Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, I have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip.

PPAI 2016 Board of Directors Election Now Open – “Must Read” Article of the Week

A clear winner for the “must read” of the week as this election will help shape the future of our industry. This article allows the reader to get to know each of the candidates: Mitch Rhodus, CAS and Danny Rosin on the distributor side; Andrew Spellman and Sharon Willochell on the supplier side. I strongly urge everyone who has a vote to read this article, make an informed decision, and, most importantly, vote.

This is Why It’s So Great That The iPhone 7 is Killing Off the Headphone Jack

On September 7, 2016, Apple will be unveiling the newest version of the iPhone. Much to the horror of traditional headphone fans, there will be no standard 3.5mm jack. While this will cause many shockwaves, it also represents an opportunity – especially in the promotional products industry. Suppliers will finally have to offer viable, cost-effective promotional Bluetooth headphones and earbuds for all the Apple lovers out there. This article makes some very valid points as to why it’s a good thing for iPhone users to free themselves of cords.

What Is a Logo? Just the Beating Heart of Your Brand, That’s All

In an industry so focused (maybe too focused) on logos and not the brand behind the logo, this is great read. The article correctly explains that the logo is the first impression of a brand and is the object that elicits the emotion – good or bad – from the target audience. It goes further to help the reader understand that the logo is the aspect of the brand that reaches the subconscious to draw up memories of what the brand is all about.

Branding Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

While this isn’t the most original article I’ve ever read, it does make some very good points. My personal favorite is you don’t understand your audience. It’s something we all see in our industry: clients who have brands that make no sense to their targets. Something that’s not as easy to see is when our own brands don’t truly understand the audience. This is a good reminder for everyone to take a hard look at their brand.

Is Your Swag a Drag? 5 Tips to Make Your Promotional Giveaways Brag-Worthy – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

First of all, the title and rhyming “swag,” “drag,” and “brag” is decidedly cringe-worthy and already makes me not read the article, but read it I did. While there are some decent tips in here – don’t devalue your brand with cheap products comes to mind – the article loses steam quickly as it descends into prose hell with incorrect credits (research from Advertising Specialty Impressions) and overuse of the term “swag.”  The last tip is “the worse the swag, the longer it will be remembered.” In thinking of this article, the more poorly it is written, the quicker it will be forgotten.