👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand Episode #74, where swag meets culture. If you order swag for your company, or simply want to stay up to date on the latest workplace trends, you’re in the right place.

NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

🤖 AI in the Workplace: Burger King is rolling out AI headsets that can coach employees… and now even track how “friendly” they sound. Helpful in theory, but it raises a bigger question… where’s the line between support and surveillance? Source.

🧠 Ai Playbook for Marketers: Claude’s one-man marketing team, led by @thariq, just dropped a super practical guide on how he actually uses AI to market Claude. It’s already pulling ~10M impressions in a few days and breaking the internet… if you’re going to learn AI from anyone, this is the one. Source.

📅 Administrative Professionals Day: April 22. is right around the corner. This is a perfect excuse to show some love to the unsung heroes who keep everything running behind the scenes. Need a few ideas? Comment “Admin Day” and we’ll send some your way.

📺 Upcoming Promo Event: Promo Live is set for April 15, and it’s positioned as a live-streamed, interactive showcase built to connect distributors with suppliers and new product ideas. Learn More.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout-out to the winners from last week, Alicia Ambrose, who scored the Crumbee Desktop Vacuum from HPG. We’ve got another giveaway below!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Ever received merch with the wrong PMS color, off sizing, or a logo that just feels… off?

It happens more than you think, and it quietly chips away at your brand.

In this week’s video, we break down how a centralized company store solves all of these issues, locking in brand standards, sizing, and consistency so every order hits exactly how it should.

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Alert: Infinitunes Wireless Speaker & Charger

Turn up the volume and the vibe with the Infinitunes Wireless Speaker. A powerful sound paired with a mesmerizing infinity mirror light show that instantly elevates any space. Oh, and it doubles as a wireless charger… so your phone stays powered while the music (and mood) never stops.

Details:

• Several lucky readers will score an Infinitunes Wireless Speaker & Charger custom-branded with their company logo.

• Winner announced in next week’s newsletter.

👉 How to enter:

Watch our YouTube video of the week here and drop a comment sharing an issue you’ve experienced with swag.

Note: If your YouTube name doesn’t include your real name, just reply to this email with “commented” so we can match your entry.

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

🤝 Meet Standard Builders

Standard Builders has built an enduring reputation around integrity and professionalism, with a history that stretches back 75 years. They’ve been providing professional construction services to some of the most prestigious, discerning business owners throughout New England since 1949.

📣 Our Collaboration

Their company store, Standard Builders Merch, is built for the way teams work now: easy browsing, clear categories (apparel, bags, tech, office), and a modern feel that keeps it from turning into a random catalog dump.

The best part is how the product mix supports identity across roles. A vest or rain jacket hits differently when you’re on-site. A power bank when you’re bouncing between meetings. The store isn’t just merch, it’s a way to make the brand wearable across the full workweek.

🤝 Connect With Standard Builders

Shoot me a note at [email protected] to get connected with the team.

WEEKEND UPDATE

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

Last weekend, Madison and I took Ryleigh and Kinsley to the circus.

I’ll admit, I had a very different picture in my head. I was expecting elephants, lions, maybe even a few monkeys. Instead, it was something completely different. No animals, just people doing things that felt almost impossible.

Tightrope walkers soaring 50 feet in the air. Motorcycles spinning and flipping inside a tiny cage, somehow never colliding. A group of jugglers moving in perfect rhythm, never missing a beat.

It was incredible. The kind of incredible that makes you realize how much time, sacrifice, and courage it takes to become great at something.

But as amazing as all of that was… It’s not what stayed with me.

What stayed with me were the moments in between.

The ringmaster. The clowns.

They weren’t doing the “impossible” acts. They were just… there. Keeping the show moving. Singing, joking, pulling people in from the crowd. And the entire time, they had these huge, genuine smiles on their faces.

Not forced. Not rehearsed. Just… joy.

They looked like they loved what they were doing.

At one point, Kinsley was sitting on my lap, covered in cotton candy, and Ryleigh was next to me, completely locked in with her Icee. I wasn’t even watching the show anymore.

I was watching them.

And I had this quiet thought:

What will their lives look like one day?

Not what job titles they’ll have. Not what success will look like on paper.

But will they find something that makes them feel like that?

Will they find something that lights them up… that makes them lose track of time… that puts a smile on their face without even realizing it?

I don’t know what they’ll grow up to do.

But I hope they find something, anything, that brings them that kind of joy.

Because life gets complicated. It gets busy. It gets heavy.

And somewhere along the way, it’s easy to forget what it feels like to genuinely enjoy what you’re doing.

Watching that show, it felt like those performers hadn’t forgotten.

And sitting there with my girls, I realized how much I hope they find that joy as adults.

Thanks for the reminder, Circus Vargas.

👥 Connect on Social Media

Not following Ross & Brand Sauce on social media yet? Let’s change that. Click the links below to stay connected for fresh ideas, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive updates 👇

• Ross’s LinkedIn

• BrandSauce LinkedIn

• BrandSauce YouTube Channel

⏪ Previous Episodes

In Print-on-Demand | EP #73, we cover creative brand activations, interactive merch, and feel-good moments that stick, from Pizza Hut’s Space Jam drop and Disney’s marketing play to a lemonade stand turned Super Bowl surprise and the Timberwolves’ playable snack cup, plus key job market updates. Plus, we’re giving away a Crumbee Desktop Vacuum. We also highlight how club sports teams are using Brand Sauce stores to fundraise, gear up, and build community through merch that actually gets used. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal story on mentorship and how showing up for others can shape someone’s path.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #72, we cover new PPAI data showing consumers expect better swag than ever, an AI-built pixel-art map of NYC, new EU rules ending the “burn the inventory” era for apparel, and workplace AI fatigue. Plus, we’re giving away the Moonyx Utility Backpack. We also highlight Ziegler and their company store, designed to give employees a wide range of apparel they’ll actually want to wear. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares reflections from speaking at the Print on Demand Conference and how the expectations of today’s workforce are shaping the future of branded merchandise.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #71, we cover ADP’s latest hiring data showing 63,000 new private-sector jobs, tariff shifts that could impact swag sourcing, Costco’s surprising Off-White hoodie drop, and why vintage Spice Girls merch is suddenly valuable again. Plus, we’re giving away Fansee AI Sunglasses by Rupt. We also highlight Old Wisconsin Sausage and the launch of their new Brand Sauce company store, which kicked off with a company-wide gift card drop to get the team exploring the store and celebrating the launch together. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal reflection on his step-daughter Kinsley turning five and how the quiet, everyday parenting moments often become the memories that matter most.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #70, we explored how appreciation, connection, and smart swag strategies are shaping modern workplace culture. From Employee Appreciation Day playbooks and new research showing work friendships drive engagement to the growing trend of across-the-board merit raises, this edition unpacks what HR teams are navigating right now. We also spotlighted Body By Heart’s intentional company store strategy, announced a new GOT BAG Puffer Moon Bag giveaway, and heard Ross reflect on how shared experiences build the kind of bonds that last a lifetime.

THAT’S A WRAP

That’s everything worth knowing this week in promo land.

Until next time, stay saucy! 👋

– Ross & the Brand Sauce Team

© 2025 On Demand Global, LLC, DBA Brand Sauce