The Power of Promotional T-Shirts

The 2016 Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study has spoken: T-shirts dominate the list as the "MVPP"…or most-valuable promotional product. 

At 58%, T-Shirts rank as the most commonly owned promo product in the United States, but that doesn’t mean other products are falling behind. Bags are still steady at 50%, drinkware at 53%, writing instruments at 50%, and so on. But for the sake of naming a winner, let’s focus on the notorious promotional T-shirt.

The benefits of promo T-shirts to support your business or event are numerous. Everyone wears shirts, right? Unlike stationary promotional products, T-shirts become traveling advertisements. Your sleek coffee mug may have an excellent design, but it’s not something that will typically leave the kitchen or desk area. Although you can’t track the marketing work that a T-shirt does, as long as it’s something that the owner views as a worthy part of their wardrobe, it’ll continue to promote wherever it goes – for free!

That’s where your T-shirt choices really come into play. We all have our own collection of promotional tees tucked away in a dresser drawer. Some make it into our regular apparel choices, while others are reserved for a life of living as oversized sleep shirts or cleaning spree accessories. If your shirt ends up in that second category, it won’t be able to do much beneficial promoting for you.

Take a cue from some of the most appealing promotional shirts. Don’t go overboard, but don’t be plain. Create a unique design that you would want to wear, and that would also catch the eye of others. Value and comfort are also important factors. Invest more in a quality shirt to increase the likelihood that it will be worn regularly.

The kind of fabric you choose also has an impact. A heavyweight cotton shirt is not as well-suited for athletic events as it would be for a large-scale tradeshow. If you’re purchasing for resale, you’ll want to go the route of a trendy and comfortable style, like a tag-free soft cotton option. For sporting events, like 5K runs, going with a lighter poly-blend shirt is perfect for performance. Attendees will likely wear them during the event, on their own after the event, and possibly return the next year wearing them.

There are plenty of other helpful ways the recent study has broken down promo T-shirt popularity in the U.S. Did you know that more women own logoed T-shirts than men? Check out the rest of the promotional product study here to get all the facts.