QUESTION: What do the uniform and promotional products industries have in common?

The lines have definitely crossed. There once was a clear distinction between a uniform item and an ad specialty product. Now, with a logo and brand name printed on everything from socks to headwear, the differences between promotional product and uniform accessory have narrowed. Savvy sales organizations recognize the convergence. In todays business environment, both uniform dealers and promotional product distributors sell uniforms and career apparel.

The numbers tell the story. Both the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) and the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) report that wearables, the industry term for imprinted promotional apparel, account for roughly 29% of the promotional product industrys sales. In fact, three of the top five product categories for the reported $16 billion dollar market are wearables: shirts, caps/headwear and other apparel, such as jackets. (See pie chart, page 100).

The uniform and promotional product in many cases are identical. The sales approach, however, may be dramatically different.

The apparel-as-advertising philosophy is driven home by thousands of ad specialty distributors already working across the country. The end-users come to associate custom apparel as synonymous with the promotional product distributor. So, when the apparel buyer needs items resembling uniform and career apparel, guess who gets the call?

On the other hand, in the past few years especially, there is a growing trend among traditional uniform and career apparel sales teams to advance this concept as well. Many uniform dealers now maintain healthy ad specialty departments. This approach has consistently helped these firms to open new accounts with customers who have previously been uncomfortable with the idea of introducing uniforms into their place of business. These elusive end-users are attracted to the concept of employees wearing imprinted apparel as a marketing toolselling uniforms to them comes later.

Evidence of the uniform and promotional product market convergence may been found in the circulation patterns of Made To Measure Magazine. Promotional product distributors represent our fastest growing readership categorya clear indication that ad specialty companies are responding to the marketplace, which is requesting more uniform and career apparel merchandise.

The bottom line is promotional product suppliers and distributors are growing their businesses by selling uniforms and career apparel. These firms may not be outfitting police or fire departments with specified or technical program apparel (yet), but they are selling in high volume to the hospitality, corporate and service markets.