In the winter of 1949, Ella and Louis sang it best.
While sometimes we may have the luxury of tossing our jacket aside and staying for another hot toddy and some records, at some point we all have to go out and face the cold. To take the matter to its chilliest point, the National Weather Service reported that the average seasonal snowfall a year in Denver is 61.7 inches. That is a lot of fluffy, cold, white stuff. So what does “baby” need most of all when those Ella Fitzgerald records stop spinning? A nice, warm, imprinted jacket.
“Jackets and outerwear are an integral part of our lifestyle. We are all fashion-conscience to some extent,” said Charlie McGuinness, national sales manager, corporate and golf divisions for MV Sport/Weatherproof, Bay Shore, N.Y. And now is the time to begin planning your sales efforts around this market. “Fall in particular is a time when people start wearing lightweight jackets and then start thinking about buying a coat for the long cold winter season,” McGuinness continued.
So what should a distributor know to become more outerwear savvy? There is a lot more to it than it just being warm and having a high-quality zipper. There are as many options on a piece of outerwear as there are in a new car, and knowing the difference of what makes a jacket great for a particular promotion is of the utmost importance. Doug Burkett, president of Nucom/Burk’s Bay, New Hope, Minn., stated, “The creative distributor is able to take these unique needs and match them to a product that might not have been available previously. We’re carrying over 40 different jacket styles to meet [the] demand for niche product.”
When thinking about those unique needs, these are the basic questions to consider:
• What kind of materials do you want to use for the shell of the jacket? Leather, canvas, fleece, micro-suede or polyester?
• How about the lining? Fleece or down? Quilted or not?
• What kind of additional features does the jacket need? Consider options like brass zippers, MP3 player/mobile phone pockets, elastic waist and cuffs, collars and hoods.
• Do you want high-tech features like waterproofing, anti-bacterial fabric, moisture-wicking lining, anti-static or no-pill fleece?
“Product knowledge is key,” said McGuinness. “There are some features that can be of great importance in a buyer’s decision-making process. Very simply, you should know the features and benefits of the garment. There are lots of bells and whistles that are the mark of quality in a jacket,” he explained.
Not only is outerwear great for promotional purposes, it’s also great as an incentive piece. “It’s about getting the customer excited and educating on the impact of high-valued incentives,” Burkett said. “Research has shown over and over that nothing motivates better than the opportunity to earn a high-quality product. The opportunity to earn a leather jacket, something that you would not normally buy for yourself, generates excitement and increases program performance.”
So what’s hot for the 2010-2011 season? “For us, it’s been about the price point,” said Burkett. “In most of our styles, we offer a good, better and best [option]. It’s our ‘good’ products that are doing well [and] the ‘better’ products just starting to show signs of recovery.”
Concerning the future, McGuinness said, “Technical fabrication is a big trend in the industry. We are seeing more sophisticated fabrics that are stylish, comfortable and fashionable.” As for gender-specific trends, he added that “men look for rugged performance jackets while ladies look for fashion and function.”
With consumer confidence staging a comeback and temperatures beginning their descent, this is a great time to approach a variety of niche markets about outerwear and jacket promotions. “From automotive to banking, from manufacturing to charities, our jackets appeal to a large audience,” said Burkett, emphasizing that when the economy is sluggish, having a diverse range of products will give you options and allow you to match the right jacket to the right client.
