I speak with clients every day who want to terminate an employee for poor performance, unacceptable attendance or personality clashes. They are concerned, rightfully so, about the impacts on their business by either keeping an employee who is not me...

When it comes to product safety and compliance, testing is essential – but it’s not the only tool in your toolbox. At QA International, we believe that a well-designed “reasonable testing program” can help brands take control of their supply chain, ...

PPAI MediaMerchMatters | A PPAI DocuSeries Explore how branded merchandise drives meaning, connection and brand purpose in the real world. Meet the experts who make merch matter through their care, creativity and experience.   Launching...

You’re probably not losing deals because you lack hustle. Deals usually stall because calendars get crowded and calls keep getting pushed back. Prospects who seemed eager at first may drift into the “let’s touch base next month” category. Rather tha...

You know that the merch industry is growing up when more and more client conversations aren’t really about the products at all.This is a fundamental change in how value is created through our medium. For years, the industry operated in a familia...

For a long time, sustainability in this industry has felt a bit like a concept car – sleek, impressive and full of flashy ambition. The renderings have been rolled out at just the right moments to signal where things are headed.Also – since we v...

If it feels like something is shifting in our industry… it’s because it is.We’ve just celebrated the launch of the 2026 PPAI 100, recognizing organizations that are not only leading at a high level, but helping define what the future of branded ...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced this week that it has finalized $20.6 billion in tariff refunds so far for duties charged under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. These tariffs, enacted by President Donald Trump last year,...

The data backs up what much of the branded merch world is likely feeling. The industry is operating somewhere far ahead of panic but only just on the edges of what could be comfortably considered stability as of late. Recent months have produced pos...