Why It Matters

Following up on the "Why It Matters" Sustainable Merch Summit, Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon and Michele Dando from Facilisgroup took a deeper dive into the importance of transparency in the branded merch industry. Michele was on the "Why Transparency Matters" panel facilitated by Theresa Hegel from ASI. 

Jeff and Michelle emphasized the need for distributors to understand their value beyond just ...

Drew Holmgreen, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) President and CEO, and Kara Keister from Social Good Promotions join Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon, MAS, to discuss the L.E.A.D. (Legislative Education and Action Day) trip to Washington D.C. Learn Why It Matters that PPAI and a group of passionate colleagues in the promo products industry are investing in this annual trip. The conversation focuse...

We are excited to delve a bit deeper with some of our presenters at the Branded Merch Network Inaugural Sustainable Merch Summit, hosted by ASI, Apparelist, and The 2 Regular Guys. 

Here, Joseph Sommer, founder and CEO of Whitestone, shared his company's journey toward sustainability, emphasizing its importance for businesses of all sizes and the growing demand for eco-friendly practices. He discussed Whitestone's initiatives, inclu...

Join Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon, MAS, and econscious Director Kriya Stevens, MBA, for an insightful discussion on the critical role of sustainability in the apparel industry. This engaging conversation explores:

• econscious journey: Founded in 2006, pioneering organic and sustainable products

• The growing demand for eco-friendly branded merchandise

• The power of sustainable fibers: Organic cotton's climate-sm...

In this "Why It Matters" conversation, George Morgan, Director of Marketing at HIRSCH, discussed the company's evolution of doing good things with Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon, MAS. Working with great companies that do great things and offer quality products is a win for distributors and their end-user clients. 

HIRSCH recently achieved a platinum certification from the Green Business Benchmark, highli...

James Guan, CEO of Acehigh, engaged in a wide-ranging conversation with Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon, MAS, covering sustainability in business practices, product design, and corporate gifting. James shared his company's sustainability story, focusing on thoughtful design and packaging. Jeff emphasized the value of doing business with companies that consciously try to be different and meticulous. They discussed ...

Theresa Hegel, Executive Editor for Special Projects and Sustainability at ASI, discussed the importance of sustainability in the promotional products industry. She highlighted "Promo for the Planet," a resource for industry updates on sustainability. Hegel emphasized the growing demand from clients for socially responsible and eco-friendly products, citing ASI Research, where 88% of end buyers prioritize socially respons...

Alok Bhat, Market Economist and Senior Research Manager for PPAI, joined Global Brand Ambassador Rod Brown and Branded Merch Network Co-Founder Jeff Solomon, MAS, for a quick overview of "Why it Matters" to those watching this that a group of our passionate colleagues is investing in a business trip to Washington DC. 

Alok, Rod, and Jeff discussed the significance of the Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) in s...

Gerald Pinkley, VP of Compliance at Cap America, discusses the company's commitment to sustainability and compliance. Cap America delivers clean products that benefit its company position and distributor clients. He emphasizes the importance of staying updated with regulations, particularly in the EU and the US, to remain relevant to customers. They are working on an EcoVadis assessment and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certification, ...

Laura Smith, Head of Sustainability at Storm Creek, discusses the company's commitment to using recycled polyester for apparel and their choice to become a bluesign systems partner. bluesign assesses the entire supply chain for environmental impact, including carbon emissions, water usage, and chemical safety.

Nira Maya and Simone Ross from bluesign joined Laura for this conversation. Nira explains that bluesign ensures the enti...

In this Why It Matters conversation, Branded Merch Network contributor Jeff Solomon talks with Kate Alavez, President of PromoShop, about leadership and doing the right thing. PromoShop has been a family-owned, minority-owned business since 1998. Jeff and Kate discuss the company's commitment to ethical business practices and the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles. Kate emphasizes the significa...

Saved from being donated! An awesome product was saved from being donated. In this Why It Matters conversation, Branded Merch Network Contributor Jeff Solomon talks with Ian Rosenberger, Founder and CEO of Day Owl, a company doing brilliant things with an innovative product line.

Jeff and Ian discussed the circular economy concept and its relevance to distributors. Ian emphasized the importance of creating products and a company tha...

Here are some things you may not know about one of the industry's largest suppliers. In this "Why It Matters" conversation, Branded Merch Network contributor Jeff Solomon talks with Natalie Sheffey, Director of Sustainability, and Tommy Levin, Director of Sales at Hit Promotional Products.

From a sales perspective, Tommy observed that distributors' responses to sustainability initiatives can vary. In his experience, while some distr...

In this informative "Why It Matters" conversation, Branded Merch Network Contributor Jeff Solomon talks with Elizabeth Wimbush, Director of Sustainability and Responsibility PPAI. 

Elizabeth talks about being at a crossroads and future-proofing our industry. Articles about brand fill and swag-free conferences are not happening in a void. That's reality. We need to prepare ourselves for this future where promotional pro...

In this engaging "Why It Matters" conversation, Ryan Moor, a founder of Allmade Apparel, talks with Branded Merch Contributor Jeff Solomon about real-world experiences that impacted his life and business. It started with the death of a screen printer due to the long-term impact of chemicals used in screen printing. 

We talk about reducing the impact of chemicals, the importance of using bluesign-certified inks and organic ...

In this riveting "Why It Matters" conversation, we talk with industry icon Jo-an Lantz, the President and CEO of Geiger. We discuss the importance of understanding why it matters to do the right thing, which includes respecting people, society, and the planet. Good business is about profitability and Geiger shares that profit with the Geiger team. Jo-an offers meaningful thoughts on sustainability and why it matters to th...

Our industry is becoming more mindful of the impact the branded merch industry is having. Denise Taschereau, CEO and co-founder of Fairware Promotional Products is one of the leaders in this movement. In 2009 Fairware was the first B Corp Certified company in our industry. Fairware is part of Reciprocity Road, a group of like-minded distributors committed to doing the right thing. It's encouraging and exciting to see the positi...

Raining Rose is a community-driven company that strives to be a responsible business neighbor as part of their business positioning. Kate Nash, Director of Sales, shares thoughts on Why It Matters to focus on initiatives that positively impact business and community. They consider the longer-term impact of how they produce their products. Kate also shares about Honeybees and Humans, a unique initiative that works on many levels and...

Bart Simpson, the President of Flywheel in Tenessee, talks with Branded Merch Network contributor Jeff Solomon, MAS, about Why It Matters to do things right. Their focus is not just about selling products; they want to make an impact. As members of Reciprocity Road, they are connected with like-minded distributor companies that focus on the concept of doing the right thing. These companies ARE making a positive impact!

Bart offers s...