The Hidden Power of Personalised Branded Clothes
There was a time when the manufacturer’s name and logo were purposely concealed on labels inside the garments, ensuring their origins were known only to the seller and the wearer. However, some companies, such as Lacoste and Levi, began to abandon this incognito culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, prominently displayed brands like Nike, Adidas, Gucci, and Prada have become as much of a fashion statement as the garments they adorn. In addition, branded clothes now also play a valuable role within a business.
In the latter case, the role of the brand is twofold, offering a mix of benefits both within the company and in its external marketing initiatives.
The In-house Benefits of Branded Clothes
Whether it’s just a logo on a T-shirt or a smartly tailored uniform, branded apparel offers a business multiple benefits. For example:
- Instant Recognition and Lasting Impression
How often have you walked into a store and asked someone if they work there, only to discover you are talking to another customer who was also looking for help? By contrast, nobody could fail to recognise the cabin crew on a South African Airways flight or a teller at their local Nedbank branch. Corporate clothing immediately identifies the wearer as a staff member and enhances the customer experience. Moreover, that logo or uniform also serves as a walking billboard that will be seen wherever the wearer goes, spreading and reinforcing the company’s brand identity.
- Enhanced Employee Unity and Morale
Outfitting employees with corporate clothing offers more than a way to help promote a company’s brand; it can also evoke a sense of belonging, of being a valued team member in pursuit of shared goals rather than merely filling the hours and watching the clock between 9 and 5. This feeling of camaraderie helps boost morale, leading to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and reduced staff turnover.
External Benefits of Branded Clothes
Like the positive effects of corporate uniforms and other forms of branded workwear on employees, these garments can have an equally beneficial impact on those members of the public who see them and engage with them like:
- Fostering a Professional Image and Trust
By providing corporate clothing for its staff, a company demonstrates professionalism, helping to instil trust in its brand and gain credibility in the eyes of potential customers. A customer is far more likely to place trust in a company that presents a professional image, and there are few better ways for businesses, both large and small, to achieve that image than with well-designed branded apparel.
- Growing Brand Loyalty and Customer Advocacy
That shirt, blouse, blazer, or scarf in the company’s colours and bearing the characteristic motif signals more than a person with good dress sense. Branded clothes are also a powerful means to build and strengthen brand loyalty among a company’s customers. In turn, those loyal to the brand are more likely to provide repeat business and recommend the brand to their friends, family members, and colleagues. In effect, they become an unpaid sales force.
- Gaining a Competitive Edge
In a fiercely competitive and overcrowded marketplace, branded clothes can set one apart from the competition by projecting a unique corporate identity that enhances brand visibility and more readily captures the attention of a company’s target market.
- Creating Lucrative Community Marketing Opportunities
Sometimes, there is more to be gained from a gift than from a sale, and often, the best place for a company to take advantage of this is its immediate neighbourhood. Perhaps a local school is struggling to find the money to buy new kit for its soccer or rugby team. If so, that could be a perfect opportunity for a community marketing initiative.
By donating shorts, shirts, and socks in the team’s colors, along with personal touches like numbers and players’ names, your company can make a positive impact. Adding your logo to these items can earn a lot of goodwill from parents, teachers, spectators, and the local community. That gift will not be forgotten and will prove a far better investment than pamphlet drops and newspaper ads.
Sourcing High-Quality Branded Clothes
The potential benefits of uniforms and other branded clothing are invaluable and well-established, but compromising on quality to save money could seriously compromise those advantages. XCO Group is a leading brand developer and world-class corporate clothing supplier. Contact us to learn more about promoting your brand and gaining that all-important competitive edge.
