thread's not dead - doITlab

You reach in and cradle the new t-shirt like a newborn baby. As you lift it out,
you see a collection of surprises underneath! A sticker, button, a baseball card,
and a hand written note from the owner of the company. She thanks you by
name and tells you that she digs what you’re doing and to keep up the good
work. Wow, how did she know?
At this point, you’re probably gushing over the t-shirt and it feels like Christmas
morning. As a brand owner you want to instill this feeling in each and every one
of your customers.
Custom packaging is one of the ways to make sure your customer has a great
experience from start to finish.
I saw this cool video where you see the care and dedication Glen Infante takes
in preparing his t-shirt packaging for his brand ILTHY. Really cool!
Criticisms of Custom Packaging
But like most things, custom packaging has a down side.
Some customers will argue that they don’t even want the
packaging, they just want the t-shirt. They complain that it’s
wasteful, bad for the environment, and they’ll just throw it
away anyway. There’s a movement toward less packaging
nowadays and people are taking responsibility to live without
waste.
If you’re on the fence and not sure what you should do
about your packaging, try asking your fans! Try a quick quiz
or poll on your site or ask your Facebook and Twitter followers.
Do they think custom packaging is wasteful and just
another reason to jack up the price? Or do they think of it as
a collector’s item and part of the experience?
More reading
• How to make your t-shirt package more memorable
• Product Presentation and Packaging Tutorial
• T-shirt packaging tips
THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley
Stickers, Swag, and Extras
Brands like Johnny Cupcakes really take pride in their “extras” they send along
with their order. You aren’t just getting a t-shirt, you get stickers, bubble gum,
or other novelties. As a brand owner, you could think about what your customers
might like and toss in some freebies to show you care.
Stickers are cheap as ever and you can get them any way you want them. I’ve
used StandOutStickers many times for this and they do a great job. They also
make buttons too, which are also great throw-ins to boost customers’ loyalty
to your brand.
Swag is good to hand out at events. Paint the Stars says, “One of the things
we do is hand out a bunch of custom shaped stickers, drink mats, or cool little
knick-knacks that people could keep with our website and discount codes on
them.” It’s always a good idea to attend events and leave stacks of freebies out
or hand them to fans one by one.
Branding & Marketing 59
The “extras” are
aplenty when
you order from
Johnny Cupcakes