Thread: shop swag...thoughts?

Decent outerwear is my vote. It's going to get way more visibility around the community. Clear but small logo on a decent coat or jacket. Dickies, Carhart, something to that nature. Give a couple options and then order them up. Costs more than a case of coffee mugs but will have way more return in employee morale and community awareness. Most of your people wont be wondering around town with their coffee mugs. T-shirts, get some decent ones with tasteful graphic design. Cost can be pretty low if you order in bulk. Hand them out like candy especially to those interested.

Something like this but with G codes

Linux Cheat Shirt | The xkcd store

$500k per employee....that's impressive

Company pays for steel toe boots safety glasses and part of uniform costs. They also give plenty of t-shirts but I have told them that maintenance will not wear any polyester mix shirts because of fire hazard when welding so they give us cotton ones.

Originally Posted by tay2daizzo8

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted your opinion on shop "swag" ie: shirts hats jackets..that sort of thing.
For those who have this for their employees, do you think you see any return on it? Im pretty sure it would be a rare occasion you would make a sale from someone seeing your logo out in the public, but maybe it does provide a marketing opportunity. Maybe its a team building thing?

For those who have decided against this what was your reasoning?

I see guys around here that we poached from a big aerospace place all wearing their logo and images...kinda want to see our logo instead.

Thoughts?

Thanks again

I kind of find it interesting, no one brought up liability. In today's world if someone has a t shirt or hat etc that says anything on it, it might be offensive to someone in the company or worse to a customer. Years ago I had a employee show up with a competitors hat to our largest customer he never gave it any thought.
Work uniforms, jackets, hats etc. Eliminate all those issues. It also Eliminates machinist with loose fitting long sleeves if all you allow them to wear is short sleeve shirts you provide.

Originally Posted by McClure Machine

I kind of find it interesting, no one brought up liability. In today's world if someone has a t shirt or hat etc that says anything on it, it might be offensive to someone in the company or worse to a customer. Years ago I had a employee show up with a competitors hat to our largest customer he never gave it any thought.
Work uniforms, jackets, hats etc. Eliminate all those issues. It also Eliminates machinist with loose fitting long sleeves if all you allow them to wear is short sleeve shirts you provide.

Thanks alot! Now we'll have more ambulance chasers!

"Your honor, my client saw the defendant wearing a shirt saying Ballpark hot dogs were the best and he got distracted because my client insists Nathan's are the best hot dog and he lost his concentration and fell off his bike.."

LMAO

Originally Posted by Mike1974

Thanks alot! Now we'll have more ambulance chasers!

"Your honor, my client saw the defendant wearing a shirt saying Ballpark hot dogs were the best and he got distracted because my client insists Nathan's are the best hot dog and he lost his concentration and fell off his bike.."

LMAO

Ew, little known fact, WNY has all the good hotdogs

Originally Posted by aj h

ew, little known fact, wny has all the good hotdogs

wny = weeny

We started with custom t shirts about 20 yrs ago and it has been a success.

Mainly we did it to get out of uniform costs for the guys but it does give customers something to smile about when we ask what size they wear. We give them out free but sparingly to good known customers.

Had one shirt spotted at Disney World a few years ago, which is pretty good cuz we are north of bean town too.

Give them something they will grab in anger....with your name printed on it :
https://www.amazon.com/squishy-stres...hy+stress+ball

There's as many different opinions on swag as there are people, so I'll just address the comments about uniform services. I could go either way on work clothes or my own clothes, but my wife loves not having to wash my work clothes when she does laundry so I wear the shop shirts and pants they provide me.

Jackets and shirts. Employees and family.
Never underestimate the team. This will last even after the company dies.

Like this?

Originally Posted by AJ H

Ew, little known fact, WNY has all the good hotdogs

Heathen.

Hebrew National has the best.

There is a funny story about that .....a exec from Alfred Herbert Ltd noticed town market shops selling Herbert marked work issue clothing.......The Herbert management came up with the brilliant idea to change all issue work clothing to bright pink,to discourage the trade.......There followed the famous "Pink Overall Strike" at Herberts .Just another nail in the coffin.

Originally Posted by Mike1974

Thanks alot! Now we'll have more ambulance chasers!

"Your honor, my client saw the defendant wearing a shirt saying Ballpark hot dogs were the best and he got distracted because my client insists Nathan's are the best hot dog and he lost his concentration and fell off his bike.."

LMAO

You don't have much experience with vegan's a lot will definitely complain.
Then some smart ass will show up with a salad t shirt and you will then get another complaint with they are mocking me.
Not saying its right, just saying its 2021 as a owner unless you want to spend all your time as a referee or worse in court as a defendant you might want to think about it.

Originally Posted by macgyver

A coworker I had at the old job told me that his previous employer wanted him to buy his polo shirts with the company logo on them. Thankfully he told the boss if he wanted him to wear it he had to give it to him. My friend then came up with a personal policy that he wouldn't buy clothes with other peoples logos on them, why pay to advertise for someone else? I started paying more attention to this myself and have mostly stopped buying any clothes with others' logos etc. It is very hard to do that these days, even alot of the nicer stuff has the makers branding front and back.

I totally agree with this. I don't advertise for anybody for free. I guess if it was a buddy's company ok. None of my shirts have any writing. In fact I have a Patagonia thing that I like. I got an advertisement from them with lots of left leaning political BS in it so even blacked out the label on that. No more of my money goes to them.

I though of getting some T shirts made. It's just me in the shop but maybe give a few to customers. One thing I have thought, haven't done it, is don't have them made on crappy shirts. I have really taken to the Dickies T shirts. All cotton, very heavy, pocket. Their Henley shirts are nice too. Anyway just a thought.

Some very generous employers here .....my last job,you got nothing free ,unless it was award mandated ,like safety boots were free after 12 months.....Anyway ,a competitor used to hand out nice baseball caps with their name on them,and I always wore one .....Boss Col fronted me one day on site and asked me why the opposition cap?....I showed him the brand in it ,wasnt cheap Chinese ,but a quality Japanese baseball cap....The old skinflint asked me to get him a couple "for his grandkids."

Growing up in south LA, every company gave out Camouflage hats with logos. People wore them everywhere not just hunting. Now its required to wear Hunters Orange hats when deer hunting, rabbit hunting, etc so the camp hats stay in the truck.
A few companies have picked up on this and started giving out hunters orange caps and beanies and t shirts, Ive even seen a few welding caps. People not only wear them hunting but on the job. One of my buddies whose a foreman said he got the company to purchase them because they are "safety Orange" and it is a visibility issue.

I give my guys tee shirts and hats, and if you're here a year or more I will embroider a nice carhartt coat with the company logo and their name.

I did nice quality tee shirts with our logo screened on the left sleeve. Not in your face or obnoxious, but very visible. I also had ball caps embroidered along with nice beanies and some nice knit hats. We live in a cold climate so the winter wear gets a fair bit of wear.

I give the shirts and hats out to my vendors and customers.