For two marketing students from Bob Jones University, winning a national competition opened the door to an industry they barely knew existed.

Seniors Zane Herzog and Eric Wiest were special guests at PPAI’s 2026 Leadership Development Conference in Fort Worth last week. The duo took first place in the Marketing Strategy Competition at the American Marketing Association’s International Collegiate Conference earlier this year.

PPAI sponsored the competition’s final round, challenging competing teams of students to think strategically about branded merchandise as part of the marketing mix. The Association also sponsored the winning team’s trip to LDC, giving the students an opportunity to see firsthand the people, businesses and career opportunities behind our industry.

Don’t Miss A Thing: SUBSCRIBE To PPAI Newslink

The initiative reflects PPAI’s broader efforts to elevate the industry by introducing future marketers to the effectiveness of tangible brand experiences – and helping the next generation of professionals recognize merch as both a strategic marketing channel and a potential career path.

“PPAI’s mission is to elevate the branded merchandise industry among marketers and the brands they serve,” says Melissa Ralston, PPAI’s chief marketing officer. “Through our partnership with the American Marketing Association, we’re engaging some of the brightest young minds in marketing and challenging them to think more deeply about merch’s ability to power lasting connections.

“Historically, branded merchandise has struggled to find a place in marketing curricula. We’re working to change that by introducing students to a powerful marketing channel, demonstrating its proven results and helping the next generation of marketers recognize its strategic value.”

Melissa Ralston, CAS

Chief Marketing Officer, PPAI

For Herzog and Wiest, the experience began with a crash course in an unfamiliar industry.

An Overlooked Part Of The Marketing Mix

At the AMA’s spring conference in Chicago, participating teams were given just 30 minutes to analyze a marketing case study and prepare a seven-minute presentation. The final round centered on merch. Herzog and Wiest emerged victorious, earning an invitation to an industry conference where they could expand on what they had learned.

Both students said their marketing education had introduced them to traditional advertising channels and the fundamentals of promotion, but had devoted little attention to the strategic use of physical merchandise. In their classes, the pair say they often hear about the “four P’s of marketing” – product, price, place and promotion – but not the combination of product and promotion.

“We understand that somebody is making the branded pens or the branded t-shirts at conferences, but we never knew that there was an organization or a strategy behind it,” Herzog says.

We understand that somebody is making the branded pens or the branded t-shirts at conferences, but we never knew that there was an organization or a strategy behind it.”

Zane Herzog

Bob Jones University

The students said they believe merch has received less attention in marketing classrooms because of the perception that measuring its effectiveness can be more complicated than tracking digital advertising. While online campaigns offer readily available metrics for conversions, attribution and return on investment, the value of a branded product may be harder to capture immediately.

That challenge presents an opportunity for PPAI and its members to help educate marketers about the research, planning and measurement tools available to demonstrate the channel’s effectiveness.

By engaging students through an established collegiate competition, the Association has introduced branded merchandise earlier in their professional development, before their perceptions of the marketing mix become firmly established.

A New Perspective At LDC

The three-day Leadership Development Conference brought together regional association leaders and young professionals for educational programming, networking and conversations about the future of the branded merchandise industry.

This year’s event featured two distinct educational tracks, with regional leaders exploring governance, membership growth, volunteer recruitment and organizational effectiveness. Young professionals – including Herzog and Wiest – participated in workshops on leadership, marketing, communication, mentorship and career development.

PHOTOS: Regional Association Leaders, Young Professionals Gather In Texas For LDC

For Herzog and Wiest, LDC provided something beyond what a classroom or case-study competition could offer: Direct access to professionals who have built careers in branded merchandise. The students learned more about the merch supply chain, the industry’s business model and the range of opportunities available to marketing professionals.

“It was a little overwhelming, but also really eye-opening,” Wiest says. “I asked the dumb questions, and everyone was very willing to share how a distributorship works, or how the suppliers connect to the distributors and everything else. We were never taught that, so we don’t know what we don’t know, and we don’t necessarily know the questions to ask. But I’ve enjoyed learning a lot about the industry of promotional products. It’s so much more, and so much bigger, than I ever thought it was.”

I asked the dumb questions, and everyone was very willing to share how a distributorship works, or how the suppliers connect to the distributors and everything else…. It’s so much more, and so much bigger, than I ever thought it was.”

Eric Wiest

Bob Jones University

That welcoming environment reinforced one of LDC’s central themes: Developing the industry’s future requires more than education. It also depends on building connections, sharing knowledge and making room for new perspectives.

Building The Next Generation Of Merch Advocates

For PPAI, the partnership with AMA represents an opportunity to reach aspiring marketing professionals who may never have considered branded merchandise as a specialty, a strategic discipline or a career.

PODCAST: How To Get Ahead In Merch

The Association’s efforts to elevate the industry include demonstrating how branded merchandise can complement other advertising channels, helping marketers understand its role in creating lasting brand connections and expanding awareness of the professionals who bring those campaigns to life.

By connecting with students through the AMA competition and bringing the winners to LDC, PPAI provided an introduction to the industry that extended well beyond a single marketing exercise.

The experience also gave Herzog and Wiest a new tool to consider as they enter their careers.

“I think it’ll be exciting to look for those opportunities down the road, getting into my career as a marketing person,” Herzog says. “Unfortunately, I think probably a lot of college students who haven’t heard of PPAI don’t really see promotional products as much a strategic component as they should. So having the knowledge that they can be, I think, will open up a lot of opportunities to be unique and to drive different marketing campaigns and tactics that not everybody is trying.

“I’m looking forward to finding opportunities to use this knowledge.”

A Thank You To LDC Sponsors

Last week’s event attracted more than 150 industry professionals to Texas. LDC 2027 will be held in Dallas.

Sponsors of the 2026 event included:

Diamond Sponsor
SAGE

Gold Sponsor
commonsku

Group Sponsors
HPG
Spector & Co.

Product Sponsors
Allmade
Charles River Apparel
Elemental Bottles
ETS Express
HPG
IDLine
Liqui-Mark
SnugZ USA