SAVILE ROW, IN London, is Mecca for sartorially minded men, from Winston Churchill to James Bond. The street is filled with clothiers that specialize in “bespoke tailoring,” or the custom designing of suits per patrons’ specifications and measurements. The result? It’s not just an outfit—it’s a lifestyle. Say you bought your suit on Savile Row, and it will immediately conjure images of martinis, shaken not stirred; fast cars; and an exotic, glamorous life that has no place for off-the-rack garments. Simply, “custom” implies something special. So, why not put those thoughts to work when creating your next promotion?
Fits the Bill
Thanks to newly affordable options, promotional caps are experiencing a design renaissance. “We take into account the target market demographics, branding objectives, brand identity, and of course, budget,” explained Jason Krakow, vice president of Caps Direct, Overland Park, Kan. “We then apply those to retail trends to bring dynamic ideas to the promotional industry.”
This newfound retail influence offers more opportunities for experimentation than ever before. As working with distributors and end-users becomes a collaborative process, cap supplier Seabell International, for one, considers itself something akin to “a design house,” noted Steve Byrens, national director of sales and marketing for the Carson, California-based company.
To ease the process for distributors looking to get a foothold in a market growing in options and stylish touches, here’s a look at a few ways to help flex those creative muscles:
1. Keep the flow of communication constant
“A lot of our more comfortable clients that we’ve dealt with in years past … allow us to speak directly … to their end-users,” said Byrens. While this type of relationship has been known to strike fear in the hearts of distributors, it’s a good thing, at least in the preliminary stages. In a situation where a design is being created from scratch, intimate knowledge of the marketing program is a must in determining how to go from idea to final product. However, as the process moves forward from the brainstorming stage, “We rely on great promotional salespeople and merchandisers to tell us everything they know about the brands they represent,” Krakow noted.
2. Stay on top of retail trends
Both Byrens and Krakow emphasized the importance of retail trends in customized promotional caps. In a way, the ability to mimic the consumer vibe is what makes these promotions so effective. “If you’ve seen someone wearing it on their head, we can make it,” Krakow said. The signature looks that are currently trending are fabrics, including sports meshes and eco-friendly organic cottons; styles such as flat-bill hats (with higher crowns); and design details such as distressing, camouflage panels and distressed visors, Byrens pointed out. Simply, “It can’t look like a basic hat,” he added.
3. Let the logo pop
With all the design enhancements on the actual cap, it’s important to not leave the imprinting in the dust. Embroidery, while effective, is not always practical on designs that have a lot of detailing or caps made from heavier, brushed cotton, Byrens explained. He’s found that using woven labels
(a patch affixed to the front of the cap) is a way to solve the detail issue, because, “You can create any image and very tiny lettering … [it’s] much better than embroidery thread because it has inherent thickness to it that can’t accomplish fine detail.”
In the same vein, Seabell International is also doing patches with special effects such as frayed edges, dye sublimation and even those that look like rubber or metal in order to achieve an alternative look. Krakow’s team has also been getting more creative with imprinting: “We are having a lot of fun with liquid metals, laser cut appliqués, screen printing and sublimation.” Trims and accents, he added, are also ways to add excitement to an embellishment.
4. Guide clients on the “other stuff”
Design and creative elements aside, there are still other ways to ensure a successful cap promotion. Here are a few more facts to know:
• Size. According to Byrens, there are 10 hat numbers and the most popular are: 7″, 7 1⁄8″, 7 1⁄4″ and 7 3⁄8″. He recommended hitting those sizes to satisfy about “90 percent of the population,” and going to an alternative style with the same logo and presentation to accommodate those who need bigger or smaller sizes.
• Silhouette. “Most of the trends right now are for silhouette,” said Krakow. “We are seeing a lot of activity in driver and fedora styles.”
• Control. With custom ordering, end-users can have a say in every last detail of the finished product, and minimums are kept low. “We can do as little as 288 pieces and make a signature line rather than the look of something that’s stock and sent to a local embroiderer,” concluded Byrens.
