(Editor’s Note: PromoWire by PPAI Media is a running digest of news releases and updates submitted from organizations around the industry. PPAI Media edits these only slightly, including for length, and will consider newsworthy entries from any member organization.)

May 2, 2022

Joèl Bastien Named Consulting SVP of Business Development at Pop! Promos
Bastien will help Pop! grow its book of new business and coach the company’s talented sales team

PHILADELPHIA – May 2, 2022 – Pop! Promos today announces it has named Joèl Bastien its Consulting SVP of Business Development. A sales leader in the promotional products industry, Bastien comes to Pop! Promos with a wealth of knowledge in strategic direction, training, and mentoring sales teams to enhance client relationships.

As Consulting SVP of Business Development, Bastien will work directly with Pop! Promos’ sales organization to help promote new business development and identify new opportunities, as well as coach and train the sales team in winning and securing business.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with Pop!’s highly skilled and creative group of sales professionals who work hard to be the best in the industry,” said Bastien. “I believe that Pop! embodies everything this industry represents – unrestricted and endless creativity, high-quality goods without the wait for custom or high-order quantities, and proactive outreach from the sales team. I’m looking forward to supporting this amazing company.”

Bastien has 25 years of experience in the promotional products industry. She began her career in her family’s third generation-owned industrial laundry business, Arrow Uniform, where she rose through the ranks to eventually become Vice President of Direct Sales and Marketing. Bastien then spent seven years at alphabroder, where she served as Strategic Director and VP of Sales. In 2020, AIA welcomed Bastien as their new SVP of Owner Success where she provided strategic direction and leadership to ensure exemplary customer experiences.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Joèl’s expertise at our fingertips here at Pop!,” says Erin Reilly, CEO, Pop! Promos. “For someone who’s been in the industry for more than two decades, we couldn’t have a better leader on our team to share her expertise with our energetic sales team. We can’t wait to see where she’ll take us!”

Pop! Promos has won numerous awards throughout the past ten years, including JNI Creative Supplier of the Year four times in a row, PPB’s One of the Greatest Companies to Work For, Fastest Growing Supplier, and PPAI’S Silver Pyramid Award, among many others.

Logomark’s First Sponsored Service Dog Matched With Veteran
Leading promotional product company’s sponsored service dog has been matched with a veteran through Shelter to Soldier®.

Tustin, California (May 2, 2022) – Logomark – the industry‐leading promotional product supplier’s first sponsored service dog has graduated from his Shelter to Soldier® training program and has been matched with a veteran. “Scout”, a black and brown male German shepherd, was rescued last year and named by Print Globe’s Kelsey Schwartz through an online naming competition held by Logomark in February 2021. Shelter to Soldier®, is a CA 501c3 nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post‐9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries associated with traumatic service experiences.

“Scout has been a great addition for me and my family. I am so happy that I was able to find Shelter to Soldier. We are grateful to have Scout in our lives” states Adam Fleener, the US Navy Veteran that has been paired with Scout.

Having some initial orthopedic challenges, Scout’s journey has required extra dedication to his medical care and physical development. “Scout’s story is special, unique and a true ‘rescue story’ given what he’s been through, and it’s all thanks to Logomark!,” states Graham Bloem, Co‐Founder, President & Training Director for Shelter to Soldier®.

“We are grateful to be in a position to support Shelter to Soldier® and proud to help build awareness of their commitment to ‘saving lives two at a time’ ,” says Clive Goldberg, COO, Logomark. The company is planning additional adoptions and will be announcing new naming contests later this year.

The Perka®, iCool® and Work® brands are all official sponsors of Shelter to Soldier® and a portion of all proceeds is donated to the organization. Logomark continues to employ veterans at all levels of the organization, from production to the executive team. To learn more about this and other Logomark’s Cares give back programs, please visit logomark.com/cares.

Two Decades in Metro Philadelphia and South Jersey: Expanding Marketing Services; 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions Celebrates the 20th Anniversary in 2022

“We are thrilled to reach our 20th year Business Anniversary and continue to meet our clients’ needs for new services and cutting-edge marketing programs,” said Lynn Pechinski, President and CEO of 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions. “From day one, we’ve been committed to serving our clients with a consistently positive attitude. It just seemed natural to mark this milestone by underscoring our company’s philosophy to help others. Now more than ever, many people need our help. This year we are highlighting our chosen charity: Battle Brothers Foundation. With the expansion of the cannabis market into the 1st Straw local marketplace, we have dedicated our marketing efforts to focus on this niche.”

1st Straw has been making charitable donations, nationally and internationally throughout the years. This year, 1st Straw is allocating a percentage of all its profits to the Battle Brothers Foundation. For all who are inspired to donate, read more about The Battle Brothers Foundation, a non-profit organization. Battle Brothers Foundation "empowers veterans through community-based personal development, economic upward mobility, and progressive medical treatments to better their lives and the lives of their families." Battle Brother Foundation supports nonopiate- based methodologies to treat PTSD and chronic pain. https://battlebrothersfoundation.org/

Since 2002, 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions has offered its marketing expertise and resources with a personal touch, providing its clients with innovative services and solutions to help them attract and retain quality customers. Today their client base includes corporate, small businesses, state government agencies, and non-profit organizations, primarily on the east coast.

1st Straw Marketing & Promotions continues to expand its product and service offerings to focus on its newest marketing niche for the cannabis industry including dispensaries, growers, concentrate manufacturers, cultivators, and edible bakeries. 1st Straw Marketing’s experience creating marketing programs for highly-regulated industries, marketing compliance, and its stellar reputation gives the young and growing cannabis market confidence to showcase and build its brands.

Whether using traditional or online strategies, 1st Straw Marketing recommends focusing on three things to get noticed and make more money with any marketing budget:

  1. Figure out who your ideal customer is and what they need.
  2. Create a compelling offer and make it damn irresistible.
  3. Measure your results so you know how you are doing.

Charles River Apparel Sponsors Earth Day Cleanup Event
The annual cleanup is hosted by Charles River Watershed Association

On Friday, April 22, Charles River Apparel sponsored and participated in Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA)’s 23rd Annual Day Earth Day Cleanup. A team of Charles River Apparel employees, along with family and friends, joined together to clean up trash along the Southern New England Trunkline Trail in Franklin State Forest.”

The Earth Day Clean Up is a wonderful initiative and we appreciate everything CRWA does for our community,” says Jason Lipsett, Charles River Apparel’s Marketing Director, “We are proud to play a small part in the cleanup efforts and are thankful to the thousands of people across the state who volunteered along with us.”

The Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup®, which to date, has removed over 25 million pounds of trash from America’s waterways. From 2016 to 2019, CRWA’s Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup was recognized by American Rivers for the Most Pounds of Trash Collected and Most Volunteers Mobilized.

April 28, 2022

Team IP Featured On Worldwide Business With Kathy Ireland

Team IP was recently featured by Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland on the Fox Business Network. The feature celebrates Team IP’s success over the last two years after the pandemic shut business down for months forcing business owner Randy Sparks and his leadership team to reimagine how they go to market.

Established in 1992, Team IP is thrilled to celebrate its 30-year anniversary with an increased client base, additional warehouses, and 80% of warehoused goods sold out in recent months.

The turnaround began mid-year 2021 when Team IP signed its four largest clients creating historic revenues month over month culminating in a 53% overall increase as of January of 2022. With consumer demand revitalized, Team IP will service 2,800 events through on-site activations and e-commerce opportunities.

The producers of Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland approached Team IP aiming to highlight the rebound of souvenir merchandising in the championship sports industry. Video crews spent the day at Team IP headquarters and featured footage from their newest warehouse facility.

Click here to view Team IP feature on Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland.

PromoPulse Joins TinySeed Accelerator Fund

GARDNER, KS (April 28, 2022) - PromoPulse, the award-winning sales and marketing platform for the promotional products industry, has announced that it has been accepted into TinySeed, a remote accelerator program designed specifically for B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. PromoPulse will be joining a cohort of twelve other SaaS companies in a unique year-long program that provides mentorship, community and funding. TinySeed matches each companies’ needs with the appropriate resources from their vast network.

“I am extremely excited that PromoPulse has been chosen for the TinySeed accelerator program,” said Jason Nokes, founder of PromoPulse. “Their program strategy aligns perfectly with our company’s growth goals. TinySeed was the only program we considered for additional funding and support.” Rob Walling, founder of TinySeed, adds: “We’ve received thousands of applications for TinySeed and we carefully select companies like PromoPulse that have the most potential for growth. We help our founders scale their businesses faster by giving them the support, answers, and accountability they need, when they need it.”

Read more about the announcement here: https://tinyseed.com/latest/spring-2022-launch