Case Study: Promotional Products Association International expands member engagement and reach with Higher Logic's Promo Connect

Promotional Products Association International - Customer Case Study

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), a 115‑year‑old trade association representing 15,000+ corporate members (about 60,000 individuals), faced a familiar challenge: membership wasn’t very “sticky.” Members primarily engaged at tradeshows or for specific tools, interactions were scattered across social media the association didn’t control, and leadership lacked insight into the broader membership — especially staff-level engagement beyond a core group of 200–300 volunteers.

PPAI launched Promo Connect, an online community powered by Higher Logic, staffed a community manager, and used targeted outreach (email drips, seed questions, early testers, event promotions and rewards) to drive adoption. In year one the community generated over 8,600 posts (~20/day), 93% of regular posters were previously unknown to PPAI, more than 25% of logged‑in members started discussions, and active members averaged nine logins per year — delivering deeper peer-to-peer engagement, private spaces for boards and committees, richer member data, and plans to sync activity with the AMS for further insights.

Promotional Products Association International

Melissa Weber

Professional Development Manager