“In a world of Mr. Burns, it’s nice to work for a Mr. Silver!”
That’s what a Printable employee anonymously wrote in the May edition of the firm’s internal newsletter. What else would you expect from a company whose messaging permeates with puns and pop culture references?
“Our band of merch-enaries have built a company culture in which having fun and showing passion is a core value,” says Mitch Silver, vice president of sales and marketing at Printable. “We frequently end every client interaction whether via email, in-person or on Teams with a dad joke. It makes the client smile and leaves them with positive feelings about the interaction.”
There’s a lot for Silver’s 12-person team to feel good about, too. Printable was recently named one of Promo’s Greatest Companies To Work For yet again. Earlier this summer, the firm earned 2025 PPAI 100 High Marks for Growth after achieving a 333% growth rate from 2021-2024. And as of July, the company was up double digits from last year, according to Silver.
The 28-year promo veteran attributes the firm’s success to maintaining an engaging social media presence and focusing on client relationship building. The former isn’t surprising, as Silver is a member of PPAI’s 2025 #Online18.
“Our efforts to consistently post on LinkedIn have been a big boost to building credibility and trust with current and potential clients,” Silver says. “Frequently writing about topics such as employee appreciation and engagement, culture building, trends in the branded merch space and more has brought exposure to each of our sales team members but also to the entire Printable company.”
As for the client relationship building, Printable hones in on inside sales to have as many opportunities as possible in a day to work with clients and prospects. Because most buyers prefer electronic communication rather than in-person meetings, inside sales is the place to be, Silver says.
The firm doesn’t just prioritize client relationships – it’s also dedicated to strengthening supplier partnerships.
Anna Tucker
Strategic Account Manager, SanMar
“Mitch’s transparency and trust in SanMar is what really helps us be strong partners together,” says Anna Tucker, strategic account manager at SanMar, PPAI 100’s No. 1 supplier. “When Mitch and I have business reviews, he keeps me updated on end user needs, company strategies, quarterly goals and Printable’s overall plans for success both immediate and long term.
“His willingness to keep me in the loop on his initiatives allows me the opportunity to invest in his marketing efforts and support the needs of his clients with ‘good, better, best’ product recommendations and creative ideas. It also allows me the ability to advocate for his needs to SanMar leadership and internal departments so we can be a better partner for his business.”
Making Connections
Printable strives to follow the 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto Principle), which asserts that 80% of outcomes happen because of 20% of inputs.
- In business, the 80/20 rule intends for 80% of one’s revenue to come from 20% of one’s clients.
- Printable’s diverse book of business includes industries such as legal, technology, education, financial services and health care, as well as clubs and associations.
“We’re making sure we’re connected to those 20% on LinkedIn,” Silver says. “We’re also working to ensure we’re connected with others at that company not in our database like other event planners, HR team members, marketing and events and sales leadership.”
In 2023, Printable acquired a smaller book of business from a retiring distributor who is a fellow customer of business services provider commonsku. “We plugged that book into our disciplined, creative marketing machine and were able to see an impact with those clients,” Silver says.
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The firm also made a concerted effort to seek out other opportunities within clients’ organizations by asking for referrals to other departments. To bolster this effort, Printable partnered with PCNA, PPAI 100’s No. 5 supplier, to build a website offering a referral gift link.
“We rely on the law of reciprocity,” Silver says. “When the team shares, clients typically share back.”
For example, when emailing a client on a Monday, Silver might say, “Bummer. My team, the Chicago Bears, lost again Sunday. Which NFL team do you cheer for?” When they reply, Printable surprises them by shipping a player figurine from that team to keep by their side on game day. And you know what goes in that same box with the NFL figurine? Some Printable self-promo merch, of course.
“Beyond his professional strengths, Mitch is simply a joy to work with,” says Mary Furto, senior vice president of marketing at PCNA. “He brings warmth and positivity to every interaction, and it’s clear that he treats his own team with the same kindness and respect. Working with him doesn’t just make us better at what we do – it makes the experience more meaningful.”
Jason Emery
President/CEO, Toddy Gear
Printable’s marketing team meets weekly to craft “stay in touch” campaigns to remain top of mind of clients.
The campaigns are a mix of events, email, direct mail, spec sampling, gifting and (you guessed it) social media activity. The team has also been actively tagging clients in Printable’s CRM with codes that help better target marketing, such as tagging by industry, department, use, client priorities (wellness, community service, diversity, etc.) and primary logo colors.
“Consistent marketing is key to making consistent sales,” Silver says.
Jason Emery, president and CEO of Willowbrook, Illinois-based supplier Toddy Gear, credits Printable for leveraging spec samples.
“What makes the folks at Printable unique is that they seem to put as much thought into a spec sample as they do a production order,” Emery says. “When they find a supplier or product they love, they stand behind it, working tirelessly to promote it to their clients – both current and prospective.”
Mitch Silver
VP of Sales & Marketing, Printable
‘Direct Insights’
Of course, it’s not all fun and games and rapping puppets for Printable.
Macroeconomic conditions, particularly this year’s tariff roller coaster, have impacted all promo firms. The industry’s year-over-year growth rate has dwindled throughout 2025, with PPAI Research’s most recent bi-monthly survey confirming that industry revenue grew by only 0.37% in May and June compared to the same two-month period in 2024.
“The inconsistent, uncertain and topsy-turvy business climate has led to a fair amount of client attrition,” Silver says. “Additionally, with so many marketing, events, sales and HR folks working remotely, direct mail and client gifting has been more challenging in terms of shipping to the best address for the recipient.”
Silver’s candor is appreciated amongst clients and supplier partners alike. Rather than shy away from tough conversations, he approaches challenges with honesty and respect, according to Furto.
Mary Furto
SVP of Marketing, PCNA
“What sets him apart is his ability to provide specific, actionable feedback that helps us be a better partner,” Furto says. “Instead of vague commentary, Mitch offers direct insights – whether it’s about how we can improve the images and materials we provide or how to better position our solutions to help him win in the marketplace.
“He doesn’t just point out what’s not working – he engages in a dialogue about how we can solve it together. That kind of mindset fosters trust, mutual success and long-term collaboration.”
After all, Printable is built upon mutual success, amongst its partners, clients and staff. Silver abides by the late management maven Peter Drucker’s philosophy that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That’s why he and his colleagues regularly express gratitude and appreciation.
For example, team members are asked each quarter to nominate a co-worker that has best exhibited Printable’s core values over the past 90 days. At the next company meeting, those nominations are read aloud for the staff to vote on a winner who receives an Amazon gift card and gets to place their name on a traveling trophy symbolizing the office theme for the year. (One year, the theme was “movies,” so the trophy was a stuffed dog wrapped in bandages from Something About Mary.)
- The following month, anyone who was nominated gets to spin a prize wheel for a gift card from Amazon, Target, Chipotle and elsewhere or a mystery prize.
“Our company’s focus on team culture and the resulting recognition brings me great pride,” Silver says. “A positive company culture is crucial. Now more than ever, employees want to feel a sense of belonging in their workplace.”
Far from Mr. Burns, that sounds more like Lisa Simpson.
