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 Bill Petrie.

The Future of the Promotional Products Industry – “Must Read” Article of the Week

In the history of “must read” articles, this one may be near the top. Number 1 on the Power 50 (and PromoKitchen Chef) C.J. Schmidt and reigning Counselor Magazine’s Person of the Year Chuck Fandos discuss a wide range of topics from how the distributor commission model might change to the lack of seriousness behind product safety. This is a quick five minute read and is well worth your time unless you really don’t care about the industry. Since you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you do.

Starbucks Apologizes After Flubbing Oregon-Themed Travel Mugs

While there are a lot of things that Starbucks should apologize for - beginning with the proliferation of everything pumpkin spice in October and November - this is near the top of the list. To celebrate Oregon, the coffee giant wanted to pay homage to the states most recognizable waterfall with a doodle of a bridge and a gushing waterfall flowing beneath. Unfortunately, the doodle represented Multnomah Falls but was incorrectly labeled as Klamath Falls which is the name of a town, not a waterfall. Inspect your promo, Starbucks!

New Blogger Survey Reveals Benchmarks and Keys to Blogging Success

As content marketing continues to explode, this article had some excellent information regarding the king of all content – the venerable blog. To be certain, there were some interesting findings including that the average length of blogs is up 19% from last year and averages 1,050 words. The findings indicate that readers equate length with quality and are seeking more meat in blog posts. Another surprising statistic shows that top bloggers are publishing less frequently. If you are blogging – or thinking about blogging – this is well worth your time.

SHE DID IT? Misprinted Clinton Inauguration Merchandise Expected to be Collector’s Items – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

Candidly, I’m done with political stories and social media posts and this one is no different. Prior to the election, most believed that Hillary Clinton would win and win in a landslide. As such, it should be no surprise that merchandise was produced to capitalize on the historic victory that was not to be. Regardless of political leanings, who cares about this crap? I don’t and you shouldn’t either. Move on, nothing to see (or read) here.