In today’s branded merchandise landscape, the traditional lines between promotional products, print, and apparel are starting to blur.

In this episode of Let’s Taco ‘Bout It, Jay Busselle sits down with Tom Rector, CEO of thumbprint, to explore what that shift means for distributors, sales teams, and brand marketers.

Tom shares his perspective on how the industry is evolving from separate lanes into a more integrated ecosystem, why companies need to move beyond reactive selling toward intentional sales design, and how immersive brand activations can create measurable business impact.

Along the way, Tom introduces a powerful mindset shift around service and expectations:

“When you deliver 5-star service, you've done everything you're supposed to do. If that's the expectation, the real question becomes… what does it take to deliver 6 stars?”

Topics include:

• Why promo, print, and apparel are converging

• How thumbprint approaches intentional sales strategy

• The difference between hype and real ROI in experiential marketing

• Signals that the industry shift is already happening

If you work in promo, print, or apparel decoration, this conversation offers a clear look at where the industry is heading and how leaders are adapting.

Uploaded on Mar 9, 2026