Back Branding – Using Logoed T-Shirts to Build Your Brand
When it comes to brand marketing, a lot of business owners focus only on swinging for the fences and hitting a homerun. This opens the potential to get stuck in a lot of expensive, often ineffective and untraceable, marketing efforts such as magazines, TV, and radio ads.
While these types of marketing endeavors are sometimes useful, a smart entrepreneur will know that the most expensive solution isn’t always the best one. In today’s crowded media environment, a simpler, unique direct marketing effort could yield the best results.
One exercise to illustrate this approach – next time you’re at the mall, look around to see what everybody is wearing. Count how many t-shirts, pullovers, or polos you see with brands like Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, or Pink. Or maybe you see pop culture references like Star Wars, sports teams, or an indie band.
You’ve just been marketed to – over and over again.
At the end of the day, just about everyone wears clothes, so why not put them to work marketing your brand? For you, your employees, even clients, it’s an easy win for your company and your brand. In some instances, such as at networking events and conferences, corporate clothing will help you stand out in the crowd. Let’s look at a few examples of corporate apparel in action.
Walking Billboards
Let’s look at a few examples of simple t-shirts in action.
At a recent conference that had thousands of attendees, one of our clients entire team wore a shirt with their corporate logo on the back. Even though there were only 5 of them attending the conference it seemed like many more because everyone kept seeing their logo amid the masses of suit jackets and pocket logoed polos.
At SXSW, startups have even been known to pay people to wear their t-shirts throughout the event, instantly building a brand army.
Organizers of road races hand out t-shirts with the event sponsor logos. Participants wear these shirts and become free, long-term walking billboards for these brands.
Why do companies do this? Simple. It’s effective and inexpensive and creates a circle of fans and employees who become brand bearers everywhere they go in the community. It’s a small investment to create a personal connection.
Conversation Starters
When people think of corporate clothing, they sometimes think of ubiquitous corporate polos. But that’s not the only option. You can be creative with your logoed apparel, but the primary focus should be to generate buzz.
For some brands, this has to do with being part of a group. For instance, ever notice how much Ohio State fans stick out walking around State Street in Madison, WI? By simply wearing branded team apparel, that fan is attracting a lot of attention and standing out from a sea of Badger fans. Believe me, they get all the attention they deserve. That’s not just team spirit, but also powerful marketing.
But you don’t have to be a big, historic brand for this to work. Whenever we wear branded company clothing we have another chance to initiate a conversation.
Talent Magnet
Most companies will tell you that their two biggest challenges are generating revenue and recruiting talent. In addition to helping market your brand to potential customers, logoed clothing gives you an advantage in attracting talent.
We recently worked with a local contractor on a t-shirt project that they provide to their team. His field staff wore shirts emblazoned with their logo so that while they were at the job site people passing by would see his brand. This also proves helpful when recruiting new employees. You’ll see your employees wearing the t-shirt far beyond the job site.
Simple Branding
The point here is simple – every encounter is a marketing opportunity if you’re engaged and thinking outside of the box. And some of the best marketing opportunities are inexpensive, clever, and easy to pull off. So, start dressing up your brand today.
Think it Then ink it is a promotional products and branded apparel company in Verona, WI. We build brands with logoed corporate, team, and event products from our vertically integrated design and fulfillment center. Find out about our custom web apparel stores or available products and services at ThinkitTheninkit.com or call us at 608-845-5300.
