The promotional products industry is built on innovation.

Distributors are constantly looking for the latest products, newest suppliers and freshest ways to communicate, market and sell. Meanwhile, suppliers are always seeking superior materials, more efficient processes and reliable partners. After all, if you want a lengthy, fruitful career in promo, you simply can’t rest on your laurels, especially with the breakneck pace of doing business in 2024.

So, we’re recognizing the ideas, trends and movements making an undeniable impact on the industry. Consider these novel concepts as ways to improve business and your community, inspiration for a better world and bottom line.

Coolest Time Machine Since The DeLorean

In the sea of more than 2,500 booths at The PPAI Expo 2024, Alpi International’s totally tubular display (pictured above) was a vibrant island of Memphis Design and Starter jackets. The Richmond, California-based supplier turned back the clock to the ‘80s, paying homage to its roots and appealing to consumers’ fondness for everything retro. It was a fun reminder of the power of nostalgia, especially when done right.

Coolest Clothing Style For Remote Workers Who Go To Yoga

With so many retail brands entering the promo market, quiet luxury – high-end items with subtle branding – is on the rise. “Ten years ago, our industry was very in your face with branding,” says Chelsea Williams, a 2023 PPAI Rising Star and owner/CEO of Spark Branded Solutions in Tennessee.

“Everyone wanted their logo as big and as colorful as they could get it. But that’s not what people want to wear outside of work. So, if you’re doing a nice apparel piece with quiet luxury in mind, you make the logo tonal or maybe it’s in a secondary location instead of left chest.”

Coolest Way To Make Customers Less Frustrated

An open standards formula supported by PPAI, Promo Data eXchange (PDX) is pushing the entire industry in a more efficient direction. A collaboration with SAGE, PDX is meant to eliminate unnecessary phone calls and emails while connecting distributors, suppliers and business service providers. A single integration using PDX makes inventory available to 45,000 people who use SAGE to find products every day, saving customers time and money.

Coolest Symbol Of Your ESG Progress

Elizabeth Wimbush, PPAI’s director of sustainability and responsibility, says that B Corporation certification is appealing to promo firms for several reasons, such as its strong marketing credibility amongst a growing segment of consumers, the network and community that comes with being a B Corp and that it allows for-profit companies to contribute to a greater good. “Even the free B Impact Assessment is a great tool to get a sense of where your strengths are, and where you have the greatest opportunity for improvement in the realm of ESG,” Wimbush says. 

Coolest Tag Team Partner Since Andre The Giant

Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak, co-founders of sustainability-focused supplier Rupt and its venture arm Rupt Ventures, aim to invest in “founder-led businesses with compelling stories and unparalleled potential within the promo industry.” They’re off to a good start with The Pitch winner Sweeter Cards and Desk Plants.

Coolest Campaign That Doesn’t Bombard Us With Annoying Commercials

PromoCares, a volunteer-driven group of industry members dedicated to corporate social and environmental responsibility, is making a difference in the world. Its latest campaign was Water4Good, which raised $175,936 to build AquaTowers for disadvantaged schools and communities in Mexico. The initiative benefitted the Planet Water Foundation, a non-profit focused on bringing clean water access and hygiene education programs to the world’s most impoverished communities.

Coolest Assembly That Would Make Nick Fury Proud

As evident by regional associations in the Northeast and Midwest joining forces for trade show scheduling, regional collaboration has been a major initiative for the Regional Relations Committee (RRC). “Associations as a whole face many of the same challenges and can benefit from shared success, so it makes sense to work together to move the needle forward faster,” says Kara Keister, MAS, RRC delegate to the PPAI Board of Directors and owner of Michigan-based distributor Social Good Promotions.

Coolest Employee Perk (Non-Ping-Pong Category)

Americans owe a collective $1.7 trillion in federal and private student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve. The government hasn’t been much help since the Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s forgiveness plan, so many have turned to the private sector for relief. Fortunately, Cap America, Koozie Group, Proforma, American Solutions for Business and other promo firms offer tuition reimbursement. Plus, the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) has awarded more than $3 million in college scholarships to nearly 1,800 industry employees and their children over the past 35 years.

Coolest Way To Avoid A Boring Christmas Party

A pandemic-era trend that’s here to stay is promo products that are DIY, such as baking kits, yard games and friendship bracelets (thanks, Taylor). Consumers crave the experience with their family and friends as much, if not more than, the gift itself. “Building memories is a regular occurrence in our lives and promotional products have influence here,” says Nicki Staats, director of merchandising at iPROMOTEu. “Buyers are seeking items that will help their brand remain memorable.”

Corrigan is a news editor at PPAI.