Why You Should Have Company Shirts

If you are thinking about what to get your employees for a Christmas or holiday present, why not consider a company shirt? If your employees don’t have a shirt or hat, or something with your logo on it, then you are missing out on a number of perks. Company shirts don’t have to mean that you lack a fashion sense, nor do they have to make your team look lame. Company shirts are actually beneficial: They can boost morale in your employees, and, at the same time, promote your business. Maybe you don’t enforce a dress code that makes your employees wear company shirts every day, but, before you write off company shirts completely, you should consider these benefits.

Making Your Employees Happy

One reason that you should consider giving your employees company shirts is that it can increase their happiness. Your employees, just like everyone else, love to receive free stuff. It makes them feel appreciated and wanted. Then, in return, by making your employees happy, it is more likely that they will stay with your company longer and be more productive. Providing free perks has been shown to boost morale and productivity, which is always beneficial to your company.

Team Identity

In addition to making your employees happier, company shirts can help promote a team identity. It is easy for your employees to become extremely focused in their own work to the point where they forget that they are part of a bigger picture. This happens especially frequently in companies that have distinct departments which don’t intermingle often, so that employees tend to become isolated from each other. While company shirts can’t force them to start talking to each other, it does help make them feel more united.

You might think that they aren’t going to want to wear a company shirt, but studies have shown that a lot of employees actually enjoy wearing the brand of their company. Much like a sports team is unified by their uniforms, your employees will enjoy being part of a team. Think about your favorite sports team. You aren’t apart of the actual team, but, when you put on that shirt or sweatshirt, you automatically become part of something greater. Random people will cheer with you, and you get a sense of pride and excitement.

The same thing can happen with company shirts. The visual reminder that they are part of a bigger organization reinforces a sense of belonging to something. This can help foster an identification not only with the team of people, but with the organization, and the company’s values and mission. This is another way in which employees can start to feel accountable for the company’s principles and success.

Walking Billboard

So, let’s say that you ask your employees to all wear their company shirts on Wednesdays. Now, you don’t know what your employees do on Wednesdays besides work, or maybe you do. But think about all the places that they might go besides the office. They might go out to lunch, or to dinner, or to an appointment. What if they are on the way home and decide to stop by the gym or the grocery store? The places that they could go are endless. Everywhere that they go in your company shirt, they are advertising for you. It’s unlimited brand exposure. You have no idea who they might be sitting next to in the doctor’s office or standing in front of at the grocery store. That person could end up becoming your biggest client. Having them wear your logo or brand turns them into a walking billboard for you and presents the opportunity to expand your outreach to a whole new audience.

Starting Conversations

Next time you go somewhere in that sports team shirt, notice how many people speak to you. Random people will come up to you and either say something positive or negative, depending on their own sports association. The same thing can happen with a company shirt. You could be standing in line at the grocery store, and someone ask you what your company is. This is a great way to build your brand. Not only are you a walking billboard, now you are a talking billboard. The absolutely best thing you can do for brand outreach is to get brand ambassadors. People are going to trust someone telling them a company is good, rather than an advertisement