Did you know that promotional apparel is one of the hottest marketing trends right now? Brands of all sizes are getting in on the fun. If you’re new to the world of promotional apparel, you need to know what role it plays and what trends to expect. You can then create your promotional apparel strategy.

The Role of Promotional Apparel

Promotional apparel likely plays a much bigger role than you realize. Your brand can benefit greatly by providing promotional apparel to employees and customers. As an employer, one of the easiest ways to market your company is to have your employees or customers walking around in company branded apparel. They become a free walking advertisement for your business and it’s a win-win for you and them - they get cool seasonal clothes and you get free organic marketing exposure.

Benefits of Promotional Apparel for Employees

Promotional clothing can serve as your company’s uniform. You might work in an industry that doesn’t normally require uniforms, but having your employees wear promotional clothing at work creates a cohesive environment that is good for teamwork. The outfits will unite your employees and make them feel as if they are part of a team. This will make them more efficient and productive. Also, the promotional clothing will remind your employees that they represent your company, even if they head out for lunch or hop on the subway at the end of the day. Then, when they do go out in the world, the clothing will build brand awareness and recognition.

Benefits of Promotional Apparel for Customers

You should also give promotional apparel to customers. This apparel will work as a business card for your company. You can advertise to your customers and their friends with apparel. It can also build customer loyalty. From shirts to fanny packs, the right apparel will help you create brand advocates.

Upcoming Trends

While you could just follow the lead of other brands before you, you’ll have more success if you incorporate upcoming trends into your strategy. These trends will give you insight into what to expect from promotional apparel in the near future. You can incorporate the trends to be a leader in your industry.

Related Blog: Elevate Your Branded Apparel with Brand Names

Subtlety – The Newest Trend in the Promotional Space

Promotional apparel has changed a lot over the years. Companies previously used all the available real estate for their logos. For example, a company might give away a shirt that was 90 percent cotton and 100 percent logo. Guess where those shirts ended up? They either went to the back of the closet or in the giveaway pile. No one feels like being a walking billboard, even for a company they love.

These days, companies are shifting to subtle promotional designs. They create beautifully designed items that have small custom tags or embroidered patches that contain the logo. Now, promotional items look like what you would buy in a retail store, but the products still get the company’s name out there. People are much more likely to wear these items, so companies enjoy the marketing benefits.

Creativity Is Coming to a Brand Near You

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that subtle design trends mean that brands aren’t being creative with their promotional apparel. They are becoming more creative than ever before. Bright colors are one way that brands are showcasing their creativity. Other ways include trendy patterns, colorful socks, and fun athletic wear that people love. That’s the great thing about promotional apparel. You don’t have to live inside of a box. You can step outside of it and deliver products people will love while showing off your creative edge.

Break Out of the Box With Promotional Apparel Your Market Will Love

Don’t worry if you don’t know the first thing about creating promotional apparel. Ironmark can handle everything for you, including design and printing. Whether you need a few items or a large print run, we have the expertise and equipment to handle the job. Schedule a chat to find out how Ironmark will help you benefit from promotional apparel.

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Written by Lynne Kingsley

Lynne Kingsley oversees the digital marketing client services team as well as the marketing strategy division for the company. Since joining the company in 2016, she has increased Ironmark’s digital presence by over 700%, establishing a new lead generation mechanism for the sales team. A certified inbound marketing professional and HubSpot agency partner, Kingsley has been helping companies transform their marketing function into fully diverse and streamlined growth engines since 2003. With agency and client-side work under her belt, Kingsley’s strategic experience spans both the B2B and B2C sectors. Prior to joining the Ironmark team, she served as in-house marketing director for several non-profit organizations. Kingsley is an honors graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
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