PM Longform

Requests for artwork and designs using other brands' intellectual property without permission—honest mistake or not—are a growing challenge for distributors. What's the motivation behind the practice, known as brand hijacking, and how can industry companies address it?...

More than a year into a contentious trade war with China, uncertainty remains the only sure thing. With significant tariff increases looming that include most promotional products imported from China, here’s where the promo industry stands while we wait for answers—and how some promo businesses are dealing with the situation...

Depending on who you ask, there's either a critical shortage of truck drivers or nothing to see here. Where does that leave promo businesses—and what can the industry do to guard against emerging issues and a changing ground-shipping landscape?...

Millennials are already having major success in the industry, and crushing stereotypes along the way. Here’s how promo companies are attracting them to the business side...

The promo industry has come a long way from the days of cheap giveaways, the proverbial "trinkets and trash." The best companies have put the focus on value, quality and responsible sourcing, helping the industry to a record-breaking $23.3 billion in 2017 revenue. So why can't it shake the nagging perception that it sells mostly cheap swag—and why does it matter?...

This is the story of a company using marketing to push on Americans a product that could kill them. This is a story of greed, and loss, and delayed corporate responses, and regulatory failure. This is the story of a promotional campaign, and everything that came after. This is the story of how Purdue Pharma marketed America's opioid crisis, the surprising role promotional products played, and where we go from here...