Justin Washburn, owner of Full Throttle Marketing Powered by Proforma (asi\/491857), says that the print and promotional products industries can feel fragmented.<\/p>\n
\u201cTypically, print\u2019s handled by one vendor, promo by another, apparel by someone else,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd this leads to a lot of inconsistencies with branding, a lot of wasted time, a lot of confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
To counter that, Washburn has made it his mission to create a company that blends print and promo under one strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really don\u2019t view print and promotional products as separate categories,\u201d he said. \u201cWe see them as a complementary touchpoint to each other within a broader brand experience. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s direct mail paired with the promotional products or onboarding kits, or event materials or internal branding programs. We try to plan everything together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Washburn, like many distributors who use print and promo together, has seen success in the healthcare customer verticals. One case study that\u2019s stuck with him was from a new employee onboarding program across multiple different locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came to us with some serious challenges with ensuring that their brand was consistent, as they had just gone through a rebrand,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile still making the rollout feel personal and engaging with each of the individual team members, we developed an annual campaign that included branded print collateral and internal signage. There was kitting involved and curated promotional kits that reinforced the hospital\u2019s message.\u201d<\/p>\n
Washburn stressed the importance of being a partner, not just a vendor. Mistakes happen, he said, like shipping containers flooding with water at the port. That won\u2019t ruin a relationship. What would ruin the relationship, he said, is not being honest and accountable.<\/p>\n
Podcast Chapters<\/strong><\/p>\n 0:30:<\/a> Justin\u2019s background in the industry Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Justin Washburn emphasizes that print and promo function as complementary touchpoints within a unified brand experience that drives stronger consistency and ROI.<\/p>\n \u2022 Fragmented vendor relationships create inefficiencies and brand inconsistency. Full Throttle\u2019s role is to simplify this by acting as a strategic consultant and central solution provider.<\/p>\n \u2022 Onboarding kits and curated programs, accelerated by COVID, are now a permanent and valuable strategy for engaging employees and reinforcing brand culture.<\/p>\n \u2022 Supply chain disruptions and errors happen, but strong communication, ownership and solution-focused responses preserve client trust and long-term relationships.<\/p>\n \u2022 Washburn stresses investing in education, technology (especially AI and CRM), partnerships and community involvement to become a trusted necessity \u2014 not just another vendor.<\/p>\n Stay Ahead of the Curve<\/p>\n
2:00: <\/a>Designing a one-stop shop business
3:15: <\/a>Healthcare case study
6:30: <\/a>Prevalence of kitting in the industry
8:15: <\/a>Navigating challenges like lost materials
11:00: <\/a>Justin\u2019s advice for distributors
14:15:<\/a> Investing in new programs and capabilities
16:50:<\/a> Being a \u201cpain-reliever\u201d for your clients<\/p>\n