During the ASI Power Summit, held in Scottsdale, AZ, in September, strategist John Smart detailed several predictive trends to help ad specialty companies plan for the next year and beyond. Smart has theorized that the evolution of the Internet, better machines, and improving social networks will catapult the ad specialty industry to nearly $40 billion in annual sales by 2020.

How exactly will it happen? Revenues will jump as firms move away from pushing content and ads, and instead leverage pull marketing – the concept of drawing customers to you.

“You become successful as a company when you have a story – that makes you unique,” Smart said. “Companies need to develop and sell products that are beautiful, useful and sustainable.”

While he highlighted the power of innovation, Smart downplayed the short-term impacts of 3-D printing, drone technology and holograms. He instead encouraged companies to invest in e-commerce and mobile platforms, while promoting cognitive diversity – a balance of certain traits – among employees.