👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand Episode #75, 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

🚀 Frothy IPO Loading: A potential SpaceX IPO could unlock massive value and signal mainstream adoption of the space economy, giving businesses and investors new exposure to satellite, defense, and infrastructure innovation at scale. Read more here.

📝 Hiring Reality Check: After conducting 1,000+ interviews at Amazon, one insight stood out to Steve Huynh: technical skills get candidates in the door, but communication and clarity close the deal. Most candidates over-index on hard skills and underprepare for storytelling. For HR leaders, it’s a reminder: hiring decisions are still deeply human. Source.

🧑‍💻 Meta Algorithm Update: Meta rolled out an updated ad serving approach for Instagram using an AI-driven Adaptive Ranking Model. Meta claims early gains like +3% conversions and +5% CTR for targeted users, tied to this model. Source.

📊 AI’s Economic Impact: This X thread distills a dense, 200-page report into one clear takeaway: AI will matter a lot, but not overnight. Expect gradual adoption, delayed productivity gains, and familiar economic patterns in the near term. But zoom out, and compounding effects start to kick in: stronger GDP growth paired with fewer people working. Read the X thread here.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout-out to the winner from last week, Kelly Hockaday, who scored the Infinitunes Wireless Speaker & Charger from HPG. We’ve got another giveaway below!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Stop. Sending. Unwanted. Swag.

It's 2026...

Why are we still guessing what people want?

Whether it's for clients, new hires, or vendors, the best gift is the one they actually choose.

Give people the power to pick what they'll love.

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Alert: Tahoe Weekender Backpack

If your brain is already trying to plan a “quick reset weekend,” same.

The Tahoe Weekender Backpack opens like luggage, has a separate bottom compartment, and yes, it’s loaded with 18 pockets.

Details:

• Several lucky readers will score a Tahoe Weekender Backpack 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!

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 CISO Series

CISO Series is a media network for cybersecurity professionals that leans into one simple promise: “the most fun you’ll have in cybersecurity.” They publish 10–11 episodes per week across five programs, mixing audio podcasts with live streaming video events, and they’ve built a community vibe that feels more like a smart hangout than a lecture.

📣 Our Collaboration

The company store we built from soup to nuts gives their team and community a consistent way to rep the brand across shows, sponsor moments, and everyday life. The product catalog was carefully curated, boasting premium apparel, headware, bags, and drinkware.

🤝 Connect With CISO Series

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

This week brings both Passover and Easter, holidays rooted in tradition, meaning, and most of all, togetherness.

But every year, when these holidays come around, I find myself thinking about something else. I think about the people who don’t have a place to go.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate. No matter the holiday, Passover, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, there has always been a seat for me at a table, surrounded by family and friends. That’s something I’ve never taken for granted. Because for many people, that feeling of belonging during the holidays isn’t guaranteed. And that’s a hard thing to sit with.

Growing up, my family understood that. Our door was always open. There was always room for one more chair, one more plate, one more story. And I remember seeing what that meant to the people who joined us, how something so normal to us could mean so much to someone else. It wasn’t just about a meal. It was about being seen, being included, feeling like you belonged.

That’s a tradition I carry with me today, and one I hope my kids will carry forward long after me.

This Passover, The Israel Bridge reached out to hundreds of athletes across the country, ensuring no one spends the holiday alone. One of those athletes, Matan Ivri, a student at the University of Wisconsin, shared that he’d be in San Diego for Passover and didn’t have a place for Seder.

When I reached out to the San Diego community, the response was immediate. People didn’t hesitate. Within hours, Matan had multiple invitations. He ended up spending Seder with Jeremy and Tonia Cohen, surrounded by 20 people who welcomed him in like family.

For Jeremy and Tonia, it may have felt like a small gesture, just one more seat at the table.

But for Matan, it was everything.

It meant he wasn’t alone. It meant he had a place. It meant that, even far from home, he was still part of something bigger.

And I got something out of it, too. Before the holiday, I had the chance to hike Torrey Pines with Matan and spend time getting to know him. He’s an incredible kid. The kind that reminds you how much good there is in the world, and how much impact something small can have.

So this holiday season, I keep coming back to one simple thought:

There is always room for one more.

If you ever have the opportunity to open your home, extend the invitation, or pull up another chair, please do it. Because what might feel small to you could mean everything to someone else. And those moments? They last forever.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate. And to everyone, wishing you a holiday filled with connection, warmth, and belonging.

👥 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 #74, we cover AI in the workplace, and where it starts to cross the line, a viral AI playbook marketers can’t stop sharing, upcoming promo events, Admin Day ideas, and key industry updates. Plus, we’re giving away an Infinitunes wireless speaker + charger from HPG. We also highlight how Standard Builders is using their Brand Sauce company store to create consistency across teams and eliminate common swag issues. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal reflection from a trip to the circus, and why the real goal isn’t just success, it’s finding work that genuinely brings you joy.

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.

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