Every year, we sit down and think about swag and its applications in the real world.  What trends are influencing the ways people are using promotional items? What do users of promotional media gravitate towards in terms of fashion and function?

Well, we have debated these topics tirelessly over the past few weeks and have synthesized the findings into the Top Ten below.

1. “Re-thinking Products: Form & Function”

When does a to-go mug go from trash to re-usable?

Current promotional product trends look at re-thinking the way we use everyday objects and making them useful and eco-friendly – especially with the current push of carbon footprint and social responsibility in the media. Adding a bit of creative flair to the design also makes it appealing to those looking to stand out and differentiate their brand identity.

2. “What’s old is new – Retro Inspired”

An emotional connection with swag is one way of capturing attention.

It paints a story for the client as they would be familiar with the product from their own experience. It’s also a step back from regular promo gear and allows the receiver to have more fun with it – who doesn’t like a pair of neon sunglasses?

3. “Social Media and Mobile”

Infolust on the go

Smart phones, PDA, laptops – whichever piece of technology available out there, someone has got theirs hands on it so why not have your brand in their hands too.  By choosing products that relate to the current trend, it gets your message out there and becomes practical.

4. “Colors”

No more corporate colors – Red, Black, Navy.

A lot of employees are looking for exciting options for their corporate uniforms to wear at work and also for recreational use. With casual dress codes becoming more common in the workplace, the color palette is starting to change and heading more towards the seasonal colors that comes with fashion: orange, green, pink (or salmon), etc.

5. “Retail look”

Patterns, materials and details you would see at a store, are making their way into work wear. It gives the apparel a bit more personality to the person who wears it.

6. “Small Promo/Big Impact”

Good things come in small packages!

Cell phones/PDA/laptops; these are everyday items that are carried by work professionals as part of their gear. Why not have your brand be visible daily and useful at the same time, instead of sitting in another swag closet never to be seen again? Useful as a mailer as well, with little costs to ship directly to your clients. Even with a small budget, you can still have the biggest impact; it’s all how you present it.

7. “Girl Power!”

Crossovers – no more one size fits all golf shirts that wear like a dress.

Women have always been the main consumer for households. The same goes for ordering branded apparel in a corporate setting.  A lot of them are leaning toward the styles that have crossovers to suit both male/female employees. There is also a push towards more female-oriented products in the market. Patterns, Fit and cut is important and makes it appealing to the female demographic. Choose styles that differentiate between men and women’s apparel.

8. “Eco but cheap”

Eco-friendly products have become more standard with products these days.  Not everyone has the budget to spend on organic cotton tees or bamboo woven bags. But that doesn’t mean that you should be left out of the mix. Useful everyday items are getting the eco makeover while helping stick with your bottom line.

9. “Custom made Easy”

Want your self-promo to stand out from the rest? Don’t have the time or quantities needed?

There are new product lines that allow for full customization without the long timeline and higher minimums.  Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day – but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice quality of your brand with the same old 1 color/1 location.

10. “New Materials”

Bamboo, coconut, recycled tires, kraft paper, neoprene, jute and poo!

Using non-traditional materials is another differentiating factor in rethinking products: form and function (trend#1). New materials/textiles are making their way into the industry and create interesting stories within the products themselves – promoting organic solutions (bio-energy), why not hand out a journal made from elephant poop?

It will definitely get people talking and take you to the next level with your client.

I recently read Geoff Smart’s Who: The A Method for Hiring - a comprehensive look at how to interview and ultimately hire top talent into your company. I synthesized the main steps in his book and have listed here to help others who are involved in the hiring process.

Hiring is never a perfect science, but the process can be made more effective by digging deeper into a candidate’s career history and asking the right questions. After years of interviewing candidates for positions at RIGHTSLEEVE, I found this book a very worthwhile read with many clear takeaway points.

Part 1: Establishing a Scorecard

On Nov 12, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to speak with one of my entrepreneurial heroes, Michael Dell. This was in association with our winning the Dell SMB Excellence Award (Canada) for our use of technology in our business.

I vividly remember my first computer purchase as an 18 year old student heading off to university. I struggled out of the Dell showroom in 1992 (they had one back then) with 2 huge boxes which housed the monitor and CPU. When I mentioned this Michael Dell, he jokingly commented how they have been able to reduce the size of the boxes over the years.

The video of the conversation can be seen below

On Nov 12 (at 12 noon EST), I am participating in a live webcast from Dell’s headquarters in Round Rock TX.

Dell is hosting a virtual panel discussion featuring the winners of the Dell SMB Award (from Canada, US, Mexico and Brazil). The discussion will focus on how companies are using technology to cut costs, increase efficiency, improve customer relations and grow.

You are welcome to join the webcast by registering here

The official press release can be found here

I was just reading some remarks made in 1999 by Michael Dell on Building a Competitive Advantage in an Internet Economy.

While so much has changed in the 10 years since Dell made this speech, I am struck by how much of this is still relevant in 2009.

Consider the following excerpt:

RIGHTSLEEVE’s customer retention strategies are featured in the latest issue of Profit Magazine. To honour this occasion, we’d like to send you a free copy.

Just fill out this form here, and we will mail out the issue on the double.

In the current issue of Profit Magazine, we were featured in a story on innovative ways to retain customers.

You can read the article here

It was also nice to be featured alongside two entrepreneurs I have a great deal of respect for – Dmitry Buterin of Bonasource and Matt Teichmann of Life Choices Foods.

We are proud to introduce the gear for hoHOTo. Special thanks to Sheri Moore (@s_moore) for her keen eye in picking the styles with us!

This limited edition merchandise is for sale on site at hoHOTo – cash sales only.

All proceeds from the merchandise will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Spread the word!

(click image to enlarge)