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Putting your trust in our team to build and manage your brand is important to our relationship with each of you. Strong bonds and partnership don't happen by accident. Relationships require communication. Relationships need to be nurtured. Relationships need commitment. As a team we invest in our relationship with you by freely & consistently sharing relevant marketing advice on our blog and in your VIP newsletters. We know the creative process is fueled by collaboration and touch, so we invest in your access to products, whether it's brainstorming in the showroom, samples at your location or videos! We know that brand reputation relies on aligning your brand with suppliers that are rigorous in their pursuit of safety and suppliers that add value through their efforts to shape social and environmental change. We've always been your creative, collaborative and certified partner, but we've recently increased the power behind our team. How? By investing in our professional development as a team. While I have been CAS since 2012, our team is now certified!!! A silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ability to invest our time in industry education! Why did we invest? Your relationship - you've trusted us as your branding partner! We are committed to our industry We are professionals within 2 international industry associations Personal & team achievement Establishes professional credentials as a company We are dedicated to high standards What have we earned? PPAI program certifications signify professionals, invested in advancing proficiency of promotional products industry concepts and business practices. To become a certified professional, one must earn certification levels through hands on professional development courses, with increased requirements & hours of training, proficiency and industry knowledge necessary to master and earn new levels. Additionally, course work never stops. Requiring additional hours earned to stay certified every 3 years. Arien has earned her TAS - Trained Advertising Specialist Certification, plus she has an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications Miranda has earned her TAS - Trained Advertising Specialist Certification and because she has been in the industry over 3 years ( 12 of our 13 years) she is now working towards her CAS - Certified Advertising Specialist Certification (Update 7/15/2020: Miranda has earned her CAS certification!) Olivia earned her MAS - Master Advertising Specialist Certification, crossing that one off the "to do list". Visionary Assurance, United Purpose - that's Promotional Partners Inc. We hope you like our new tagline!

If you've ever been to an amusement park you know for a premium, you can purchase the ability to reduce your wait time. Besides the increase in price, there are usually allocated times to select and limits to the attractions that are featured with your upgrade. The bottom line, is there are restrictions that must be followed to stand on the platform first. Our industry is no different. We've got options for quick turn projects, but there are restrictions and there will be a premium price. What can we do? We have partners with same day, yes same day service if the order is placed by their designated cut off time. We have partners with complimentary 24 hour rush services. We have suppliers that will provide a rush but the unit cost may go up or their may be a rush fee added. We can upgrade your shipping to overnight red, blue or saver. Those are hard costs, we are not making money off your upgraded shipping needs. We have partners that are located in NC or SC that are one day ship, no need to upgrade to overnight shipping; which adds significantly to your bill. Let's take a look at some of those restrictions: Must be a one color imprint, one location with stock ink colors- no PMS match Must be a qualifying product- not all products can be done on quick turn. Must waive your option to see the supplier proof. Must be produced & shipped in the work week M-F, no weekend work or shipping. Must have the PO entered into the supplier's system by their cut off time. This restriction is tricky, because suppliers vary with the time of day that's required. Must have an art file that is already vectored for us to create a mock up quickly or be willing to use text only or allow us to make modifications to fit within the imprint area. Must have help reviewing the mock up, confirming the quote and providing payment if required before we can submit the order by the deadline. Must be willing to pay more- speed adds costs. About 25% of our orders need some type of speed applied to the order, so rest assured after 12 years of rush orders; we are used to move your order to the front of the line!

An integrated marketing strategy combines multiple channels of communication tools & media to share one's message. Our company advocates the power of tangible touch to target your brand message to your consumer markets, touch is a powerful tactical, sensory influence. How exactly does an image, a sound, a message touch your heart & mind? A campaign that makes us roar like Tony the Tiger or sing the Band-Aid brand jingle so frequently that we assume all bandages are Band-Aids - has made an undeniable impact. Today's marketer has a crowded field of competitors, messages and channels to communicate. Thanks to social media platforms, unless you pin your post at the top of your page - it's constantly rotating new messages. Finding a way to share what makes your brand tick is not merely trying out a tik-tok post; it's about connecting in a way that will invite dialogue. How does our own team approach our marketing challenges? Probably much like your company. We brainstorm & kick around ideas. When it comes to our own marketing efforts, Arien pointed out, "it's harder when you are in it, to see what makes you unique." Sometimes you know yourself so well, your message can become confusing; trying to include too much. Even focusing on details without mass appeal can also dilute your intent. Like our clients, our marketing campaigns start with a concept. Since we are fortunate to have a visual team, we play out how the graphic design will look whenever we toss around an idea. We also apply our punny side to how a product's features can contribute to the message we're seeking to convey. There will be a tangible aspect because it's not just statistical data that proves touch works, it's our own growth over the past 13 years. Like your brand, gaining followers or engagement to our message on social media requires testing content, tracking impressions and considering fresh approaches to ways to communicate. Communication happens when we are able to exchange ideas and inspire discussion; otherwise, we are the only one talking! Luckily for our team, our newest teammate, Arien Harris, decided that becoming a pediatrician was not her career path, so she switched gears and pursued a BS in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing, as well as an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. Her academic lessons were applied to real-world applications over several internships, which eventually lead her feet to our doorstep- because she loves coffee. However, she stayed because of a culture of "being one's self". Learn more about Arien in our next post!

A company’s greatest asset is our people. The more we know, the stronger we are as a partner for your brand. The expertise we’ve acquired & earned helps provide a competitive edge for your brand in the marketplace. Our team is delighted to be part of PPAI’s Certification Program, (Promotional Products Association International) because we believe that education makes us a better partner. The certification program has evolved over the years. A culminating proctored test was replaced by testing after each class session. To earn at CAS, Certified Advertising Specialist or MAS, Master Advertising Specialist certification, individuals must have at least 3 years of work experience in our industry. Course study at every level, from TAS to MAS to geared towards focused content that is relevant to daily challenges we face such as safety, supplier relationships to mastering skills that make us a more dynamic marketing partner for you. What's involved? 25 hours of dedicated or required classes, plus 25 hours of elective classes and 30 more elective classes to be earned over the next three years to keep your certification valid; learning never stops! Why is re-certification required? It's a reflection of our on-going commitment to professional development, staying current with industry trends, workplace best practices, and always to provide the highest value & quality to you. Certification does take time. COVID allowed us some time to dust off our group goal of team certification. Olivia elevated her certification to MAS level and Miranda took on the challenge to earn both her TAS and CAS in just a few months!! Any client that's done just one project with Miranda knows she is a seasoned pro, now she has the industry certifications that match the talent, expertise and experience she brings to the team. Miranda's often said that our industry was a career that found her. However, the more time she's spent in this industry she realized she enjoyed the variety of tasks, the relationships we form, the brisk pace of our workdays and that we must adapt to new challenges; which keeps her career choice fresh & interesting. Miranda's thrilled we can laugh that we don't wear branded apparel very often and we don't have to maintain a stuffy- rigid work environment to be professional. What were some takeaways this 12-year veteran learned from her course work? "Immersing myself in the industry over the last 12 years has certainly given me the opportunity to acquire a wide variety of knowledge and skills. In a lot of ways, the CAS courses were a great refresher course. But this industry like many others evolves and changes very quickly with new “hot” products, printing techniques and more being introduced almost daily. Therefore what our clients need from us changes regularly. The CAS courses equipped me with tools to adapt to these constant changes. From making sure we are always partnering with suppliers who sell safety compliant products to making sure I am suggesting the best imprint method to produce the outcome our clients are seeking to even how to communicate effectively through every step of the design and ordering process. CAS helped me be the expert our clients need me to be and I look forward to everything the recertification classes can offer as I continue to grow in the industry."

While I was an art major, painting and drawing in the "art world" is very different than painting for hire. I painted murals for 15 years and learned quickly, it's your house or your business which means the final product is about your vision. In the promotional world, it's a similar mindset. Our days are anything but ordinary. We never know what new challenge lies ahead for our graphics team: creating unique business cards designing new logos that capture our water tower town adding your content to a brochure or map borrowing from popular retail brands for a tee for your boat crew or your medical practice designing a towel for an annual fundraiser capturing a fun mascot for a school. Our designers make suggestions and show different options/versions in the design process to ensure the end result is what our client is seeking. Take a look at some custom work! Ready to get creative? We are ready, bring on the challenge - we like it when the day is not ordinary!!

This week, we are focusing on our team! We hope you enjoy learning some fun facts about each  member. Today, we'd like to introduce you to Miranda Schulstad, our Graphics and Clients Services Manager!

If someone is watching or not, their safety is one of those choices that should be a priority. As a distributor, we have thousands of options for partnerships. Corporate responsibility demonstrates a level of care, respect, and commitment that's necessary for business. The PPAI Code of Conduct is a tangible presentation of actions taken to provide our clients with product safety, social and environmental assurances. Promotional Partners adopted this code and signed support as a public way to demonstrate our commitment to responsible business practices. What's in the Code? 1. Product Safety Compliance With Laws and Standards. We will comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the safety of products we sell.  Where feasible and appropriate, we will meet applicable voluntary industry standards for our products and processes. 2. Product Quality Expectations Consistently Met.  We will support and expect manufacturing processes that ensure consistently met expectations of agreed-upon product quality and functionality. 3. Social Compliance No Abuse Of Labor. We will not use any form of forced labor, including indentured, prison, bonded, or slave labor. Physical abuse, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment, verbal abuse, or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited. Employment Relationship. Employees shall be free to end employment at their discretion. No Child Labor.  We will comply with the minimum ages defined by ILO Conventions on child labor, or applicable laws and regulations if they specify to a higher age requirement. Freedom Of Association.  We respect the rights of employees to associate or organize without fear of reprisal or interference. If employees are represented by an organization recognized under law, we respect the right to bargain collectively. No Discrimination.  We will not discriminate in employment hiring practices on the basis of age, nationality, race, religion, social status, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, disability, or other protected class as determined by local law. Hours And Wages.  We shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country where the workers are employed. All overtime work shall be consensual. Employers shall compensate all overtime work at a premium rate. Workplace Conditions.  We will provide a safe, healthy, and secure workplace. We will abide by all applicable laws and regulations for safety and health. 4. Environmental Sustainability Minimizing Adverse Impact.  We will abide by all applicable environmental laws and regulations. We will manage our environmental footprint to minimize the adverse impact on the environment. We aim to manage our production processes, energy and water usage, and waste systems for maximum efficiency and minimal adverse impact on the environment. 5. Supply Chain Security Product Security Through Delivery.  We and our suppliers will implement procedures that ensure products have not been changed or tampered with from shipping point through delivery. Ethical Behavior.  Our suppliers are expected to conduct their business in accordance with the highest ethical standards and will strictly comply with all laws and regulations on bribery, corruption, and prohibited business practices. No money, assets, gifts, fees, bribes or compensation of any kind may be given to our employees or our affiliates’ employees in an attempt to unduly influence such person’s decision making abilities. Our Company’s Commitment To These Business Principles Our adoption of this Commitment to Ethical and Responsible Conduct Policy expresses our sincere commitment to the principles expressed. It is our guide to conducting our business decisions and relationships. However, by adoption and application of these business philosophies, we do not waive and expressly reserve all our rights granted us under applicable law. Promotional Partners is committed to this program and proud to adopt and support this program through PPAI. * Note- PPAI, Promotional Products Association International, is the trusted leader in the promotional products industry delivering essential knowledge, resources, and community to ensure the success of its members, those who manufacture, import and resell promotional products, and the promotional products industry itself.

Recently, we had a client order power banks that were shipped to their US location. Later, they found out that these should have been shipped to a venue in Europe - which could have been done via our supplier. As soon as we found out, we contacted our supplier to ask if they would be able to take it back and ship or if we had any other options. Unfortunately, since they were already received by the client, we were unable to have them shipped to the correct Europe location. Why? In order to ship power banks, and other electronic devices, you need to be a certified shipper. While we are able to ship internationally, in many cases, it needs to be done via our supplier due to safety regulations. Does anyone remember... When electronic battery powered items catching on fire, in turn creating concern among consumers? Safety is important to our company so we take great care to partner with suppliers that we can trust. At the top of the promotional request list for many of our clients is a power bank. Power banks keep busy professionals up and running during the day, while easily crossing over all demographics with for a functional branded item. To insure rechargeable batteries are safe, they need to be properly tested and adhere to quality control. We select partners like Leed's that adhere to rigorous safety tests on electronic devices! According to our experts at Leed's - product safety begins at the factory with an evaluation process that includes verification of proper internal quality protocols. They reinforce quality control procedures by: Providing detailed product specs to factories. Working with a quality-assurance team on site in China. Rejecting substandard purchase orders. What about product testing? Leed's product testing includes both internal testing and testing by independent third parties. There are no mandatory standards, but our internal testing exceeds accepted industry standards. Their products have been tested by independent organizations like UL and Intertek, which offer certifications that more and more customers are requesting. The testing conducted by Leed's experts accounts for three areas: Functional testing to make sure products perform safely and as expected. Situational testing to make sure product will not malfunction if overused or dropped. Cosmetic and packaging evaluation for overall appearance, workmanship and logo.

On Monday, we shared why custom company stores are beneficial. Today, we want to shine a light on our in-house custom store genius, Sara! When a client is in need of an online company store, Sara is our go to person! She is knowledgeable in every aspect that pertains to ensuring the store runs smoothly and orders are accurately placed. Olivia helped our most recent store get started by helping them choose and select their favorite apparel items, creating a cohesive look among all students, and Sara began designing the online store. Stores can include your logo, colors to match your branding and important information to note about when the store will close, purchasing, and more. After the items were chosen, Sara took the apparel and created virtuals with their logo - this allows the buyers to see what the item will look like once decorated! The store was then set to go live and a link was sent to our contact to distribute to all those who plan to purchase. Upon reaching the end date set for purchasing, the store will then be closed and no more orders can be placed. During this time, Sara will take inventory and place the order with our supplier to then be decorated. Upon completion, the items are on their way to those who purchased! How can a store work for your needs? Feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in seeing a sample store!

You are probably familiar with the term ghostwriter and perhaps even comfortable with the concept that another person writes for someone else's voice, but what about when another person shares a creative vision? For the past 13 years, our company has been the hidden artist behind many types of branding projects from tee shirt designs and logo development to designing print materials and displays. Much of our craft relies on being able to ask the right questions while showing you options for fonts, colors, or conceptual ideas to pull out the information we need to put an image behind your message and vision. Recently we worked with some ladies that wanted to inspire social change, with the simple words that one would change the heart when they change their way of thinking.....Change The Head, Change The Heart. Working through the design process to put an image together and work through a color palette to bring their vision to life! One of the rewarding aspects of being a hidden artist is to be around town and see your work being worn, displayed, sold, or sitting on someone's desk. We don't mind being in the background, your message front & center is the goal!

Recently we've heard a lot of adults talking about community and supporting our local businesses, but what about the kids? Kids have a unique perspective to offer and in many cases, it's a perspective adults can learn from. As a result, we have come up with a t-shirt designing contest. We want to hear from kids and see their inspiring designs. The idea is to capture an image from the minds of kids ages 5-18 on "If a popsicle was in your community, what would it look like?" We all know what a twin pop is, you know, those popsicles that encourage you to break it apart and share it with a friend or sibling. Once a winner is chosen, shirts will be created (winner can choose the shirt color and one imprint color - see example below. ) and can be bought with proceeds benefiting Safe Kids Wake County. Why Safe Kids? At the beginning of 2020, we announced that we were creating a Give Back Program and Safe Kids was our charity of choice. If you would like to have a child you know participate, download the rules and entry sheet below! Participants will have until Friday, August 7, 2020 to submit their entries! We will then begin voting on our social media channels - encourage friends and family to show their support and vote! Feeling stuck? Olivia has some ideas to get those imagination wheels turning!

Dogs, puzzles and parks are all things our teammate, Arien likes. Yesterday, we talked about how what we offer ties in with your integrated marketing strategy which is how Arien landed at our doorstep. Today is Arien's first work anniversary, so let's go behind the scenes and get to know her better. To set the stage, keep in mind, these questions were fired off at 8:30 am! What could be more fun than having your workday start out with thought-provoking questions, right? Let's start with some softball questions, states Olivia. Olivia - "Have you always had dogs?" Arien - "Yes," with an enthusiastic smile & nod. She currently has two, a silver lab and a hound mix - Luca & Piper! Arien grew up around dogs. In fact, one of her Grandmother's even had 10 at one time! (She's had a rabbit, turtle, cat and fish to count as companions.) Olivia - "How about academic pursuits. What was a major take away from your college experience?" Arien -"Academic education prepares you with scenarios, providing knowledge to apply, but the real world builds and tests those skills- your ability to adapt". Olivia - "You've been part of the team and our industry now for a year. How has your perception of our industry either been reinforced or changed over time?" Arien - "There is a lot more going into a promotion behind the scenes than I realized- product selection, research, graphic assistance, selecting partners and tracking order progress." An exciting part for me is seeing first hand how tangible branding fits into a brand's integrated marketing communications efforts. Public relations and global marketing rely on a consistent and cohesive message, your tangible branding should reflect the same message being presented in all other aspects." Olivia - "Is here anything you find frustrating about our industry?" Arien - "Not being taken seriously, for those that can't see what we do & that we offer more than just pens or mugs." Olivia - "Do you have a favorite project you've been a part of to date?" Arien - "I like that our projects and tasks are team-oriented. At any time one person might take the lead, but the ideas & direction are developed together." "Right now it's rewarding to see our retro spin on twin pops take off. Social media is an unknown result. The puzzle is what will be "the thing" that captures attention. Currently, our Popsicle contest for kids to benefit Safe Kids is gaining momentum & impressive views. It also made my rainy day to have a 6 year old submit our first entry because it was exciting to have a reason to create art." Olivia - "Okay, let's get into some more challenging questions - What is it about marketing & promotions that you find rewarding?" Arien - "I love solving puzzles, from Sudoku to Crosswords, I like the challenge of finding the pattern and fitting things together." "What we offer clients has so many possible choices, it's finding the product that fits the purpose, budget and outcome they are seeking- it's like solving a puzzle." Olivia - "Are you an introvert or extrovert?" Arien insists she is neither, a hybrid instead. Both an environment or project can bring out her chatty or quiet side. Having grown up in a more rural area, with access to larger urban areas, she likes that the triangle area reminds her of home- access to events, parks, beaches, mountains or even quiet less traveled spots to reflect. "What do you enjoy about your work here? Assuming you like it here" laughed Olivia! Arien - "I do, it's a comfortable environment where we can all be ourselves, not too serious but with purpose. I get to create things, learn new things, solve puzzles and be part of a team that cares about one another." "Whew, laughs Olivia, "good answer!" Olivia - "Last question, think about it for a while and tell me - What's your biggest take away from the past year at Promotional Partners?" Arien says later in the morning, reflecting on working with clients and our own marketing efforts, "It's hard when you are involved to step back and see what makes you unique to others. Sometimes it takes an outsider to bring that to life - share that story."