A Dash of Industry Insights

Industry Headlines, Insights, Data & Events

🎁 Weekly Giveaway Winner: Congratulations to Kristina Thelin at Gradient, on winning our giveaway in last week's newsletter! Shout out to everyone who participated. Missed your chance last week? Don't worry, we have a new giveaway every week!

📢 Newsletter We're Loving: If you work in HR or People Operations, you need to check out "I Hate It Here" by Hebba Youssef. With over 156K subscribers, this refreshingly honest newsletter has become a safe space for HR professionals tackling workplace challenges. Twice weekly, Hebba delivers no-nonsense insights and practical advice on building cultures people actually love. You can follow her here.

🏆 The Coolest Stuff in Promo Products for 2025: The Promotional Products Association International has released its highly anticipated annual list showcasing the industry's most innovative branded merchandise. Check it out here.

📊 Pay Transparency Expansion in 2025: Five states have new pay transparency laws taking effect this year - Illinois and Minnesota (effective January 1), and Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont coming later in 2025. These laws typically require employers to include salary ranges in job postings and sometimes benefits information. You can read more details here.

💬 Quote of the Day: "If you look at the people in your circle and you don't get inspired, then you don't have a circle. You have a cage."

The HR Corner

Birthday Program: Small Moments, Massive Impact

Recognizing "moments that matter" is a critical part of any good employee experience program.

That's why we built the Birthday Recognition Playbook, for you and people who genuinely care about building a better company culture.

Watch the 2-minute video below to see how innovative companies are working with us to elevate their Birthday Program.

👉 Interested in setting up a Birthday Program for your organization? We have 2 open slots in May. Reach out here to see if we’re a match.

Weekly Giveaway

🤩 Win Your Dream Bag 🎁

This week we’re giving away 4 premium bags - the winner gets to pick which one they get. Because who doesn’t love the gift of choice?

The North Face Connector Backpack - $62 MSRP

TravisMathew Chill’n 12-Can Cooler - $47 MSRP

Carhartt Canvas Packable Duffel with Pouch - $52 MSRP

Nike Brasilia Small Duffel - $37 MSRP

👉 Reply to this email with which bag you want and we’ll announce lucky winners!

Weekly Client Spotlight

Ardurra - Engineering a Better Intern Experience

🤝 Meet Ardurra

Ardurra is a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting services firm providing broad-based solutions tailored to the needs of public and private sectors across the United States. As an Engineering News-Record Top 500 firm, they've established themselves as innovative leaders who "collaborate, innovate, and create" while delivering practical solutions for complex infrastructure challenges.

🧩 The Challenge

Ardurra wanted to elevate their internship program by creating a memorable pre-boarding experience that would make incoming summer interns feel valued and connected to the company culture before their first day. While they already had a company store, they recognized the opportunity to create something specifically designed for their newest team members.

💡 The Brand Sauce Solution

We partnered with Ardurra to create a dedicated company store for interns that transforms the traditional onboarding process into an engaging, personalized experience. The specialized storefront allows interns to select branded merchandise they genuinely want, creating excitement and connection before they even step through the door.

📈 The Impact

• Interns feel welcomed and valued from the moment they accept their offer.

• 90% of the products featured are sustainable, aligning with Ardurra's commitment to environmental responsibility.

• Improved user experience through a dedicated, streamlined intern-specific store.

• Increased brand visibility as interns become enthusiastic "walking billboards" wearing items they personally selected.

• Stronger cultural integration from day one with meaningful branded touchpoints.

♻️ The Sustainability Commitment

Ardurra's vision to eventually offer 100% sustainable products in their store demonstrates their dedication to environmental stewardship, with the current internship collection already featuring 90% eco-friendly items. This commitment resonates strongly with their Gen Z intern demographic, who increasingly prioritize sustainability in their employment decisions.

🤝 Partner with Ardurra

Interested in learning more about Ardurra's innovative approach to engineering and consulting? We'd be happy to make an introduction—reach out to [email protected]

🚀 Join the Ardurra Team

Ready to work for a company that puts people and sustainability first? Explore opportunities at Ardurra's career page.

Weekend Update

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

The P.O.D. Guy Podcast is Coming Soon!

I'm excited to finally get our podcast off the ground! I've always loved having meaningful conversations and learning from people both inside and outside the industry. There are so many incredible folks I can't wait to connect with and bring onto the show.

What's the podcast about?

We'll be diving into how P.O.D. (Print-On-Demand) can help grow and improve businesses. Whether you're just getting started or looking to level up, we'll share ideas, lessons, and real stories you can actually use.

I'd love your input:

• What's your favorite podcast?

• What keeps you coming back—or what turns you off?

I know I won't create everyone's favorite show, but I'm committed to making each episode as valuable, fun, and entertaining as possible.

👉 Want to be a guest? You don’t need to be famous to have something worth sharing. If you’ve got a story, strategy, or perspective that could help others, I’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply and let’s talk!

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