We all know branding is an important component of any successful business. But with a limited budget, start-up businesses need to be smart with their branding dollars. Conventional marketing techniques of magazine advertisements and TV spots will see your marketing budget blown in a single ad.
Custom t-shirts are a much more cost-effective marketing strategy for start-up businesses. A mobile advertisement, a custom t-shirt allows you to show off your brand everywhere you go – from the grocery store to your local gym.
The Barbell Box Story
The Barbell Box is a monthly subscription service for fitness enthusiasts containing supplements and fitness gear. While subscribers love the supplements and workout plans, Founder Chad Hoskin, says the product his customers get excited about the most are the custom t-shirts and tank tops that The Barbell Box includes in every month’s box. “The shirts are always such a big hit with our customers and people who see our custom t-shirts in public always have positive things to say about them,” says Hoskin.
Why? Because t-shirts are fun! The Barbell Box team devotes a great deal of time to design the custom t-shirts they include in each month’s box. In one box, a cartoonish flexed muscle shirt was included to remind customers to always have fun with fitness, and to flex what you got! In others, they’ve included custom printed t-shirts with an inspirational quote to motivate their subscribers.
BIG Marketing at a Low Cost
There’s another reason The Barbell Box includes a custom t-shirt in every box. Marketing. Using custom t-shirts to promote a new business is an effective way to drive awareness of your new brand.
“When our subscribers wear our custom Barbell Box t-shirts, they are indirectly promoting our Barbell Box brand which in turn helps us grow and acquire even more subscribers,” says Hoskin. Indeed, sending custom t-shirts to your clients, or prospective clients, helps your brand create your own little army of marketers; people you didn’t even pay to promote your brand!
Custom t-shirts with a unique design or message are ice-breakers and can help strike up conversations about your brand. People who wear The Barbell Box’s custom t-shirts are often asked where they got the t-shirt or what the message means. The more people see your logo or your company name, the more familiar they become with your brand and the more trusting. All because of a t-shirt.
Custom T-Shirts to Build Your Start-Up Team
Outfitting your employees in your custom t-shirts not only creates a great-looking, cohesive team, but helps to solidify your brand message to your team. It’s akin to painting your office walls in your corporate colours. “Having everyone wear custom Barbell Box shirts unifies us as a team,” says Hoskin. Having a unified team is key to start-up businesses who can struggle to retain and inspire the best talent. When everyone is wearing the same custom t-shirt, they instantly feel part of a team and that feeling motivates them to do their best work for your company.
