How Suppliers Win with PPAI Insights from Josh Ellis
From Supplier Promo Playbook by Supplier Promo Playbook
May 17, 2026 · 57 min
About this episode
Josh Ellis discusses how suppliers can effectively stand out in the promotional products industry.
What does it really take for a supplier to stand out in the promotional products industry? In this powerful episode of The Supplier Promo Playbook , hosts Adrienne Barker, Lisa Fosdick, and Kimberly Ballerene sit down with Josh Ellis , Senior Director of Media, Research, and Public Affairs at Promotional Products Association International, to unpack what suppliers of every size need to know about branding, research, networking, education, advocacy, and building real momentum in today’s evolving branded merchandise world. Josh shares eye-opening statistics, behind-the-scenes insight into PPAI’s research, the real value of industry awards, why suppliers often focus on the wrong things at Expo, and how smaller brands can punch far above their weight. If you are a supplier curious, scaling, or trying to build your brand inside promo, this episode is packed with practical gold. In this episode: ✔ Why PPAI has nearly 15,000 members ✔ What smaller suppliers often get wrong at Expo ✔ Why branding consistency matters more than booth location ✔ How awards can create instant credibility ✔ What younger buyers really want from branded merchandise ✔ Why “promotional products” may be becoming…
People in this episode
Hosts: Adrienne Barker, Lisa Fosdick, Kimberly Ballerene
Guest: Josh Ellis
Topics covered
- branding
- promotional products
- networking
- education
- advocacy
- industry insights
Keywords
- suppliers
- PPAI
- branding consistency
- Expo
- industry awards
- branded merchandise
- advocacy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Promotional Products Association International
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