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In this weekly podcast - available in both audio and video formats - industry thought leaders Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie share their unfiltered thoughts on the world of promotional products, sales, marketing, and branding with a heavy dose of reality and humor. Tune in every Friday at 7:00 AM Central!
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Of COURSE it’s time for ep. 212 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie review Bill’s experience at the ASI Show and the Counselor Awards, more silliness in the Promotional Products Professionals Facebook page, whether educational webinars are impactful, the overreach of the International Olympic Committee when it comes to enforcing fake merch, the “Marketing Genius of the Week,” and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our good friends at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast! When it comes to the lowest minimums in the industry, the deepest inventory, 5 star and A+ service, and simplified pricing, yeah, you can BEL Promo that! Visit them at belpromo.com.
You know it’s Friday when Ep. 211 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie drops! This week the dynamic duo talk about the big news of Dale Denham departing PPAI, Sticker Mule mixes business with politics and has predictable results, Greece considers a six-day work week to grow the economy, the intended and unintended impact of Amazon’s Prime Day, Bill asks Kirby for advice on things to do in Chicago, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our good friends at Hirsch for sponsoring this fine broadcast! As one of the most forward-thinking organizations in the industry, Hirsch continues to innovate with the introduction of their ColorMAX decoration on the three top selling JBL speakers and the debut of tasc performance activewear in the promotional products industry. Visit them at hirschpromo.com or, if you’re in Chicago, booth 1248.
If it’s Friday (and it is), then you know it’s time for Ep. 210 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss how the dichotomy of the current economic perception and whether you should discuss it with your clients, the efficacy of Netflix turning vacant department stores into entertainment centers, share strategies for selling through a sales slump caused by uncertainty, review the most effective TV ads so far in 2024 and what, if any, lessons can be gleaned from that information, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Logo Mats! If you’re headed to ASI Chicago, stop by booth 1113 to see all the transformative merchandise made right here in the USA – including several new products your clients will love!
Even though it’s a holiday weekend, it’s time for Ep. 209 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the new PPAI website and a missed opportunity, lessons from communication failures, Bill shares a little about his first vacation in a decade, HIT Promotional Products makes a HUGE hire, advice for getting back into work-mode after a vacation, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking to turn your next client idea into something that becomes truly iconic, reach out to the team at Seven Sourcing at sales@sevensourcing.com.
You darn well know it’s time for Ep. 208 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about industry media and the difference of reporting news and creating conversations, the inherent friction of updating phone apps, wonder if we are in a “promotion recession,” discuss a MASSIVE sports retirement, bring back rapid fire, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends over a Shepenco for sponsoring this fine broadcast! With four generations of family ownership over 91 years, Shepenco defines stability in an era of change. Head over to shepenco.com today!
You know it’s time for Ep. 207 of the PromoUPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie celebrate officially eclipsing the amount of episodes of unScripted by listening to congratulatory messages from some VERY important Americans, talk about obscene room charges from hotels and how one clever supplier avoided them, discuss “telephoneaphobia” for people under the age of 40, debate the merits of a bill in New York State that would restrict children’s access to social media, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our sponsor in BamBams who continue to change the game by working smarter, better, and faster to better serve distributors. Check them out at bambams.com!
Oh yes, it’s time for Ep. 206 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss how suppliers can better support the marketing efforts of multi-line reps, Apple’s ingeniously simple way to reduce burnout, talk about the lessons learned from Bill’s recent health scare and diagnosis, how entrepreneurs can plan a vacation where they can fully unplug, play a vacation-themed rapid fire, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Logo Mats for sponsoring today! They want to celebrate their appearance (#53 if you’re scoring at home) on the PPAI 100 by giving you 10% off on your next mat order. Simply use the code “Promo UPFront” on your next PO!
It’s Fri-yay and time for Ep. 205 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the efficacy of instituting “Friday Hours” over the summer, the difference of making purchases on a small vs. big screen, dive into Dr Pepper eclipsing Pepsi as the number two soft drink by way of a case study in branding, opine on why so many big music acts are canceling tours, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast! When you’re looking to turn your next idea into an iconic brand with custom sourced merchandise, look no further than Seven Sourcing. Email them at sales@sevensourcing.com.
Buckle up, buttercup, because it’s time for Ep. 204 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie tackle the GQ opinion piece on what they call, “the end of merch,” discuss international perspectives on the U.S. promotional products industry, ponder the future with S&S Activewear deploying robots in distribution centers, opine on the Indy 500 banning political branding on cars, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends over at Shepenco for sponsoring this fine broadcast! As a fourth-generation family-owned business, Shepenco defines stability. Check out shepenco.com for your next writing instrument project!
It’s time for Ep. 203 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie take a deep dive into PPAI 100 lists, take a critical look at the recruiting practices in the industry, ponder how to create a world record in promo, shed some light on micro advertising campaigns, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our pals over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When a client asks you if you can create branded merchandise that’s available, cost-effective, and magical, feel confident in saying, “Yes! I can BEL Promo that!"
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 202 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the importance of PPAI L.E.A.D and what it’s like to advocate for the promotional products industry, discuss how Gemline has rebranded as a “public benefit corporation,” chat about how the NFL is going deeper into the world of streamed content, ponder whether a legendary metal band has tarnished their brand due to continual drama, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our pals at BamBams who are ALWAYS changing the game. How about no set-up charges for variable data as an example? Head over to bambams.com to see this and other ways BamBams is always changing the game!
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 201 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the ASI and PRINTING United Alliance merger, discuss the importance of understanding that you’re not for everyone, take a deep dive into the rebranding of Boy Scouts of America which leads into a thoughtful conversation about how focusing on inclusion can result in a win for everyone, and so much more!
A big thanks to our sponsor, Logo Mats! For 20 years, Logo Mats has been creating indoor, outdoor, and point of purchase mats that are bold, bright, durable, and made right here in the USA. Visit them at logomatsllc.com.
It’s Friday and time for a VERY SPECIAL edition of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie recorded the 200th episode of this very podcast! In a first, they interview each other and ask five questions that they’ve never asked before! This is one interview you don’t want to miss!
A big thanks to our sponsor in Seven Sourcing. When you're ready to help turn a great idea into something truly iconic for your client's brand, email Russ Mogell and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com.