It’s that time of year when we look back on the events of the last 12 months and think, “Did that really happen in 2021?” It’s also a time for reflection and tallying, with best and worst lists proliferating.

In 2021, ASI Media’s editors covered a variety of topics and talked to a plethora of experts for the Promo Insiders and Social Angle podcasts, whether it was about the future of trade shows and events, the power of social selling or how nostalgia marketing is a hit. Here are our lists of the Top 10 podcasts of the year, plus five of our most-viewed Facebook Live videos.

Top 10 Podcasts

1

Supply Chain Upheaval and the Promo Products Industry

It’s the topic that’s been front and center of the promo industry this year, and back in May, ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo spoke with Jeffrey Nanus, president/CEO of Norwood, NJ-based supplier AAA Innovations (asi/30023) about the situation. Nanus said at the time that the supply chain disruption occurring was the worst he’s seen in his nearly 30 years. Nanus also shared insights in how promo firms could work to mitigate the situation as much as possible.

2

State of the Industry 2021 Report

Each year, Counselor releases its State of the Industry report, covering the biggest trends and most interesting data affecting the promotional products industry. This year was no different – though many of the results reported in the SOI were unexpected and unprecedented. In this episode of Promo Insiders, ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo, C.J. Mittica and Nate Kucsma unpacked the most fascinating findings and statistics, discussing everything from how widespread supply chain upheaval was, how much margins suffered and how big PPE got in 2020.

3

Weighing the Pros and Cons of the NIL Ruling

It was a big deal when the NCAA ruled that college athletes could finally profit off their name, image and likeness and also a potential boon to the promo industry. But Steve Flaughers, owner of Proforma 3rd Degree Marketing (asi/300094) in Canton, OH, explained in this episode of Promo Insiders why he won’t be targeting those potential customers anytime soon. Flaughers had many concerns with the ruling, not just in how it could affect athletes, but also the distributors working with them.

4

The Benefits of Twitter Spaces

In 2021, social audio took off, with just about every social media company trying to piggyback on Clubhouse’s early successes during the pandemic. In this episode of The Social Angle, ASI Media’s Vinnie Driscoll talks with Michelle Garrett, PR consultant and freelance writer, about why she chose Twitter’s audio-based feature, Spaces, and how she’s been able to get so much buy-in from her followers with her PR Lunch Hour Space.

5

The Power of Nostalgia Marketing

Go retro with this episode of The Social Angle. Driscoll talks with Kris Robinson, executive vice president and chief executive officer of sustainability at Top 40 distributor PromoShop Inc. (asi/300446) about how he integrates nostalgia into his marketing plan, examples of successful campaigns he’s run and the important role social media plays in it all.

6

A Candid Conversation on Canadian Promo

Over the summer, a handful of promo pros in Canada gathered on Twitter Spaces to have an honest discussion of the COVID-related challenges they’ve been facing. It was hosted by ASI Media staffers Vinnie Driscoll and Sara Lavenduski, and Kate Plummer, vice president of sales and marketing at Clearmount (asi/45440) in Toronto.

7

Crush Q1: Turn the Quarter Into a Win for Your Promo Business

The beginning of 2021 was a particularly uncertain time for the promo products industry. The fourth-quarter holiday sales surge had ended, and there were still monumental business challenges presented by COVID-19. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Christopher Faris of Boost Promotions (asi/142942) and Julie Woodall of Promotion Perfection powered by HALO (asi/356000) spoke with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo about their stellar 2020 and the strategies they put in place to ensure success in 2021.

8

Promo’s Supply Chain in Q4 & Beyond

It seems the only constant in 2021 has been the inconsistencies and uncertainty of the supply chain. The situation has been so noteworthy it warranted another podcast. This time, Ruvo spoke with Andrea Routzahn, chief merchant at Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063) to get an update on where things stood for promo’s supply network and how the all-important fourth quarter was shaping up.

9

Social Selling on LinkedIn

The social network that’s old enough to vote also has massive potential for businesspeople in the promo industry and beyond. Thanks to overeager salespeople and tone-deaf cold emails, the platform has gotten a bad rap, but in this episode of the Social Angle, Jessica Gibbons-Rauch and Jay Busselle of FLEXpoint Social Selling bring their advice on how promo pros can share their unique story to forge long-term relationships that lead to sales.

10

Getting Noticed and Being Visible

Jamie Young of Uptown Screen Printing (asi/184812) hired a speaking coach at the end of 2019 to help her boost her confidence (and minimize rambling during panels and presentations). When COVID struck, those newfound speaking skills became her biggest asset. In this episode of Promo Insiders, she talks about her unique approach to staying in front of clients and how it led to her best ever sales month.

Top 5 Live Videos

1

Predictions for the ASI Promo Insanity Contest

In March, ASI launched a new Promo Insanity contest to name people’s favorite promotional product, starting with 16 choices to be narrowed down, round by round. Before it began, ASI Media editors dug into the matchups, picking their dark horse favorites, predicting the biggest first-round upset, and declaring which product would win it all.

2

Opening a Business During the Pandemic

Screen printer Brian Baxter, who opened a brick-and-mortar location in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, talks about some of the challenges he faced. Baxter had been operating out of a basement for two years before opening the storefront. It was a bold move that ended up paying off thanks to a heavy reliance on Instagram ads and other digital marketing strategies to drum up orders.

3

ASI CEO Tim Andrews Updates the Industry

Tim Andrews, president and CEO of ASI, updated the promo industry on Q1 sales figures, plans for ASI Chicago in July 2021 and more during this live address on Facebook.

4

Best Practices for Fulfillment Services

Fulfillment services, including warehousing, kitting and drop-shipping to private residences, became the norm in the pandemic era, with clients looking for ways to stay connected. Mitch Silver, vice president of marketing and sales at Printable Promotions (asi/299458), spoke with ASI Media’s Sara Lavenduski about the service his company offers, how they’ve made the process more efficient and the sales opportunities they were seeing in the space.

5

Winning Strategies for Fully Customized Products

Jeffrey Mayer and Jordan Scaduto of LBU Inc. (asi/65952) talked about the process of creating a promotional product from scratch – and why customization is not a four-letter word.