Choosing which merch to use for a group can be overwhelming. Over my years helping people with bulk projects like this, I’ve found ways to make it far less so! Check out the tips below to make the process go more smoothly, with much less stress for you.
Going with the default
There is always the “default” option, which is the standard, most cost effective, black tees or hoodies with a white screen print.
Another way to do the default is to give me any information you already have and let me do all of the work for you. Have one conversation with me (or a chat or a few emails) and I’ll come up with what I think would work best for your group without any extra effort from you.
If you’re looking for something more hands-on, or want a more detailed narrowing down of products manually, check out the tips below!
Allow enough time (don’t procrastinate)
It may go without saying, but starting early can save you a lot of hair pulling. If possible, allow two months for your project (one month to sort out product selection, finalize artwork, get the group’s opinion, make changes, order samples, etc., then one month for production). Things don’t always take that long but it’s better to get your order early than to run out of time and rush at the end!
Don’t ask your group’s opinion… yet.
I can’t tell you how many times there has been a “too many cooks” situation when ordering group apparel. Step number one should be to hold off on seeing what people want. Follow the steps below to narrow down the choices first, then ask them to help with the final decision, and potentially some smaller steps along the way. I promise this will save you a lot of stress.
Take note of prior experiences
If your group has ever had merch made before, take stock of the experience(s). Gather any information you can about what kinds of things the group got before, the more information the better. If the experience was a good one and the merch was well received, we can match the same products or find equivalents. If the experience was a bad one, we can steer clear of those products and use the feedback about them to go in a different direction.
Avoid looking through a catalog
There’s a concept called the “paradox of choice”. It’s the idea that while having a lot of choices allows you the potential to get exactly what you want, too many choices can actually make the decision process exhausting, to the point of decision fatigue and “analysis paralysis”.
The fix for this is to narrow down your options first, to get a good idea of what kind of thing you’re looking for.
Start with your group’s needs
This is the step that will narrow down the bulk of your choices. What will your group be doing with the merch? If they’ll be selling it, you’ll want something very different than if they plan to wear it while playing a sport. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Who are your group members? Are they kids, adults, or both? What kinds of sizes will you need? There is no “standard” bell curve as every demographic and activity group has a different size range.
- What activities will be done in (or with) the merch? Sports games, standing for long periods of time at events, going out dancing, sitting in meetings, or going to the beach will all demand different things from the items you choose.
- What will the weather be like (or will they be worn primarily inside)?
Take into account your group’s values
If your group has any values, those can often be factored in as well. A good example of this is sustainability. Recycled and organic fabrics can be more expensive than traditional options, but for groups who find limiting their environmental impact important, it may be worth the increased cost. Consider if your group values being “weird” or “out there”. In this case, you may want to look at items outside the usual tee shirts or hoodies, and find something uniquely “them” to offer.
Consider the question of color
A lot of groups have specific brand colors they need to follow. For example, schools often have “brand guidelines” to follow which specify colors and fonts, as well as logo structure and placement. All of this can be important to keep in mind, not only for the print color, but the garment color as well. If your design is required to go on a white or navy background, it wouldn’t be good to select a garment that only comes in black and cream!
Choosing the right decoration method
Certain decoration methods can only work with specific kinds of artwork. Be sure to have me look it over to see if any methods are automatically ruled out. For example if your design won’t work with embroidery, we can rule out beanies and certain hats from the beginning.
Ordering samples
With all of that done, your choices should be significantly narrowed down. Look through the options and choose your top 2-4 to order samples of. This is where you should ask your group for their opinion! Find more details about the sample ordering process here.
Next steps
Once you’ve chosen your blank items, you’ll want to look at your decoration method, artwork, and taking orders from your group members. Check out those links for more details!
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