Advertising Specialty Institute

ASI's Michelle Bell and Nate Kucsma share key stats and analysis from the groundbreaking report that holds relevance for promotional products companies everywhere.

Ikey Bensimhon, CEO of Merch.com, discusses his past in print and promo, and how he got to where he is providing branded merchandise and print to some of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Tim Behling and Patrick Noonan, executives at Gemline and SanMar respectively, share insights every distributor needs to know regarding industry stock and how to navigate sourcing turmoil.

The vice president of sales for BrandCo. Marketing (asi/455385) delves into that and much more when it comes to having success in the worlds of branded merch and printing.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Cheng of Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627) discusses the opportunities and challenges of upcycling in the promotional products industry.

The Native American woman-owned business combines print and promotional products together for campaigns that go much deeper than the ink on the surface.

In this month's episode, we chat with Koell Collins of STBL Strategies about switching between the promo and signage/graphics industries and how to succeed in both.

Jackson Williams of Counselor Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business (asi/120075) discusses the power of learning, holding a full-time job in college and what it's like to work with his twin brother.

The Heavyweight Collection by BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590) is bold and on trend. Today we're joined by Cassie Stanczyk, Sr. Director of Sales at BELLA+CANVAS, who is sharing everything you need to know to sell these fashion-forward, retail-quality styles. We'll discuss how the Heavyweight collection speaks to current consumer trends, how it fits and feels when worn and all of the decoration techniques you can use for your client's next project.

ASI Media Editors C.J. Mittica and Christopher Ruvo and ASI Senior Research Director Nate Kucsma discuss exclusive sales data from ASI's latest surveys, and the outlook for the promo industry in Q2 and beyond.

As e-commerce and customer buying habits evolve, it's important to stay nimble to keep your business as profitable as possible. In today's podcast, we're joined by Dave Conner, Content Director at STAHLS' (asi/88984), who will teach you how heat printing technology is empowering decorators and distributors to profit from orders from any quantity and to produce more than just T-shirts on demand. We'll discuss tips for leveraging automation and how certain tools can make it possible to ensure strong profit margins at any quantity for a diverse array of finishes.

The CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier World Emblem (asi/98262), whose business has a multi-continent footprint, gets candid on tariffs – and what his firm is doing about them.

Katie Kailik, national account manager at Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730) joins Promo Insiders to talk through why trust, communication and non-product driven conversations are key for building strong relationships and ultimately making sales.

The BAMKO (asi/131431) merch pro, who generated $18.5 million in 2024 sales, shared strategies for building up a customer base, benchmarking sales and more.

Lindsey Cole of Ethix Merch explains why sustainability initiatives ring hollow without a focus on the workers who produce products and building ethical supply chains.

Ben Grossman of SwagCycle and Mel Lay of Allmade Apparel talk about the progress the print and promo industry have made when it comes to sustainability – and where the biggest challenges still lie.

Dryvve and Bold Promo share their best advice and explain why rebranding was a necessary and welcome change.

Enrique Perez, president and founder of Hitex Marketing Group (asi/515762), tells the story of the company's journey into print as a result of following opportunity, and using its staff's imagination to create out-of-the-box packaging ideas.

ASI Media editors Sara Lavenduski and Hannah Rosenberger discuss the informational sessions on tariffs, classroom education with business experts, energizing keynote and trends from the bustling show floor.

Jodie Schillinger, Joelle Stahlecker and Jamie Johnson have all built careers at the Wisconsin-based Maple Ridge Farms (asi/68680) – inspired by their mother, Virginia Lemmer, who introduced her children to promo when she started her own career there nearly 40 years ago.

Oliver Kimberley, Quad's general manager of managed services, talks about the company's entrance into the promotional products market – and how the firm aims to succeed in the space.

Dr. Mary Kelly, a renowned economist and U.S. Navy veteran, delivers data-backed insights to bring the economic picture into focus – and there's better news that some may expect.

Ahead of Earth Month, Kris Robinson of Jackalope Creative shares tips for promoting sustainability with your self-promos and pitching eco-friendly merch to clients.

In this month's episode, we chat with Rick Roddis, business unit president of Counselor Top 40 distributor Taylor Promotional Products, who talks about his career in print and promo – from lucky breaks to biggest mistakes.

Let's talk on-trend, beginner-friendly decoration. On today's podcast, we're joined by Dave Conner, Content Director at STAHLS' (asi/88984), who's sharing everything you need to know about new-and-improved Chenille Patches and Flexbroidery Emblems. We'll explain what these decoration methods are, why they're so popular and how easy they are to try out for yourself, even if you never have before.

Josh Ellsworth of Stahls' discusses the growing importance of on-demand decoration. *Please excuse the technical difficulties with our audio.*

What does it mean for apparel and sports uniforms to be female-focused – and why is that an important consideration for promo pros to consider when selling? ASI Media is joined by Cassie Stanczyk and Victoria Thomas of Counselor Top 40 supplier BELLA+CANVAS (asi/39590), as well as Marina Paul, founder of women's sportswear brand SPRHRA, to discuss.

With a PhD in chemistry and past working for Coca-Cola, Dominique Downing relies on the scientific method to troubleshoot problems – and to drive an eco-friendly approach at her Big Frog Custom T-Shirts franchise.

ASI Media editors Hannah Rosenberger and Christopher Ruvo offer insights into how the employment phenomenon is impacting the branded merchandise business.

ASI Media editors Theresa Hegel, Sara Lavenduski and Hannah Rosenberger reflect on noteworthy promo campaigns, share sales tips for the spring and summer months, and taste-test interesting eats.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Kate Nash of Raining Rose discusses the value of sustainability certifications, how to choose which is right for your business and where such certifications fall short in evaluating a company's environmental and ethical efforts.

Ryan Cady, director of client success at Imprint Engine (asi/190620), tells the story of how one massive promotional campaign across more than 300 college campuses hit an 11th hour roadblock, but with the strength of his network and relationships, everybody ended up happy.

ASI Editors C.J. Mittica and Christopher Ruvo sum up the blitz of tariff news and how suppliers & distributors companies are dealing with it.

In this month's episode, we delve into what the partnership between ASI & PRINTING United Alliance means for the print and promo industries – and what's in store for the future.

Courtney Bills, CEO of Tactive (asi/299441), discusses the company's recent acquisition of Concept Prints Inc. (asi/166238), blending print and promotional products together to create "multisensory marketing for a digital world," working on e-commerce platforms with customers and more.

Gross, a marketing executive and competitive race car driver who also happens to be a C6 quadriplegic, will be a keynote speaker at ASI Fort Worth in March.

Scott Edidin and Scott Pearson of supplier 6AM Sourcing (asi/46173) discuss the promo industry's opportunities in Mexico, following President Donald Trump's swearing-in for his second term.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Francis Pierrel, talks about moving from the luxury retail space to becoming the CEO and partner of LR Paris (asi/246857).

In the inaugural episode of Branding Together – a monthly video podcast hosted jointly by ASI and the PRINTING United Alliance – editors Theresa Hegel and Cassie Green discuss the most important things print should know about promo, and vice versa.

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Francis Pierrel, talks about moving from the luxury retail space to becoming the CEO and partner of LR Paris (asi/246857).

Three ASI Media editors weigh in on industry sales, tariffs, AI and their guess for Product of the Year.

ASI Media's Christopher Ruvo and Brendan Menapace sweep you through some of the most pertinent takeaways from promo's first major trade show of the year.

Jeffrey Schrimmer, president of Brighter Promotions, explains how promo firms can file a claim in the $5.5 billion settlement in an antitrust class action suit against Visa and Mastercard.

Three ASI Media journalists share stories with important significance for the promo products industry that they believe deserve another run in the spotlight.

Mary Furto of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887) gives an overview of several consumer trends to watch in the months to come, and presents promotional product ideas in line with those trends.

Convergence Corner: How One Proforma Owner Saw the Value in Print and Promo Together From the Start by ASI

Stephanie Stuckey, chair of Stuckey's, a roadside oasis famous for its pecan log roll, provides tips and engaging tales that will you breathe fresh life into your business in this preview of her keynote at the ASI Show Orlando 2025.

Rusty Pepper of Taylor OnDemand shares tips for selling print to clients in six of promo's top sectors.

Wayo co-founder and CEO Julia Xu joins ASI Media to discuss the tech at the heart of the supplier: AI. The company has built an AI model based on information about thousands of factories, with the goal of easing overseas product sourcing for the industry.

ASI's top research executive and news director discuss the numbers and narratives behind the merch market's third quarter, how Q4 is shaping up and what lies ahead in 2025.

Multiplai CEO Isar Meitis and ASI Director of Software Engineering John Young discuss how AI can transform your business and the best practices to start using it right now. To hear more from Isar: AI Business Transformation Course: https://multiplai.ai/ai-course/ The Leveraging AI Podcast: https://multiplai.ai/podcast/ Connect with Isar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isarmeitis/