Of all of PPAI’s ongoing missions and efforts, its unending work in public and government affairs can seem like the most behind-the-scenes way to serve members. From massive legislative shifts to the finer points of compliance regulation, PPAI is always busy advocating on behalf of the best interests of its members and the promotional products industry.
Going forward, however, a reorganization in PPAI’s public affairs efforts aims to bring that work out from behind the curtain by shifting it under the purview of the Association’s media department. Included in these moves is an enhanced lobbying investment through the hiring of a leading K Street firm to keep a constant dialogue between the promo community and Capitol Hill.
The media team’s research capabilities empower an organized and detailed approach to public affairs, and its editorial team allows for each individual PPAI member to be briefed on all the most important compliance and legislative happenings in the timeliest way.
“Bringing public affairs under the media and research umbrella has enabled PPAI to amplify advocacy in a way that’s sharper, faster and deeply aligned with member needs,” says Alok Bhat, PPAI’s market economist, research and public affairs lead.
Alok Bhat
Market Economist & Research Lead, PPAI
Working in regular consultation with the Government Relations Action Council, the media department will take a holistic approach to public affairs; deploying lobbying efforts to safeguard promo’s future and reaching members’ inboxes to keep them informed about the present.
“As our editorial and research efforts have expanded, PPAI Media’s role in service of the members and our mission statement has expanded, too,” says publisher and editor-in-chief Josh Ellis. “The team is now responsible for much more than publications.”
These shifts will, of course, continue to permeate in behind-the-scenes ways, but the Association encourages interested members to make public affairs their business and to allow PPAI to help through well-informed updates or active participation and sit-downs with Congress through initiatives such as Legislative Education and Action Day, PPAI’s annual visit to Capitol Hill.
A Council Of Veteran Leaders
Politicians look to create legislation meant to cater to the broad makeup of their constituency. It’s a noble effort, but it gets nowhere if they don’t receive communication from those affected by it.
The active members of an industry can speak to the specific ways in which that legislation is felt by the people building and working in those businesses. For PPAI to be able to advocate for the legislative priorities of the promo industry, it needs more than a presence in Washington. It needs regular input from promo leaders to set and regularly revisit those priorities.
For PPAI to make changes to its public affairs efforts, support from GRAC was crucial. Denise Taschereau, CEO and co-founder of Fairware, served as chair of GRAC in 2024 while PPAI initiated these changes and was involved in helping guide the way.
“Transitioning our government relations work to PPAI’s media department has significantly accelerated our ability to communicate committee priorities to members,” Taschereau says. “Between the October and November GRAC meetings alone, over 20 articles and updates on legislative issues were shared across our publications and platforms, demonstrating the immediate impact of this shift.”
Denise Taschereau
CEO, Fairware & Former Chair, GRAC
The duo of Bhat and Rachel Zoch, PPAI’s public affairs and research editor, give GRAC a direct line to the Association’s editorial team. In other words, when the council flags something as important, PPAI can communicate those messages to its entire membership.
“The main benefit [of the shift] is improved communication, meaning that we’re sharing legislative, legal and regulatory updates with the full Association membership via the PPAI Media site and our Newslink newsletters,” says Zoch, who transitioned to her role this summer following two years as an associate editor with PPAI Media.
The fall of 2024 presented one cogent example when GRAC member Brian Grall, CEO of distributor LogoMyBiz.com, emailed Zoch with a question about Beneficial Owner Information reporting, which could cost an ill-prepared company steep fines. Zoch asked Grall to present the issue briefly to GRAC. “This is a very passionate group of members eager to advocate for the industry,” Zoch says. The presentation helped Zoch write a PPAI Media article about BOI reporting, which affects thousands of PPAI members.
With Fairware based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Taschereau’s seat as chair of GRAC provided a broad view of public affairs, as the industry navigates not only U.S. legislation, but also the ways in which that legislation affects or portends outcomes in regions like Canada with strong promo landscapes.
“As a Canadian chairing GRAC, I’ve gained valuable insights into the U.S. legislative process, which has been an incredible learning experience,” Taschereau says. “What’s striking is how closely the challenges facing U.S. members mirror those in Canada. Even on issues like tariffs, the conversation is intensifying north of the border as well.”
For 2025, Taschereau has passed that seat on to fellow PPAI Board of Directors member and incoming 2026 chair Danny Rosin, CAS, president of Brand Fuel. GRAC demands a fair amount of volunteer hours immersed in the nitty gritty of governmental bureaucracy. The best candidates find fulfillment in this when it concerns their passions. Rosin, for example, has devoted time in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, to advocating for the city to adopt a new flag.
“Following a new election cycle and therefor, many unknowns facing members, I’m excited to jump in and learn from longtime committee members and our talented PPAI staff so we can navigate governmental changes that will impact our evolving industry,” Rosin says.
Danny Rosin, CAS
President, Brand Fuel & Chair, GRAC
While he is ready to take on some of GRAC’s core duties – increasing awareness of the industry’s value, navigating trade policy and ensuring fair advertising standards – Rosin feels the council also serves as yet another way for him to advocate for the avenues in which PPAI and the industry can push toward.
“I would like to see PPAI inspire members to invest in safety, sustainability and corporate social responsibility education,” Rosin says. “PPAI can help through certifications, responsible sourcing education and possibly provide incentives for companies adopting green practices. If members invest in these, our entire industry will be perceived in an even more positive light, which will drive growth and margin.”
Insider Assistance
While GRAC helps PPAI maintain a well-informed contingent willing to learn and advocate on behalf of their experiences and those of their industry peers, no one in promo got into the industry to live a life of politics. For PPAI’s public and governmental affairs to be the most effective, it requires someone who understands Washington from all angles.
That’s why the Association enlisted Thorn Run Partners, a leading Washington lobbying firm, to help keep the importance and the concerns of the promo community in front of legislators.
“Thorn Run is a bipartisan firm that strives to provide timely and informative updates to all members on every legislative and regulatory issue that matters to PPAI,” says Chris Lamond, the firm’s founding partner, who will lead PPAI’s primary lobbying efforts. “Our job is to develop, manage and implement a full government affairs strategy.”
PPAI has long had a presence in D.C., but this new partnership with Thorn Run and Lamond represents a leveling up of that presence. The firm employs over 50 individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds on Capitol Hill, each with established relationships enabling them to find out what’s happening and to be granted access and audience in Congress.
Josh Ellis
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, PPAI
“By partnering with a top 10 firm on K Street, one with a wealth of experience advocating and building coalitions for trade groups and associations, we have reaffirmed our commitment to PPAI’s mission to be the voice and force to advance the industry for the benefit of our member community,” says Ellis.
The winds of politics are picking up the pace at which they shift directions, and the promo industry can’t ever get caught sitting on its hands.
“We sought a partner capable of navigating complex policy landscapes, effectively lobbying for our industry and channeling our members’ concerns to the right people in Washington,” Ellis says.
Lamond has already met with PPAI leadership and GRAC, listening to their priorities and explaining the firm’s readiness to take on the most immediate policy of the new administration that needs to be focused on: tariffs.
Results require strategy. According to Lamond, when it comes to interfacing with legislators, he plans to take an intentional approach with bringing promo leaders to Washington.
“A well-executed fly-in [to visit with legislators, such as PPAI’s LEAD] starts with having a very specific ask,” Lamond says. “Very rarely do we recommend clients come to Washington just to raise the brand of an organization.”
What Thorn Run will bring to promo’s governmental affairs is not only strategy, but the follow-up required to create a true understanding of the industry’s point of view among Congress. Lamond says that, as a former staffer for a U.S. senator, he would meet with seven or eight groups each day, suggesting that a single encounter has minimal impact.
Chris Lamond
Founding Partner, Thorn Run Partners
“You’ve got to have that constant touch point on Capitol Hill, or they forget about you,” Lamond says. “The best way to differentiate yourself from the masses that come to town is to have a well-crafted request with a well-thought-out rationale for why the senator you’re meeting with should support your request.”
PPAI’s public affairs efforts are now full of touch points on Capitol Hill and in the inbox of every single Association member.
Auping is a news editor at PPAI.
For questions or suggestions on regulatory or government affairs issues, please contact Rachel Zoch at RachelZ@ppai.org.
