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Usefulness: What a Concept!

Fashion is taking a backseat to functionality, but in most cases you can have it all

If corporate apparel means a logo on a polo to you, then maybe you’re not thinking creatively enough.

Functionality is one of the latest trends in selecting apparel for reward catalogs and other business programs, says Doug Kitrell, director of the Promotional Products Group at BI (www.biperf.com). The Minneapolis-based business improvement company sources apparel and other products for programs in all kinds of industries, from automotive aftermarket and commercial roofing to food service, restaurants and direct sellers of scrapbook materials. In each case, some clothing items selected for the program are particularly useful to that audience.

“The products that we’re making available are intentionally focused on what they’re trying to accomplish. Our clients have very specific audiences with diverse needs and they want specific uses for their rewards,” Kitrell says.

When Firestone Building Products called on BI for help with its customer loyalty program, the Indianapolis-based commercial roofing manufacturer already had a sense of what would work best in its Red Shield Clothing Program. Firestone, which sells huge rolls of roofing material to contractors who employ their own crews, had polled its customer base on what kind of items they like to see in a reward catalog.

“They said they like stuff that they can use up on the roof,” says Christine Reppert, marketing communications manager for Firestone.

So the company filled its rewards catalog with high-quality insulated jackets, hooded sweatshirts, hard hats, safety sunglasses, work gloves and backpacks that allow the workers to carry their tools hands-free. Of course, the catalog also features polos and even some women’s wear for office workers participating in the program.

Contractors earn points based on how much they purchase and can redeem the points for Firestone-branded apparel and other products. The contractors enlist their crew members in the program and provide participants with a password to redeem points online.

“It’s good advertising for us and they’re proud to be Firestone contractors,” Reppert says. “They appreciate the fact that we use brand-name jackets because they recognize the quality.”

In selecting apparel for any program, it’s always smart to step back and heed the fine details of how participants will use it, says Kitrell. If you use shirts for training certification programs in the automotive service industry, for example, you want to steer toward durable, wash-and-wear items that have stain-relief systems built into the fabric – a product that’s easy to care for yet keeps the end user looking professional.

The focus on functionality has resulted in suppliers expanding their inventory, Kitrell adds. Now it’s up to end users (and their partners like BI) to find the right fit. “Taking the scope of what’s available and aligning it with a particular application is what creates the strength of an offering.”
 

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