Using promotional clothing at events

Monday, 19, Sep 2011 04:46

Promotional clothing can be a valuable and cost-effective way of raising the profile of your brand, organisation or particular marketing campaign at an event like an exhibition, trade show or sales conference. There are a number of different ways in which clothing can be used at these events:

At a sales conference, you could provide your sales team with embroidered polo shirts or dress shirts to create a professional image of your company or organisation. Having employees wear embroidered shirts could be particularly useful in providing attendees an easy way of recognising who works for your organisation in the event they would like to approach someone in order to make a purchase or ask a question.

Perhaps your exhibition will be open to the general public? Promotional clothing such as a T-shirt or a cap could be used as a free gift if attendees register their details with you. What's more, your brand or contact details are likely to get maximum exposure if the recipients wear the T-shirt or cap at the exhibition (perhaps even after the event)!

Research indicates that recipients of promotional products, such as an embroidered cap, tend to think more highly of the company that provided them with the promotional products.

Good-quality clothing can be worn time and time again, which provides a massive opportunity for your brand or marketing message to continue to resonate in the minds of your target audience, long after the trade show or exhibition. Findings from Promotional Products Association International indicate that 55 per cent of those receiving promotional gifts keep hold of such items for at least a year, so a branded T-shirt, polo shirt, jacket or fleece could ensure your organisation sticks in the mind of the recipient for many months to come.

But what specific pieces of clothing work best as promotional items? Your organisation's brand, contact details and other information can be printed or embroidered on T-shirts, polo shirts, fleeces, jackets and caps - there is a huge range of lines to choose from. Figures from the British Promotional Merchandise Association show that caps and printed T-shirts are some of the most popular pieces of promotional clothing.

At an exhibition or trade show, particularly when attempting to attract new customers, it's important to differentiate your organisation from the other exhibitors. Think about how promotional clothing could help you do this. Maybe you could use a bright colourful T-shirt to giveaway to attendees to publicise a new product or service you're launching in Summer. A warm fleece or jacket might be more appropriate in Autumn or Winter.

Research indicates that promotional products can be used effectively as part of a direct mail campaign prior to a trade show or exhibition. Obtain a list of attendees and consider sending them a printed T-shirt or cap to advertise your stand prior to the event. If the postage costs are prohibitive - how about sending a simple postcard offering a free printed T-shirt or polo shirt if people visit your stand? Research indicates that this is likely to increase footfall.

At 4imprint, you can order as few as 25 T-shirts - perfect for small organisations or businesses on a tight budget. What's more, you can mix and match different sizes to ensure you have clothing that will fit all shapes and sizes!