| VIDEO |
Stitches Cheat Sheet: Embellishing Plush Fabrics
What do you need to know about embellishing velour and other high-pile fabrics? In our newest video series, "Stitches Cheat Sheet," where we answer your decoration and wearables questions, Nicole Rollender, Stitches editor and director of ASI Education, gives you some insider tips. Click here to watch the video.
Behind the Scenes at Stitches Kidswear Shoot
Stitches takes you behind the scenes for an exclusive look at our August "Not Just Playing Around" photo shoot, with lots of insider details about how we put together a kidswear shoot. It can definitely get crazy with six young models — but we have lots of cool apparel and accessories that we want to show off. Click here to watch the video.
What did you think of this video? Send your feedback to nrollender@asicentral.com.
Subscribe now to our YouTube videos. |
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| PROBLEM SOLVED: "I want to grow my business safely." |
Q. "I want to grow my business, but am a little worried that I might risk my company's health. What are some smart ways to expand my company?
A. What do Lehman Brothers, AIG, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual Savings, Arthur Andersen, Starbucks and Toyota all have in common? All these large companies went gunning for business growth but instead ended up with self-inflicted wounds. Each of them pursued the wrong kind of growth for the wrong reasons. If you're considering trying to grow your own business solely because the economy is improving, you should think before you grow.
Most business executives accept without question the belief that growth is always good, that bigger is always better, and that the healthy vital signs for a company include growth that is continuous, smooth, and linear. The problem with those presumptions is that there is no scientific or business basis for them.
For the vast majority of companies, growth is often pursued in a way that brings with it as many risks of failure as chances of success. Combine unquestioned strategic presumptions with bad judgment – and sometimes a fair share of greed and arrogance – and the results can be serious or fatal to the viability of a business.
What are some of the self-inflicted wounds premature growth can leave on your company? Here are two to be on the lookout for as you manage your company through its next growth period:
Growth can create new business risks. Growth is a business strategy that can require investments in people, equipment, raw materials, space and supplies. As these cash outlays occur before new revenues kick in, many businesses find themselves exhausting their cash reserves — a risky tightrope to walk.
Starbucks is a great example of a company that learned this lesson the hard way. Previously the poster child of a successful, well-respected business, a new executive team decided that continuous, quarterly store expansion was necessary to prove to Wall Street how committed the company was to growth.
Aggressive plans did indeed increase the number of new stores being opened each month, but many were in unprofitable locations that eventually had to be closed. The result was bad press, a diluted customer value proposition, and, equally troublesome, the sudden need to take on massive and unprecedented short-term debt. A change in senior management and a public mea culpa showed that, in the pursuit of growth, Starbucks had instead weakened itself as a business, at least for a time.
Growth can force you into the big leagues before you are ready. Growth can match companies up against more experienced players before they truly know how to handle the competition. Is your company ready to compete for RFPs against bigger, more capitalized competitors? Do you have the technology and manpower capable to fulfill a sudden growth of orders? Your company has to be prepared for its growth, or the growth will overtake your company. Plus, you have to know who you're competing against. A sudden surge of growth can leave you blind to a new set of competitors – a position that no healthy company wants to find itself in.
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BLOG BLURB:
Do Your Customers Trust You?
There have been a lot of studies done to determine what factors influence a customer's affection for and trust in a particular company. I've never participated in such a study, on either end, but the things listed below are what my experience tells me are the three factors that influence customer trust the most.
Company Behavior. Do the company actions echo what they say on their website and in their brochures and advertisements? If they say they value customer service, do they provide good customer service when you have a problem? If they say they value honestly, do they answer questions, even negative ones, in an upfront and positive manner? In general, does what they say agree with what they do?
How They Handle Problems. If the product you bought is defective, does the company make things right quickly? Do they honor their return and warranty policies? Do they take criticism in a constructive manner, and really listen to what their customers are saying? Do they make it easy for you to report a problem, and get back to you promptly?
How They Communicate. Is their website all corporate doublespeak? Do you ever get a sense that a real person works for the company in any capacity? Do company employees show up on forums, or is there a company forum on which customers can post? Can you, from reading their publicity, advertising and other corporate materials, get any sense of who runs the company and what they value?
Want more? Check out EnMart's Director of Marketing Kristine Shreve's blog, 'DecQuorum' on Stitches.com |
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ASI Online Learning Center
Did you know you can take self-paced, on-demand courses at ASI Education’s Online Learning Center? This is the newest and most convenient way for distributors, decorators and suppliers to get educated. In our newest course for distributors, “Break Into These Five Hot Apparel Markets,” we’ll unveil five markets that are buying lots of decorated apparel (think: education, high-tech companies, government entities and more), the types of apparel they buy and how to make the pitch and close the sale. Click here to take the course. |
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Styles and Trends
1. Multi-season Jackets. "An obvious but ever increasing trend is jackets that are multi-purpose," says Kate Souza, public relations and internal communication specialist for Charles River Apparel (asi/44620). "You no longer need a rain coat, light-weight windbreaker, denim jacket, dressier jacket or winter jacket. Now jackets are combining a variety of features to create stylish multi-season and multi-purpose jackets."
2. Color, Color Everywhere. "Seaming, blocking and splicing are big jacket trends," says Gina Barreca, director of marketing for Vantage Apparel (asi/93390). "From a color perspective, we're seeing brighter options in blues, greens and pinks. Nautical also looks in as navy and white are also prevalent this season." |
| HOW TO SELL IT: Jackets |
While most products sold in the promotional apparel market are worn at most once or twice per month, if not once or twice per year, there is one branded product that you can be sure the recipient will wear more frequently: jackets. Indeed, jackets present a flexible and valuable option for promotional clients.
First, jackets are perceived as high-value items. When a person purchases a jacket, he often spends a lot at retail for a piece that will last him through the chill of fall and the cooler spring. If a jacket has a zip-out lining or some other convertible properties, or depending on what climate they live in, they may be purchasing one jacket for the entire year. When purchasing an item that you might potentially wear seven days per week for long stretches of time, most people look for quality, style and performance features, and those often come at a price. Because these are often higher priced, long-term items, jackets, and even windbreakers, are perceived as being valuable.
Second, the benefit of jackets being daily wear items means that your client's logo will get increased exposure. "In the quest for eyeballs, it's those who stand out from the pack that win," says Diane Barrow, national sales director of Trimark Sportswear (asi/92122). "Jackets are a great example of always being on the top layer, meaning your logo is always visible, unlike T-shirts and golf-shirts. Golf-shirts and t-shirts spend more time in the wash cycle and the closet than a jacket."
While other products might seem more cost-efficient, the ratio of dollars to impressions definitely tips in favor of jackets when it comes to "more bang for your buck."
A jacket, though, needs to fit well with the promotion it's being used for. It also should be clearly targeted to the recipients that it's intended for. With so many options from windshirts and golf jackets to micro-fleece, soft-shell and leather jackets, how do you decide which jackets to present to your client and which of those make the final cut? "First and foremost, the jacket needs to be on-brand," Barrow says. "That doesn't mean simply color, the 'flavor' of the brand is very important, and choosing the right style to suit that flavor is critical to your customers. If your client is a formal, conservative institution, then it doesn't make a lot of sense to choose a funky hip style that might be more appropriate for a different organization."
Another important detail to uncover before you make selections is the purpose of the jacket and how it fits into your client's promotion. "You'll want to know how the jacket is going to be used," says Gina Barreca, director of marketing for Vantage Apparel (asi/93390). "For example, if it's for outdoor event staff, they might need a hood and weather protection, whereas if you are working to complement corporate attire, fashion will be more important."
Barreca suggests digging deeper to find the right product. "You can also narrow your search by specific performance requirements, budget and climate considerations," she says. "It's also important to understand the client's logo-expectations up-front. Since many jackets are constructed with extra blocking, pockets or seams, you'll need to make sure your decorator can embellish the jacket to the customer's specifications."
Once you have some of the preliminary information, it's time to talk price points with clients. "Basically, it comes down to one thing: What do the items your company invests in say about your brand?" Barrow says. "A gift is a powerful tool, and it can say a lot about the person or company who is giving it. If you choose to give a high value gift, you are saying that you value the recipient, and that promotes a lasting feel good impression: that's the kind of emotional response companies are looking for in today's marketing environment," she says.
Ultimately, a jacket is an investment. "Decorators should ask their clients to make investments in items that will not only upgrade the image of their employees and their company, but also last for a long time," says Kate Souza, public relations and internal communication specialist for Charles River Apparel (asi/44620).
But, what if your client's budget can't budge? "You can find good quality outerwear at a wide range of price-points," Barreca says. "In the lower range, decorators should stick with a basic shell or windshirt. In that category you can find options with good-quality fabric that just don't have as many of the value-added construction features (zip-off sleeves, removable linings, contrasting fabrics) as styles at the higher price-points."
The overall message? Don't sacrifice quality. It's better to offer a simpler jacket that is made of quality, durable, comfortable fabric, than to offer something with more features and less quality. "Choosing high-quality pieces means that the initial reach might be less, but the impact and depth of impression will be far more significant," Barrow says.
Once you've selected a range of jackets to present to your client, it's time for decorators to demo the products. "Understand the value-added aspects of each piece and be ready to demonstrate features such as zip-off sleeves or packable pieces," Barreca says. "If a jacket has water-repellent fabric, splash some water on it to show how it beads and rolls off," she says.
After all, demonstrating not only the quality and craftsmanship, but the performance characteristics of a jacket is important in order to help the client envision how and why these features will be necessary for their end-user to have a positive experience. |
WEBINAR CALENDAR
Did you know that ASI Education has more than 50 archived webinars that you can access 24/7? Click here to view our complete selection.
Here are just two of our on-demand selections:
Master the Basics of Digitizing: Whether you want to brush up on your digitizing skills or you’re a newbie who wants to start digitizing, click here to get tips from a digitizing pro.
Save Some Money Today in Your Business: Want to know how savvy small-business owners save money in little ways that make a big difference?
Click here to learn some smart strategies that you can implement in your business today. |
| BUSINESS WATCH: Add Heat Transfers to Your Services |
The addition of heat transfers can significantly enhance any decorator's apparel line, says Lauren Cocco, merchandiser and decoration specialist for Vantage Apparel (asi/93390). "It allows us to offer an assortment of options such as standard color prints, photo-realistic images, individual names and numbers, soft and dimensional designs, and eye-catching glitzy motifs," she says. "The transfers can be applied to a variety of our apparel products, such as T-shirts, polos, wovens and caps."
How do heat transfers work? They are individual patterns that are transferred to a fabric with a heated press. The machine is set to a specific temperature, pressure and pressing time that is appropriate for the transfer type: screen print, print-and-cut or sublimation. The first type is created like a typical screen print, with inks and a screen-print machine. Print-and-cut heat transfers are printed with a wide-format printer that prints and contour-cuts the graphic. Sublimation heat transfers can be bought or printed with a sublimation printer and then heat pressed onto the fabric.
There are many benefits to screen-printed heat transfers, traditionally, the most popular heat-transfer method, says Sue Wilcosky, business development manager for Stahls' Transfer Express. She touts the look and feel of professional screen printing that is commonly seen in retail stores, along with her ability to print on demand for her customers and the ability to turn around requests very quickly.
"With direct screen printing, you have to wait until your shirts have arrived to print them or take then to your printer," Wilcosky says. "With screen-printed transfers, you can order your shirts and prints at the same time. If there's a backorder on your apparel, you can still print all the sizes that have arrived and quickly do the backorder later on."
Brent Bolm, owner of Eagle Activewear, recommends that decorators buy heat transfers in bulk; that way, they can print immediately on a single item in stock. "It gives you a lot of inventory flexibility," he says.
Best Fabrics for Heat Transfers
Cocco finds that flat-knit and woven fabrics like mesh and twill work well with a variety of heat-transfer methods, including screen printing, print-and-cut and sublimation. "These types of fabric constructions can withstand the pressure needed to secure the bond of the transfer to the substrate without damaging the construction to the fabric," she says.
Cocco adds that fabrics with pile or "extreme" textures don't usually work well with heat transfers. "With high-pile fleece fabric, once heat and pressure are applied, the pile is crushed permanently and will not recover," she says. "If the fabric is textured, the heat-applied graphic will take on the texture of the substrate, which can result in blotchy, unclear or smeared lines within the design."
Wilcosky says screen-printed heat transfers can be successfully applied to cotton, polyester and cotton/poly blends, while nylon and spandex are typically uncooperative. "We have digital transfers for this type of apparel," she says about the latter fabrics. "Some customers have had success using screen-printed heat transfers on nylon, but we recommend testing prior to use."
Bolm produces sublimation heat transfers with a wide-format sublimation printer. For sublimation heat transfers, he says the higher the polyester content, the better, although poly blends will also work. "You can go all the way down to a 50/50 poly/cotton blend. It looks washed out, but if you play the art right and call it 'vintage,' there you go," he says.
Top Apparel
Cocco singles out performance garments like technical polos and tees as very popular for most heat-transfer methods. "The transfers do not require a backing and are comfortable to the wearer," she notes, adding that detailed logos and multiple logo placements are also possible with performance garments. According to Wilcosky, other popular items in the cotton or polyester spectrum, such as sweatshirts, uniforms and towels, work well, too.
"Caps are also popular," Cocco adds, "as you can achieve greater detail and smaller lines with heat transfers than with other embellishment options for front-hat placements." Heat transfers are also good to use over pockets and seams because decorators don't have to worry about hooping, framing or shifting.
Bolm, who also specializes in the print-and-cut method, says hats are doable via print-and-cut, but he advises against it. "It's not the greatest process for a hat, but it can be done," he says. "It's really big for tote bags and backpacks. That's a huge category. You can kind of feel the print-and-cut on a shirt, and some people don't like that, but on a bag, nobody cares. Bags are probably bigger than apparel."
Sublimation heat transfers open up a whole new world of possibilities beyond apparel, Bolm says, which make them a good investment for decorators who also sell promotional products. "There are mugs, mouse pads, keychains – hundreds of things you can do with sublimation," he says. "You can do sublimation with flags, pennants, banners, that sort of thing. A lot of the flag manufacturers sublimate. Sublimation's really growing." |
| STEPS TO SUCCESS: Make the Perfect Pitch for Pet Products |
It’s a fact: People love their pets and sometimes treat them better than humans. According to the American Pet Products Association, despite the economy last year, pet spending in 2009 actually grew 5.4% to $45.5 billion.
On that encouraging note, a veterinary office in your area will be holding a Pet Fair and Parade at the end of September. It’ll be an outdoor event and they expect about 500 visitors and their animals during the day.
First, you encourage other animal-related businesses in the community to be co-sponsors and then you scout out the right products. You’ve obviously got to have items that will go to the dogs … only, literally this time. No pooch could resist a gourmet dog biscuit, so be sure to have those on hand. And don’t forget the kitties. Gourmet cat food is a great treat for their caretakers to take home. A pet set can include a food or water bowl, food scoop, toy and maybe even a key tag for the owner. After the parade is over, pets can still showcase their style with colorful bandannas.
Now we need imprinted products for their people. You’re hoping for a sunny day, so give away SPF-30 towelette packs with insect repellant. Auto sun screens from the local pet shop will keep cars cool while everyone takes part in the day’s festivities. Kids will appreciate singing animal sock puppets and everyone wants a keepsake photo of their animal buddy on parade, so give out frames too.
Finally, since the vet’s highest priority is the animals’ well-being, also include a pet toothbrush and a digital ID tag to ensure a pet’s safe return should it get lost.
Afterward, take your testimonials from this event and go fetch other opportunities within the profitable pet market.
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| NEWS BRIEFS& PRODUCT NEWS
Beyond Zebra Inc. (asi/138945) provided several eco-friendly items, including baseball caps, fedoras and beverage napkins, for the 2010 ESPY Awards held in Los Angeles.
Boxercraft (asi/41325) has released its new fall catalog, featuring new colors and patterns and three entirely new products. Also, the company recently donated 3,000 new garments to the six winners of its "Bring Comfort to Your Community" charity contest. The winners each received 500 garments to donate to their chosen charity.
Cap America (asi/43729) has announced that Tom Gillespie will be the company's new vice president of production.
Executive Apparel (asi/53418) has announced a 7% discount (valid until the end of the year) to any distributor who places EA's logo on its website as a preferred supplier.
Flexfit (asi/32199) has announced it will donate its custom headwear to be designed by famous pro surfers to raise awareness for the Mauli Ola Foundation's work with cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases.
Hanesbrands Imagewear (asi/59528) has announced that Eskimo Joe's Bar and Restaurant in Stillwater, OK, and cofounder Stan Clark were accepted into the Hanes' Beefy-T Hall of Fame.
OOBE Inc. has signed an agreement to become the official apparel company of the Greenville Drive, a minor league baseball team in Greenville, SC.
Pacific Western Sales (asi/75731) has announced Pat Dore, Greg Jackson, Joe Eberz, and Rod Williamson as the newest members of it sales force. Dore and Jackson will cover the Northwest, while Eberz and Williamson will cover the Great Lakes and Midwest. In addition, Michelle Hirn and Ed Manbeck have been named inside sales reps, while Andrea Pennington has been hired as the new customer service manager.
Penn Emblem Co. (asi/62485) has announced that its PennEdge system, a patented, custom emblem program, is now available as a silk-screened product.
Proforma Stewart & Associates' (asi/300094) Owner Bruce Copeland served as a judge for the Technology Student Association's (TSA) National Competition on June 30 and evaluated entries in the promotional graphics category.
Doylestown, PA-based Provident Marketing (asi/79973) has joined ASI as a decorator supplier.
Rainy Day Solutions (asi/81230) has announced that its Brella Bag hands-free umbrella holder has been selected as one of the businesses to debut in this year's Daytime Emmy Awards Gift Bags.
SanMar (asi/84863) will introduce its 2010 Holiday Gift Guide in early September. Pre-orders are available now at www.sanmar.com.
Sassy Scrubs donated two large boxes of scrub pants to U.S. troop hospitals in Germany and the Middle East to use as comfortable sleepwear. |
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CALENDAR
August 18, Houston
“Hot Stuff” Booth Show
(281) 238-4772; www.houstonppa.org
August 18-19, Live Oak, TX
CAPPA Show
(830) 980-9077; www.cappatexas.org
August 20-21, Nashville, TN
Embroidery Mart – EAST
(800) 866-7396; www.nnep.net
August 21-24, Seattle
The Seattle Gift Show
(213) 430-2300; www.seattlegift.com
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August 22-25, Marlboro, MA
New England Apparel Club Show
(781) 326-9223; www.neacshow.com
August 22-25, Montreal, Quebec
Montreal Gift Show
(888) 823-7469; www.montrealgiftshow.com
August 25-26, Orange County, FL
The PPAF Expo
(888) 827-7723; www.ppaf.com
August 30-31, Boston and Long Island, NY
Advantages Roadshow
(800) 546-3300; www.asishow.com |
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| ASK JERILEE |
Q. I don't understand how digitizers charge for their work. Can you help?
A. When I digitized commercially, I began by charging by the number of stitches; later, I started charging by design complexity. So, when a puncher charges for a design by its stitch count, he needs to estimate how many stitches there will be to determine the exact fee. Digitizers who charge by stitch count will offer an estimate that's usually higher than the final number of stitches that result. The idea is estimate higher, so that the final quote is usually the same or a little lower; however, if the number of stitches goes over the estimate, you'll be charged for those stitches. Digitizers figure it's better to estimate higher so that your final quote will always be the same or lower.
Read more on this topic in "Jerilee Answers" in the September/October issue of Stitches.com or read all of Jerilee's archived columns at www.stitches.com/jerilee. Jerilee Auclair is owner of Black Eagle Designs. To join Jerilee's Google forum on machine maintenance and repair and other embroidery-related topics, send an e-mail to: jerilee@blackeagledesigns.com. |
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