All about branded t-shirts and why your business should invest in them

If you’re getting ready to open your own business, you probably have a checklist of things that you need to have sorted by opening day… an office space, a website and social media accounts, stationery and computers, the list goes on. While branded t-shirts might not be crucial to the functioning of your business, particularly if you work in an office, we think they should make their way towards the top of your checklist. Here’s why:

  • You can give them away to new (and eventually, loyal) clients or customers. This gesture will not go unnoticed and will ensure that your clients and customers are exposed to your brand even when they are not directly engaging with your business. And let’s be honest, we all love getting free gifts.
  • By wearing branded t-shirts, your staff and clientele will act as walking advertisements for your business, at no extra cost to you.
  • Branded t-shirts help to foster a sense of community and teamwork amongst your staff and clientele.
  • Branded t-shirts are an affordable way to market your business and are not as fleeting as other forms of advertising, such as commercials or print ads, which also tend to be more costly. Also, unlike with other promotional materials, you won’t have to worry about redesigning a new t-shirt every time you want brand exposure.

If, like us, you’re now convinced of the value and power of the branded t-shirt, you might be thinking, where do I start? Are there different methods of t-shirt branding? Do I need to come up with a design myself?

At Jiffy, we specialise in promotional t-shirt printing and can assist you with anything you might need, from sourcing a t-shirt to creating a unique design. We usually recommend vinyl heat transfer printing, or ‘heat press’. Heat transfer involves tracing and cutting the outline of your design from vinyl. Once this outline has been prepared, we ‘weed’ the vinyl, meaning we remove unwanted areas. We then position the final product onto the t-shirt and transfer it using heat and pressure. While there are other methods available, heat transfer is the most affordable and tends to be the most eye-catching. The vinyl will add some texture to your t-shirt, and its durable nature and high quality will ensure your t-shirts last for a long time without fading.

So, if you’re looking for a cost-effective, simple way to appeal to new clients and customers, have frequent brand exposure and make your employees feel a sense of unity, then we can’t think of much else that ticks all these boxes.

Why is signage important for your business?

In 2021, we all recognise the importance of a business having an online presence. These days, when someone needs the kind of products or services that your business offers, they’ll usually do a quick online search, and you’d hope that when they do, your webpage will be one of the first things they’ll see… it will be of little use to you and your potential customer if your webpage is tucked away on page 5 or 6 of the search results.

However, the importance of an online presence doesn’t negate the importance of a physical presence. Your business will undoubtedly fail to attract potential customers if it is essentially invisible to them. This brings us to the importance of signage. We believe that having signage at your business premises is equally as important as having a prominent online presence. Below we will explore some of the advantages of signage and how to maximise exposure to your business.

Visibility & Functionality

Having visible, eye-catching signage will help to attract the attention of anyone who might be walking or driving past your business. People are more likely to notice and remember your business (and its location) if your signage is prominent and leaves an impression. While the adage is to never judge a book by its cover, human nature means that people will generally make assumptions about your business based on the quality and appeal of your signage, especially if your signage is the only exposure they’ve had to your business. Signage also plays an important role in assisting customers to locate your business, particularly when it may not be street facing and consequently harder to spot.

Branding

Your signage is an important element in creating a strong and recognisable brand. Ideally, your brand will become as recognisable as McDonalds’ golden arches or Target’s red and white, well, target. You want your signage to be effective and visible enough to catch people’s attention, so they think of your business whenever they see your logo or think about the products or services you offer. You can help to develop a connection between your business and potential consumers by incorporating your products and/or services into your signage, and you should think about the colours and imagery that you can use to elicit certain emotional responses from people.

Cost-effectiveness

One of the major benefits of signage is its longevity. Unlike other more temporary marketing materials, your signage can remain in place for as long as you like and will essentially act as ongoing advertising for your business with minimal upkeep and cost.

Specials & sales

If your business is offering any special deals or having a sale, using signage to advertise this will help to draw new and existing customers to your business. You should also use indoor signage to direct customers to products that are on sale. If your customers are anything like us, then they might be drawn to particular items merely because they’re on sale and they might come in handy one day…