There are few articles of clothing more iconic than the t-shirt. Ever since Marlon Brando was first seen on camera with one in A Streetcar Named Desire, they’ve been a cornerstone of our culture. It’s not difficult to see why, either.
They’re comfortable, they’re easy to maintain, and even custom-printed shirts are completely affordable.
With that said, it should come as no surprise that per analyst Verified Market Research, the global custom t-shirt printing market will reach a projected $16.25 billion by 2028. It’s not individual consumers driving that growth, either. It’s nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses.
Corporations have long understood how branded apparel can help them promote awareness and drive engagement. Until recently, however, that power was primarily out of the hands of smaller businesses with limited budgets. That’s no longer the case.
What Makes Custom T-shirts an Effective Marketing Tool?
How many t-shirts do you own?
If you’re like most people, you probably had a bit of trouble answering that question. You’ve likely also cycled through your entire wardrobe of shirts at least a few times over the course of the pandemic.
You aren’t alone in that. People have overwhelmingly turned to business casual (or outright casual) dress while working from home. We expect that trend to continue into the new year — meaning it’s primetime for promotional shirts.
In addition to being an excellent gift for employees, custom shirts are both cost-effective and long-lasting. If you manage to create a compelling enough design, people could end up wearing your shirts for a year or more. Promotions aside, t-shirts can also be a great way to create togetherness and drive company culture in the workplace.
Depending on how you approach them, they could end up being a revenue stream in their own right.
Getting Started With T-shirt Marketing
First thing’s first, if you plan to get into branded apparel, you need some clever ideas. Sure, you could just slap your logo on a shirt and call it a day. But that’s boring.
Instead, you should brainstorm. Collaborate with employees and colleagues to come up with some clever ideas for promotional apparel. And while you do, make sure to follow the general best practices for visual design.
The most critical question you need to answer is what you want those shirts to communicate to the people who see them. How do you want your brand to be perceived? To what kind of people do you want your shirts to appeal?
Once you’ve answered those questions, all that’s left is to design and print — and that’s where BlueCotton comes in. Via our award-winning design studio, you can easily make even the most complicated idea a reality. And once you do, we’ll ship your order as quickly as possible.
After that, the rest is up to you.