Everyone wears clothes. Or at least we hope they do. That’s why using apparel for marketing is so awesome. Anyone who wears your logo, company name, or information is literally advertising for you.
So, what makes t-shirts an effective marketing tool?
Let’s look at a few of the reasons that t-shirts are effective for marketing:
Impressions
An impression is any time that your brand enters someone’s mind. It’s a touch that helps to make your brand a known factor to them.
Depending on where you look, you’ll see that it can take between seven and 20 impressions to make a sale. Why isn’t there a perfect number? Because it depends on what you’re selling. If you’re selling new cars, people will only need to look for one a few times in their lives. If you’re selling sandwiches, they eat every day.
How do t-shirts create touches? Every time someone sees your logo or brand on a t-shirt, their mind makes the connection of familiarity deeper and stronger. Eventually, they’ll think of your brand when they need what you have.
People don’t need to actually consciously think of your brand when they see your logo; their subconscious sees it clearly.
Impressions are why Coca-Cola and McDonalds keep running ads on TV and radio. They know that they have to keep getting in front of you to get you to think of them first when you’re thirsty or hungry, even though they lead their respective industries.
Long-term Value
T-shirts don’t get thrown away or donated as soon as someone gets home. If you give away a travel mug or a string bag, it’s likely that they’ll use it for a day and get rid of it. After all, they probably have a better version of the same idea at home.
With t-shirts, it’s nearly impossible to have too many. They wear out and fade and you replace them. A new t-shirt will always be welcomed.
And since they tend to last for a year or more, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of them versus a pen that gets lost on day two.
Best of all, if you give out a t-shirt to everyone that you have a contract with or that comes into your business for a massage, the shirt will outlast your interaction with them by months or years. They might only be with you for an hour, but your name will be on their chest for a long time.
Lots of Space
The front and back of a t-shirt gives you a lot of space to put all kinds of stuff on them. Company name, logo, phone number, email address, web address, a picture, and on and on. With a great designer, you’ll have a shirt that looks cool and says everything you need it to say.
The goal with of a t-shirt it to use the space wisely, but don’t overcrowd it. It might be hard to read and feel too busy if you put too much on the shirt.
If you’re business is a local staple, like a restaurant or a grocery store, you can just put the name on a shirt, maybe with a city. If you’re trying to get more business for your towing company or your construction company, you should include a phone number. If you’re promoting items that are found in many stores, like a clothing brand, you can just include the logo and let people work it out.
Company Identity
One area of marketing that often gets forgotten is internal marketing. A logo t-shirt is a great way to build your brand loyalty and team identity. Did you ever see a baseball team take the field in a bunch of different shirts? No. Their clothes are part of what makes them a team.
Offer a shirt to your new employees. If they need it for work, such as in a restaurant, give them more than one. If it’s just for fun, one will do. Then they can wear it on casual Friday or to the company picnic.
Hiring New People
“My company is hiring! Ask me about it!”
You can get your staff to find their own new coworkers by handing out shirts that advertise that you’re hiring. Of course, you want to make sure that the people are going to say nice things. If they are likely to bad mouth the company, this could backfire.
If you’re sure that your staff will be inviting to potential recruits, you can use them to find new people. A t-shirt is a great way to get the word out and bring in new people.
Simple Branding
Ok. Question: Does Nike make the best of everything that their logo is on? Shirts, shoes, luggage, bedding sets, sandals, watches? Maybe. We’re not saying they don’t, but why not just focus on the shoes they started with? Because that swoosh is everywhere and it reinforces the core product, athletic shoes.
T-shirts are simply a great way to promote your product, even if your core product isn’t t-shirts. Let’s face it, not everything the Harley-Davidson logo is made by H-D. It’s all about branding.
How to do it right
The best way to make sure that you’re going to get the most from your marketing t-shirt investment is to let a professional help you.
A designer can help you create a t-shirt that meets all of your criteria, is pleasant to look at, and fits in your budget.
Then a professional screen printing company will make shirts that look great and will last.
