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The headache of shirts as a promo item

Posted on 25. Aug, 2008 by PJS in Programs, Promo items and concepts

You have a customer golf event coming up.  You need to have some promo paraphernalia and someone comes up with the golf shirt idea.

This is pure genius.  What a great branding idea.  You envision all of clients walking around the course, all wearing your company logo shirts.  Your company name everywhere as the photographer snaps away. You envision the post-event picture collage you will proudly display on the corporate intranet.  But put a hold on that collage. Let’s look at the logistical nightmare shirts hold for events.

SIZE MATTERS! The major problem with shirts are sizes.  Now your company will say it’s as easy as just merely requesting the sizes from clients. Not so.THE SIZE ISSUES:
- Clients not responding in timely manner to your size request. This causing delays in the ordering process and/or you not being able to get client the right size… as you do not know it.

- Shirt sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some run large and others run small.  So a client may feel he is typically a medium, but with the shirts you obtained, the client runs into a large.  There is no way to tell until he’s onsite and trying it on.

- Men’s and Women’s: Many shirts are just for men or just for women.  Realistically the majority is male based.  Now there are what they would say “sets”.  So you may have an Izod men’s shirt that has a women’s companion. But, these are hard to come by with limited options.  So you have to end up trying to have ladies wearing “men’s” small shirts.  Not very flattering.

Now you can estimate #s and order extra sizes etc, but that leaves room for waste and there is still a risk of not having enough of the right sizes.

OTHER ISSUES:

- WRINKLES: You have 120 people coming to the golf tournament.  Now to make these shirts look presentable, you are going to have to get them pressed.  Now you could just hand them to a client from the pile, but who wants to put on a wrinkled shirt?

- Where do I change, why should I change? Clients have picked out their lucky golf shirt or just a shirt in general.  Now it is rare that someone will take the time to take off the shirt they are wearing and put on  your company shirt.  Really, why should they and why inconvenience them?

- GERMS: Don’t laugh! Some people will not wear a golf visor if it is not washed, so you can imagine if a shirt is not washed.  Some people are funny about these things and remember…they are clients so DEAL WITH IT.

Overall, shirts are a headache.  If you want to brand through a wearable, go with anything without sizing.  In this case, golf, the best, fail-safe idea is an adjustable golf hat/visor.  No issues, no hassle and your post picture collage will look just as good.

Tags: corporate, golf, ideas, polo, promo, shirts, tournament