Did you know that promotional hats, for years, have been sharing the top spot with promo t-shirts in America? Hats are low-cost, high-impact, and high-profit items that can also continuously deliver impressions for a brand. You could say the perceived value of hats is, arguably, more than that of t-shirts despite being just an accessory.
With that in mind, imagine how much difference would it make in the impact and impression, if a promotional hat is bolstered by a promotional sweatshirt or hoodie.
For an automotive dealership, hats and apparel could be very powerful marketing tools. The automotive industry thrives on visibility.
Promoting Automotive Dealerships & Clubs
When you look at it closely, you see most dealerships and clubs trying to use their vehicles to grab attention towards the brand. It can be effective when done right. But there’s another approach that a rare few dealerships confidently follow through – getting the brand itself to draw attention to their vehicles. Along the way, they convey what makes them different.
When a dealership’s logo travels on a customer or a prospect’s head, that’s a score. There are many ways a promotional campaign to showcase the brand can go. Handing out promo apparel to buyers as well as visitors can lead to two beneficial scenarios.
- The vehicle turns heads on the road, and onlookers notice the buyer wearing hats and/or apparel with the dealership’s logo.
- The buyer or prospect wears the hat or apparel outdoors, organically enhancing the brand’s visibility and giving it a good rep.
You essentially get brand ambassadors from nice interactions.
Behind Promotions With Hats & Apparel
People love free stuff. But promotional items go a little further beyond giveaways. Good quality hats even with a brand’s logo on them have exceptional perceived value. So does a sweatshirt, with its value going up during colder seasons. When someone receives a gift, they feel an instinctive urge to reciprocate. This principle called the “rule of reciprocity,” makes branded giveaways powerful sales tools.
Additionally, these items can hit different marketing targets.
- They create instant brand recognition at crowded auto expos
- They give customers something they’ll use
- They build goodwill with prospects who might not buy today
- They extend your marketing reach into spaces your competitors haven’t touched
Like t-shirts, a branded hat generates thousands of impressions over its lifetime. It’s only a couple of months before the hat or t-shirt gets replaced. But that’s ample time for items to have an impact that translates to something good for the brand. People might decide to check out the dealership after just seeing hats with its logos.
When customers wear your branded gear, they experience cognitive dissonance if they shop with competitors. They’ve publicly identified with your brand, making them more likely to remain loyal. When executives wear this gear at car meets and expos, that shines an “I-should-probably-check-this-one-out” light on the brand. Hand some of it out in the same event and you get free advertisements.
Another Underrated Benefit
People don’t seem to realize how effective it is to use hats and apparel to build deeper connections. Dealerships and clubs can source sweatshirts wholesale and organize premium giveaways that can get a lot of appreciation from customers and prospects. Unlike t-shirts that often end up as discard-ready clothes or a gym outfit, sweatshirts, and hoodies are seen as comfort items.
But what makes hoodies particularly effective for automotive marketing?
For starters, there’s plenty of real estate on hoodies to get some creative branding done. Second, they’re practical items people wear regularly. The perceived value of a hoodie also gives it the appeal of a premium giveaway – something that makes the wearers feel like they are part of an exclusive club. The connection built here can do wonders for the brand.
How To Begin Using Promo Apparel
Appearance and visibility are essentially the two most important aspects that help dealerships convert visitors into customers. To nail the appearance part, the sales team representing the brand must have a unified look. This helps a lot in building trust. Hoodies like Port and company pc78h aren’t exactly what you call professional, however. So they work best as giveaways unless your brand is not a dealership but a club. Team uniforming choices for dealerships mostly involve polo shirts, woven shirts, and jackets. But there is no such restriction for giveaways. And no such limitations for automotive clubs and communities.
To begin leveraging promotional apparel effectively, plan out the investment. The best bet is to source the items wholesale. Wholesale brands like Port & Company deliver quality at reasonable prices. Sourcing a few dozen Gildan or Port and company hoodie or sweatshirts wholesale won’t demand a heavy investment. Once branded, these items make attractive merchandise with high-profit margins or valuable giveaways. To make the whole package even more valuable, you can bring accessories into the mix. Purchasing a few Port & Company hats wholesale adds more variety to the giveaway.
To maximize the impact, include caps and apparel in the campaigns at auto expos, car shows, and community events. The cost-effectiveness of hats and the value of hoodies combined with the timing of the campaign and the venue promises the best impressions for the brand.
- Staff dressed in matching branded gear create a strong, cohesive presence
- High-quality hats and hoodies serve as memorable giveaways
- Photo opportunities with branded backgrounds encourage social sharing
Many dealers miss a golden opportunity by skimping on promo items. The auto enthusiast community appreciates quality gear like they appreciate quality automobiles. When you distribute flimsy products, you send the wrong message about your business standards.
How can you tell if your promo apparel strategy works? Watch for these signals:
- Increased social media mentions and tags
- Higher foot traffic during promotional periods
- Improved brand recall in customer surveys
- Better staff morale and team cohesion
However, not all promo items deliver equal results. Test different products, designs, and distribution methods to find what resonates with your specific audience.
In the competitive automotive market, dealers need every advantage. Branded apparel offers a cost-effective way to expand marketing reach and build lasting customer relationships. From the initial sale to years of driving satisfaction, those caps and hoodies keep your dealership top-of-mind.
Let them not buy into your brand but the experience your brand offers.