PPAI, the Promotional Products Industry Association of America, releases a top 100 list of Distributors and Suppliers every year. The companies are scored on eight factors – Growth, Revenue, Industry Faith, Innovation, Employee Happiness, Responsibility, Professional Development, and Online Presence.
We analyzed the PPAI 100 Distributors this year and found some interesting insights.
- Distributors who scored high marks in Responsibility grew 58% faster compared to 31% for those who didn’t. That’s almost double the impact on growth rate.
- Employee Happiness came second. It was the only other metric that positively impacted growth rates.
- The other factors didn’t have any correlation to growth rate.
Here’s the full analysis:
| Metric | Growth With Metric | Growth Without Metric |
| Responsibility | 58% | 31.14% |
| Employee Happiness | 44.05% | 36% |
| Industry Faith | 29.98% | 64% |
| Innovation | 34.46% | 38% |
| Professional Development | 34.65% | 38% |
| Online Presence | 23% | 42.61% |
Based on three-year Revenue Data of 2024 PPAI 100 Distributors.
What This Means For The Promo Industry
Responsibility and sustainability are no longer just nice-to-haves in the industry. They’re the key drivers of growth.
This trend is being driven by increasing demand from end-users and clients for eco-friendly and socially responsible products.
65% of PPAI 100 distributors and 64% of PPAI 100 suppliers noted a substantial rise in consumer demand for eco-friendly products.
Furthermore, the industry as a whole is bullish on the shift towards sustainability.
78% of distributors and 73% of suppliers believe increased demand for eco-friendly products will define the industry’s future.
This shift in consumer preferences is particularly pronounced among younger generations.
82% of Gen Zers consider environmental impact to some degree when using promo products.
As this cohort gains more purchasing power, the demand for sustainable options is only set to grow.
The message is clear – if you want to stay competitive and achieve strong growth in the promo industry, embracing responsibility and sustainability is no longer optional. It’s a business imperative.
Partnering With Industry Leaders For Sustainability Initiatives
At ForestNation, we’re proud to partner with promo industry leaders to help them achieve their sustainability goals and drive business success.
Image Source
Image Source is a PPAI 100 Distributor (rank 47) who’ve made sustainability a core part of their brand. Here’s what they do with us:
- Plant trees for every order.
- Plant trees for event attendees, like their recent fall showcase.
- Get clients to grow their own Forests.
- Offer tree-planting as an add-on to other gifts.
This initiative was driven by demand from their top clients, who have ambitious net-zero goals and will only work with distributors who share their values.
So far they’ve planted over 63,000 trees in their Forest. These trees are planted in Tanzania to sequester carbon and create sustainable livelihoods for local communities – including job creation for women and education for children.
Solution Group
Solution Group is a promo distributor in Italy who’re ahead of the curve in sustainability and responsibility.
Here’s how they’re growing a Forest with us:
- Planting 100 trees for orders above Є5000.
- Showing impact on product packaging with QR linking to their Forest.
- Personalized impact certificates and sustainability reports.
So far, they’ve planted over 134,000 trees in their Forest.
Read their full case study here >
“The initiative we launched with ForestNation in 2021 along with others, are now showing the first results. What we are perceiving the most is the positioning of the Solution Group brand as a supplier amongst our customers. We are stuck in their minds as the company who does things differently and that will make their purchasing more meaningful.”
Manuel Xueref, Marketing and CSR Director, Solution Group
Apart from growing their Forest, Solution Group has more inspiring initiatives that you can learn about here.
Grow Your Own Forest
We’re thrilled to see our partners succeeding and leading the way in sustainability. And we’re ready to help more distributors in the industry follow in their footsteps.
If you’re looking to integrate sustainability into your business model and drive growth like these leading distributors, we’d love to work with you.
Check out our Distributors Growth Plan to learn more about how we can support your sustainability journey and help you achieve your goals.
Together, we can create a more sustainable and successful future for the industry.
FAQs
PPAI stands for Promotional Products Association International. It is one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the promotional products industry, representing thousands of member companies and playing a crucial role in shaping industry standards and practices.
The PPAI Top 100 is an annual ranking of the largest promo distributors based on their sales volume. This list is a key measure of success and growth in the industry, helping to identify leading companies and trends within the sector.
Responsible promo distributors typically focus on offering eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethically sourced items. They may also implement responsible business practices, such as reducing waste, using renewable energy, and supporting fair labor practices. This approach sets them apart from traditional distributors and appeals to clients who prioritize sustainability.
Only 18 out of the top 100 distributors scored high in responsibility. However, these distributors earn significantly more than the non-responsible category. So they account for a significant share of revenue among the top 100 companies.
The success of responsible promo distributors is likely to have a big impact on the industry as a whole. It may encourage other companies to adopt more sustainable practices, lead to increased innovation in eco-friendly product development, and potentially reshape client expectations. This trend could also influence industry regulations and standards, making responsible practices more common across the sector.
