AI direction for promotional products companies

Most promo companies are chasing AI. Very few are solving real problems with it. Budgets are spent on pilots that never reach production. Teams experiment without direction.

This is not about becoming an AI company. It is about using AI where it actually creates leverage.

Talk through your AI direction

Problem-first

Start with business needs, not technology

Practical

Off-the-shelf before custom build

Accountable

Someone owns outcomes, not just pilots

Realistic

Knowing when AI is not the answer

Why AI initiatives fail

✕
Technology before problem AI initiatives start with the technology instead of a clearly defined business problem.
✕
Custom over simple Teams chase custom solutions when off-the-shelf tools would do the job faster and cheaper.
✕
Pilots that stall Proofs of concept never turn into real workflows. Demos fade. Value never materializes.
✕
No ownership No one owns outcomes once the initial excitement fades. Data readiness is assumed, not verified.

AI does not fail because it is immature. It fails because it is poorly directed.

Where 6DSense fits

I work with executive and operational leaders to provide AI leadership as a capability, not a side project.

Think of this as having a CIO focused specifically on AI: someone who understands the technology, the business, the data, and the operational reality, and who can translate between all of them.

I have built applications with AI, written production code using it, and integrated it into real workflows. Knowing where it breaks is as important as knowing where it shines.

How I work with you

Step 1

Problem definition

Identify where AI could realistically create value. Real workflows, real bottlenecks, real decisions.

Step 2

Readiness check

Assess whether your data, systems, and processes can support the idea. Many initiatives should die here.

Step 3

Solution paths

Often the right answer is an off-the-shelf tool, a small integration, or not using AI at all. The goal is leverage, not novelty.

Step 4

MVPs that matter

When custom work is appropriate, we focus on small, testable MVPs tied to real users and outcomes.

What good AI direction looks like

AI initiatives that succeed share a few traits:

Most promotional products companies should not be building large custom AI platforms. They should be applying AI surgically, where it removes friction, improves decisions, or saves meaningful time.

AI Direction Diagnostic

If you are unsure where AI fits, or suspect money is being wasted, start with a focused diagnostic.

  • Clear view of where AI could create real value
  • Honest assessment of data and readiness
  • Identification of low-risk, high-impact opportunities
  • Guidance on whether to proceed, pivot, or stop

This is not an AI strategy deck. It is a decision-making tool.

Request a diagnostic

How to start

If your organization is feeling pressure to "do something with AI," but lacks confidence in the direction, start with a conversation. We will talk through your business priorities, where AI may help, and where it will not.

Talk through your AI direction