Ever feel like your organization’s image needs a little…oomph? Like it’s missing that cohesive touch? For an organization that’s trying to pick up the pace, a well-planned execution of branding and marketing can make a considerable difference. Promo products are the main keyword such organizations should look into. Because they deliver that difference in pace, provided they carry the right message in the right way.
Let me explain.
Promo Products – Apparel, Headwear & More
There are quite a lot of promo items you can leverage to enhance your brand’s image. The most popular among them are headwear and apparel. Promo headwear generally doesn’t demand a big budget but has decent perceived value. Promo apparel demands a slightly bigger budget compared to headwear, but the perceived value is much higher.
Think about it. What would most people choose if a brand offered a giveaway choice between a promo tee and a promo cap?
However, promo tees have become a little too common. Polo shirts are the new rage now. Custom polo shirts have a sort of appeal that almost no promo product can match, simply because people love polos a lot more than they used to.
Apparel brands know the market. So you can find pretty much every apparel brand offering polo shirts. Then there are a few brands that specifically engineer customizable, top-quality blank polo shirts wholesale.
Brands like…
Sport-Tek, Port Authority & Mercer + Mettle
Port Authority polos wholesale are built to be the kind of apparel that can transform a group of individuals into a unified, recognizable force. The same polos can carry a different message to elevate a brand’s image among the masses.
A sleek polo from these brands, embroidered with a logo, instantly invites attention to the logo, provided it is done properly and the right colors are chosen for both the logo and the garment. Each brand specializes in a specific aspect. For example, Sport-Tek focuses on performance-oriented polo shirts. Port Authority is popular for their workwear polo shirts and Mercer + Mettle offers stylish, on-trend polos that go well in almost any environment.
These polo shirts are built to be customized for specific purposes, with promotions being one of them.
Why Custom Polos Matter More Than You Think
Studies by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) found that a good majority of American consumers have a more favorable impression of a company after receiving branded apparel. And it’s mostly tees and polo shirts there. But the real kicker is the fact that corporate apparel gets an average of 344 impressions per item. That’s a big return compared to digital promotions that call for higher spending most of the time.
The key is in picking the right polo for the job.
Polos from the aforementioned brands lead the market after having earned their stripes in the corporate and educational sectors. The fabric blends of such polos offer breathability and durability and hold up beautifully through repeated washing and wear, which means your logo stays crisp and your brand stays visible.
Customizing Polo Shirts
While screen printing is a good option for some apparel, embroidery offers a more premium, professional appeal. Embroidery creates a textured, three-dimensional effect that is both eye-catching and durable. It holds up well through multiple washes and gives your logo a high-end feel. It’s the superior option for polos.
For maximum impact and good reps, just go for embroidery. If you can source polo shirts in bulk from a good supplier, you can get them at pretty attractive per-piece prices on top of volume discounts. To get the polo shirts embroidered, you need to make sure you get the right people for the job.
There’s essentially three main steps to embroidering blank polo shirts.
- Setting up the hoop
- Placing the design
- Avoiding puckering
Yes. Avoiding puckering is a step too, if that’s what you wondered.
Securing the backing has to be done carefully, especially for adult-size polo shirts. It should be tight enough to not disengage easily. This backing will help you avoid Step 3, and prevent the design from being misaligned. With the backing secured tight, the polo can be positioned for the print. This may take a little practice. After positioning the shirt, make sure the hoop is in place.
Many decorators often place the design at the center of the hoop. Experts recommend it to be placed a little higher from the center. This is to make sure that the logo of your brand doesn’t sit too low if you are printing it on the left chest of the garment.
To avoid puckering, keep in keep in mind the weight of the garment’s fabric. Heavyweight polos won’t be a problem if you use tear-away backings. Thin polos may often require you to use multiple cut-away backings for smooth results.
Or you can just go for puff embroidery (also known as 3D embroidery). In most cases, the foam you add under the design won’t cause puckering.
Bonus tips:
- Pick contrasting thread colors that pop against your polo’s base color
- Keep your design between 1.5 and 4 inches wide for the best visibility
Custom embroidered polos offer a great way to impactfully promote your brand, improve its reputation and project the image you desire for the brand. But customizing the polo shirts is just the first step. Once you have your message ready on the polo shirts, you need to make sure the messages are “distributed” right to the right audience. This also ties into the overall success of the campaign.
Hope this blog helps with that first step.
