Sunday, August 17, 2008
RIGHTSLEEVE-BeautifulPeople.net Reality TV Segment
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Simon's band opens for The Tragically Hip
Simon's band just played the concert of a lifetime. On June 21, Five Star Trailer Park opened for the Tragically Hip at the Big Music Fesival in Belleville.
There were several other great acts on the bill including Attack in Black, Sarah Harmer and Sam Roberts. Five Star played a fabulous set in front of fans who had gathered on this enormous lawn at Zwicks Park. A once in a lifetime experience, no doubt.
Take a peak at the pics from the event.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Our new home
After 3 months of planning, designing, construction and project managing, our new office space is ready.
This has actually been about 1.5 years in the making when we started the search for a new space that would truly define who we were as a company. After countless tours of the downtown core, we decided to overhaul an empty space on the top floor of our existing building.
The space had a lot of potential - corner suite, flooded with natural light, and most importantly, a blank canvas to start with.
It was a pretty cool experience watching the suite morph from "bland grey fuzz" into a sleek new environment, completely custom built to our requirements as a promotion design firm.
Take a look at the pics (displayed in chronological order).
A special thanks to the entire team at RIGHTSLEEVE for making this happen (and particularly to Paul Gorrie, our architect, and Will Dempsey, our ever patient real estate agent).
Sunday, April 06, 2008
We are moving ... and growing!

Saturday, March 29, 2008
Retail Therapy
Her advice to retailers is sound and to the point. This is a powerful message that applies not only to retailers, but to any business looking to exceed its customers' expectations.
It seems that too many companies play follow the leader (even if they are blind). I know it is de rigueur to mention Apple in any marketing related piece these days, but they have perfected the art of doing things differently - and winning in the process.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Kudos to Jen

Monday, January 21, 2008
It's a Fish Eat Fish World
posted by Jen Vaughn
The email came an hour later.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Social Media Marketing in a Traditional Industry
There are several ways that companies in other traditional industries can use social media to their advantage. We have used the following tools to increase our profile amongst our target market:
1. Blog. While time consuming to maintain, our blog has been an important part of how current and prospective clients relate to the company. I have learned a few important rules along the way as to how to maintain a good corporate blog.
a. Do not use your blog as a product advertising tool. Think of your blog like a respected newspaper like the New York Times where editorial interests are separate from the business interests that underwrite the publication. No one would read the Times if the articles were shameless plugs for their advertisers. Readers expect analysis, commentary and a perspective, not a sales pitch.
The content of our blog is focused on positive customer experiences. This is central to how we do business, which is why we focus on this theme on our blog. Many of our entries are irreverant and humorous - and each offers a unique perspective.
b. Have fun. One of our company values is to "have fun". We have fun when we interact with our clients in person, over the phone and in our online setting. We present our thoughts and philosophies on the blog as we really want our clients to know more about what makes us tick.
2. Online video - we created a comedy sketch on youtube.com which makes fun of our industry. I think that the ability to have fun and have a joke at your expense is a key rapport building exercise between you and your audience.
3. Product Comments and Ratings. We encourage the good, bad and ugly. Not everything is a winner and we want our community to know what works and what doesn't. There is no point in hiding from something that doesn't work as a marketing tool - as this client felt in their review. Conversely, when products work, the community is drawn to the winners.
4. Aligning ourselves with web properties that our clients identify with. In our case, we have used:
i. Facebook to allow clients to share products via the web's hottest social networking site. We also have a rightsleeve.com fan page and group where "fans" can keep tabs on us via facebook.
ii. Flickr as a forum to post office pictures which gives clients an insight into who we are.
iii. You Tube as a forum to post videos on what makes our office tick.
5. Own your content by building your own web site. A number of companies take short cuts by using white label web sites developed by industry associations. Companies will market these sites as their own, but the end consumer is simply presented with the same product offering as everyone else who has tapped into the same standard web product. The only difference is a template change and a company logo on the header. This is a relatively standard practice in the promotional products business. The end result is that you simply don't stand out. How can you when an average client will receive the identical marketing message from multiple sources?
6. Open up. Visitors to our site can publicly see how many times products have been viewed/purchased. Visitors can also see what clients are actually buying so others can be privy to what's popular. This is determined all by visitor activity which is a much more democratic way of determining popularity. By opening up this information, we have created a powerful dialogue with our customer base that is next to impossible in a non web based environment.
If your industry is old fashioned, this is your chance to be truly unique. You will find your investment is less capital intensive but will draw significantly on your time and intellectual resources. In the end, you can create a winning model that takes on the bigger players who have a legacy infrastructure to support.
There is no better opportunity to use technology and social media to cement your position as the next generation leader within your industry.Wednesday, December 19, 2007
American Apparel spoof - classic
Monday, November 26, 2007
Hidden Charges
I truly believe that Ticketmaster adds a lot of value when purchasing tickets for an event. As a consumer, I like going to their site and viewing just about any event I want to attend. The site is user friendly and ticket purchases are very easy (assuming you are not looking to buy for Radiohead, U2, etc). Given this value add and their near stranglehold on the market, I am not sure why they hide the true cost of the ticket.
Here is a recent example from a Hawksley Workman ticket purchase.
The tickets were advertised as $32.50.
However the final bill comes to over $41.00 per ticket with all of the additional charges applied.
Here was the breakdown:
Advertised: Full Price Ticket CA $32.50 x 4
+-Total Building Facility Charge(s) CA $2.50 x 4
-Total Convenience Charge(s) CA $5.50 x 4
-Order Processing Charge(s) CA $2.25 x 1
-Regular Mail = No Charge
TOTAL CHARGES CA $164.25
Final individual ticket cost = $41.06, a 26% surcharge over the original cost.
What gives?
As a consumer, I am more than happy to pay $41.06 to see Hawksley Workman. This is more than reasonable. Why not just be up front from the beginning?
Companies who employ this sneaky strategy typically do this for the following reasons:
1. They don't want to look expensive in the market place, so they lead with a cheap price and then add to the price once the customer is at the checkout counter when the chances of walking away are slim. This practice is also fairly common in the online promotional products space where some companies advertise products without decorating charges, thus making them look inexpensive compared to other companies.
2. They want to disclose to the consumer all of the individual components of the sale so as to elicit sympathy that Ticketmaster is really only making peanuts on the transaction.
As far as I can tell, I think most people don't really care where the money goes so long as they value what they are buying at a given price. An additional convenience charge or a building facility charge is just annoying. Be upfront about this from the start. Sure, tell me at the end if you must, but don't heap on the additional charges as I click through the checkout process. This only serves to irritate.
I relate the following example in our business.
Imagine the following scenario. A $10.00 T-shirt advertised on our web site as:
$1.00 T-shirt!
+ $2.00 printing cost
+ $2.00 transportation charge
+ $1.00 thread match charge
+ $1.00 employee lunch fund charge
+ $0.50 company profit
+ $2.00 computer server cost
+ $0.50 dye charge
= $10.00 total.
I understand that it costs money to produce a product, but you shouldn't be in the business of annoying your customers with hidden charges. Note that hidden charges are different than extra charges. To be fair, extra charges are legitimate when they advertised clearly as such so the consumer is aware of what they are getting into. (ie. the cost of buying a book on amazon.com excludes freight if under $39, or the cost to print this mouse pad excludes a $50 setup fee).
A famous quote in business says that "in the absence of value, companies can only compete on price." On the web, companies should not be afraid to post the fair value of their products without resorting to shady practices like tricking the customer at the end of the process with random charges. If your product/service is worth it, people will always line up to buy it.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Green Swag

Saturday, September 22, 2007
Get rid of the washroom jockeys!

Monday, July 16, 2007
Zen and the Art of the Morning Dog Walk

I just read a wonderful article in the Rotman Magazine (Fall 2006) called "Our Ongoing Love Affair with Dogs" by Dr Patricia McConnell.
The article was sandwiched between essays on Loyalty, Business Strategy, HR and Finance. At first glance, I was a little surprised to see an article on dogs in a business magazine from one of the top business schools in North America. But after giving it some thought, I was able to draw a very close connection about how my dog (Jack/Jakers/Jakerton - see above) has had enormous influence on the development of Right Sleeve's model over the last few years.
Bear with me here ....
To quote McConnell,
"Some of my happiest moments are when [my dog] Luke and I sit silently together, overlooking the green, rolling hills of Southern Wisconsin. Our lack of language doesn’t get in the way, but creates an opening for something else, something deep and pure and good. We dog lovers share a kind of Zen-like communion with our dogs, uncluttered by nouns and adverbs and dangling participles. This connection speaks to a part of us that needs to be nurtured and listened to, but that is so often drowned out in the cacophony of speech. Dogs remind us that we are being heard, without the additional weight of words.”
In life, I struggle with distractions. My mind is often racing 1000 miles a minute as I dream up grand visions of the future. Everything is an opportunity for me and I waste little time in diving into a wide range of projects. Call it the entrepreneurial curse.
Enter Jack. On weekdays, I get up at the crack of dawn to walk him. Naturally, he loves it. I also love it for many reasons (exercise, peace and quiet, etc) but the most profound effect it has had on me is the opportunity to contemplate the day ahead. Whatever I am struggling with, I know I can sort it out on my morning walk with Jack.
Jim Collins has said that the most important pages of his classic "Good to Great" are pp. 114-117. These pages discuss the importance of developing a "Council" for one's business.
To paraphrase Collins:
"The Council consists of a group of the right people who participate in dialogue and debate .... about vital issues and decisions facing the organization".
While I lean on many smart and talented people to drive Right Sleeve, there is a special spot on my "Council" for Jack - he who chooses to just be there, he who communicates through his expressive eyes, he who expresses his agreement with me through a long and lingering sniff (or his disagreement with me through an immediate jerk on his leash as he insists on stopping for no reason), and he who trots along in sync beside me.
Many of the boldest initiatives at Right Sleeve have come from my morning Council discussions with Jack (note to readers - I refer to discussions in the wordless sense. I am not that "guy" ranting to myself while my dog hides his head in shame!). This is where I have the opportunity to churn through the pros and cons of my ideas so I can be clear about my direction come the beginning of the work day.
I am sure if Jim Collins were a dog owner, that he/she would definitely be a part of his famed Council.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Inspiration from Alec Baldwin

Sunday, June 24, 2007
How to avoid mushy Kraft Dinner!

Saturday, May 26, 2007
Trunkslammers!
All pics from the shoot can be seen here.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Micromanagement - Breakfast Club Style

Sunday, April 01, 2007
Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Sunday, March 25, 2007
How Not to Write a Job Ad for Advertising Specialties Sales People

I continually scratch my head at the the type of people who write job ads like the one I just came across on Craig's List. I understand this employer wants a keen sales rep to bring in sales. Yes, sales people need to bring in business at the end of the day .... how they achieve this goal is the subject of another discussion.
Customers - run for cover!!! Mr. Alligator Grizzly Bear Ball Buster is out to sell you some pens, flashing baubles and white coffee mugs!! Reject him at your peril!!
------------------------------------------------------------
Ad Specialty Sales $1,000 + wk
Looking to train experienced salespeople to sell Ad-Specialties.
This position is about building your own business within a business.
Successful applicants will learn how to sell all types of Ad Specialty products.
Once you have achieved an income of at least $1,000 per week for six months you will start building your own crew of salespeople. Your income will be limited only by your work ethic and imagination.
-Qualified applicants will be hard working, self-disciplined and goal oriented.
-Be responsible and punctual.
-Want to make as much money as humanly possible.
-Have the hide of an alligator
-Be prepared to rip the hair off the balls of a grizzly bear
WARNING:
Slackers, Liars, Deadbeats and Wimps need not apply.






