I have been in the commercial embroidery industry for over two decades now. Yet, nearly every single day, I still see something new when it comes to embroidery. I guess that is one of the reasons why I am still fascinated with commercial embroidery – the possibilities seem to be endless.
You can confidently provide a range of options to your customers when they ask that dreaded question, “What do you have that is new this year?” By working with your embroidery professional, you can develop several fresh and unique design options to offer to your customers. Embroiderers are only limited by how and where they can hoop the garment or product when it comes to design placement options. Everyone has shirts with a logo or a design on the left chest. It is time to expand your thinking beyond the expected and offer more options to your customers.
In the past several weeks, I have noticed logos used in unusual ways: I have seen more logos on unexpected products and in unusual locations. Sometimes the logo usage was so distinct that I stopped and did a classic double take! Therefore, if I noticed it, it is also likely that many others will notice it as well, even on a subconscious level. And ultimately, isn’t that the purpose of adding a logo or design to things – to create customer awareness for that brand?
Your customers look to you to bring them fresh ideas. It is easy to fall into the mindset that there is nothing new or different. For your most traditional customers, start with something simple. If their logo is always sewn in one color palette, show them a tone-on-tone option. A black design embroidered on a black shirt is certainly subtle, but it can also show a level of sophistication like no colorful design can. An all-white design on a white garment or product also changes the look from bold and colorful to subtle and elegant.
If you are not good at visualizing, ask your embroidery professional what it would cost to create a black logo on black fabric and a white design on white fabric. Have them use your logo or any of your customers’ logos that would give consent for use of their logo for samples. Pay the embroiderer for the time to create these sewouts for you. They will be valuable sales tools that you can use for quite a long time. Slip the sewouts into page protectors and keep them with your apparel catalogs.
If the customer has always done shirts in a specific color, suggest a reversal of colors. Change the shirt color to the color of the logo, and then go for the opposite color for the embroidered design. Again, hire your embroiderer to create some color reversal sample sewouts for you. One design on a light color fabric, in the dark or traditional logo colors, and then sew out the same design in the opposite way, with the reverse color for the fabric and the design. You can also create a visual tool to demonstrate this concept with a color printer if you have the reverse versions of a logo or design.
When you are at a customer’s place of business, look around for untapped branding opportunities that will benefit the business. Are the sales and/or service people all wearing branded apparel? Are they all carrying branded computers in branded laptop cases, branded samples, branded tools and branded products? Is the seating in the sales space generic or can it be updated to include brand colors or the logo?
There are so many options for logo placements on apparel. I’ve seen brands on collar points of dress shirts, in bold colors and in more subtle colors. Logos are dropped just above the elbow on long sleeve dress shirts. It definitely looks different, but it worked for that business. Their staff wore these shirts at a busy trade show and it helped the buyers easily spot the sales team members in a crowded space. The placement of a design or logo below the pocket on a dress shirt is eye-catching, just because it is not common to see a design there. A company brand below a back pocket on some jeans jumped out at me the other day, again, because it was different looking.
Now is a good time to meet with your embroidery professional to brainstorm ideas. Have him or her create a few sample shirts that sport logos in locations other than just the left chest. A few killer sample shirts may land you more orders than you anticipate, simply because you can show different ideas. You may be surprised at how often you hear, “That looks great – we’ve never done it that way. I like it!”
Look at everything and anything that a needle can get through. See if you can imagine how to add your customer’s logo in unusual ways. Cover it, wrap it, replace it with material that is carrying its brand. Help your customers build their brand awareness. By putting their logo into play in interesting and attention-grabbing ways, you help them accomplish their shared goal, to grow their business.
When a logo is somehow unexpected, it is noticed, and even more important, it is memorable. Building brand awareness is one of the primary reasons that your customers purchase logo’d apparel and products. They want their customers to identify their company name and logo with their staff, their service, their products and the entire customer experience. By offering unexpected suggestions, you become an even more important part of their branding process.
Jennifer Cox is president of the National Network of Embroidery Professionals. NNEP members receive personalized marketing consulting designed specifically for their business. To join NNEP today, visit NNEP.net, email Jennifer at hooper@nnep.net, or call 800-866-7396.