For 30 years, Steve Wiley was a successful distributor based out of Los Angeles. When he moved to Houston a decade and a half ago, he became something else: The Sultan of Swag.

The sultan’s origins were all happenstance. In the course of reaching out to local ad agencies, Wiley hooked up with a business writer from the Houston Chronicle. When the writer swung by the offices of UVS Enterprises and Wiley showed what he did, the writer declared that Wiley should be The King of Tchtockes. No good, thought Wiley. “That makes me sound like a guy who comes through town once a month on a horse-drawn cart,” he remarks.

Later in the conversation, the writer announced he had come up with something better: The Sultan of Swag. “That,” says Wiley, a Brooklyn native and lifelong baseball fan, “I could live with.”

What started out as a goof has become an essential branding tactic for Wiley. The title is on his business card and trade show passes. Referring clients are told they must do business with the Sultan. Wiley knows the title is humorous and piques the curiosity of others – and that’s precisely the point. “If you can put a smile on a prospect’s face,” he says, “you’re halfway there.”

The business world is an endless parade of presidents, account executives and customer service representatives. But in a bid to embrace creativity and upend convention, corporations and entrepreneurs are increasingly forgoing stodgy job titles in favor of truly unique monikers.

The practice is alive and well in the promotional products industry. You can find Evangelists, Gurus, Innovators, Architects, Senseis and Genies. There are titles both distinctly elegant (Creatologist) and deliberately rudimentary (Head Idea Thinker-Upper). Some titles promise amazement (Director of Customer Delight), others come with no BS (Director of No Nonsense Orders). There’s both a Princess Promo and the Promo Princess – an epic battle of royalty suitable for Game of Thrones. And take your pick of Chiefs: Experience Officer, Number Cruncher, Fun Officer and Intimacy Officer, the last of which, in a more salacious industry, probably has a far different set of job requirements.

For many owners and sales reps in the industry, the reason for their creatively branded roles is simple: to stand out to prospects and clients.

Geoff Langdon started his company under the name Advantage Marketing, but was reluctant to assume the title of president, CEO and founder. “That’s such a waste of words,” says the Birmingham, AL-based affiliate with iPROMOTEu (asi/232119). “What are you saying except that you have a tremendous ego or great insecurity?” Known among his clients for his top-notch ideas, Langdon adopted the title chief creative guy. It proved so successful that he used the moniker for his website and renamed the company ChiefCreativeGuy.com. Says Langdon, “Those who forget my name or don’t know me that well still say, ‘Yeah, you’re chief creative guy.’”

At Breakthrough Marketing + Design + Technology, employees get to choose their titles after getting acclimated, which explains the presence of, among others, an account crusader and a designer supreme on staff. The Kansas City, MO-based firm (which serves as a PR and marketing agency for industry suppliers as well as a distributor to clients in select markets) not only uses those titles on its business cards, but also prints witty personal philosophies from each team member on back. Sample quote: “Don’t worry. I worry enough for everyone.”

“Almost everyone smiles when they see our titles,” says Susanne Ryan, Breakthrough’s head honcho. “They get it. It’s outside the box. And when we’re creating marketing and technology solutions for people, it has to be just that – it has to be outside the box. It shows people you’re thinking at a different level than what’s expected.”

Candace Barr, president of Strategic Resume Specialists in Vestavia Hills, AL, has certainly witnessed the trend of creative job titles – especially in a job-seeker market. “To attract top talent, companies are realizing they need innovative cultures, especially with younger generations and especially in sales,” says Barr, who creates targeted career documents and offers coaching for job seekers. “Successful sales professionals have choices, and they want innovative cultures and flexible work options. Adjusting job titles to show creativity aligns with the corporate culture is a part of that.”

Creative titles aren’t for everyone – Barr says they work best for smaller startups. Also, they can be a hindrance for job seekers, especially with online job boards looking for certain keywords on resumes. “If your role is director of client happiness,” she says, “and it’s not clear if that’s really administrative support or a key account manager, it can create challenges in the job search.”

Advantages asked you to tell us your unique job titles, and you certainly delivered. Here’s a selection of the most creative, fun and innovative titles in the promotional products industry.

Unique Titles In The Promo Industry

Ian Sweeney, SOBO Concepts (asi/329592)

"A sensei, by definition, is a teacher. This term is typically used in a martial arts setting, and I saw it as fitting as I not only help teach our clients the best strategy for their SWAG campaign, but I also ensure we deliver a kickass product."

Sarah Sights, Owens Design Group (asi/288528)

"Here’s my bio from our website: ‘She’s really good at helping you see everything you didn’t know you needed. She’s kind of like your fairy godmother. If you can dream it, she can help to make it happen."

Kenneth Brown, KWB International LLC

"I wanted a title that was representative of what I do day in and day out, and that’s create programs for my clients which help their promotions generate the buzz they’re looking for."

Steve Wiley, UVS Enterprises

"It played into the sense of humor I’ve always had about the business. … I started using it to engender some smiles. I’m not just here to take your money."

Geoff Langdon, ChiefCreativeGuy.com (asi/232119)

"I’ve always dealt with humor, and I wanted something that told people what I am but not make it so ponderous. … I originally thought of chief creative officer but changed officer to guy. Guy brings it down from the heavenly lofts of the President/CEO."

Joan Flaherty, HighNote

"I chose that title to alleviate the stuffiness surrounding the title CFO. Our company thrives on solving problems and meeting challenges. We spark creativity and encourage excellence. And we have a lot of fun doing it – thus, a fun title."

Claire Fitiausi, All Valley Printing (asi/117211)

"I’ve been decorating garments for years. Figuring out the best item for each customer’s needs means offering more than one choice, even when a customer says 'I want item ABC' because my customers don’t know everything that’s available. That’s why they need a garment guru."

Susanne Ryan, Breakthrough Marketing + Design + Technology

"When I started the agency, I felt too young to have a serious title like CEO or owner. I wanted it to be more fun, but I was also starting this thing from the ground up. … You have to have a little fun with it when you’re in marketing."

Dean Koehler, K&W Printing (asi/590223)

"The janitor always keeps the place looking respectable, especially when there’s crap to clean up. My father, who co-founded the business and is now retired, goes by The L&G – The Loafer and Go-fer."

C.J. Mittica is editor-in-chief for Advantages. Tweet: @CJ_Advantages. Contact: cmittica@asicentral.com