A how-to for creating the ultimate branded T-shirt

T-shirts. Everyone has at least one stored in a dresser or hanging up in their closet. The garment is ubiquitous and a staple of any modern wardrobe. The simple shirt is also a marketer’s dream because its inexpensive to produce and you can print hundreds or even thousands with a logo or slogan.

In fact, the T-shirt is the No. 1 promotional item for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Wearable marketing is a powerful tool. However, how can your business set itself apart from the rest if every entity you know, from restaurants to office supply stores, uses branded T-shirts to reach people?

The answer isn’t to ditch the cotton shirt, but to take a new approach to it. Like a good pair of blue jeans, T-shirts never go out of style. However, just like jeans, some designs – like boot cut, baggy and skinny – come and go.

Making and marketing better threads
Companies can always use cotton promotional T-shirts to increase awareness of their brands since the duds are almost like wearable billboards. However, if the branded T-shirt is ill-fitting or has a tacky design, it’s less likely people will wear it. Just like a suit, dress or other outfit, a T-shirt that’s too snug or too loose can give people a bad impression. The negative impact isn’t just of the wearer, but also of your company if the public sees your business’ name and logo on a cheap shirt.

You might be giving these garments out for free to tap a bigger market, but you’ll never reach a new audience with a poorly made, uncomfortable T-shirt. To boost your marketing efforts, the Advertising Specialty Institute recommends upgrading your shirt material to a better and softer fabric.

Ring spun cotton or tri-blend fabrics are popular and many times lighter than a standard T-shirt. The lighter material shirts also have more fashionable cuts that can provide a better fit for many customers, the ASI noted.

A little extra can pay off
Branded T-shirts made with higher quality fabrics but that also include an attractive design with better printed inks can cost a business a bit more in the beginning, however, they will pay off for years to come.

Boosting the quality of the garment not only means more people will regularly wear it, but it will last through many wears, Inc. magazine noted.

“We try to make it the shirts that people actually enjoy wearing,” Mark DiCristina, brand manager for MailChimp, told Inc. “It’s not just a cheap shirt with our logo on it. People really love them and wear them all the time. It’s not like people would feel like they’re wearing a big Coca-Cola logo.”

DiCristina’s e-mail marketing company decided to use higher-quality cotton that offers both a soft touch and a better fit. The company wanted to go the extra mile by offering a T-shirt their supporters would actually want to wear.

Whether your company sells them or gives them away, a better branded T-shirt can pay dividends by getting more impressions.

Gaining a foothold with T-shirts
According to Inc., a smart business must not depend on the sell of promotional apparel, though. Use branded shirts as a way to attract customers to your enterprise and give your patrons an avenue to market for you by wearing a T-shirt featuring your venture’s name and logo.

Inc. noted Scott Newitt’s Firefly Distillery now sell its promotional T-shirts to the public, but his liquor company used to hand them out when it was still finding its footing. Branded merchandise only accounts for half of the distillery’s sales. However, it does help the business get its name out there.

“It’s a great way, if you’re a new brand, to get your product going,” Newitt told Inc. “I always look at it as advertising. If I can break even on it, I’m happy.”

A higher-quality promotional product means more people will regularly wear your branded apparel and therefore create a bigger viral buzz around your product or services. Add a little extra comfort and a great design and your business will make favorable impressions for years to come.