Walking Billboards

If someone had told me in the 1970s, (when marketing executives suddenly realised that if you gave someone a free T-shirt with your logo on it, they would wear it and advertise your brand), that in the next millennium your logo could appear on virtually any item of clothing or accessory and people would walk around advertising your brand, I don't know that I would have believed them.

But, that's what happens today, although we've come a long way from the original low-cost fgiveaway T-shirt. Today we all have the potential to be walking billboards; some people choosing to pay to advertise their favourite brands, and therefore their lifestyle aspirations, by buying clothing and accessories bearing brand names, others wearing branded clothing given by an employer or promoter.

As Gordon Glenister, Director General of the BPMA, pointed out in his seminar at the recent Promotional Marketing Exhibition, some retailers are taking this a step further by adding promotional messages to staff T-shirts announcing special offers.

As well as promotional T-shirts, retail staff also wear printed promotional clothing of all types including printed aprons, jackets for cold-store areas and rain ponchos for those collecting trolleys or carrying goods to customers cars.

Headgear
Starting at the top, hats of all sorts have lots of potential for the promoter to add a logo. Once the chosen headgear for the rebellious teenager (some of whom dared to wear them back-to-front (shock, horror!)) baseball caps are worn by everyone from babies to pensioners.

As the promotional T-shirt has evolved from a somewhat shapeless, unisex garment of questionable quality in the 70s to today's top quality, fit for purpose and fashionable garment, the baseball cap has evolved in other ways and today Fling Promotions offers the Snap-Cap, the baseball caps that fold away.

Taken from its custom-printed pouch (another branding opportunity), the Snap-Cap will automatically snap open, ready to wear! Made from a strong, water resistant nylon fabric, these cool caps are perfect promotional headwear for both sun and rain conditions, making them an ideal travel, sports or event promotional sale or giveaway. And when you no longer need your Snap-Cap just twist, fold and stow it away inside its own pocketsize pouch.

Snap-Caps are unisex and supplied in one average size, (based on an average head size of 22"), but their natural flexibility allows for a comfortable fit across a range of hat sizes. They are available in a large range of fabrics (including new camouflage), and printable with your own company or club logo.
Fling Promotions

Neckwear
Logoed ties seem to have dipped in popularity, so if you want your logo worn around the neck, then use a lanyard. Once the preserve of exhibitors and exhibition visitors, many people now use lanyards to carry their Oyster card holders, identity and entry cards or even USBs containing vital data.

Steve Daly, Operations Director of manufacturer and supplier, ID&C, tells us that end-users changing priorities are typified by how distributors source their lanyards. He says, "Customers are becoming more demanding in their requirements. Price, lead-time and quality are no longer the main factors for consideration. ID&C has seen a growing demand for new factors in this decision process, which are reputation and track record for large contracts, ethical sourcing and environmentally friendly products."

Having a good track record in servicing large orders is paramount. Matt Wilkey, Sales Director says, "We get asked more and more about our track record, especially for the larger contracts. It is understandable, because for some companies we are an unknown. When we tell them we produce over 10 million lanyards per year, they get the message they are dealing with the right company."

ID&C says that suppliers' ethical sourcing policies are of growing importance to companies. Steve Daly, continues, "Eco-friendly product ranges are an essential part of our portfolio and the responsibility to deliver eco-friendly products should sit with every company. The implications of 'do nothing' reach far beyond our industry and touch the lives of not only our generation but those that follow too. As an industry we need to adapt to these new demands and encourage this change."
ID&C

Tomato Source, which supplies and creates innovative promotional products for major campaigns, offers this recycled cork lanyard. Cork is a natural raw material so these lanyards are made from a renewable and sustainable resource.

But the added bonus is in the fact that this cork is recycled too. A great product match for any wine brands putting on a show or event, or simply for any brand or company wanting a lanyard with a point of difference from a look/touch/feel perspective.

Branding can be achieved via screen-printing, minimum order quantities start at 500 pieces.
Tomato Source

Speaking of a point of difference, Tradewinds gives us the Hoddy, the lanyard that turns into a hood!

Great for concerts and outdoor activities to provide handy fold-away protection from sun and rain. Prices start at just ú2.15 each - including one colour print.
Tradewinds

Pinbadge supplies lanyards too, in a range of eco-friendly materials (plant fibre, bamboo, PET (plastic) and recycled yarns), as well as in polyester with foam printed logos. This printing method creates a raised effect on the lanyard. Minimum quantity is 1000 pieces.

Pinbadge also offers eco-friendly, flexible pouches for printed exhibition passes. Made from bio-polypropylene, which is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable, they come complete with straight cut top load and pre-punched holes to accommodate a variety of pins or clips (not included). Minimum order quantity is just 100 pieces.

Clothing Patches
Moving from lanyards to clothing patches, Pinbadge offers Treadwear, made of soft PVC. Fun, flexible, colourful and cost-effective these offer a modern alternative to embroidery or printing.

They can be bespoke moulded to your required size and shape and are supplied with a recessed stitch guide channel for ease of sewing. Minimum quantity is 100 pieces.

As the name suggests, Pinbadge also supplies a full range of bespoke manufactured promotional badges and name badges - including traditional enamels, silkscreen and four-colour process printed varieties.

The latest addition to the range is the Combo Badge - combining metal with enamel and a raised, soft pvc centre. Choose from a range of fittings, including a butterfly clutch, t-bar cufflink, neck chain, bracelet, brooch, etc. Minimum order quantity is 500 pieces.
Pinbadge

Sustainable Name Badges
Promo2u has launched a range of sustainable corporate name badges available in standard sizes with a minimum quantity of just one single badge. The plastic is 100% recycled and made in the UK.

The domed surface is printed in four-colour process to high standards and the doming adds protection and a real quality feel to the badges.

A range of pin, clip and magnetic fixings are available to suit all badge requirements.

David Cowell, Managing Director of Promo2u, said, "Greening the corporate name badge market has been on our radar for a while now since we were unable to find a quality, printed, sustainable solution for a public sector customer of ours. I am happy to say we developed the solution and pleased to find we could offer this product at very comparable market rate."
Promo2u

Case study:
Transport for London (TfL) approached Promo2u to bid for the supply of corporate name badges. They were looking for a supplier who could meet their name badge requirements for the 16 different branded areas of their business, with over 500 delivery points and individual orders feeding through daily. As a signatory to the Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code, Promo2u understood the importance of offering a recycled or re-usable solution, so set about investing in tooling to prepare samples and demonstrate a cost effective, quality, yet sustainable name badge, which they felt was missing in the marketplace. The aim was to deliver not only the best commercial cost through the whole procurement process (including electronic invoicing), but the best environmental solution. Promo2u was also able to offer an online ordering system that would enable policing of the brand and reduction in errors/waste. The benefit to TfL was that they were able to incorporate a sustainable solution whilst delivering sufficient cost savings throughout the process from order capture through to payment of Promo2u as a supplier.

Joggers and Hoodies
Service seems to be high on the agenda in this sector as Team Colours tells us it continues its drive to offer the promotions industry outstanding service as well as more and more custom made alternatives.

News of latest updates from the bespoke teamwear and leisurewear garments specialist: matching jogging bottoms are now available to complement their popular and versatile, custom-made, cotton-rich blend hoodies.

For those with a more pressing deadline to meet, a ready-made hoodie could be the answer. Team Colours' range of stock hoodies has increased its colour choice by a further 26 shades. And the company has made another style addition, which is available throughout the whole hoodies range - there is now a full-length zip option to go with all the other choices on offer.

Team Colours presents many custom-made alternatives for imaginative marketing and promotions solutions and to further improve its inclusive service, the company has expanded the scope of its in-house print facility. It offers digital quality transfer printing onto dark or light garments, as well as an array of different textured finishes: effects such as a metallic or foil finish, reflective finish or a glitter effect, jeans or twill effect, or even animal print effects.
Team Colours

In the 'Walking Billboard' sector, as in most areas of promotional merchandise and business gifts, it seems that quality is a given. Service and eco-friendly materials and credentials are also a pre-requisite for many potential customers. This is certainly a sector that's listening to its customers and delivering creative solutions that offer great opportunities for brands to be exposed to wider markets by being worn in a variety of circumstances.

Carole Bull
Editor

Note
Next month we focus on bags - sports bags, computer bags, cosmetic bags, promotional bags, cool bags, paper carrier bags and multi-use shopping bags ů bags of bags.

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