CPPA Wishes You A Very Happy New Year!
As the New Year begins, we are filled with hope and new expectations for 2025.
CPPA is thankful for all the support we have received from each of you in 2024
and look forward to working alongside all of you this year.
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As the new year begins, so do our membership renewals.
Memberships renew every year on January 1 and last for the entire calendar year.
You should have received an email with a membership renewal notification in December.
If you have not already done so, please click here to renew for 2025.
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Presenting the 2025 CPPA Board of Directors...
It's going to be a great year!
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January 29, 2025 Wild Wednesday Webinar:
“5 Big Trends Dominating the Branded Merch Game (and How to Win)"
Virtually every major media outlet, from The New York Times to Vogue, now highlights stories celebrating merch. Why? “Merch madness” has entered a new era, where brand expression and personal identity create a bold opportunity for those who understand the cultural zeitgeist and learn to seize its power and use it effectively. As merch pros, if we prepare for this opportunity, we can reshape our selling positions and our businesses to reap extraordinary benefits now and in the future. Join Bobby Lehew as he shares examples from the world's best merch stories –from Johnnie Walker to A24 to Glossier and Apple– and learn how these brands embrace merch to cut through the noise of distraction to impact their fans who matter most.
Learning Outcomes:
- How younger buyers now think about merch
- How the world now views merch and why that new perspective matters
- How fan-fueled engagement has radically reshaped the merch experience
- Why merch is the O of social impact marketing
- How to think bolder, better, and bigger about the opportunities of 2025
- The #1 differentiator that will help you position your business to win
Read more and register
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Join us for the Biggest and Best show in the region!
Are you ready to rock the promo stage? Amp up the selling season
with CPPA and your Supplier and Multi-line Rep crew, here to
crank up the volume on what's new and exciting for 2025.
Be sure to wear your favorite concert tee or channel your inner
rock legend and join the show! Explore the hottest promos,
score some epic swag, and amp up your product knowledge
for a chart-topping strategy for 2025.
JANUARY 30, 2025
BWI Airport Marriott
1743 W Nursery Road
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
Education Session: 9 - 10 am
Exhibits Open: 10 am - 1:30 pm
Door Prizes given away at 10 am (education attendees), 11 am and 12:30 pm!!
Must be a CPPA member and present to win
Exhibitors: Register HERE
Distributors: Register HERE
For full event details, visit: www.cppa.biz/2025-Winter-Expo
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Towel Specialties hires new Marketing Director, promotes others, as company celebrates milestone anniversary
Baltimore, MD - Towel Specialties, a Top 100 Industry Supplier, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kaytlinn Black as the company’s new Marketing Director, effective March 1, 2025. Black, who currently serves as Assistant Marketing Director, will succeed Murray Siegel, the current Marketing Director, who will be retiring at the end of February.
Black brings a wealth of experience from her previous role at Dunbrooke Apparel, where she spent eight years building brand strategies, managing campaigns, analyzing trends, and overseeing project management.
“We’re thrilled to have Kaytlinn step into the role of Marketing Director,” said Shawn Kanak, President of Towel Specialties. “Her deep expertise and passion for creative marketing were evident throughout the interview process, and we’re confident she will bring fresh, innovative ideas to the team.”
Murray Siegel, who has led Towel Specialties’ marketing efforts for many years, shared his excitement for Black’s appointment. “I’m looking forward to working closely with Kaytlinn in the months ahead,” Siegel said. “She has the experience, knowledge, and vision needed to continue leading our marketing efforts to great success. I’m confident Towel Specialties is in excellent hands as I transition into retirement.”
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In addition to Black’s promotion, Towel Specialties has announced two other key leadership changes. Angie Gaskins, a 26-year veteran of the company, has been promoted to Customer Service Manager, and Sarah Harris, who has been with Towel Specialties for 10 years, will take on the role of National Account Manager. | |
“We’re excited about these new leadership appointments,” Kanak added. “Together with our recent hire of Laura Guerrero as Vice President of Sales, we’re entering our 40th anniversary year with an incredibly strong, dynamic team. The future is bright, and we look forward to achieving new heights in 2025 and beyond.”
Towel Specialties is a leading supplier in the textile industry, known for its commitment to quality products and customer service. Celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2025, the company continues to innovate and expand, providing solutions to meet the needs of its diverse customer base.
“In addition to recently hiring Laura Guerrero as Vice President of Sales,” said Kanak, “Towel Specialties is heading into 2025 with a very strong team in place. This is our fortieth anniversary and we look forward to big things on the horizon.”
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ASB Raises over $36,000 for Local Families in Need | |
Glenwood, MN – American Solutions for Business raised over $36,000 for families in the Pope County area through their annual Adopt-A-Family initiative. For years, ASB has worked to increase fundraising efforts, allowing ASB to support more families each holiday season. This year’s contributions marked a significant milestone, allowing ASB to sponsor 20 families, including 63 children.
This growing tradition serves as the annual Christmas present to ASB founder, Larry Zavadil and American Diversity founder, Diane Zavadil. It’s made possible through the generous contributions from ASB employees and sales associates in addition to funds contributed by the Zavadils. With their support, many home office volunteers joined forces to shop for items on these families’ holiday wish lists. Essentials such as clothing, winter gear, hygiene products, household items, and toys were selected to meet the needs of each family. Once purchased, the gifts are distributed through a third-party organizer to maintain the families’ privacy.
“The ASB family is proud to support Adopt-A-Family each holiday season,” shares Larry Zavadil. “The Pope County community is special to ASB and especially those of us in Glenwood, where our headquarters are located. It’s incredibly meaningful to give back to the community and provide a helping hand to families in need.”
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Vantage Apparel Expands Webstore Offerings Through Exclusive Partnership with iClick
Avenel, NJ – Vantage Apparel is thrilled to announce an exclusive partnership with iClick to expand its offering of high-quality hard goods within the Vantage webstore platform. This collaboration represents another step forward in Vantage’s commitment to providing customers with a seamless and comprehensive on-demand solution for branded merchandise.
Building on the momentum of its exclusive partnership with Starline® earlier this year, this new alliance with iClick reflects Vantage Apparel’s ongoing strategy to partner with best-in-class suppliers. By integrating iClick’s innovative product line into Vantage’s webstore platform—which includes consumer-favorite tech products such as power banks, wireless chargers, mobile phone accessories, audio and desktop accessories—clients will now have access to a broader range of on-demand hard good products to complement their branded apparel assortment.
“Expanding our webstore platform is about delivering unmatched convenience and variety to our clients,” said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel. “The addition of iClick’s product lineup gives our customers a competitive edge by enabling them to source everything they need—from apparel to premium hard goods—through one trusted platform; just as we’ve seen in our successful collaboration with Starline®.”
The enhanced product selection from iClick will be available on the Vantage webstore platform beginning January 14, 2025. iClick’s products, like Starline®, will be part of Vantage Webstore's single-piece, decorated product offering, allowing customers to order uniquely branded items with no minimum quantity. Customers can expect an intuitive, fully integrated shopping experience, with access to a curated assortment of products ideal for corporate programs, events, and giveaways.
Jeff Roberts, CEO of iClick, shared: “Partnering with Vantage Apparel allows us to deliver the iClick collection to a wider audience through their best-in-class platform. We’re thrilled to bring our product expertise to more distributor programs and help enhance their online branded merchandise collections.”
Vantage recently unveiled its cutting-edge, single-piece webstore platform, set to revolutionize the promotional products industry. The platform boasts a range of advanced features, including Pop-Up Shops, points programs, budget allocations, powerful reporting, and order approvals, all designed to enhance user experience and streamline operations.
Notably, the new platform offers strengthened security, with PCI and SOC2 compliance, ensuring the highest standards of data protection and privacy for users. Together, Vantage, Starline® and now iClick aim to redefine how businesses procure branded merchandise through beautiful and convenient online shopping experiences.
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The Magnet Group Names Industry Veteran Lori Bolton to Lead Sales Role
Washington, MO – Promo industry veteran Lori Bolton is rejoining Counselor Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group, taking on the leadership role of vice president of key accounts. Bolton was previously with The Magnet Group as a regional sales manager but spent a couple years with a different supplier before deciding to return to the Washington, MO-headquartered firm.
“Returning to The Magnet Group to lead key accounts is incredibly exciting,” Bolton said. “With the talented team we have in place, I’m confident that 2025 will be a year of remarkable growth and success. I could not be happier and ready to go.”
In her new VP position, Bolton will be working with major clients of The Magnet Group, including national accounts and buying groups.
“Lori is nothing short of a promo rock star and bringing her aboard is a huge win for us,” said Dan Jellinek, chief revenue officer at The Magnet Group and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people. “Her incredible industry knowledge, deep relationships and track record of proven success are extremely impressive. Lori will be essential to driving our success in 2025 and beyond.”
In addition to The Magnet Group, Bolton’s past promo experience includes being a sales vice president with Logomark, senior account manager at Evans Manufacturing and vice president of sales and marketing at CleggPromo. Bolton was most recently director of business development at Totally Bamboo. Prior to becoming involved in promo, Bolton worked in marketing for Nike.
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53 Industry Companies Win 2025 PPAI Pyramid Awards
PPAI has named the winners of its 2025 PPAI Pyramid Awards, with 53 member companies taking home 83 awards.
The annual awards honor creative excellence in the promotional products industry and recognize dependable suppliers, outstanding promotions, creative campaigns and exceptional craftsmanship by Association members.
First presented in 1958, the PPAI Pyramid Award represents the pinnacle of achievement and honors the long-standing, collaborative partnerships between the PPAI family of members that differentiate strategic promotional marketing from the buying and selling of products. The PPAI Pyramid Award has stood the test of time and continues to advance the awareness and prestige of the industry’s talented companies and individuals. The award recognizes promotional products businesses and helps shine the spotlight on the collaborative business model unique to the industry.
See The List of Winners
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Trying to Reach a multi-Generational Audience? Here Are the 3 Elements Your Marketing Strategy Must Include
Nicholas Leighton * Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor * Author & Motivational Speaker
Reaching multiple generations doesn't have to be a challenge. Learn how to craft a unified, data-driven marketing strategy that combines personalization, multi-channel reach and timeless techniques to connect with audiences spanning Boomers to Gen Z and beyond.
Crafting a successful marketing strategy can be quite challenging for a startup or entrepreneur. The goal is to reach as many people within your target market as possible without breaking the bank. Since small businesses don't have the same resources as major corporations, every marketing dollar must be used carefully.
Today, we find ourselves in an era where multiple generations, each with their unique preferences and behaviors, coexist in the marketplace. For some brands, this presents a significant challenge for marketers who must navigate an increasingly fragmented landscape to reach their target audience.
There are seven primary generations that exist in the marketplace today — The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Considering these generations span roughly a century, it should come as no surprise that the marketing practices to reach each generation will vary. The good news is that there are some consistent practices that can be leveraged to reach the majority of these audiences simultaneously without significant effort. It's critical for entrepreneurs and small business marketers to understand how to build a unified marketing strategy.
Read More
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Isaacson and Jenkins Inducted into PPAI Hall of Fame | | |
Ultimate Honors: Jonathan Isaacson and Mark Jenkins, MAS+,
join the illustrious PPAI Hall of Fame
Standing as a testament to exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment and transformative contributions to the promotional products community, PPAI's Hall of Fame is the industry's highest recognition.
This year, two extraordinary individuals, Jonathan Isaacson of Gemline and Mark Jenkins, MAS+, of Geiger, join its illustrious ranks. Their induction is a recognition of careers marked by vision, innovation and a deep dedication to fostering growth within the industry.
The leader of Massachusetts-based Gemline, Isaacson has built one of the most admired companies in the marketplace, one that has been ahead of the curve on safety and compliance, sustainability and supply chain readiness.
Over the years, Isaacson became known as one of the true thought leaders of the business. He’s regarded as a forward thinker who has worked not only to position his own business – purchased from his family in 1993 – for success, but also to prepare competitors and customers for challenges to come, for the good of the entire medium.
Jenkins, a native Ohioan, is himself a distinguished veteran of the industry. He began his career with a local supplier in 1987, became the company’s president before age 30, and later went on to more than 17 years as managing director at Pioneer Balloon, during which time he served on the PPAI Board of Directors, including as its chair.
A regional vice president since 2022 with Geiger, he has built a legacy of service and mentorship. A staunch advocate for education and professional development in the industry, Jenkins’ efforts, often behind the scenes, have empowered countless peers and rising professionals.
To read the interviews and unique stories of each individual, click here
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