Why Branding Your Apparel is Important for Your Business: External Perception

You are walking down the street when you notice someone with a Starbucks logo on the sleeve of their shirt. Your mind immediately connects you with the familiar brand. Without any active effort, your brain is thinking about Coffee. Caffeine. Productivity. Routine. The camaraderie you share with your local barista. The warm rush. Familiar taste. The feeling of the cardboard sleeve in your hand. The communal nod of acknowledgement shared among early morning risers. All of that imagery and emotion is driven by a simple logo of a woman with flowing hair and a pleasant smile.

A few yards away, there’s a man exiting the gym with a McDonald’s branded tote. You laugh at the irony. He turns to cross the street and your mind is instantly conflicted. The rest of his apparel is branded with the Nike swoosh. Your brain subconsciously wrestles with the paradox. French fries and quarter pounders do not equate to wind sprints and push-ups.

This exercise in recognition demonstrates the most undeniable factor in branding: emotional connection. Consumers’ brain chemistry shifts from visual recognition to an actual feeling. And this is the place where branding becomes vital for your business.

Recognition creates a feeling of reliability. Your brand can be counted on for consistency and comfort. Whether it be an employee sporting a casual company t-shirt or a customer toting a branded bag to the gym, visibility is key in accelerating the brand of your business. Creating crisp and uniform brand exposure will lead to a connection with consumers’ trust.

Reliability leads to return. Your business needs current and potential consumers to trust in what your brand provides. Loyal patrons are created when a business continually makes the emotional connection, ranging from follow-up phone calls to holiday gifting. Reinforce the message of what your company represents with visual cues in the public eye. Build your reputation from the sweet spot of brand.

The Nike swoosh, the Golden Arches, the Starbucks logo … each of these images immediately connects your mind to a familiar brand. Without a company name or mission statement in sight, you are able to recognize what that brand provides simply by its presence on an item of apparel. Your business can conjure similar connections for consumers when your brand is recognizable, reliable, and consistent. Branded apparel is a vital component to accelerating your business. ​