Forbes Marketing Group

What Forbes Marketing Group does

Forbes Marketing Group LLC is a privately held, women-owned promotional products distributor headquartered in Greenland, New Hampshire. Founded in 1984 and operating with 1–10 employees, the company sources and sells custom branded merchandise — apparel, bags, drinkware, writing instruments, tech accessories, headwear, uniforms, blankets, and specialty items — through a catalog of more than 84,355 products accessible via its e-commerce website (forbesmarketing.com) and direct phone/email sales. Its core technological backbone is the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) platform, which provides access to 3,000+ suppliers and the product catalog infrastructure that the company resells and brands on behalf of clients.

The company generates revenue through one-time custom product orders with per-unit pricing that ranges from approximately $4 to $67 depending on the item, supplemented by volume discounts and a Custom Product Kits service for bundled onboarding, client appreciation, and event fulfillment. Its primary customer segment is the collegiate market (orientation, homecoming, graduation, alumni events), with secondary segments including corporate teams, nonprofit organizations, event planners, and local small businesses. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, led personally by Allison Marconi, with event-driven and direct-to-consumer channels layered on top.

The firm operates entirely within the United States, has no disclosed investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public funding history. Distribution is conducted through the domestic e-commerce storefront and toll-free phone/email outreach, with product sourcing handled through the ASI supplier network. Branding and differentiation rest on the women-owned business certification, multi-decade operating history, and a content marketing program across blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn rather than on proprietary technology or AI capability.

Name

Forbes Marketing Group

Legal name

Forbes Marketing Group LLC

Website

https://forbesmarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forbes Marketing Group is a privately held, women-owned US promotional products distributor that sells custom branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, bags, tech items) through an ASI-powered catalog of 84,355+ products to colleges, corporate teams, nonprofits, event planners, and local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Promotional Products Distribution

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Merchandise & Corporate Gifts (BPAFAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAI), Trade Show Giveaways & Event Premiums (BPAFAMAG)

Keywords

• Promotional products
• Branded merchandise
• Custom apparel
• Corporate giveaways
• Collegiate merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Promotional Products Sales: Sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, pens, mugs, drinkware, bags, hats, and custom items to businesses, colleges, and event planners. Revenue generated through one-time product orders with custom branding.
2. Supplier Network Access: Access to over 3,000 suppliers through ASI partnership enables sourcing and branding of nearly any promotional product imaginable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forbes Marketing Group is a promotional products distributor that sources, brands, and sells custom merchandise from a catalog of 84,355+ items across categories such as apparel, bags, drinkware, writing instruments, tech accessories, headwear, and uniforms. The company leverages ASI's network of 3,000+ suppliers to fulfill custom branded orders for colleges, corporations, nonprofits, event planners, and local businesses, and offers fully customized multi-item kits for onboarding and events.

Product overview

Forbes Marketing Group operates as a promotional products distributor offering a catalog of 84,355+ customizable branded merchandise items across apparel, bags, drinkware, tech accessories, writing instruments, headwear, uniforms, aprons, blankets, and specialty items. The core offering is the Custom Promotional Products Catalog powered by ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute), providing access to over 3,000 suppliers. Key product lines include branded apparel (Nike, Bella+Canvas, Gildan), drinkware (Owala, YETI, Stanley), bags, uniforms, headwear, and event-specific collections. Additional services include Custom Product Kits for onboarding and events, themed product collections (Patriotic, Holiday, School Store, Breast Cancer Awareness), and desk accessories for employee recognition. The company positions itself as a women-owned business specializing in the collegiate market, offering both standard catalog items and fully customized kit fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Promotional Products Catalog A catalog of 84,355+ customizable promotional products including apparel, bags, drinkware, writing instruments, tech items, and accessories available for branding with custom logos and messaging.
• Branded Apparel Branded clothing including T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, dress shirts, uniforms, and performance apparel from brands like Nike, Bella+Canvas, Gildan, District, and Comfort Colors.
• Branded Bags Branded bags and backpacks including tote bags, backpacks, lunch coolers, shopping bags, duffels, briefcases, and laptop backpacks from brands like YETI and various manufacturers.
• Writing Instruments Custom pens, stylus pens, pencils, and markers including Sharpie S-Gel pens and recycled aluminum stylus pens for promotional giveaways.
• Tech Accessories Technology accessories including USB drives, power banks, Bluetooth items, wireless chargers, MagSafe charging stations, and speakers for corporate branding.
• Branded Drinkware Branded drinkware including water bottles, travel mugs, tumblers, mugs, Owala bottles, YETI products, stainless steel tumblers, and insulated containers from brands like Owala, YETI, and Stanley.
• Uniforms Work and professional uniforms including industrial work shirts, lab coats, safety vests, scrubs, hi-vis safety apparel, and polo uniforms from brands like Red Kap, Dickies, Port Authority, Kishigo, and Wink.
• Custom Product Kits Fully customized kits for onboarding, client appreciation, or event packages, with the company handling sourcing, printing, branding, and fulfillment of multi-item promotional packages.
• Banners, Flags & Event Displays Trade show and event displays including retractable banners, fabric backdrops, promotional flags, table covers, and signage solutions.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership providing access to ASI's network of 3,000+ suppliers for sourcing and branding promotional products. Enables Forbes Marketing Group to offer nearly any customizable merchandise through the ASI platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HALO Branded Solutions: One of the largest independent promotional products distributors in North America, serving enterprise clients with custom branded merchandise and recognition programs. Comparable to FMG in product breadth, target verticals, and ASI-driven sourcing, with deeper enterprise sales coverage.
• Boundless Network: Tech-enabled branded merchandise platform serving enterprise and mid-market clients with custom merchandise and fulfillment. Comparable to FMG in offering custom kits and branded merchandise, though with a stronger enterprise SaaS-style positioning.
• 4imprint: Publicly traded promotional products distributor offering a broad catalog of customizable branded merchandise to businesses, schools, and organizations. Directly comparable as an ASI-affiliated distributor serving the same collegiate and corporate segments with the same asset-light fulfillment model.
• Quality Logo Products: Online-led promotional products distributor offering customizable branded merchandise across apparel, drinkware, bags, and accessories. Directly comparable to FMG's e-commerce-first model and customer base of small-to-mid businesses and organizations.
• Brandable: Custom merchandise and corporate gifting platform offering curated product collections and kit fulfillment for businesses and events. Directly comparable to FMG's Custom Product Kits service and collegiate/corporate customer mix.
• Totally Promotional: Online promotional products retailer specializing in custom drinkware, bags, and writing instruments. Comparable to FMG in catalog breadth, customer base of small businesses and organizations, and digital ordering model.
• Crestline Promotional Products: Mid-size promotional products distributor with a broad catalog of customizable branded merchandise for corporate, education, and event customers. Comparable to FMG across product breadth, vertical segmentation, and ASI supplier sourcing.
• Discount Mugs (eCompany Store): Online promotional products retailer offering low-cost branded drinkware, apparel, and accessories, particularly strong in the drinkware category FMG also emphasizes. Comparable as a digital-first branded merchandise distributor with similar SME and event-planner customers.

Broad incumbents

• SanMar: Largest wholesale supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories in North America, serving distributors like FMG rather than competing at the retail/distributor level. Comparable as an ASI-adjacent industry participant, though positioned upstream in the supply chain.
• Alphabroder (now alphabroder/Bodek and Rhodes): Wholesale distributor of blank apparel and accessories supplying promotional products decorators and distributors. Comparable industry participant operating upstream of FMG, with overlap on apparel categories and ASI channel relationships.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Forbes-Marketing-Group-176334519076242
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forbes-marketing-group
• Pinterestpinterest.com/forbesmarketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forbes Marketing Group