Thursday, May 26, 2016
Promotionally Yours: Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded S...
Promotionally Yours: Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded S...: Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions Outstanding Outerwear Posted: 25 May 2016 ...
Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions |
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Posted: 25 May 2016 09:06 AM PDT
Sorry for the corny title but 50% of U.S.
consumers already own promotional outerwear and it is still
growing in popularity with both men and women. This is a category that
has a high perceived value and is also deemed useful by 75% of
recipients. Quality outerwear is significantly more costly than say a
t-shirt but it is also currently ranked the #2 most influential promotional
product second only to flash drives making outerwear the #1 influential apparel
piece. (Pretty outstanding if you ask me.)
Now that I have thrown some
statistics around let’s talk about some benefits of including outerwear in
your marketing plan.
It’s Versatile.
Serving function and fashion,
outer wear isn’t just for winter and cold climates; it’s for golf, leisure,
outdoor service workers, event staff, tech gear and even corporate
apparel. In many industries we are seeing trends toward business casual
in the work place. In companies everywhere we see fewer suits and ties
and a lot more athleisure and layering to keep wearers stylish, comfortable
and on brand whether they be in the office, the warehouse or on the
road. Pullovers have in many cases replaced suit or sport coats for
events like trade shows and sales meetings.
Great Exposure For Your Brand
Outerwear lasts longer than other
apparel. Recipients keep it longer, where it more often and generate
more impressions. Outerwear has high perceived value and makes a great
gift for top clients as well as employees. It’s also a great addition
to a company uniform keeping employees warm and comfortable all while gaining
exposure for your brand name! Since outerwear pieces make up the top
layer of any outfit they are a perfect outlet to advertise your brand and get
creative with decoration methods and locations.
More On Layering…
Today people want comfort and
flexibility in their wardrobe and the ability to make quick adjustments to
cater to the current weather and their own activity level. Layering is
quickly becoming a popular trend in both retail and the promotional product
industry. Outerwear is an essential element in the layering equation
with endless variations on jackets, fleece and pullovers and vests.
Popular Outerwear Options
Pullovers are technically any jacket that is designed to pull over your
head instead of having full zipper or button closure. They come in a
variety of materials and weights and are ideal for layering. 1/4 zip
pullovers are particularly popular right now.
1/4 Zip
Pullover
Fleece Jackets are soft, napped insulating fabrics made from synthetics or
wool. They aren’t wind or water resistant but they are comfortable,
fashionable and highly breathable.
Full Zip
Microfleece
Softshell Jackets are more durable and protective than a fleece but not as wind
and water resistant as a hardshell jacket. Originally designed with
aerobic activity in mind they offer freedom of movement as well as protection
from varying weather conditions.
Fleece
lined Full Zip Soft Shell
Hardshell Jackets are water proof and wind resistant. This is the type of
jacket you need for full protection against wind rain and snow. This
style of jacket is durable, quick drying and easily packable.
Water and
Wind Resistant
There are many more options than
those listed above as well as various combinations of these styles. Many
elements go into choosing the right outerwear piece for your brand, to start
designing the perfect piece for your next promotion contact your HALO Account Executive.
To learn more about the power of promotional apparel download our free white
paper: Advertise In
Style.
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Thursday, May 19, 2016
Promotionally Yours: Building the Perfect Promotional Cap! - Promotiona...
Promotionally Yours: Building the Perfect Promotional Cap! - Promotiona...: Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions Building the Perfect Promotional Cap Pos...
Building the Perfect Promotional Cap! - Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux Halo Branded Solutions
Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions |
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Posted: 18 May 2016 12:05 PM PDT
As a promotional item, caps have
some pretty impressive statistics. 41% of U.S.
consumers own a promotional cap that gets roughly 3,136 impressions during
a 7 month lifespan–that’s a pretty solid ROI. Pair those
stats with one size fits all options, gender and age neutrality and
customization options to complement any brand, and caps become
a versatile promotional choice for just about any audience or event. The
trick to promotional caps is choosing the right cap options to appeal to
your audience and complement your brand.
These seven questions will
help you get started on building your perfect promotional cap:
5 or 6
panels?
1. Panels: Five or Six? Caps traditionally came in the six panel version with a seam in
the center of the front of the cap. Five panel versions were created in the
‘90s to offer customers a large unobstructed decoration area.
2. Profile: High or Low? Low profile caps are the more common profile and fit snugly to
your head whereas high profile caps extend past the forehead. The trendier
style that appeals to a younger audience is a high profile cap with a flat
bill. High profile caps can also be paired with mesh backs for a trucker
style cap.
3. Bills: Flat or Curved? The shape of a cap’s bill seems like a small thing, but for
those who wear them, the shape of the bill can make or break a cap. A
standard bill or visor can be shaped by the wearer to fit their style, but
the trendier flat bills need to be just that, flat. If you’re unsure of your
audience’s preference it’s best to stay away from a flat bill.
Adjustable
or fitted?
4. Closures: Fitted or
Adjustable? Fitted or stretch-to-fit caps
will give your cap a more professional/retail feel, but have the drawback of
adding a sizing element to your promotional cap. For the simplicity of a
one-size-fits all cap, choose an adjustable closure. Adjustable caps come in
hook and loop (Velcro®), snap, and adjustable clasp closure options. The
quality of your closure can greatly affect the cost, fit and perceived value
of your cap.
5. Structured or
Unstructured? Structured caps have a stiffer,
supportive fabric to help them hold their shape. This is the traditional
style worn by professional ball players. Unstructured caps tend to be softer
and more comfortable to wear.
6. Imprint: Stitched or
Inked? Embroidered caps have a
professional/retail long-lasting look with good color options, but tend to be
more expensive and can have be uncomfortable on unstructured caps. Screen
printed caps tend to be less expensive, but the imprint may wear quicker and
cannot be used for a full imprint on a six panel cap.
7. Performance Materials? If comfort while performing physical activities is a must, then
you may want to consider a mesh or moisture wicking material.
Now that you know the basic
options of promotional caps down you are ready to choose your cap style. This
gallery will give you a sampling of some of the most popular cap styles.
        
Ready to get started building
your perfect promotional cap? Contact your HALO Account
Executive for ordering information, options, colors and
styles not shown. If you’re in the market for beanies, visors, full brim
hats or military caps your Account Executive has you covered there as
well.
Want to know more about
promotional apparel? Download our white paper Advertise in Style.
Images courtesy of SanMar
corporation.
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Thursday, May 12, 2016
Promotionally Yours: Embroidered Apparel
Promotionally Yours: Embroidered Apparel: What to Know Before Ordering Embroidered Apparel Posted on May 11, 2016 by Samantha Massey When it comes to decorating y...
Embroidered Apparel
What to Know Before Ordering Embroidered Apparel
When it comes to decorating your apparel, you’ll often have a number of options. Within each type of decoration, there are specifics you’ll need to know, and with embroidery, it can be a little overwhelming if it’s your first time.If you’re not a sewing enthusiast and have never ordered embroidered apparel, some of the terminology may confuse you. Here’s a list of the 5 Embroidery Terms to Know Before Ordering.
- Embroidery:Let’s start from the beginning. Embroidery is a decoration method that uses needle and thread to create images or words on fabric. Some hobbyists embroider by hand and others use basic single or multi-needle embroidery machines. Most embroidered promotional apparel is decorated using a machine with at least six needles, often more. The more needles a machine has, the less time it will take to create a finished piece.
Why? Basic embroidery is done on a 1 to 1 ratio – 1 needle to 1 thread color. The more needles you have, the less often you have to stop for a color change. If you’re embroidering a design with many colors, every time you’re done with one color you’ll have to stop and re-thread the machine. Watch the video below from our friends at Northeast Stitches & Ink to see industrial embroidery machines in action.
- Digitizing:Digitizing is the translation of a design to an embroidery file–usually vector artwork, but some digitizing programs can convert more complicated images such as photographs. Embroidery machines are computerized. You need to tell them how the needle should move, and they need to be able to read the file. Digitizing is basically turning a flat image made of lines to one made of stitches that the embroidery machine can read. On the left, you can see the Crown Royal logo (http://www.crownroyal.ca/) and on the right, is a digitized version of the Crown Royal logo (https://nestitchesink.com/embroidery/).
- Stitch Count:Imagine a drawing of a simple house (like one a child would draw comprised of five lines: a base, two sides and a simple roof. ) Now imagine that same house was made of five stitches. The stitch count for that design would be five. Stitch count can be a little more complicated than this. If you take a piece of embroidered apparel and look closely at the embroidery design, you’ll see that each row consists of numerous tiny stitches. The thicker (or more dense) the design, the more stitches it has. In promotional apparel, you’re usually charged for a number of stitches. The more stitches that are included with your purchase, the more complex and larger your design can be. This stitch count charge is justified because larger designs generally take more work from the decorator. An embroidery hoop is a tool that is used to hold fabric as the machine (or person) does the stitching. Hoops come in a variety of sizes, but not every machine accommodates every size hoop. You can’t always use a large hoop with a big design. If you can’t, the digitizer must break the design into portions that fit into the decorator’s hoop. Every time a section of the design is finished stitching, the decorator needs to stop the machine and re-hoop the fabric. So essentially, larger more complicated designs take more time; you’re paying for the decorator/embroiderer’s time and effort.
The flower on the top has longer stitches, and is likely less dense than the embroidered flowers in the image under it.
- Density:Density is related to stitch count and often measured in stitches per inch (SPI). The higher the SPI, the more dense your design is. Good digitizers will know how to keep the stitch count low so you have a design that is completely filled without being too bulky. If you want fabric to peek through your design, request a less dense design created with longer stitches.
- Design Size:The size of your design is related to stitch count, but they’re not the same. Some small designs may be extremely dense, resulting in a higher stitch count, while other larger designs may have longer stitches and more white space. The size of design allowed on a particular garment generally relates to where it is placed. A design on the back of a shirt can be much larger than that on the front left pocket. Worried your design is too small? Ask your decorator about thinner, finer threads made specifically for small embroidery designs.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Promotionally Yours: Advertise with Name Brand Apparel
Promotionally Yours: Advertise with Name Brand Apparel: Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions Advertise with Name Brand Apparel Posted...
Advertise with Name Brand Apparel
Promotional Marketing Blog by HALO Branded Solutions |
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Posted: 04 May 2016 05:50 AM PDT
We all have our favorite apparel
brands that we seek out in retail stores. Brands like Nike®, Under
Armour® and Adidas® for their performance and athletic
style or IZOD®, Calvin Klein® and Van HeusenTM
for their premium quality and sophisticated style. These name brand products
have spent a considerable amount of time and money on product development and
advertising to build a product and brand identity that consumers are loyal
to. Consumers choose these brands because of the quality of their products,
they reflect our own personal style and they help make a statement of who
they are.
If name brand apparel can do
that for an individual, what can it do for your organization?
When your
audience sees its favorite name brand associated with your brand, your
message instantly becomes more credible. Through brand transference*, your
brand’s perception receives a boost from the brand on the label. Customers
know they can trust the retail brand for quality products, and you can, too.
You can have confidence in the apparel you choose because it upholds the same
standards retail customers expect.
When choosing name brand apparel
it’s not only important to choose one that has a brand identity that complements
your organization’s message, but a style and cut that will appeal to your
audience as well. That Alternative Apparel® junior fit satin
jersey tank might look great on the rack, but it isn’t appropriate for every
brand or individual.
Here is a short list of some of
the name brands that are available from your HALO Account Executive:
§ Active Wear: Under Armour, Nike,
OGIO®, Greg Norman®, Russell Outdoor®,
Augusta®, Reebok®, Adidas, Champion®, Oakley®,
Antigua®, Endurance®
§ T-shirts: Hanes®,
Gildan®, Fruit of the Loom®, American Apparel®,
Jerzees®, Champion, Alternative Apparel, Bella + Canvas®,
Anvil®
§ Premium Apparel: Harrington®,
Van Heusen, Eddie Bauer®, Calvin Klein, IZOD
§ Outerwear: Columbia®,
Dri-Duck®, Carhart®, Dickies®, Colorado
Clothing®
§ Caps: New Era®,
Flexfit®, Adidas Golf®, Champion, Nike, OGIO, Puma®
Before you run off to the mall or
start searching online to find the perfect name brand apparel and style to
purchase from a HALO Account Executive there are a few things to keep in
mind:
§ Not all product styles
may be available for decoration. Certain brands do not offer all of their
styles and colors for imprint, and some are only available at retail stores.
§ All products must be
imprinted. Name brand companies do not allow the purchase of their goods
through distributors without an imprint.
§ No vulgar or illicit
content. The First Amendment may allow you to say whatever you want, but it
doesn’t force name brands to allow you to put questionable content on
garments with their logos.
§ Some brands have
strict guidelines on the size and placement of decoration on their garments.
These restrictions aren’t commonplace, but they do exist.
Want to know more about branded
apparel? Contact your HALO Account
Executive to help you find the perfect promotional apparel to
answer all of your questions or download our white paper Advertise in
Style.
*BRAND TRANSFERENCE When a person, upon seeing both brands together, transfers the
qualities associated with one brand (positive or negative) to their
perception of the other. The Transference Of Brand Attitude: The Effect On
The Celebrity Endorser. Samuel Doss, Florida Institute Of Technology.
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