The Insider: Women Who Brand
Welcome to the second edition of GXN’s The Insider: Women Who Brand – a monthly e-newsletter created by the women of GXN for anyone passionate about branding, leadership, and connection. No matter where you call home, we hope each issue sparks new ideas, meaningful connections, and the reminder that we’re stronger together.
PERSONAL PULSE CHECK: AI Is Everywhere, But Are We Applying It Well?
By Sarah Howarth, Owner/Sales & Commercial Director, Wild Thang Promotions
You can hardly attend an industry event today without AI being part of the conversation. Every conference, webinar, and business discussion seems to come back to the same topic: how AI is changing the way we work.
But alongside the excitement, there are important questions to consider: Are we using AI safely? Are we protecting our business assets and intellectual property? And are we applying it strategically, or simply because everyone else is? Read the full Personal Pulse Check here. (Link)
Hot Dates: A Calendar of Upcoming Global Promo Events available on gxn-net.org
Power Profile: An Interview With a Woman Who’s Changing the World of Promo
GXN Spotlight: Helen Misseri, HR Director, SYNNEO
Compiled by Lisa Bennett, independent sales rep and co-administrator of Promotional Product Professionals
Building culture. Driving strategy. Inspiring people. Some leaders talk about culture. Helen Misseri builds it.
As DRH (HR Director) of SYNNEO, Helen has been instrumental in uniting multiple successful businesses into one thriving organization. Her energy, curiosity, and business acumen are matched by a deep belief that lasting success starts with people.
“It’s all about people,” she says – and SYNNEO’s story proves it.
Formed through the merger of three French agencies and strengthened by two acquisitions in 2025, SYNNEO has grown into a €47 million, 120-person company delivering end-to-end promotional merchandise solutions. But Helen believes the company’s greatest achievement wasn’t the merger itself – it was building a shared culture first. Read the full Power Profile and interview here. (Link)
Fast Facts: Quick Hits of Data Points Pertaining to the Global Promo Marketplace
Last week, ASI released its fourth annual report estimating the size, in promo sales, of the 27 countries in the EU, as well as the U.K., the Swiss and Scandinavian promo markets.
ASI Research found an overall growth of about 1.8% for countries in the European Union specifically, bringing the estimated sales total to about $11.23 billion for 2025. Further, one of the clear headline findings is the continued struggles of Europe’s largest promotional products market, Germany, where annual sales dropped for the third year in a row to $2.97 billion. That’s about a 1% drop from 2024’s sales figure, and about a 3.4% overall decline since 2022.
To see the full report, click here: European Distributor Sales Top $14.8B in 2025 Despite Continued Challenges.
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Thank you for reading! To contribute to this monthly e-newsletter, reach out to Michele Bell at mbell@asicentral.com or Lisa Bennett at lisabennett530@gmail.com.
PS: The Annual GXN Conference 2026 will take place from October 7th to 9th at the Grand Tirolia Hotel Kitzbuehel, more information https://gxn-net.org/gxn-conference-new/
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