There are lots of ways to promote your brand. A super cool Instagram feed, bright and shiny flyers, that perfect subtle off-white business card (Patrick Bateman knows what’s up)…there are lots of choices.
But our personal favourite – not that we’re biased or anything – is with promotional clothing. What could be cooler than watching people walk around literally wearing your client’s brand?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Before you jump into designing and creating the perfect branded clothing, you’ll want to make sure we’re covering the essentials. That’s why we’ve created this guide.
Here’s what you need to think about when it comes to promotional clothing:
Step 1: What’s the brand all about?
Our first step is a must for lots of different promotional events, and creating clothing is no exception. It’s simple: What is your client’s brand really about?
Simple isn’t always easy, and really nailing down what makes the brand special can be a tricky task. There are probably lots of things that you like about it, but you might not be sure which ones will help you stand out from the pack. There are so many out there – how can you carve out a unique identity?
Let’s think about it in a slightly different way.
Try thinking about what you would like people to associate with the brand. Are they interested in being affordable? Is sustainability key? Or maybe they’d want to equate themselves with high-quality.
Still not sure what the brand’s identity is? Another trick you can use is thinking of the brand as a person.
It can sound a little weird at first, but give it a go. Would the brand as a person be young or old? Male or female? Where would they live – a city, a small town, by the beach or the mountains? What would they do for work? How do they get to work (walk, bike, car, motorcycle?) What do they like to do on weekends?
Working with brand archetypes may also help you with this task.
Step 2: Who’s the promotional clothing for – and what do they like to wear?
So, now that you have the brand identity locked down, it’s time to turn the attention to the customers!
T-shirts are the most popular promotional clothing item. There’s a good reason for it, too – pretty much everybody wears T-shirts, and they’re a nice choice that’s versatile and comfortable at the same time. (If you can’t tell, we’re big fans of printed T-shirts here at Printsome).
Still, as great as they are, they’re certainly not the only choice for your brands. Just a few of the options we offer: hoodies, jumpers, polo shirts, vest tops, aprons, sports tops, zip-neck fleeces, button-up shirts….the list can (and does!) go on.
But not every option will be a good fit in every case. It’s all about finding the perfect match between what the brand’s about and what the customers like.
Is the brand one that offers its customers affordable prices? Then a good choice would be a T-shirt. Looking for something a little different and your customers have a bit more wiggle room in their budget? Try a hoodie. Looking for a more business-focused one? How about a classic polo shirt? And if your brand is related to sports or being active, there are tons of great sportswear choices too.
Take some time to check out what’s on offer, and think about what fits most logically with the brand and its customers.
Note: Do you need to choose a performance T-shirt for a Sporting event? Here we explain how.
[content_band bg_color=”#E8F6D2″ border=”all”] [container]Need merchandise for an upcoming event? We can help. Printsome’s T-shirts are produced locally and from the best-quality garments. Our delivery services work all over the UK and can adapt to most deadlines. Learn more![/container] [/content_band]Step 3: What materials do you want your clothing to be made out of?
OK, you’ve got the brand nailed down and you’ve narrowed down the item(s) you want to use as promotional clothing – now it’s time to get a bit more detailed. It’s time to figure out which materials you’d like the clothing to be made from.
Are you after a breathable 100% cotton T-shirt? Or do you need something made from synthetic materials, like a sports performance top? You might also want sustainably-made fabrics if being eco-friendly is a big part of your brand.
Not sure? That’s OK! There are other considerations that can help you get the right material.
One big factor that can help you decide on materials is budget. Let’s be realistic; hand-knitted cashmere jumpers with a logo lovingly stitched by an artisan embroiderer aren’t exactly in everybody’s budget.
But there are good choices at every price point. Generally, the budget increases with things like more fabric (think jackets), extras like zippers, special materials for things like performance tops, or items with a specific fit. But, as we said, there are options for all sorts of budgets, so take a look at what’s out there.
Another is printing techniques. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an expert here – we’ve brought the experts to you! You can see some of their tips here, and we’ve also done a quick summary:
- Printing on to a white garment is cheaper than other colours
- More colours in your design = more expensive
- More print positions in your design = more expensive
- For some thicker clothing items (like polos, hoodies and jumpers), screen printing or embroidery are the best options
Our experts have lots of tips, so if you’re still not sure about what materials you need the promotional clothing items to be made out of, get in touch.
Step 4: What’s your ultimate purpose with your promotional clothing?
We love T-shirts – but we especially love them when the brand behind them is really clear about what their overall goal is. Clothing can be a great way to help get your brand out there and meet your goals, and we want to support you with that goal by helping you get the right clothing.
Which is why it’s important to be clear about what the goal of this clothing is. Is the promotional clothing meant to be sold at the event? Or are you more about making a memorable statement? Will the clothing be something you want the attendees to wear regularly – or are you creating something for a one-day event?
This should really help you lock down exactly which clothing items you need. It probably doesn’t make much sense to get pricey quilted jackets for a one-off team-building event if you think people are only going to wear them for the event (although we can definitely do some for you!). On the other hand, if you’re looking to create unique statement clothing, you might consider going for something other than a standard unisex T-shirt. Just use your common sense and think about what’s the best fit for your goals.
At this point, you’ve figured out:
- The brand’s qualities
- Who the promotional clothing is for
- What sort of materials are a good fit for the brand’s budget and printing needs
- What the goal of the promotional clothing is
Hopefully, this has helped you pick the right promotional clothing for your client’s brand. But if you’re really still not sure, then our team of experts will be more than happy to help you figure it out. We’ll get there!
T-shirt Printing for Events
Thanks to our five years of experience in the T-Shirt printing industry, we are now able to satisfy the needs of even the biggest of companies. Printsome’s printed T-shirts are not only perfect for event agencies, but also for agents in search of merch or souvenirs. We produce also personalised workwear, personalised sportswear and all type of custom clothing for businesses.
From the moment you get in touch, one of our printing experts will answer all of your questions and find efficient solutions to your needs. It doesn’t matter where you are, we print T-shirts in Edinburgh, we print T-shirts in Glasgow and everywhere in the UK. It is our mission to help you reach your goals.
We ship all over the UK with flexible delivery services that can adapt to most deadlines. Fast T-shirt printing has never been this easy. Need to print T-shirts in bulk? We got you covered. Why worry about inventory or logistics when we can take care of that? To find out more, simply visit our website by clicking on the banner below.
