Table Of Contents
Introduction
The Benefits of Beanies
Important Considerations For Your Beanie Design
Ways To Promote Your Brand Using Beanies
Alternatives to Beanies
Introduction
Beanies are a great branding opportunity and will keep your team warm in winter. Whether you’re looking for an affordable way to raise funds for your team or to promote your brand, beanies are the perfect choice.
Beanies vary in colour, in design and some of them have a pom-pom on the top. They’re at sports games, they’re in the snow - and they can be 100% customised to your business or club needs.
In this guide, you’ll find out more about everyone’s favourite winter headwear - the beanie!
The Benefits of Beanies
There are many promotional products to choose from out there so it can be overwhelming to make a choice. The first question to address is, why choose beanies?
Beanies are a bestseller for winter clubs, as well as a huge hit for businesses who work outdoors or want the perfect giveaway for clients. They have long been a popular merchandise item, and here’s why:
- Warmth: Let’s not forget the main reason these hats are so well-liked at this time of year - they are perfect for keeping your team warm and cosy. Although you might be able to layer up with jumpers and pants, there's nothing worse than a cold head and ears. Beanies keep your head warm and protect your ears from windchill.
- Customisation: On top of their warmth and practicality, you have several options to customise beanies to suit your brand, such as custom colours, weaves, text, and embroidery.
- Unisex Sizing: Beanies are unisex, so there’s no need for different sizes for men and women. Typically beanies have one-size-fits-all adult or kids sizing, which means you aren’t going to be left with excess inventory of extreme sizes that don’t fit anyone.
- Low Cost: Next, they’re also easy to make and cost-effective, which means a big profit margin for you. Due to the small amount of material required, a simple beanie can cost only a few dollars if you buy in bulk - so you’ll reap many benefits without having to invest a lot of money or storage space. It’s a win-win for everyone!
- In-Style: Finally, choose beanies because there’s a broad market for them. They’re a popular choice for businesses or sports teams. Pom pom beanies can be super soft, comfortable and fashionable. Plus, beanies are versatile and go with most outfits to get branding across in a fun and trendy way.
Important Considerations For Your Beanie Design
When it comes to designing beanies, there are a few main points you should take into account. Below is a list of considerations to ensure your beanie design turns out to your liking.
1. Which Material Is Best?
You will need to consider which type of material is best for your requirements. Below we’ve listed a brief description of common beanie materials, including their advantages and disadvantages:
- Wool: A natural and renewable resource, wool is a popular choice due to the significant warmth it provides - more than any other material. The cons of wool include its high cost and that it can easily stain. It can also be itchy and uncomfortable to wear.
- Acrylic: A cheaper alternative to wool due to its similar appearance, acrylic is a synthetic fibre that retains colour well and offers stretching capabilities. However, its downsides include poor insulation compared to wool and its tendency to develop pilling.
- Fleece: A durable, hard wearing material, fleece is lightweight and breathable. This breathability also means that it is not windproof and therefore not as warm as other materials. It also easily attracts dust, hair and lint.
- Cotton: A versatile fibre which is moisture-wicking, non-allergenic, soft, affordable and holds colour well. Its disadvantages include its tendency to shrink and get wrinkled.
When weighing up these fabrics, be sure to think about the environment in which they’ll be worn and the look and style that each material delivers.
2. Different Styles and Features
There is a range of different beanie styles available, but one of our favourite options is the vibrant pom-pom beanie! Bursting with personality and flair, these charming accessories instantly elevate any winter ensemble. The playful pom-poms perched atop the beanie add a delightful touch of joy and fun. Whether you're sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace or watching game-day from the sidelines, the pom-pom beanie becomes your ultimate companion. Embrace the playfulness of the pom-pom beanie!
3. Printing Methods
Another consideration in the process of creating your beanie is the different printing styles. Below are some common printing styles and the advantages and disadvantages of each:
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Embroidery: This process involves stitching a pattern or logo into fabric. The stitching can be done manually, by commercial embroidery machines, or by computerised embroidery machines.
When done by machine, the design or logo must be transferred into a format that the machine can understand, which is called embroidery digitising. Embroidered logos are durable, do not fade and are cost-effective due to their long-lasting design.
However, embroidery does not work well with thin fabrics due to the tendency for the fabric to easily be pulled during the process. It also can look unappealing and messy if a large logo is embroidered.
There are different types of embroidery including classic embroidery or puff embroidery, which creates a three-dimensional effect that raises the stitches off the garment. This option is preferred for smaller orders or complex logos that involve many colours due to its lower setup costs.
- Sublimation: Sublimation allows for a countless number of colours and designs which are only limited by your imagination. With a high level of detail and vibrancy, you can even print photo quality images on to garments using this technique. It also gives for a smoother, long lasting finish as the ink is infused into the garment rather than printed or embroidered on top.
4. Text/Logo Placement Options
Your text and logo placements are also elements that you’ll want to figure out. Some selections to think about include:
- Wraparound: Your text/logo stretches all the way around the length of the beanie.
- Front only: This commonly involves a logo or patch design front and centre of the beanie.
- Front and back: The same text/logo appears on the front and back so it can be read from both sides.
Branding is all about putting your custom label or patch in the right place so it gets noticed in a subtle yet straightforward manner. You can also opt for a combination of the above - for example, a patch embroidered on the front, and text that wraps around the upper portion. No matter what you do, experts recommend keeping the design simple and clean for the best results. As a beanie is quite a small space to work with, you don’t want to overcrowd it with a loud design which can lessen its visual impact and the message you want to send.
5. Consider Your Target Audience
When aiming to design the perfect beanie you should also think about your target audience. Ask yourself, what is the purpose for ordering them? When and where are the beanies most likely to be worn? Is your sports team going to wear them before games to encourage team spirit, or do you want to help spread the word about your business?
Once you have considered the above points and finalised your beanie design, keep reading to discover four highly-effective ways to promote your brand using beanies.
Ways To Promote Your Brand Using Beanies
- Incorporate beanies as part of your winter uniform
For those working outdoors, having a beanie as part of the uniform allows your staff to look good and stay warm. Beanies are attention-grabbing hats and are instantly recognisable for your company. In sports and in business, uniforms have the ability to boost team morale and provide a sense of belonging. So why not add to your club’s uniform with a weather-appropriate accessory like the humble beanie?
- Put beanies behind the bar or canteen
Beanies are the perfect item for fundraisers! Designing a beanie that perfectly represents your club or business is a great opportunity to raise funds because they’re so affordable and well-loved. Not only are beanies cheap but they can turn over a tidy profit. Put them behind the bar or canteen and they will sell themselves (especially on a cold Sunday morning!)
- Run an online competition
Another option is that you can run an online social media competition and have a select number of beanies as prizes. Everyone loves pom pom beanies and being able to get one for free will encourage people to go into the draw to win.
- Create a giveaway
The cost-effectiveness and one-size-fits-all approach of beanies makes them a no-fuss, unique giveaway item for anyone to wear. Giveaways can increase brand recognition and bring in referrals so they’re great for future business. Your brand will also get additional exposure when customers wear your beanie.
Alternatives to Beanies
There are plenty of other merchandise and product ideas to take into consideration. You can customise, personalise, and embellish a variety of promotional items - not just beanies. It just depends on your audience and what you’re trying to achieve with your branding goals. Regardless of your promotional item of choice, you can look forward to the moment you get to hand these products out and see your brand being properly represented.
Next Steps
Thanks to our extensive experience in creating promotional beanies, we have streamlined the process so it is hands-off and painless for our clients. It’s easy to collect orders from your customers and staff, especially using our free online portal - contact us to set one up or for more information.
Ready to order your own custom beanies? If you are interested in purchasing beanies for your brand, contact 5-star favourites Cheeta Teamwear to get a quote, have your questions answered, or learn more about The Cheeta Difference. We can help you create the best beanies for your brand and make the entire process super simple and convenient for you.
