We've spent a lot of time on this blog talking about the importance of distinct, eye-catching logos. Whether they appear on two-dimensional surfaces or more tangible and touchable items, they should indeed catch eyes and hold them. There are so many places now for small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to showcase their brands. These include your customers’ websites, brochures and other printed materials, social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and promotional products.

One thing that both Idea Custom Solutions and the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) have repeatedly pointed out is the huge popularity and regular use of wearable promo products including caps, golf or "polo" shirts, and outerwear as a way to expand the reach of brands.

So many options exist for SMBs out there too. As such, it is critical to make sure logos look their best when put on wearable products. Thus, it's probably a good idea — with all this talk about logos and rebranding — to take a stroll through some options for your SMB customers as we head into 2017.

Stitched Goods and Embroidery are Back

It's not just us in the promotional products industry who have noticed the value of well-stitched products. Parade, the popular magazine insert that graces newspapers nationwide on a weekly basis, has also taken to the web to announce that embroidery and its fashions "aren't just for grannies anymore." In a photo gallery piece, Parade also showcased some examples of things that companies are making and that people are wearing. But it's not just hobbyists.

"Needlepoint is shaking off its granny stigma. Designers at Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci have paraded pieces embellished with embroidery down the runways and through the pages of Vogue." For what it's worth, NBC’s “Today” also mentioned embroidery is one of four "must wear" trends emerging now.

Of course, when it comes to embroidering promotional products, most customers you work with think logos rather than the custom-embroidered garments. SMBs want their wearables to have the same crisp precision for their original logos that they have in digital and printed formats such as websites, collateral and t-shirts. Luckily for almost every product you sell, top-level embroidered graphics are available.

Here are a few products to consider for your customers:

• Stuffed Animals. These huggable promos aren't popular with kids or their parents alone. Stuffed animals have also found their way into the hearts of sports fans (think mini-mascots), in addition to millions of professionals who have a hankering for desk toys. ASI's quick tutorial on how to embroider stuffed animals demonstrates that mascot toys can wear company logos as well as any other products, while adding a bit of character or a sense of humor.
• Hats. ASI also recently took a spin through techniques for embroidering hats and caps, which have always been a winning category of promotional products. According to ASI's Impressions Study, 19% of U.S. consumers own a promotional cap and 52% of promo hat owners earn $50,000 a year or more. This seems to suggest that this item not only reaches the customer with disposable income, but is also is something they tend to keep and wear often.

Colors that Sparkle

Options such as shiny metallic logos can easily be put on products, whether they are silver, gold or just a shimmering version of a primary color like red or blue. Today, embroidery providers can use metallic thread to achieve the right look and can provide what is referred to as "elevated embroidery" for customers that want to add a little "bling" with sequins or shiny add-ons, and even simple three-dimensional finishes. Whatever look your customers prefer, you can help make their new or existing logos really stand out.

Understanding How it Works

While distributors may not get knee-deep into every stitch technique (Idea Custom Solutions does!), it does help to know how to explain what makes a logo on a promo product look so sharp and this article provides good insight on embroidery.

Keep in mind that Idea Custom Solutions can help with embroidery digitizing for every product you offer customers. We also excel at logo design, vector artwork, image editing and other related services that make world-class branding easy for small businesses that need to maximize their marketing budgets.