Now, more than ever, businesses are having to find unique, creative ways to keep their company or brand name in front of customers and prospects to remind them that they’re still around, ready and willing to accept their business. Of course, this isn’t unusual. But it seems that they’re having to rely on more than just word-of-mouth or past customer loyalty and turn, instead, to tried-and-true marketing tactics. From direct mail campaigns to Facebook live store tours and one-on-one customer Zoom calls, the need to move beyond doing the bare minimum is greater than it has been in a long time.
So where does that lead traditional salespeople and others who have, for so long, relied on face-to-face meetings? According to a June 2020 LinkedIn survey, 70% of the traditional workforce is now working from home. This means those same people are relying on savvy technology and resources readily available to them to reach out to customers and potential customers. And what they’re finding is that by incorporating promotional products, they have the ability to engage with others, promote their company, and make a dent in the marketplace when others can’t. For instance, according to a June 29, 2020 article by the New York Times, of those working from home, only 10% are getting up every day and getting dressed as if they were headed into the office. Instead, that vast majority of those people are relying on what The Times is calling the “Zoom shirt” – a garment (or a few different garment options) that they pop on just prior to a meeting or Zoom call. As the owner of a company or really anyone who should be promoting a brand, it’s important to show your logo on that shirt, whether it is a cool polo or a dressier button-down oxford. Interestingly, for the decade leading up to the pandemic, the design trend for logoed apparel was to move away from a super-prominent logo and to use a more subtle logo design like tone-on-tone embroidery, for example, or to find a more creative location on the garment to place your logo, like on the shirt cuff, sleeve or back yoke. But now in the era when people only see you from the chest up using your computer camera, companies are realizing that they’re missing the opportunity to place their logo front-and-center. So the trend is definitely going back to having your logo in a prominent color or colors and position to ensure it is clearly visible.
We’re also seeing the trend of those working from home who want to set themselves up for success at their home office or work area by utilizing that space for marketing themselves. From the aforementioned logoed apparel to branded hats, pens, and background signage, there are limitless options for getting your brand on from home. In response, Vernon has a fantastic curated collection of merchandise that can easily be imprinted with a logo. Check it out here.