Promotional Products Association Intl. (PPAI) President and CEO Paul Bellantone presented the “State of the Industry” at the 2013 Tropical Show Town Hall meeting.
The Caribbean Advertising Specialties Association (C.A.S.A.) hosted the show, which was held March 19-20 at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“There is an unmistakable enthusiasm in the promotional products industry around the world,” Bellantone says. “2012 marked our industry’s third year of consecutive distributor sales-volume growth. Our own research and independent third-party studies show us that promotional products continue to grow as a dominant advertising medium. There is compelling evidence that promotional products are among the most cost-effective means of marketing products and services — both as standalone vehicles and as part of integrated marketing campaigns.”
The PPAI Quarterly Sales Barometer reported positive results, as both suppliers and distributors saw fourth-quarter increases in sales in 2012, compared to the same period in 2011. Industry companies reported increases of up to 9% for the study — on the supplier side, there was a 6.97% net increase, and distributors reported a 9.48% increase.
The promotional products industry is experiencing growth faster than 11 of the 14 competitive media. In fact, only Internet marketing, mobile marketing and cable TV are experiencing faster growth, according to the company.
For more information, visit ppai.org. — L.M.
