Brand Matters

Fame is a funny thing, and its tendency to be thrust upon some while eluding others more worthy comes down to one thing. Branding. It is especially evident in the cases of both Farrah and Michael, and it's inescapable no matter how artists try to reinvent themselves.

Madonna? The queen of personal style evolution? For a certain generation, she will always be decked out in a tutu, a bustier, lace gloves and scads of pearl necklaces. And it's O.K. How else does a celeb seep into our subconscious?

We in the promotional products industry have made our livings based on this idea. Branding works. Branding gets through. Branding is eternal.

I talk a lot (some might say ad nauseam), about the importance of including the element of fashion in your promotions: knowing and adapting trends, keeping color choices fresh, and securing the best fit possible. What I don't talk about enough, I think, is the importance of the apparel's whole reason for being—the logo. Without it, of course, a promotional item goes back to being just a plain, old T shirt/polo/button-down. Without it, our industry wouldn't exist.

Are your clients elevating their signatures to their highest marketable power? New embroidery technologies, embellishment options and creative placement ideas beg to be implemented. We have the power to help our customers decide how they want to be remembered.

'Til next week!