immediately. The acquisition, in the form of an asset purchase, is expected to close later in November.