Last week, we described how artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the way organizations find the right vendors to help them solve their business problems. If you haven’t already read it, you can do so here:

In this blog post we’ll walk through some real-world scenarios, providing end-to-end examples of how a company might actually use AI to find and vet a qualified partner, using the example of “marketing fulfillment vendor.” By following these best practices, you can use your preferred search engine to find exactly what you’re looking for without having to scroll through pages and pages of links.

Drinkware has long been a favorite among branded promotional item categories—an accessory that makes a statement that its owner is a member of the current in crowd.

It seems that every season there is a new drinkware brand that everyone is desperate to get their hands on. In the not-too-distant past it was Yeti or Stanley; today Owala is so popular that the promotional industry can’t meet the demand or keep the shelves stocked.

Drinkware has a long and interesting history, with favorites coming and going so quickly that a disruptive brand today might be rejected tomorrow as trends head in a new direction. In this blog, we’ll explore where it all started and offer predictions on where it might be headed.

We’ve said it many times before in this blog forum: for a vendor/client relationship to be truly successful, it must be managed as a partnership where both parties are equally vested in the results. Unless everyone is committed to achieving a common goal, the relationship is nothing more than a business arrangement where one side pays an agreed-upon amount of money and the other side delivers a set of agreed-upon services, day in, day out.

In the marketing fulfillment vendor/customer dynamic, a critical part of this partnership is regular business reviews.  Whether conducted annually, quarterly, or somewhere in between, these reviews provide critical insight into whether goals are being met, if those goals need to be adjusted based on observed metrics, and what kinds of tweaks are required to make the necessary changes.

When conducting an outbound marketing or lead generation campaign, choosing between branded promotional products and printed collateral (such as brochures, direct mailers, or flyers) can be difficult.

Both are considered giveaways, and both consume a considerable amount of the marketing budget. While both can be effective, each has a specific role in the sales funnel and are treated very differently by those with purchasing authority. Ultimately, the decision on which to use comes down to how you want prospects to experience your brand—tangible utility vs. informational clarity.

Let’s explore the various pros and cons of print vs. promo and help clarify where one might be superior to the other.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous.

It’s understandable.  AI can perform in seconds a task that might take a person hours to complete.  AI is fast, impartial, and tireless.  It doesn’t require breaks, praise, or even a salary.  The appeal is intoxicating.

In response, companies around the world are moving quickly to incorporate AI into their operations—some might say too quickly.  In their haste to adopt the technology and increase revenues, these companies are losing sight of the human cost in terms of displacement and lost jobs.