The Dish

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Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, a rotating group of PromoKitchen chefs have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip. This week’s Dish was authored by Chef Patrick Black. 

What the best brands will do in 2017? – “Must Read” Article of the Week 

At the beginning of each year there are always an overabundance of articles talking about what to do in order to be successful in the new year. The problem with most articles of this type is they tell what to do but NOT how to do it. This article is very thorough with several great actionable steps to enhance your changes for a successful 2017. Bookmark it. Read it. Take action.

Hub Pen Acquires Beacon Promotions

You've probably seen this one already, but just in case here it is. The trend over the past few years in our industry is consolidation, and this is yet another example. Here, you find a company that specializes in the pen niche has acquired a company with a very broad line of products. Hub Pen has developed an excellent reputation for service and quality surrounding pens. Based on their 60 year history, they have a great opportunity to increase the reach for the product line from Beacon Promotions. An interesting acquisition for sure which only the future will determine how it pans out for them.

10 Ways to Bolster Your Brand’s Online Influence

While many of these tips have been written before in other articles, they need to be reiterated because so many of us are failing to do them. Our online influence as a brand/company is vital for our success in the future. With more and more transactions taking place online, you better take note and start increasing your online influence now. My favorite tips here: Be consistent and Be passionate and positive.

A LinkedIn VP Explains Why The Company Shuts Down For 2 Full Weeks Every Year

I’m including this article because I find it fascinating. If I were an employee, this would be an amazing benefit. There is so much truth to employees always being haunted by a pile of “makeup work” when they return from vacation. While a company shutdown is idealistic, I’m not sure how it can work for most small companies which don’t have a huge cashflow to keep them afloat during a shutdown like larger companies have. So, I’ll just place this article link here to inspire you and make you drool.

LinkedIn Changes: What Marketers Need to Know – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

One thing I can’t stand is being inundated with popups when I am attempting to read an article. On this page, I was exposed to no less than four popups. So annoying! With this title, I was sure there would be life-changing tidbits of information to help me use LinkedIn more effectively. This article describes nothing more than layout changes. I need no instructions to “Explore the home page,” and I’m sure you don’t either. I can assure you nothing revolutionary can be found here. Most social media platforms do periodical updates to enhance the look and feel of their site, so use your time to see this for yourself on LinkedIn rather than wasting your time reading about it. I promise you will figure it out without draining ten minutes of your life reading this article.