National Pizza Party Day is May 20, and Pizza Hut is celebrating with a fun online promotion. Well, Pizza Hut Australia, anyway. (While there's plenty of NPPD fanfare around the internet, U.S. Pizza Huts do not appear to be partaking.) Regardless, the promotion involves an online prize wheel, branded merchandise and a nostalgic pop culture tie-in...
Sean Norris
If you were spooked by the idea of virtual merchandise eventually replacing the physical kind, well, this should calm your nerves: Even the biggest names in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency are using real branded merchandise. A lot of it. Bored Ape Yacht Club, for example, has a full online store stocked with...
Who was the biggest duo of the '80s? It was Doritos and "Stranger Things," obviously. OK, only one of those was actually around in the '80s, but no matter. The two are teaming up to promote the upcoming fourth season of the hit Netflix series with a virtual concert featuring '80s pop royalty, special Doritos packaging and some killer concert merch...
These days, it feels like every brand is going the nostalgia route for advertising, marketing and branded merchandise. And why not? It works. But what's the only thing more nostalgic than current brands drawing on older designs and properties for new promotions? How about merch for brands that have been out of business for decades?...
It seems that 4imprint is back. The distributor said in a trading update last week that it is on track to reach $1 billion in revenue for 2022. MarketWatch also reported that the company's order counts for the first four months of the year were 11% higher than in 2019, while average order value was up 27%...
This time last year, the print and promo industry seemed poised for an explosion of M&A activity as the business fallout from the pandemic became clearer. Did it happen? Plus, recapping the big acquisitions from the last year, predicting where industry M&A will go next, and things to consider if you’re buying or selling...
In part two, John dives into the story behind Club Colors and what they do. Throughout the discussion, he talks about being a full-service brand management provider and what that means. He also takes it one step further, talking about the benefits of being that provider for clients and the thrill of creating an individual experience for each one...
Most virus restrictions have been lifted and business has returned, but the print and promo industry continues to grapple with the ongoing ripple effects of the pandemic: inflation, materials shortages, staffing challenges and more. We break down five big issues to watch for the rest of 2022...
The 94th Academy Awards are happening Sunday, March 27, and while we are woefully behind on this year's nominees, we are fully up to speed on the most important aspect of the Oscars: the extravagant and usually ridiculous gift bag the nominees receive each year. This year's bag does not disappoint...
Over the years, there have been some monumental advances in video game controller technology. The Atari joystick became the NES controller, which became the PlayStation DualShock controller, and so on. But today, friends, we are here to tell you that the next evolution of the video game controller has arrived. And it is covered in electric blue fur...
When life gives you lemons, they say, make lemonade. But they never tell you what to do if staff shortages at a transportation company leave your lemons trapped on a truck 300 miles away with no one available to drive them to you on time for your event. That’s the situation Raining Rose Inc. found itself in just before this year’s PPAI Expo...
Product prices are up across the board for 2022—in some cases greatly so. For some product categories, like tech and outdoor products, prices are still rising. How can distributors protect their margins while keeping customers from leaving for the lowest bidder?...
If acquiring and retaining top talent is more critical than ever, it’s also more difficult. Employees now have most of the leverage, and the print and promo industry faced an uphill battle in attracting talent even before the pandemic. Industry companies need to step up their game if they want to keep valuable employees and bring in new ones...
InkSoft and Printavo, a pair of cloud-based software providers for the decorated apparel and promotional products industries, were acquired yesterday by PSG and Blue Star Innovation Partners, both private equity firms. Former competitors, InkSoft and Printavo offer similar services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed...
Super Bowl LVI is this weekend, and the NFL is paying homage to Los Angeles, the game's host city, in the most fitting way possible. No, the league isn't staging a three-hour traffic jam on the 101. But it is working with four LA streetwear brands to release limited-edition apparel and merchandise capsules celebrating the city and the game...
