24hr Production: A Brand Marketing Podcast · Gary Chan

Evolution Promo Tech

·31 min·2 clips

OVU cards combine NFC and QR, and the team says they were early users with a free landing page.

Gary and Melissa open by saying they want to go back to their roots. They frame the conversation around promotional products, digital marketing, and branding management. The focus quickly settles on how technology in merchandising has changed over time. They look back at what was available when they started in the industry and compare it with what exists now. The older tools feel basic next to the newer ones. Some things have been improved. Other things have gone obsolete. That contrast keeps coming up through the discussion. They treat technology as broader than screens and software. Clothing and materials count too. Breathable garments, reflective pieces, heated layers, and recycled fabrics all come up as examples. Recycled polyester fabric is a concrete case of that shift. Reflective liners in jackets get the same treatment. The point is simple: technology often hides inside the product itself. They then move to augmented reality. They remember bringing AR into an open house many years ago. At the time, it created a strong wow factor. Clients reacted because it still felt very new. They also talk about how supplier data, testing, and certifications help them check what they are selling. Being an early adopter comes with tradeoffs. Not every new idea works. Some things flop. Some things never get picked up. A few ideas look good for a moment and then quietly disappear. That reality is part of the industry too. The conversation stays practical the whole way through. It is less about hype than about what survives contact with actual use. They close by inviting listeners to connect on LinkedIn or through their landing page if they have questions or want to reach out.

As heard by us

A plainspoken look at what promo tech keeps, drops, and turns into routine.

Evolution Promo Tech follows how promotional-product work keeps changing as newer tools, materials, and client expectations push in. Gary and Melissa move from earlier industry habits to what now feels routine, with AR, supplier certifications, recycled fabrics, reflective…

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Why you'd press play

You want a plainspoken tour of how promo-tech ideas age, stick, or quietly disappear.

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