Cozy Capital - Promo Marketing

By Sean Norris

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LASER SHOW
Embroidery, heat transfers, screen prints-they all work fine for decorating fleece apparel. But have you ever thought, "My apparel decoration needs more lasers?" Of course you have: Lasers are awesome. And now you can use them to decorate your promotional fleece. Jessica Strain, marketing manager for Dri Duck Traders, Overland Park, Kan., explained:

"A unique decoration method for fleece is laser burning. The end result is a subtle decoration that is slightly more cost effective than embroidery or screen printing. The process uses laser technology that burns an image into the fleece, leaving a tonal image that looks similar to debossing. This seems to be a slightly more affordable option than embroidery and offers a high-end look. It is important to note that not all logos and fonts work with this type of decoration. It does not pick up small details or serifs, so logos may need to be modified or need to be quite large for the full image to be visible."

(Not) Too Cool for School
Looking for a target market to spark your fleece sales? Try schools. "If you look at high schools and colleges across the nation, you'll see that many young folks often use fleece as their outerwear garment, even during extreme cold times," said Mary Ellen Nichols, director of marketing communications, Bodek and Rhodes, Philadelphia. "They layer things, so fleece garments often get a huge life of exposure for your brand."

Fleece. It doesn't get the exciting ads like winter jackets do, all windswept peaks and grizzled mountaineers and danger. And it doesn't get the posh ads. Those are reserved for the polo shirts and cardigans, modeled by 20-somethings in white shorts holding tennis rackets on the deck of a yacht.

But that's not fleece's game. Fleece isn't flashy. It's not exclusionary. It's the everyman of apparel—its palms are calloused from its blue-collar job forging wrought iron by hand, but it volunteers at the animal shelter on weekends. It's functional, but it looks good. It's rugged, but it's soft. And as such, it's great for apparel promotions.

So how do you sell it? Start by ditching the tennis rackets. Then, check out the three sales tips below.

KNOW THE INTENDED USE
Fleece is versatile, sure, but not every fleece garment is suited for universal use. Different garments have different properties, and you'll need to know the intended use before you can select the right fleece apparel for your client. "It's important to understand the end use to avoid the pitfalls of promotionally priced fleece," said Jessica Strain, marketing manager for Dri Duck Traders, Overland Park, Kan. "If a fleece is going to be worked in, having an anti-pill finish becomes very important to maintain a professional and clean appearance," she continued. "If the fleece is going to be layered, having a two-sides brushed option will help eliminate any fleece remnants on the wearer's base layer."

PITCH THE RIGHT PRODUCT
Once you've identified your client's fleece needs, you'll need to know what items can actually meet those needs. Want something casual that can be worn around the house? It's all about texture. "Texture is king right now in fleece," said Mary Ellen Nichols, director of marketing communications for Philadelphia-based Bodek and Rhodes. "Products that feel wonderfully soft or cozy or have an unusually luxurious hand are the most talked about. For example, enzyme-washed fleece products are so soft, recipients want to sleep in them." She added that thermal- or fleece-lined apparel and heathered fleece products are popular in retail, making them good options for casual use.

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Sean Norris Author's page Sean Norris is editor-in-chief for Promo Marketing. Reach him at snorris@napco.com.