Promotional apparel pops up everywhere these days. You can't walk down the street without seeing someone wearing a t-shirt advertising a company or product, or an umbrella with a companies name on, re-usable shopping bags with fabulous designs, or even basball hats with some snappy slogan on them. But does it really work? Do we really take any notice of what people are wearing to the point that we remember the company or product they were promoting. It seems that it depends on many different factors.

If you are walking down the street on a scorching hot sunny day and you see someone wearing a t-shirt with your favourite soft drink name splashed across it, then chances are you will go into the nearest shop and buy yourself a nice ice-cold can of it. If you saw the same t-shirt on a wet overcast day then you probably would register it but not act on it.  The same goes with promotional apparel that is being given away.  If it is a wonderfully hot day then something along the lines of paper fans would work well.  There are many companies offering excellent promotional material services, and with the growth of online shops you can now just send your design via email with your specifications and your promotional goods will be delivered to your door with minimum fuss. The whole key to getting the right type of promotional apparel is to make sure you have your target audience clearly set out, along with the goals you want to achieve with your promotional products.  It may be that you have been offered a space on a t-shirt that is being given away to participants in a running or biking event, in which case it will most likely be worn over and over, in many different situations, meaning your company name gets more exposure to a diverse range of people. This may or may not be effective but it is worth bearing these kind of things in mind.

It doesn't matter what you are promoting, and how you are promoting it, so long as your approach is focussed and structured.  Promotional apparel can be a fantastic way to get your company or product noticed so long as you choose the appropriate medium.