In 2025, ASI Media’s podcast audience showed a thirst to dig deeper into some of the biggest trends affecting the promo market, whether it was the growth of print-on-demand technology or President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff strategy. Listeners (and viewers) were also eager to glean practical tips and actionable insights from our coverage. While there were plenty of high-profile industry guests featured on our top episodes, we also saw interest in ones where our own ASI Media editors chatted about everything from the impact of Taylor Swift’s fashion choices to the most exciting happenings at the massive PRINTING United Expo. Here are the ASI Media top 10 episodes of Promo Insiders, Convergence Corner and Branding Together from 2025.

1

Promo Insiders: Sales Growth Tips From ASI Media’s Distributor Salesperson of the Year

Just six years into a career in promotional products sales, Danni Zupan of Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) generated nearly $20 million in personal sales in 2024, while working with household names like Amazon. Those impressive metrics earned her the title of ASI Media’s 2025 Distributor Salesperson of the Year.

It’s only natural that other distributors would be curious about the secrets of her success. One notable nugget of wisdom Zupan shared in this episode? “Find the clients that resonate with you and that you have a bond with. It makes your day so much better than bending over backwards for people who don’t appreciate it.”

2

Branding Together: How Print on Demand Is Reshaping the Industry

This episode of Branding Together – the monthly joint podcast between ASI and Printing United Alliance – was all about the impact of print on demand (POD) and how it’s reshaping the world of print, promo and apparel. My co-host Cassie Green and I were joined by Maddy Alcala, president of POD fulfillment company Gooten, who explained the appeal of ordering what you need when you need it, without being tied to outdated production methods. 

The discussion touched on how POD can help reduce overproduction and waste as well as the importance of integrating technology into POD operations to ensure scalability and efficiency. Plus, Alcala got real about her love for country music artist Zach Bryan and why she should be in charge of creating his branded merch.

3

Promo Insiders: Lessons From Starbucks, Taylor Swift & Other Viral Merch Moments

ASI Media editors Hannah Rosenberger, Tara Lerman and I explored a handful of viral branded items and the lessons promo professionals can learn from them. Among the “merch in the wild” case studies: the limited-run “Bearista” cold cup that prompted an apology from Starbucks after it sparked a Tickle Me Elmo-sized buying frenzy, and the vintage sea otter tee that inspired an army of Swifties to raise more than $2.3 million for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Asked Lerman: “How do you predict what’s going to go viral?” It’s an elusive alchemy, to be sure, but when the right product hits at the right moment, there’s no denying the marketing gold created.

4

Promo Insiders: Talking Tech at the Power Summit

Technology is advancing at a rapid clip, and the pace of change is such that professionals of all stripes have to be in a “continuous learning pattern.” That was the message from Sam Maule, a tech futurist who spoke at the 2025 ASI Power Summit and in this episode of Promo Insiders.

Maule noted that generative AI will take over everyday tasks in promo, such as writing marketing copy and synthesizing meeting notes, enabling professionals to focus on more creative tasks and relationship building. And in the future, agentic AI, where AI-powered bots strategize and make decisions on behalf of an organization, will be another transformative leap. But, warned Maule, it’s important to keep the human spark alive and protect your organization’s data, even as companies embrace new technologies. “That’s your competitive advantage,” he said.

5

Promo Insiders: Will Inventory Shortages Hit the Merch Market in 2025?

Supply chain experts from the promo industry – Tim Behling of Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070) and Patrick Noonan of Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) – headlined this episode of Promo Insiders from June to give our audience a practical look at how the Trump administration’s ever-evolving tariff strategy was likely to affect inventory levels.

 Among their insights: Suppliers with more geographically diversified sourcing footprints would face fewer issues than those heavily reliant on China; plus, distributors should be proactive about communicating and collaborating with their suppliers to help mitigate challenges.

6

Promo Insiders: Reflections From PRINTING United Expo 2025

Fresh from our jaunt down to Orlando for PRINTING United Expo 2025, ASI’s Brendan Menapace and I shared our impressions from the show. With more than 30,000 registered attendees, 1 million square feet of exhibit space and over 830 exhibitors, there were plenty of impressions to be had.

But what stood out most was the PRINTING United Alliance’s emphasis on member education, particularly for such hot-button topics as AI, sustainability and print on demand. As Menapace put it, “Every single session, no matter what it was about, there was some part of it that went into using AI as a tool.”

7

Promo Insiders: The Most Intriguing Findings From the Counselor 2025 State of the Industry Report

Producing the annual Counselor State of the Industry report requires ASI Research to survey hundreds of distributors and suppliers to get a detailed picture of sales and business performance. In previous years, ASI has relied on one comprehensive survey to paint a picture of the year, but a series of dramatic changes (read: tariffs) in 2025 prompted the research team to issue additional surveys throughout the year.

In this episode, ASI Media Editor-in-Chief C.J. Mittica and Nate Kuscsma, ASI’s senior executive research director, break down some of the most compelling findings from the annual SOI report.

8

Promo Insiders: Inside BDA’s Acquisition of Harper + Scott

High-profile acquisitions always draw interest, sparking a desire to pull back the curtains and get a behind-the-scenes look at just how the deal went down. So, it’s no wonder that this episode of Promo Insiders about Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA’s (asi/137616) acquisition of Harper + Scott (asi/220052) made a splash.

ASI Media’s Hannah Rosenberger chatted with the co-founders of Harper + Scott, Michael Scott Cohen and Jon Alagem, and BDA CEO Jay Deutsch – all three Counselor Power 50 members – about what made the deal a good fit for both companies and how the acquisition is allowing Harper + Scott to scale without compromising its core identity.

9

Promo Insiders: Hit Promo & iClick CEOs Share Story Behind Partnership

Another talker of a story – Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products’ (asi/61125) strategic partnership with iClick (asi/62124) – prompted this episode of Promo Insiders. Michele Bell, ASI senior vice president for content and global alliances, caught up with CJ Schmidt of Hit and Jeff Roberts of iClick to delve into the origins of the partnership and how it will benefit the customer bases of each supplier.

Other topics the trio touched on included print on demand, tariffs and the rising popularity of mobile accessories and power banks in promo.

10

Convergence Corner: Navigating a Last-Minute Reprint on a Million-Plus Unit Project

What’s better than getting all the gory details of a potentially business-busting mistake? Getting the scoop on how a company was able to reverse that giant mistake at the 11th hour, of course.

In this episode of Convergence Corner, Ryan Cady, director of client success for Imprint Engine (asi/190620), shared the story of a massive “back to campus” campaign for delivery app Gopuff. With the order just about ready to ship, Imprint Engine became aware of a misprint on some of the paper code fliers that were to be handed out to students at more than 300 schools across the U.S. To fix the issue, more than 1 million print pieces needed to be redone in just two days. How did the Imprint Engine team pull it off? You’ll have to listen to the full episode to find out.