Promotional clothing such as printed T-Shirts, embroidered polo shirts and logo printed hoodies, continue to be extremely popular items of branded merchandise. In fact, when surveyed at Marketing Week Live, 91% of companies said they purchase promotional clothing with the classic printed T-Shirt being bought by a whopping 76% of companies (source BPMA).
Why do companies buy promotional clothing?
Other than the fact that there are such a plethora of different items that make up promotional clothing, it’s also its many uses that keep its popularity soaring. Here is a rundown of the Top 5 reasons that people buy promotional clothing.
- Uniforms
According to the BPMA survey from Marketing Week Live, 35% of those who buy promotional clothing do so for staff uniforms. When you think of big high-street retailers such as Tesco or Boots, or workmen for companies such as British Gas and Sky TV, the one thing they all have in common is that they will be wearing branded uniforms. Beyond this, there are thousands of schools with school uniforms that consist of multiple printed or embroidered items. While some would argue these garments are not being worn for “promotional” reasons, the brand uniformity, trust and recognition that is gained from these printed T-Shirts and jackets goes on to enhance the companies image.
- Trade Shows and Events
If you’ve ever been to a Trade Show you will see that the exhibitors are very often dressed in logo printed T-Shirts. There are many reasons for this, they want their brand to be on display, they want to appear professional and they want you to be able to find them if you want to talk. Lots of other events, such as charity fun runs, will see large numbers of T-Shirts and other clothing items being printed. It’s an excellent way to garner attention, especially at events where lots of people will be taking pictures!
- Giveaways and Promotions
My family are publicans and growing up we received what felt like hundreds of free promotional T-Shirts with deliveries of beers and spirits from breweries. These printed T-Shirts and Polos would then be given to staff and regular customers who would be pleased with the free giveaway and then wear them, further promoting the brand or product. Many companies will use free printed hats, sunglasses, T-Shirts etc to promote their new product or new brand whether it be as a free giveaway or as a sales incentive.
- Retail (concerts etc)
Another big contributor to promotional clothing production figures are items made for retail. If you go to a museum, they’ll often be printed T-Shirts found in the museum store and if you go to some sports events, there may be commemorative garments such as scarfs or shirts available. At concerts and theatre shows, there is always a large number of printed T-Shirts and hooded jumpers available for purchase and you’ll often find these for sales online too.
- Brand Awareness
Well, this one is a bit of a cheat as it really encompasses all of the above. But, we would argue the biggest reason that companies tend to invest in promotional clothing is to increase brand awareness. At trade shows, conferences, one-off events, with uniforms and at concerts, people want others to recognise and remember their brand, their message or their new product. They want to promote their current album or tour. Companies want their staff to look professional and recognisable and they want their company logo to be rooted deep into the subconscious of the modern consumer. With such large and varied brand areas and with so many branding techniques available, promotional clothing is a great choice of merchandise to choose for increasing brand awareness.
Brandelity can offer a wide range of printed apparel – all with no minimum order quantity! If you would like to have a chat with us about your promotional clothing needs, contact us on 01753 491470.
To view our page of best-selling promotional T-Shirts and hoodies and request a quote online, visit our Promotional Clothing Page.
Share This Page
