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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!
Yes, it’s time for Ep. 177 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! In this VERY special Black Friday edition (where Black Friday isn’t mentioned at all), the hosts discuss the brilliant VistaPrint/Ryan Reynolds collaboration, share some industry quick hits from the past few weeks, debate whether F1 damaged its brand with the race in Las Vegas, opine on some really ingenus marketing campaigns and sponsorships, make football picks for good with a very special guest, and so much more!
A big thanks to our sponsor in Evans. Even as they work diligently to make the lives of their distributors easier, they also focus on amazing merchandise that’s used, kept, and remembered. To see all their amazing product offerings, head over to evans-mfg.com.
Time for Ep. 176 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie focus on gratitude by sharing things they are thankful for both in and out of the promotional products industry. They also chat about irritating marketing practices, make football picks for PPEF, and much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Kanata Group for sponsoring this fine broadcast. Whether it’s amazing towels, cozy blankets, or gorgeous footwear, Kanata IS comfort. Learn more at kanatapromo.com.
Time for Ep. 175 of the Promo UPFront #podcast – live from the Caribbean Sea! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about how the second PromoCruise is unfolding mid-event, chat about legislation that might kill airline rewards programs, debate the use of multi-line reps over direct factory reps in light of a recent decision by Spector, express curiosity over the odd development feature from Tinder to allow friends and family to weigh in on potential matches, PPEF football pics for good with a special guest, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends from Shepenco for sponsoring this fine broadcast. Strong, stable, and reliable: those are the three words that come to mind when you think of Shepenco. Don’t your clients deserve that level of trust? Visit them at Shepenco.com.
You bet it’s time for Ep. 174 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the second PromoCruise and what’s easier – and more difficult – about planning it, discuss whether NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) is working for advertisers or not, debate the branding of Halloween, chat about the Executive Order signed by Joe Biden this week regarding government regulation of generative AI, make football picks for good, and so much more!
A GIANT thanks to our friends over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast! Russ Mogell and his team really demystify direct custom sourcing and help distributors create “wow” and “aha” moments. If you’re looking to avoid off the shelf solutions for something that’s off the wall, email Seven Sourcing at sales@sevensourcing.com.
Bam! Time to drop Ep. 173 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week the mummies of merch review the ASI Power 50 list – and share a few suggestions, discuss whether it’s too difficult to become B-Corp certified, praise the CEO of Coca-Cola for thinking differently about marketing spend, chat about how to build a preferred supplier list, PPEF football picks for good (and how you can join in the fun), and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our pals at Logo Mats for sponsoring this spooky podcast. They live by their tagline of “stand out where others blend it” by providing truly vibrant indoor, outdoor, and point-of-purchase mats that will help any brand get noticed. Learn more at logomatsllc.com.
You know it’s time for Ep. 172 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week the hosts with the mosts talk about the value of an end-user event, debate the impact of Koozie Group and Imagen Brands combining as one organization in 2024, ponder if United Airlines has finally made boarding a plane efficient, wonder if anyone would really enjoy drinking their beer through a silicone glizzy, and so much more!
Big thanks to our friends at PXP Solutions for sponsoring this fine broadcast. They are ready to help you with all your apparel decorating needs – simply call the owner, Bruce Jolesch, at 214.226.3105 or email him at bruce@pxpsolutions.com.
You bet it’s time for Ep. 171 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the impact of the return of commercial jingles (or, should we say, singles), whether the trend of all things pumpkin spice has (finally) run its course, the seismic shift of Jon Norris leaving Starline for Hit Promotional Products, what to think about the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Pioneer Balloon, PPEF football picks for good, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our pals at Evans Manufacturing for sponsoring this fine podcast. As a supplier that has built their entire business into making the lives of their distributor partners easier, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not using them regularly. Check out all their fine merchandise at evans-mfg.com.
You’re darn tootin’ it’s time for Ep. 170 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss the big bombshell of Ashely McCune leaving Facilisgroup, debate the merits of a lawsuit against food looking unrealistic in advertising, marvel at how Netflix is doubling down on merchandise, wonder how Lyft dropped the customer service ball after a rider forgot his cat after a rideshare was complete, football picks for good, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our sponsor in Shepenco. With a 90-year history in the promotional products industry, they define stability. To see all their amazing merchandise, visit them at shepenco.com.
You bet it’s time for Ep. 169 of the Promo UPFront Podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss the PPAI Icon Award Winners for 2024 (which may or may not include one of the hosts of this fine broadcast), the anatomy of the spin starring Apple and USB-C, Netflix sending its final red envelope and what that means for the company, a VERY controversial top three/bottom three, football picks for PPEF, and so much more!
A big thanks to our sponsor, PXP Solutions. They are ready to help you with all your fourth quarter creative apparel decorating needs – simply email the owner, Bruce Jolesch, at bruce@pxpsolutions.com or give him a call on his cell phone at 214.226.3105.
That’s right, it’s time for Ep. 168 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about one of the strangest merchandise collaborations ever, discuss whether it’s time to send after-work happy hour into the sunset, Bill interviews Kirby about the launch of his new book “Hitting the Target” and demands answers to the tough questions others are too afraid to ask, ponder if 8-minute long songs will survive in the streaming economy, pick football games for good, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. They work with distributors just like you to demystify the direct custom sourcing process and would love to help you create “wow” and “aha” moments for your clients. Email them at sales@sevensourcing.com today!
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 167 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! Today hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss (over)using AI in marketing, Kirby wraps up his experience at commonsku’s skucamp in Austin, debate the merits of Gannett hiring a reporter to ONLY cover Taylor Swift, the real reason McDonald’s is doing away with self-serve soft drinks, week 2 of PPEF football picks for good, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our good pals over at Evans for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking to work with a supplier that always has your back, look no further than Evans.
It’s Friday and time for Ep. 166 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! Today hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the PPAI Rising Star list, discuss the efficacy of streaming services leveraging email addiction to retain subscribers, share the ways content creators are revolutionizing marketing (and how to apply them to your business), debate whether a plane contaminated with a biohazard should be ever put back into service, launch the second year of football picks to benefit PPEF, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends over at Kanata Group for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the most comfortable, cost-effective, and impactful merchandise solutions, head over to kanatapromo.com.
Yes, indeed it’s time for Ep. 165 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! On this hard-hitting Labor Day edition hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the big industry hiring of Charity Gibson at Proforma, debate the merits of hopping on the spiked-everything bandwagon, review passive/aggressive phrases that some suggest need to be removed from communications, muse on the use of robo taxis, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to PXP Solutions for presenting this fine broadcast. They are poised to help you finish the year strong with creative decorated apparel. Call Bruce Jolsech at 214.226.3105 or email him at bruce@pxpsolutions.com to get started today!
It’s crossover time on Ep. 164 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! That’s right, Mark Graham and Bobby Lehew from commonsku join regular hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie to discuss the value of the new position of Director of Sustainability and Responsibility at PPAI, take a deep dive into the power of merchandise to identify beliefs – and whether distributors have a moral obligation regarding what is imprinted on products, examine the interesting ASI statistic of growing sales for large online distributors while there is a decline at smaller, boutique operations, debate whether malls are back with a rise in sales, Bill asks everyone to weigh in on his most recent Top Three/Bottom Three, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Tervis for sponsoring this once-in-a-lifetime podcast! If you follow Tervis on both commonsku and LinkedIn before August 31, 2023, they will waive the set-up charge on your next order! You can also check out all their legendary drinkware at tervispromos.com.
Heck yes, it’s time for Ep. 163 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! In this white-hot episode, hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss how to properly celebrate PPAI’s Promotional Products Work Day on August 24, say goodbye to a retiring industry legend in Mike Szymczak, debate whether Facebook intentionally creates divisiveness with their algorithms, go off on the trend of posting anonymously, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our pals at Shepenco for sponsoring this world-class broadcast. Shepenco defines stability in the promotional products industry, and they would love to work with you to create impactful promotions for your clients. Check them out at Shepenco.com.
It’s “back to podcast” time as we drop Ep. 162 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week co-hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie debate if distributors should be concerned about suppliers raising prices, whether the investment in the United States by Canadian supplier Spector & Co. makes sense, how they each prepare to create consistent content, the delicious irony of Zoom (and other tech companies) “ordering” employees back to the office…and if that’s the right approach, the dramatic return of Bill’s Top Three/Bottom Three, and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Evans for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking to make your distributor life easier, head over to evans-mfg.com as the entire company ethos and culture is built around removing friction and making it easy to work with them.
Oh yes, it’s Friday which means one thing and one thing only: time to drop ep. 161 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss the ASI Counselor Awards, the importance of branded merchandise when launching a new sports league in the United States, share products that have made them more productive, odd brand collaborations and why some work where others fail, the trend of using celebrities to give people bad news, and much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Logo Mats for sponsoring this fine broadcast. They will be celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2024 and have rebranded to celebrate that milestone. To learn more about their amazing merch – and to meet Lenny the Lizard – head over to logomatsllc.com!
It’s Friday and time for ep. 160 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! Today hosts Kirby Hasseman & Bill Petrie share some quick-hit industry news items from the week, give kudos to the suppliers who communicated plans if the UPS strike had happened, laugh at the ridiculous rebranding of Twitter, marvel and the unique marketing of “Barbenheimer,” debate the direct marketing of Prime Energy drink to kids, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at PXP Solutions for sponsoring this fine broadcast! They would love to help you with all your apparel decorating needs and you can contact the owner, Bruce Jolesch, directly at 214.226.3105 or at bruce@pxpsolutions.com!
It’s Friday and time for ep. 159 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! This week hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie discuss whether there is a need for a summer industry trade show, SAG-AFTRA asking creators to not cross the picket lines, staffing realignment at PPAI, whether body art is good for business, share their top three/bottom three virtual meeting platforms, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. Russ Mogell and his team work with distributors to demystify the custom merchandise importing puzzle. When you’re ready to stop selling off the shelf and start selling off the wall merchandise solutions that get a “wow” moment, email them at sales@sevensourcing.com.
It’s Friday and most assuredly time for ep. 158 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! Today hosts Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie talk about the branding phenomenon that is Amazon Prime Day, chat about the game-changing events from Promocations and what’s in store for the future, ponder whether advertising in a video game makes sense, debate the efficacy of a company mission statement, and so much more!
A GIANT expression of gratitude to our friends at Evans for sponsoring this award-winning broadcast. They are honored to have been nominated for a PPAI Supplier Star Award and would love your vote. You can cast your ballot for them by visiting ppai.org/supplierstar. Plus, if you’re going to be in Chicago for the ASI Show, stop by booth 200 and they will show you how working with Evans will make your life easier!
It’s Friday and time for ep. 157 of the Promo UPFront #podcast! Today hosts Bill Petrie and Kirby Hasseman talk about Kanye West and Dov Charney teaming up to save the Yeezy brand, debate whether Threads will finally kill Twitter, the efficacy of the flying car that was recently approved by the FAA, ponder whether renting clothes when traveling will help the environment, laugh at the proposed “enhanced” games, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Kanata Group for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the best towel value in the industry, look no further than our friends at Kanata Towel. If you’re going to be at ASI Chicago, visit them at booth 331. If you’re not, head over to kanatatowel.com to see their amazing line of towels!
It’s Friday and time for a piping hot episode of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! For episode 156, the List Lieutenants take a deep dive into the inaugural PPAI 100 list and share their takeaways, debate the relative merits of a new hot dog condiment from Pepsi, share preparations for the first PromoQue, ponder whether habitual napping stimulates brain activity, and so much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Logo Mats for sponsoring this fine broadcast! To celebrate America’s 247th birthday, they are offering 10% off your ENTIRE mat order for the month of July. Simply email your order to orders@logomatsllc.com and mention “Promo UPFront!” It’s really just that simple!
It’s Friday morning, which means it’s time to drop ep. 155 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! Today the Field Marshalls of Fair Labor discuss the business lessons gleaned from Bud Light losing their “top dog” designation in domestic beer sales, share thoughts on what to think about the potential Teamsters strike at UPS, tips on handling clients when a supplier suddenly closes, and the relative merits of faking one’s own death to get attention.
A HUGE thanks to PXP Solutions for sponsoring this fine podcast. They have HUGE decorating capacity and wildly creative ways to exceed your expectations. Learn more by calling the owner, Bruce Jolesch, at 214.380.1883 or emailing him at bruce@pxpsolutions.com.
Ka-BOOM! Time for Ep. 154 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week the Emperors of Embroidery talk about the possible death of the NFT as a promotional product, discuss how the long-distance commute has been redefined, discuss the retail brands arms race among suppliers, share ideas how to maximize marketing budget, Kirby teases a topic for next week, and much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Evans for sponsoring this fine broadcast. As a company solely focused on making the lives of distributor partners easier, Evans does things the right way. Visit them at evans-mfg.com today!
Bang! Pow! Wow! It’s time for a fiery ep. 153 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week the promo pair talks about the importance of PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.), dive deep into how branded merchandise can be used for good, discuss whether the giving a company a rating on the 5-star system means anything, Bill goes on a rant about the evolution of the “tip economy,” and so much more!
A BIG thanks to our friends at Shepenco for sponsoring this award-winning podcast! With over 90 years in business, you know the folks at Shepenco do things right. Visit the newly redesigned Shepenco.com to experience a company that always does it the right way.
It’s Friday and time for ep. 152 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week, the Doctors of Decoration talk about the branding nightmare that is MAX (previously HBO MAX), discuss the class-action lawsuit against Delta Airlines for “greenwashing,” applaud the recipients of PPAI 2023 Women of Achievement and share some awards they would like to see, marvel at the salaries for team mascots, and much more!
A HUGE thanks to our friends at Logo Mats for sponsoring this fine broadcast! For the month of June, they are offering distributors 5% off your total mat order if you mention the Promo UPFront Podcast! Don’t hesitate and get those orders in today!
It’s Friday and time for ep. 151 of the Promo UPFront #podcast with Kirby Hasseman and Bill Petrie! This week the power pair of promo talk about the ASI investigative report on a large apparel supplier’s response to using banned fabric and the concerns of importing, Adobe’s entry into the emerging power of AI, how the space you work in influences creativity, the return of a “Party in the Back” game, and so much more!
A huge thanks to our friends at PXP Solutions for sponsoring this fine broadcast! If you’re looking for fantastic apparel decorating, email Bruce Jolesch at bruce@pxpsolutions.com or call him at 214.380.1883!