Tag Archives: Corporate Clothing

How To Behave In Your Corporate Uniform

Posted on by

Two years ago I was lucky enough to work for a company where employees all wore a uniform every day. While it may sound crazy to call wearing the same thing every day lucky, there are many advantages when it comes to uniforms and corporate clothing.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

A very interesting thing happened about two weeks after I had been hired; a new rule was strictly enforced, stating that no one was allowed to smoke while in their uniform. The only time when smoking would be permitted was if you went somewhere where absolutely no one could see you. This just went to show how serious companies are becoming about projecting a wholesome and environmentally friendly image to the public.

It goes without saying that my fellow nicotine-dependant employees went to great lengths to get a cigarette in wherever they could; some even started complaining about the length of lunch hour as the walk to the nearest park, where they would sit behind a tree and smoke, was about ten minutes away.

Recognisability And Corporate Clothing

This was my first job where I got to learn about the responsibility that comes with wearing a uniform. Not only was it very hard to hide from your boss when you accidently went to the same super market, but it was also extremely hard to hide from clients. No more did it matter if a problem did not fall into your department, you still had to deal with the customer and search for the right employee to get the job done as the customers would just search for anyone in the right kind of clothes to help.

While this was sometimes extremely irritating, it also helped to create a sense of responsibility amongst all of the employees as we stopped seeing only certain parts of the company as our jobs, but got exposed to different departments and learned that lending a helping hand helps everyone in the end.

Leisure Time And Corporate Clothing

We all sometimes grab those moments of leisure during our working hours, where we surf the internet, chat on our phones or catch up on the office gossip with other employees. When you don’t have to wear corporate clothing in your company, you have the option to go outside and talk on your phone or to simply act like you are a customer in the company and not an employee when a real customer comes walking in (horrible I know!), but when you are wearing a uniform, you instantly feel compelled to put away your phone, jump off of your fellow employees desk and start flipping through files or close the Facebook application on your computer and start typing vigorously. Now while this may seem like a horrible fate for employees, it truly does increase productivity and is great for the boss!

Needless to say, wearing corporate clothing comes with a great responsibility and your employers will be very strict when it comes to enforcing the company rules.  The main aim of corporate clothing is for the company to project a professional image which would be pointless when employees do not display the appropriate behaviour. Simply put: wearing the uniform means you are an advertisement for your company; hopefully a good one.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Different Forms of Branding

Posted on by

Marketing and advertising has turned into a significantly large industry and has created a whole field on its own. Marketing has become such a huge business and covers a wide scope of elements that would take pages and pages to discuss. Due to the complexities of marketing and advertising, there are various sub-sections that are important to understand. In this particular article we will focus on branding and what different forms of branding there are. There are essentially, on a very broad level, two main divisions of branding.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Branding Type #1 – Personal Branding

If you think about it, you will begin to notice how much personal branding is employed in the business world. As the name implies, personal branding involves advertising certain products or services through the popularity of a certain individual. This usually is in the form of a personal endorsement or perhaps a known expert in the particular field. Think how often celebrities are used to advertise sports brand, hair products, fashion or cars to name but a few. Personal branding can be particularly affective when generated and promoted online. Imagine what a consumer would think before they consider trying your product or service? They want to know that they are receiving their money’s worth. That what you say about your product and service is in fact what they will get. The best way a customer can feel confident is by knowing that previous customers were satisfied and that the people they look up to in the industry can highly recommend it. A lot of these reviews and recommendations can be submitted online within various social media portals from blogs to websites, facebook and/or twitter. Also, due to the nature of online communication, such as with blogs, personalized branding can expand due to readers and customers willing to promote brands they believe to be high quality. The right personal branding can elicit confidence and surety for customers that they are indeed getting good quality. A through personal branding, customers may also feel patriotic encouraging them to further promote your product or service voluntarily.

Branding Type #2 – Internal Branding

When a business is created with its own mission and statement – it is the people employed that will be carry this through and across to the outside world. It is therefore important to consider their views and perspectives when it comes to branding your services or products. You want your employees to be proud, loyal and passionate about what your business is all about. However, this will only be achieved if they are included in the bricklaying of your business and this involves branding too. In order for your employees to feel patriotic and proud of the services or products they are promoting, it is essential to include their thoughts and opinions in the process. This will encourage your employees to feel included and part of the bigger picture. This will help to create a sense of unity and will enable them to work together as a team. Therefore, when it comes to your marketing campaign and branding strategy, it is always important to include internal branding as well.  The most solid form of marketing is to start with the heart of your business, including its ideas, values and people. This way your branding will have a solid foundation which elicits confidence in what it stands for and solid identity which will speak positively to potential customers and clients.

Understanding this broad differentiation within branding is prudent for any business to be aware of should they be embarking on a marketing campaign and branding strategy. For those who are starting their own business, this is very important to know. By understanding these different forms of branding, you will be able to choose which fits with your business the most. You should also consider whether or not your business will make use of online marketing opportunities. Online branding can be very effective due to the fast growing online community that opens many doors in terms of business marketing potential.

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Guidelines For Choosing A Corporate Uniform

Posted on by

When choosing a corporate clothing uniform for your employees  it is best to create an atmosphere of excitement and support towards the idea and to help them feel more comfortable and  see the advantages that a uniform will hold for the and the company. It is a great idea to incorporate your employees into the decision making process by listening to their opinions regarding the uniform and taking their expectations into account. Remember that they are the ones who will have to wear it every day and this will have a big impact on their attitudes towards their work. If you follow the right steps in incorporating a uniform it will greatly improve the climate, culture and productivity of your company.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Here are some guidelines for choosing the right corporate clothing:

Take into account the different races, religions and beliefs that the people in your company have. Some women might be in favor of wearing pencil skirts, while others might find it offensive. It is important to remember that while something may seem completely acceptable to you, it may not be as acceptable to people who are of different religions or cultures. Make sure that your choice in uniforms will be respectful to all religions in your company as well as respectful to the different body types. Some women may not feel physically comfortable in wearing certain kinds of clothes as they may be slightly bigger. The uniform you choose for your employees are supposed to give them confidence and to help establish a professional image for your company. Therefore every employee will need to feel comfortable and confident when wearing their uniform.

A company uniform should not only create unity but most importantly it should create brand awareness. The design of your corporate clothing uniform should be eye catching and favorable; just as any product you promote would be. Make sure that the logo is clearly visible on the uniforms and that outsiders will be able to identify your company when they see someone walking around in your uniforms.

Even though it might be a bit more expensive it is very important to choose high quality fabrics. Your employees will have to wear these uniforms in different kinds of weather as well as circumstances and their comfort is important. It will also be less expensive if you choose high quality fabrics as regular replacement of uniforms will not be necessary.
When choosing a corporate uniform you need to consider every department in your company as each department is responsible for completing different tasks. A department whose main focus is on administration will have a different type of uniform then a department whose focus is on physical work. Even though the style of the uniforms may differ, the look still needs to be the same.

The same rules that you would apply to the marketing of a product or service in your company should be applied to the design and choice of a uniform as well. Make sure that the uniform will market your company and will create a professional image. Ensure the safety and comfort of your employees when designing the uniform, and remember that a happy employee is more likely to work harder.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Branding Mistakes to Watch Out For

Posted on by

Starting up your own business is an exciting adventure but with obstacles along the way as life only knows how to do. As a business owner you will come across many problems that will need solving. However, why make it harder than necessary? Do your research and learn from other’s mistakes. When it comes specifically to branding your service or products, there are important considerations that need to be taken into account. Branding is the key element to successfully reaching out towards potential clients and customers. The right branding can propel your service or products forward to wonderful dizzying heights. At the same time however, many mistakes can be made that can cause your branding to be a liability rather than an asset. As branding is essential to the success of most businesses, it is important to be aware of what some of the most common mistakes other entrepreneurs have made in the past.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Branding Mistakes #1 – Being to clever with your brand name

Getting those creative juices flowing can become fun and exciting. Aspiring to create a brand name like no other can cause us to make unwise decision however. Remember that simplicity is always best. You want to be able to reach out to your targeted audience with clarity so that they have no trouble understanding who and what you are all about.

Branding Mistakes #2 – Don’t brand empty words

Remember that as the owner of your start-up business, you are the head, the forefront and the center point of the business. Everything you do will reflects on the brand of your business. Be consistent with who you are, what you believe and how you want to treat your customers and conduct business. Not only do you want those good values to come through in your branding, but these values and beliefs need to be evident in how you conduct and carry out the functioning of your business.

Branding Mistake #3 – Inconsistent communication

Your branding and the way in which your communicate it to your potential customers needs to be consistent throughout. Your customers will only know, understand and recognize your brand if you stand by brand and keep it consistent no matter how you communicate or promote your business to the public, This consistency helps to elicit a sense of trust on your brand; trust in the quality, the service and the motto your business stands behind.

Branding Mistake #4 – Not researching your competition and niche in the marketplace

If you have a budget don’t try to take a shortcut and chance placing your product in the marketplace in the hopes that it will make an impact, without any prior market research. You will end up spending more time and money creating products that won’t sell in the market than if you were to do a little bit of market research in the first place. Research whether or not your product or service has a niche in the market – this research does not need to be expensive. Be creative in getting out there and assessing what the public wants. If you want to design and sell wooden toys for example, go to crèches, nurseries etc to find out how well your toys might do. Bring a prototype with you for example. Also, be savvy and knowledgeable about the competition you face. What is your edge compared to them? Focus your branding that highlights this edge and differentiates you from the rest.

These are just a few of the branding mistakes that start-up business can make. Remember to be as methodical in your groundwork as you can be. There is usually a downside to cutting corners and long-term benefits to laying the foundations of your business and branding strategy thoroughly and with care.

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Corporate Image And Hosting Events

Posted on by

A great way of showing what your company stands for, while at the same time promoting your brand name, is hosting a charity event. If you have corporate clothing designed for staff members to wear to this event, or promotional gifts to hand out during the function, you are sure to make a big success of both promoting awareness of a specific cause and promoting a greater awareness of your company!

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Decide On A Charity

Speak to employees and colleagues about a cause the company can support through hosting a social and fun event to raise awareness. One of your colleagues might have a loved one suffering from Breast Cancer, or your company might have lost a valuable worker as a result of someone’s drunk driving. Once you have decided on a charity or cause to support you can start organising the event.

Raising Awareness

Raise awareness by having corporate uniforms made for all staff members to wear on the special day of the event. The uniform should clearly state the cause you are supporting. Have your company name printed underneath the cause, as this will say something about your values and it will also serve as a reminder to people of your company’s name. It will also make all staff members feel part of a team and part of a valuable cause. You can even allow them to wear these shirts to work every Friday!

Lots of promotional goodies can be made for such a day: caps, T-shirts, mugs, pens, stationary or wristbands. It is especially promotional wristbands that have become very popular in raising awareness of various illnesses and causes. These silicone wristbands have become quite trendy, and if you have them made in the colours of your company with the cause embossed or printed on them, you are sure to be seen as a very hip and up-to-date business!

Benefits For Business

Although money will be spend for hosting a charity event or any other promotional function, it will be money invested in a good cause, and it will also be money invested in your company’s corporate image. By handing out promotional gifts, you are handing out something that is much more effective than handing out flyers. People will be wearing the T-shirts, writing with the pens they received or sporting their funky wristbands. It is thus not only the event that will be memorable, but the name of the company involved will always be associated with the specific cause or charity that was supported.

Having a little fun while hosting a social event, having some exiting corporate clothing printed for the whole staff and giving out promotional gifts sound like an exciting way to build a positive corporate image!

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Corporate Clothing Today

Posted on by

In a time where competition in the world of business is becoming more and more intense, corporate clothing plays a significant role in the marketing process. Corporate clothing, worn by all employees and preferably with a business’ logo embroidered on it, reflects the character and work ethics of a company.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Reflection Of Company Standards

Clothing can tell us much about a person. It is thus important that a company makes sure that its employees are dressed well in clothes of excellent quality. Getting staff members a customised outfit will eliminate the possibility of people coming to work in clothes that are tattered and dirty.

The responsibility of the company is, of course, to make sure that the corporate clothing they choose for their employees is of a quality that will reflect the working standards of the specific business. Wearing smart corporate wear will earn a company respect: it will immediately tell people that you value neatness, quality and good end results.

Just think about meeting up with a lawyer… would you rather work with someone who is in his sweatpants, or with someone with a suit and tie and neatly combed hair? Appearance plays a very important role in convincing people of the type of service you will be providing them with. The extra money spent on professional looking corporate clothing will be money well invested. Adding your company logo to the corporate clothing will be another great investment in your advertising campaign.

Boosting Confidence

Not only does wearing corporate clothing enhance the positive image of a company, but it also boosts employees’ confidence. In some instances, workers cannot afford to buy formal or good quality clothes for work. If a company provides its workers with good quality wear for work, those who would not have been able to afford such clothes can now wear it with pride. Feeling more professional will most probably have a direct influence on the quality of work done by workers.

Whether wearing more informal corporate clothing such as customised T-shirts, or wearing suits in a formal working environment, feeling part of a team as a result of wearing corporate clothing will positively affect any worker’s self-perception!

Corporate Clothing: Some Warnings

Corporate clothing needs to be worn correctly. Make sure there is some sort of unity that accompanies workers’ dressing style: should hair be loose or tied up? Shirts tucked in or left out? And what about jewellery? How much accessories will be allowed? Keep in mind that employees’ appearance at work (and even outside work, when workers are wearing customised corporate clothing) can be seen as a reflection of a company’s work ethics.

In a cutthroat environment where various businesses compete against each other, corporate clothing can make all the difference. Not only does it boost the confidence of the workers, but it is also a strong statement of a business’ standards in delivering services!

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

 

How to Formulate a Branding Strategy

Posted on by

Formulating a branding strategy is perhaps one of the most intricate and essential elements to creating a successful marketing campaign. Due to it’s complexities developing a branding strategy is one of the elements many businesses find difficult and something of a challenge. However, almost because it is a challenge to get right, that when it is done successful, the rewards are bountiful. Your branding, if you think about, is what will be the focal point to any piece of advertising you do. Your branding will represent who you are as a business. It was tell a story of what you are about and how you want to come across to your potential customers. To help you navigate your way through the branding process, we’ve broken it down somewhat and started with the basics.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Branding Strategy – First of all, what is branding and where do you start?

To accurately understand what branding is all about, we will briefly go over what it is. Branding helps to distinguish one business from another. These days will the business market becoming more and more competitive, fighting over potential customers, branding enables you to stand out. Brilliant branding will help you stand out from the rest. Find the right branding for your business is a process that should not be hurried. Once you have branded your business, go back is very difficult and costly. Research your ideas thoroughly beforehand; arm yourself with branding knowledge and take time to experiment, define and build you brand. Your brand is almost like solemn message to your customers, sealed with a promise. This promise will form the building blocks of your business.

Your first step to formulating your branding strategy is to define what your brand is all about. What is the message you want to convey to your customers? What is your business all about? What is it’s philosophical underpinnings? All these questions should be answered with the branding you decide to go with. Your brand definition will also narrow down which marketing strategies will work best for your business.

 

Branding Strategy – What are the objectives of your brand?

When formulating your branding strategy, you need to ask yourself what you want to achieve. You need to know which audience you want to target and how your branding will best meet those objectives. How will your branding reach out to the group of people you are trying to connect with? You need to ensure that every step you take in formulating your branding strategy that your objectives are clear and being met with the decisions you are making. Focusing on your target audience is very important. You need to understand everything you can about this group. What attracts their attention, what do they like, how do they perceive the world? Focusing on your target market is important to streamlining your branding appropriately and effectively.

Formulating your branding strategy does take time, but with patience, careful planning and thorough research, your branding will give you a return ten times over. Once you understand what your branding is representing, how it will get the message across that you want to convey and what your target audience is you are on your way. Be sure to look for any marketing conditions, i.e. branding barriers that could block the success of your service or product.

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

How to Get the Most Out of Your Corporate Branding

Posted on by

A corporation may want to create a branding strategy because it is new in the market or has decided to give their current brand a make-over. However, regardless of the reason – it’s main aim to ensure that the branding is a success and becomes a valuable asset to the corporation.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

A corporate brand needs to exude confidence that as a company you are proud and passionate about what you stand for and offering clients and customers. Especially with a corporation, it is important to have the following and support of the staff that make the company what it is. So while as the owner you need to feel this confidence, it is essential that your employees do too. When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of your brand, it may be difficult to place a tangible value on elements such as confidence and how much that is being an asset to your business. However, any good branding strategy will produce better business results, so you need to evaluate your branding effectiveness through your sales performance. Corporate branding is intricate as there are many factors that come into play that need to be considered in order for the brand to be successful.

Corporate Branding Tip#1 – Know Your Target Market

The first step to successful corporate branding is understanding exactly what your target market is. You need to know your customers, their needs, likes and dislikes, what makes them tick etc. You need to believe in the service or products you are offering. In addition to this, you need to be savvy and in the know about the competition you face. What else is already in the market that is similar to yours? What is your edge compared to them? How do you differ and what makes you stand out? These are all important question that need to be answered clearly and with confidence. By researching these questions you will also begin to see where the services or products your corporation offers best fits into the market. Your branding will start to take shape once you know where your niche is.

Corporate Branding Tip #2 – What Does Your Corporation Stand For?

You need to consider what the core underlying values of your corporation are. What belief system is your organization built on? Whatever these values are, this need to be carried across through your branding. Your branding needs to be able to convey a message to your target group in a simple and concise way so that these potential customers can clearly understand what your company is all about.

Corporate Branding Tip #3 – Consistency

You need to be so confident in the message you are conveying through your brand so that it can be repeated over and over again across all kinds of advertising mediums. Consistency is important as it shows steadfastness, loyalty and confidence in the brand name. Consistency helps to build the reputation and image of a brand.

To make the most out of your corporate branding, you need to be thorough and sure about what you stand for and how you want to bring that message across to the public. This will require work, patience, diligence and time. But done correctly, it will become an invaluable part of making your corporation a success.

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Corporate Branding – Do’s and Don’ts

Posted on by

Corporate branding differs greatly from personal branding that involves a small business. Corporate branding involves for the large part a collaboration of people – the successful running of any corporation is its interaction with people and the relationships involved. This is from customers and clients, suppliers and distributors, business associates and shareholders etc. When it comes to branding, the corporation must take into account the people involved. Many fail to implement a successful branding strategy because they did not consider the needs and perception of the people that make up the company. The people who make up any corporation need to feel pride and respect for the brand that they represent. If this branding fails to impress and conjure up feelings of satisfaction, then they will not do what they can to push it forward. So when it comes to corporate branding there are some important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Corporate Branding – What Not To Do

First of all, you need to consider the objectives behind branding your corporation. It is important not to confuse any business problem you may have with branding issues. Many companies may implement a branding strategy initiative when in fact it is the business foundation itself that has problems. While it may seem easier to re-band – it won’t solve the root of the problem. Do not spend too much agonizing over the name for your brand. Too much time can be spent trying to find the perfect name, when it is the work behind the scenes that makes the name what it is. Do not underestimate the value of an old name. Long-standing companies may feel that their brand name needs updating or modernizing while not realizing what value they have in a name that has build up a solid reputation. Make sure that your brand image connects with and is appropriate to business market. Do not make the mistake of creating a self-image that does not fit with the outside world – your image needs to convey what matters to your business, while connecting in the right way to your valuable business associates.

Corporate Branding – What You Should Do

Be as specific with your brand as possible. This is difficult and at times painful to do as it may mean cutting out certain ideas or people. However, it is not possible to please everyone and branding is essentially answering certain questions such as, ‘What do we stand for?’, ‘Who do we serve,” and “What is the most important think we do?” By answering these questions with heartfelt focus, aggressive branding can elicit respect and acknowledgement in a challenging marketplace. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks with your branding but also remember that the soft elements of a business are always important; i.e. culture behind the brand, its values, rewards, and heroes etc – these themes bring about feelings for customers which help to build on their loyalty and relationship to the brand.

Remember that successful corporate branding is the work that shows behind the words; your branding needs to represent what you are, not what you say. If your branding is all about innovative ideas and risk-taking for example, then this needs to be carried through in reality so that your words have sincerity and meaning.

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing

Branding Tips for Your Small Business

Posted on by

You’ve come up with an amazing business idea. You are super excited and feel totally confident that it is going to work. However, even the most originally thought-up business idea is not effective without the right branding. Branding is the key elements to connecting with your targeted audience. If your branding does not hit the mark, then as great as your business idea might be – it could result in a disappointing flop. Branding is the cornerstone to successful advertising. You want your brand to help your business stand out from the rest; your brand should be good enough to help you create a name, image and reputation that will make customers and clients comes to you. But where do you start in creating effective branding for your small business? We outline some the steps you should keep in mind.

Reach your audience with email marketing by Certech.

Branding Tip #1 – Business Cards

You should never step out of the door and meet potential clients without business cards. Business cards when designed in the right way can be a lasting advertising tool. They are wonderfully flexible as they can be given to anyone or placed anywhere from shops, billboards, cars to name but a few. Business cards are there to display your brand and summarize your business details in a clear, user-friendly manner. They will tell prospective customers and clients what you are about and how to get in touch. Your business cards should entail everything they need to get in touch with your; from your address, email, website and contacts numbers. Similarly, business cards make use of cheaper printing options that still offer great advertising scope such as flyers, leaflets, newsletters, catalogs and postcards.

Branding Tip #2 – Letterheads

You need to advertise you brand as much as possible, and especially any work you send out to customers or potential clients. Create a letterhead with your branding that can be used on any form of paperwork that you need. From invoices, emails, letters, flyers, proposals, press releases etc. This will not only advertise your brand but will also bring across the right professional image. As a small business, your marketing budget will be fairly limited so try to be creative with your branding and use every possible opportunity to advertise your brand at a limited cost.

Branding Tip #3 – Online market

A great way to get your brand known and recognized is to tap into the online market. There are many social media portals that allow you to connect with a wide variety of people that would otherwise be much more difficult to reach. Having your own web page is vital and from there you can branch off into other social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, blogging etc.

Branding in the right way can be a daunting task, but done right will be an essential crutch that can lead your small business to greater heights. Do research and understand the intricacies of branding so that you know what you should and should not look out for. Mistakes are bound to happen, but these are important to as it helps you to learn on your own what works for your business and what doesn’t. Be creative and don’t be afraid to try new branding ideas so that your name and image becomes recognizable to potential customers anywhere. We wish you the best of luck!

Enhance your company brand with corporate clothing from Proactive HS.

Related Blogs

SMS
Marketing