👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand Episode #79, 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.

Let’s Dive in!

NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

🤖 StarWars Rolls Out $600 Grogu Merch: Hasbro unveiled a life-size, animatronic “Ultimate Grogu” packed with 250+ sounds and movements. This shines light on where merch is heading. The best products aren’t just branded items anymore, they’re immersive, high-end pieces people actually care about owning. Read more

👕 Athleisure Swag Leveled Up: S&S Activewear locked in an exclusive deal with Legends, bringing premium, retail-quality styles into the corporate and team channels starting in June. Performance fabrics, modern fits, and pieces people would actually want to rep. Elevated apparel isn’t a nice-to-have anymore… it’s becoming the standard. Read more.

🗓️ Two dates worth circling: PPAI’s North American Leadership Conference is set for May 12-14, and SHRM’s Annual Conference & Expo runs June 16-19. The official SHRM pitch promises 375+ expert-led sessions, so if your spring calendar needs one promo checkpoint and one people-strategy reset, there you go. (PPAI event page) (SHRM event page).

💸 Pay is not fixing engagement by itself: New data from McLean & Co. shows compensation ranked lowest as a driver of engagement. What’s lagging is growth. Career development, coaching, and collaboration are all underperforming, while stress is climbing. If employees don’t feel like they’re progressing, no paycheck is going to fix that. Read more.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout-out to the winner from last week, Brilynn Cologgi, who scored the Accousticks Wireless Over Ear Earbuds from HPG. We’ve got another giveaway below!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

First impressions matter, that’s why we built the Employee Onboarding Playbook. The concept is simple, help companies create personalized, meaningful onboarding experiences that make every employee feel valued from day one.

In this video, you’ll discover how to:

✅ Deliver consistent yet personalized onboarding for every new hire

✅ Save HR teams’ time with automated workflows that spark joy for new hires

✅ Build belonging, pride, and engagement through branded company swag

✅ Set the tone for employee retention and long-term success

Whether you’re an HR leader, People Ops manager, or Total Rewards professional, this playbook shows you how to transform onboarding into a powerful culture-building tool.

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Alert: Glamper Lantern Speaker

For anyone who has ever tried to make a team off-site feel cozy with one tired Bluetooth speaker and a lot of hope, this week’s prize is the Glamper Lantern Speaker, a retro-style lantern with a 10W aluminum speaker and three ambient light settings.

Details:

• Several lucky readers will score a Glamper Lantern Speaker with their company logo.

• The winner will be announced in next week’s newsletter.

👉 How to enter:

Watch our YouTube video of the week here and answer the pinned comment in the comment section

P.S. Last week, we only had 5 people enter the giveaway valued at $150+. The odds are in your favor!

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

🤝 Meet Simplus

Simplus describes its culture around three pillars: critical thinking, stewardship, and an underdog spirit. The company positions itself as a digital transformation partner spanning advisory, implementation, change management, custom configuration, and managed services, and it has helped more than 2,000 customers.

📣 Our Collaboration

We helped Simplus build a clean, centralized company store that brings all its merch into one place. The assortment covers everyday apparel, outerwear, tech accessories, and more elevated gift items, giving the brand a more polished, wearable mix.

For a team like theirs, this creates a practical advantage. One on-brand destination that supports daily wear and higher-touch moments, without defaulting to generic logo gear or turning merch into a fragmented, one-off process.

🤝 Connect With Simplus

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

Show Up

I never imagined this life.

When I was younger and thought about having kids, I pictured the traditional path. My parents are still married. That was the blueprint. Step-parenting was something I saw from the outside, never something I thought I’d live.

But life doesn’t follow blueprints.

It gives you people. And then it asks what you’re going to do with them.

I became a dad before I became a stepdad. And even with that experience, nothing prepares you for the quiet complexity of loving kids who didn’t come into your life the “usual” way.

There’s no clear role.

No script.

Just a constant question in the back of your mind:
Am I doing this right?

And still… you show up.

Ryleigh and Kinsley spend most of their time with us. Somewhere along the way, the label stopped mattering to me. They’re not “step” anything in my heart.

They’re just my girls.

Last week was their daddy-daughter dance.

It was Kinsley’s first time going. I’ve taken Ryleigh before, but the first time, I was just “Mom’s boyfriend.” I remember standing there feeling out of place, unsure of where I fit in a room full of dads.

This time was different.

This time, I didn’t question whether I belonged.

Because I knew why I was there.

I was there for them.

And when I looked down and saw them smiling, holding my hands, completely present in that moment, I realized something I don’t think I fully understood before:

Kids don’t measure love by titles.

They measure it by presence.

Still, there’s a truth that sits quietly underneath it all.

I know they wish their dad was there.

That doesn’t go away. And it shouldn’t. I don’t try to replace that. I don’t try to compete with it.

I just try to meet them where they are, with as much love as I can give.

Because this isn’t about being the dad.

It’s about being a man in their life who shows up.

And one day, when they’re older, I wonder what they’ll remember.

Not the labels.

Not the technicalities.

But the moments.

Who was there.
Who stayed.
Who showed up when it mattered.

That’s what lasts.

This experience has changed how I think about everything, not just parenting.

We spend so much time focusing on titles, roles, and definitions.

But the truth is simpler than that.

People don’t need perfection.

They need presence.

They need consistency.

They need someone who chooses them, over and over again.

Ryleigh and Kinsley didn’t choose this situation. I know there are parts of it that are hard. I know there are moments that carry weight I can’t fully understand.

But I hope, when they look back, they don’t just see what was missing.

I hope they see what was there.

I hope they remember that someone showed up for them.

Every time.

And if you’re in a position like this, step-parent, mentor, coach, “just” someone in a kid’s life, don’t underestimate what that means.

You don’t need the title.

You don’t need the perfect words.

You just need to show up.

Because in the end, that’s what they’ll carry with them.

👥 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 #78, we cover Gap’s Hoodie House taking over Coachella, why useful merch still wins according to new ASI data, what the PPAI Leadership Conference signals for the industry, and why recognition continues to outperform compensation when it comes to retention, plus we’re giving away Accousticks Wireless Over-Ear Earbuds. We also highlight how Get Air is using its Brand Sauce company store to centralize merch into one clean, on-demand experience that keeps everything consistent, simple, and easy to scale across locations. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a personal moment at Get Air with his kids, where they connected his work to a place they love, a reminder that what we build as a brand often shows up in real, meaningful ways.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #77, we cover new data on the power of swag and why 83% of recipients feel more appreciated, what most companies still get wrong about employee recognition, Coachella’s merch shift with BELLA+CANVAS, the growing push toward sustainable merch, and what a more selective labor market means for hiring today, plus we’re giving away JBL Soundgear Clip Open Ear Headphones. We also highlight how PDS Optical is using its Brand Sauce company store to create a clean, on-demand merch experience that makes browsing, ordering, and brand consistency feel effortless. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a meaningful reflection from his kids’ Jog-a-thon, reminding us that gratitude, respect, and perspective are often passed down through simple, human moments that stick.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #76, we cover swag fulfillment delays flagged by Advertising Specialty Institute, new data showing AI is increasing employee workload, how discovery is shifting with AI (via The Verge), and why tangible rewards outperform cash when it comes to real engagement, plus we’re giving away a 3 Fold Charger. We also highlight how Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. is using its Brand Sauce company store to create a seamless, culture-driven merch experience with thoughtful details like their “Geospatial” collection. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a powerful reminder that connection starts small, and that something as simple as inviting others to the table can help us see each other not as different, but simply as people.

In Print-on-Demand | EP #75, we cover SpaceX IPO buzz, hiring lessons from 1,000+ interviews, Meta’s latest AI ad update, and what AI’s real economic impact might look like, plus we’re giving away a Tahoe Weekender Backpack. We also highlight how CISO Series is using its Brand Sauce company store to bring their community, content, and brand together in one place. And in Ross’ Water Cooler, he shares a meaningful reminder from the holidays, that sometimes the smallest gesture, like offering a seat at the table, can create a lasting sense of belonging.

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