Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions

What Style Fits My Brand?

Posted: 15 Jun 2016 05:51 AM PDT

Walk into any major department store and you’ll immediately notice a division of styles in the clothing section. Spend a day at the mall and you will likely pass dozens of clothing stores all targeting a specific audience. The stores that pump loud music and less than subtle cologne are not trying to attract the same crowd as the ones that offer you a personal sales assistant as you pass the in-house classical pianist. As consumers, we know what fits our personal styles, and just as we have personal styles, so do brands. Promotional apparel tends to follow retail trends. What’s popular in retail this season will likely be available on the promo side in the coming year. Just because something is popular does not mean it is the right choice for your business. How do you determine your brand’s style?

Who is your target audience? If you’re ever questioning if something is “on brand,” consider your target audience. Create a persona, if you haven’t already, and think about your promotional apparel from your persona’s perspective. For example, these days the athleisure industry is still booming, but does 60-year-old motorcycle enthusiast Richard Smith want a pair of branded yoga pants? Maybe… but it might be a stretch (get it?)

What is your core brand message? Are you proud to sell American Made products? If so, vintage Americana apparel might be the route to go. If your audience is more traditional, go with classic American, brighter reds, whites and blues or even American South with boots, belt buckles and cowboy hats.

If you’re a part of a tech company, think modern, clean looks like brightly colored tees and V-neck shirts. High-end country clubs, restaurants and enterprise businesses may opt for luxury jackets, button-down business shirts or brand-name polos made with designer fabrics.

What’s available? If you’re new to promotional apparel, you may not even know what’s out there. As I said, often if you see it on the rack in a store, it will soon be available in the promo world if it’s not already. If you have something in mind, ask your HALO Account Executive for options. It’s hard to know your style without knowing your options first. You may think you want a “t-shirt,” but even that is too broad. Would your audience prefer a classic cotton tee, vintage heather with a polyblend fabric, V-neck, 3/4 sleeve or something completely different? Can’t narrow it down to just one style? Buy a couple of different styles for your first event and track what’s popular and what’s not. Keep outside factors, such as seasonality in mind. If you’re comparing popularity of hoodies and tank tops in the middle of January, I have a feeling hoodies will win.