Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, a rotating group of PromoKitchen chefs have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip. This week’s Dish was authored by Chef Aubrey Collins.

Goodbye, American Apparel – “Must Read” Article of the Week

With news of Gildan’s $88 million purchase of American Apparel finalized a week ago today, several mainstream media outlets are dissecting the details of the brand’s mighty rise and seemingly sudden fall. I’m always interested in seeing how aspects of our industry are covered in mainstream publications, and while the bulk of this piece focuses on the retail side of the American Apparel brand and not the wholesale side, following its journey is worthy of your time, even if all you take away is a list of things to do differently. 

How to Be Interesting When Everything Has Already Been Said

Once, a few years ago, I was sitting with my mother as she went through her email. She clicked on one titled something like “How to Avoid Dry Skin.” She started reading the tips out loud. “Don’t use harsh soap. Moisturize. No kidding. This is all the stuff everybody knows.” I think of this every time I read a “How to” article. Since so many of them are so predictable and pedestrian. Many of them fall in the “This is all the stuff everybody knows.” It’s not easy to write original content. This piece gets to the heart of why and gives concrete tips to get to the core of what you can do to create compelling content custom tailored to you. 

The Role of Color in Branding (Infographic)

I’m a sucker for a good infographic (and, to be fair, not-so-good infographics, too). This one is pretty solid and is a good refresher of the psychology of color that demonstrates how colors influence purchasing decisions and drive consumer behavior. The infographic is a succinct visual stroll down the colors of popular brands’ logos, as well as the vibes those colors can evoke and the impact it can have on the brands’ marketing. Worthy of your time.

Trump’s Insult Becomes Promo Treasure for BuzzFeed

Another day, another Trump-insult-inspired promo products. This time, the inspiration came from comments he made about Buzzfeed during a recent press conference. Buzzfeed capitalized on the insult and raised $25,000 for the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit group aimed at promoting press freedom around the world. No matter what side of the aisle you reside, it’s been very clear that Trump’s candidacy, and soon-to-be presidency, has highlighted the power of our industry’s medium — from his campaign spending in excess of $11.5 million on campaign merchandise (which, as this article states, is a record for a presidential candidate) to his opponents creating popular parody items such the Buzzfeed shirts (and limited edition trash cans) and “Nasty Woman” shirts, which raised over $100,000 for Planned Parenthood. 

How to Build a Personal Brand That Elevates Your Company – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

This one was a little bit of a “meh.” I kind of felt like my mom reading it in the aforementioned “How to Avoid Dry Skin” article example. “Engage on social media. Get involved. Become a thought leader. No kidding. This is all the stuff everybody knows.” That said, even though we all know it, it’s good to have a little push to remind us to do it. The final paragraph included a good takeaway: “Become an expert in your field, care about your industry’s success as a whole (not just your own and your brand’s), and help lift up those around you. Provide real value to your community, and you’ll have them clamoring to you for more every day. With that takeaway under your belt, you can probably skip the full article.