Any time that we hear, see, or read the words "Free T-Shirts!", our interest is piqued.

How many times have you done this yourself, you swarm with the crowd to be sure to get your free t-shirt giveaway before supplies run out. Or, you collect your receipts and product bar-codes to mail in for a freebie, not even knowing what the promotion is even about. I have even been to events where people that are just wandering by will ask for event shirts for an event they know nothing about yet still feel entitled to get a free item from.

There is no doubt that people like free promotional items, especially clothing items, often times that is even regardless of what is even printed on the item. So how do we make the most out of our promotional apparel opportunity? How do we get some bang for our buck, and not feel like we're being taken advantage of or like our message is not being heard?

First, you want to have a clear goal for what you want your promotion to achieve. Decide whether your promotional apparel item is meant to be: a gift or loyalty reward; a goodwill gesture; a vehicle to communicate a message or slogan; intended to be a walking billboard; a source of information; a brand-equity builder; conversation starter; etc.

Then be clear on who your target audience is. Is the recipient of your promotional item a potentially new, or an already existing, customer? Are you trying to impress the recipient with your free item so that your brand stays top-of-mind at their next purchase occasion? or is this a regular customer who is essentially someone that will endorse your product if someone asks them about the logoed shirt that they are wearing? Each scenario would have a different strategy behind it.

Decide what impact you want your design elements to have. Is your message meant to be a loud attention getter, a conversation starter, or do you want to just display a subtle stately logo? If you have a well thought out plan, you are more likely to achieve it.

Things To Consider

Do-it-Yourself Design vs. Hiring a Professional Designer

If graphic design is not your specialty, you might want to leave this to a professional. Definitely do your homework and browse online portfolios to get an idea of what others are doing and how you might want to do something similar or something different.

A hybrid approach to design could include using a template service. You can find one through your favorite search engine by searching for "t-shirt templates". These templates allow the users to use free online software to mix-and-match colors and drag-and-drop design elements to create your own unique combination of elements.

*Note: If you are new to promotional apparel marketing, and your first order is large or very important, consider partnering with your promotional products supplier, or hiring a promotional products consultant in order to get some good advice and arrive at a unique offering that is consistent with your goals.

Decide how you want your item printed.

Having your logo and/or message put onto an apparel item can be achieved in several ways, including: embroidery, screen printing, silk screening, imprinting, etc.

Refer to unbiased industry resources to learn the appropriate terminology to use with your promotional apparel supplier. Industry associations with good online terminology lists include: the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI.org) and the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASICentral.com).