Guess which of these two T-shirts I still reach for?
A few months ago my local NPR station sent me an email celebrating the 50th anniversary of NPR. As a longtime listener and monthly High Fidelity donor, they were offering me a free T-shirt to show off my NPR pride.
Being in the promotional marketing space and handling lots of client direct mail fulfillment projects, I was intrigued by the offer and wanted to see what the transaction would feel like and to check out the t-shirt itself.
When the package arrived, my excitement quickly turned to dismay when the T-shirt inside was a run-of-the-mill, heavyweight, 100% cotton T-shirt.
You know the one?
The t-shirt you get from an event that you might wear once for the "team photo" and then gets relegated to the back of your closet until your next donation purge.
I wore the shirt once and then washed it. It then took on the familiar bunching and wrinkles associated with a cheap, 100% cotton T-shirt.
Compare that experience to one I had with an event that I attended in Palm Springs several years ago. The shirt I received from that event was a wonderful triblend with a soft hand and one that washed and wore very well.
The fact that there was a cool imprint on the front was an added bonus.
Guess which of these two T-shirts I still reach for?
This is why each time a client of mine asks me for a t-shirt recommendation, I don't suggest the least expensive option.
Spending a little more on a super-comfortable, tastefully decorated tee will ensure that your recipient will wear the shirt many times over, therefore garnering you additional brand exposure.
Isn’t that what anyone hopes for when they decide to plunk down money on a T-shirt investment?
My general advice when it comes to ALL promotional merchandise to support your brand is that it is much better to distribute 100 $5 items that will be valued and used by the recipient than 500 $1 items that will end up in a “brand-fill”!
What do you think?
