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1 week ago | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
In what is expected to be a particularly busy year for promotional products industry consolidation, 2025 has its first merger of PPAI 100 suppliers. On Wednesday, private equity firm Mill Point Capital announced its acquisition of Clearwater, Florida-based Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, Platinum), which it is merging with fellow Sunshine State hard goods leader (PPAI 112004, Platinum), already a company in the Mill Point Capital portfolio.
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1 week ago | 
medium.com | Josh Ellis
The Digital Id: On the Moral Perils of Political Demonization in Facebook ReelsThere is a strange kind of magic at work on social media — a magic that transforms complexity into cliché, nuance into noise, and our collective attention into a kind of commodified emotional fuel. Facebook, in particular, has evolved from a space for connection into something far more powerful and far more dangerous.
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3 weeks ago | 
medium.com | Josh Ellis
Josh Ellis·Follow6 min read·--We live in an age where information is abundant, but not all information is created equal. We are constantly surrounded by news — stories that shape our understanding of the world, influence our decisions, and, in many ways, determine the course of our lives. Yet, the vast majority of what we consume is not objective; it’s filtered, framed, and often distorted.
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4 weeks ago | 
medium.com | Josh Ellis
Josh Ellis·Follow5 min read·--In the digital age, our political discourse has been increasingly shaped by the rapid consumption of bite-sized information. Among the most potent instruments of persuasion — and often, of deception — are political memes. These images, adorned with bold text and simplified narratives, can distill complex issues into digestible, emotionally charged content that spreads virally.
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1 month ago | 
wptf.com | Josh Ellis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Kon Knueppel scored 17 points to help No. 2 Duke beat rival North Carolina 82-69 on Saturday night and clinch the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. Cooper Flagg added 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists despite first-half foul trouble for the Blue Devils (28-3, 19-1).
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1 month ago | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
It's time to find out the state of leadership in promotional products and pinpoint the progress our industry has made in the last year. It's time to take the 2024 PPAI 100 surveys. All distributor and supplier members are highly encouraged to take the three surveys, which each last less than 15 minutes. Surveys are open Feb. 24 to March 9 at 11:59:59 p.m. (CT). PPAI 100 is the Association's flagship annual research and recognition project.
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2 months ago | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
It's about time. The 2025 PPAI 100 is set for a spring research and release schedule, ready to once again unveil the industry's leading distributors and suppliers. The project began in 2023 with the goal of providing a holistic measurement of industry leadership by PPAI member firms as well as benchmarking data to help companies of all sizes improve. Its scoring takes into account eight different factors crucial to the future of the promotional products marketplace.
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2 months ago | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
When PPAI released its first study of the French promotional products market in late January, it came as no surprise to industry pros in that country that industry sales had trended down in both 2023 and 2024. More concerning is that the ennuimay have set in to stay for a while, according to some attendees this week at Salon CTCO in Lyon, France's largest merch trade show.
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2 months ago | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
Donald Trump on Saturday made good on a campaign promise to impose stricter tariffs on three of the United States' largest trading partners, announcing a 25% levy against goods from Canada and Mexico, according to multiple reports. While The White House imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, it stopped well short of the 75% increase Trump had threatened on the campaign trail last year.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
ppai.org | Josh Ellis
After granting more than $320,000 for scholarships to 170 students in 2024, the Promotional Products Education Foundation has teed up another strong year of fundraising in 2025. The foundation's largest annual fundraiser, the Glen Holt & Fran Ford Memorial Golf Tournament, topped $47,000 in proceeds on Monday. The event was again held at Las Vegas's Bali Hai Golf Club, near Mandalay Bay Convention Center. One hundred golfers comprising 25 teams played in the event.
