Brian Duran has been an essential part of Media Tree’s growth and success over the past decade. You’ll soon see he’s a logistical strategist and is constantly thinking about how to drive innovation through tech in digital promotions and rewards.  Brian is a leader in the digital reward space, a category that has become increasingly popular in a post-COVID world.  

In this ebook, we’ll unpack four keys we’ve identified that set apart the merely “busy” distributor who carves out incremental growth year-after-year versus those who make huge leaps and gains. We’ll bring in voices and ideas from industry leaders through their testimony and insights and share with you the four common threads that bind them all.

About two weeks ago, the largest gathering of technologists in the promotional products industry happened at PromoStandards Tech Summit. Over 150 attendees from over 60 companies gathered together at the premier tech event, and today on the skucast, we’re sharing with you a glimpse behind the scenes at Tech Summit, which includes a panel led by commonsku’s CEO Catherine Graham and also, a brief breakdown from Robert Cathro-Oliver, commonsku’s Director of Software Development on the work of the PromoStandards committee. Dave Shultz, commonsku’s Vice President of Supplier Partnerships, also joins us to answer this question: What is tech summit?

Sterling Wilson is the founder and President of Pop! Promos and somewhat of a polymath with deep expertise in supply chain which also gives him a very unique perspective on US-China relations at the moment and its potential ramifications for our industry

It’s about streamlining the complex, frustrating, and burdensome work that aggravates you and your team down, slowing you down. Digital transformation, for the human in us, creates an easier, more enjoyable work-life. 

Today, we’re discovering the essential distinction that creates a solid leadership team that can scale your business. 

Of all the yawn-inducing business-speak in the world (”synergy,” “alignment,” “deliverables”), the word “strategy” is up there, hangin’ with the murkiest of them. Which is a damn shame because creating an original, market-shattering strategy requires more than a feat of statistical maneuvering; it’s a —surprisingly— creative endeavor that requires imagination.

Today, we will identify four essentials missing from your plan. Join us for our next installment in this series, where we’ll unpack the first one: strategy. We’ll bring you interviews, stories, and lessons from the trenches, from those who have learned to rise above and jump light years ahead.

Join us as we use the tools of AI to explore the future of AI and chatGPT for the promotional products industry.

The supplier of the future is working –right now– to create this very catalyst for growth. And we’re not talking to the wonderful technologists who are behind the scenes making these changes possible, we’re talking with the front line sales team who sees this change as the new leverage for sales growth.

We’ve been hearing and talking recession rhetoric for months. And by “we” I mean the collective we: business leaders, media, economists, and the world. Regardless of whether we’re already in a recession, or whether there will be a recession, or whether there won’t be a recession, for business planning purposes you can still find your focus for growth for 2023, regardless of the economic climate.

Now, this is no surprise to use in the branded merch, gifting game. But more and more research is revealing that gifting has become not only a critical and effective marketing trend for businesses but that the trend is growing in demand and popularity. So, now is the time to capitalize on this trend and lock in those easy(ish) sales for Q4.

Today, Mark Graham will be sharing with us his thoughts and emotions on some of the recent skucast episodes as if we were there with him in real-time.

Many people think that the accounting department is resistant to change, but that’s a myth. A stereotype. Our objective, as always, is to make your life and your workflow easier, simpler, and more efficient so that you can focus on the priorities of growing your business. This guide will breakdown how to move your accounting to commonsku in 4 easy steps.

Today, we’re sharing a few creative ideas from friends we’ve chatted with who have changed or revised their comp structures recently.

Kate Hallett is the Chief Marketing Officer at Harper + Scott. She has over ten years of integrated marketing experience with a proven track record for growing businesses. Kate is a passionate storyteller with disciplines across multiple industries, including enterprise and late-stage startups in both B2B and B2C environments.

Most distributors grow by osmosis: Land a client, nurture that client very, very well, and tend to its every call, email, and demand until, gradually, by an almost unconscious process, revenues increase. Growth by osmosis is not a targeted strategy as much as it is a nurturing instinct. Which is not bad except, it puts all the growth opportunity with that client solely in the hands of the customer with no driving influence from you.

Instead of thinking simply, “how do we change our comp structure to increase profit,” think: How do we change our comp structure to bring growth, culture, and community together to build a better business for all.

Each year, ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) reveals insights from their State of the Industry Report, the single most researched report about the promotional products industry, providing in-depth analysis on multiple topics including trends in growth, challenges in manufacturing, industry verticals that possess the most opportunity, and much more.

In this new series on sales compensation, we’re going to talk about the trends changing the way promo incentivizes salespeople. We’ll explore creative alternative comp plans used by some of the leading distributors and alternative ideas that are reshaping how to drive sales growth. Join us as we share through this series a guide for inspiring sales growth through comp!