Promo Insiders Deep Dive: The Growing Threat of Natural Disasters
As major weather-related disasters ravage the U.S. and the world, promo companies need to have emergency preparedness and disaster response plans in place.
Bad things can happen to good people.
It’s something Alicia Johnson, the CEO and founder of emergency preparedness consultancy Two Lynchpin Road, has to remind her clients often.
“We need to acknowledge that [disasters] are happening in communities like ours, and they can touch us too,” she says. “Being able to have those conversations about what’s happening around us really helps serve that preparedness conversation in the longer term.”
The advice is especially timely after a summer of earthquakes in Venezuela and Japan, wildfires in Ontario and Spokane and other natural and weather-related disasters. It’s not an anomaly. Weather-, climate- and water-related disasters increased fivefold between 1970 and 2019.
Promo businesses are not immune to these unthinkable events. In fact, promo companies can be hit especially hard because the industry relies on materials and parts from around the world and is often responsible for routing goods from one location to another. So how can suppliers and distributors ensure they’re prepared when disaster strikes? And what can they do to support relief efforts when it does?
These are some of the questions we tackle on this month’s episode of Promo Insiders Deep Dive. Counselor Digital News Editor and Deep Dive Host Tara Lerman is joined by Johnson and other experts in the emergency management and logistics space to find out how promo businesses can plan for and respond to the unthinkable. We also spotlight some promo-related disaster relief initiatives and campaigns already in the works.
Mentioned in this episode:
Team On-Demand 2026 Spokane Fundraiser
Spokane Distributor Displaced by Wildfire
To Mobilize Disaster Relief Efforts, Promo Pros Launch Team On-Demand
Devastating Twin Earthquakes in Venezuela Spur Promo Relief Efforts
Promo Industry Rallies Around Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa
Climate- and weather-related disasters surge fivefold over 50 years, but early warnings save lives.
National Preparedness Month 2026
Are major natural disasters increasing?
Is the number of natural disasters increasing?
Mid-2026 Update: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
Climate Prediction Center: El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion