School Sales Equal More than Sports

Monday 12th of April 2010 09:46:49 PM

School Sales Equal More than Sports

The conventional wisdom surrounding promotional clothing and schools points to team sports. Promotional clothing distributers often work with schools to provide t-shirts, jackets, and uniforms for a variety of athletic events such a football, cheerleaders, and basketball.

The promotional clothing distributer can do very well selling to schools and focusing on team sports. For example, the football team will need practice jerseys, uniforms, travel cotton polo shirts, pep rally t-shirts, varsity jackets, and sweat suits. Multiply these times an average of 18 players per team and you can see why team sports are a successful avenue for distributors.

Team sports are not the only venue for promotional clothing in the school setting. At the most basic level promotional clothing distributers should offer extensions of the team sports products to all students, staff, and teachers. Hoodies, sweat suits, cotton t-shirts, polo shirtsSchool uniforms are becoming the norm across the nation and promotional clothing distributers with a team sports contract should take the initiative with school uniforms. Develop a standard uniform kit prototype, cost sheet for the school uniform committee, and be available for questions. Today’s uniforms include a t-shirt or polo shirt, a pair of khakis or dress slacks, socks, a belt, and other items specified by the school.

A long-time favorite at many schools is the fundraiser. Fundraisers are held throughout the year for everything from a back to school dance to Earth Day. Promotional clothing distributers can work in concert with fundraising groups to run a successful event.

Kate Rodgers, a cheerleading coach in Texas, reported that her cheer team held a fundraiser to earn money for a trip to a competition. “The cheerleaders earned over $4500 with the fundraiser and put the money to our trip,” said Rodgers. What did they sell? The cheerleaders worked with a promotional clothing distributer to design a simple t-shirt with the school mascot and the year. Students in all grades happily purchased the –shirts.

Promotional clothing experts recommend collaborating with fundraising groups as one of the most profitable ways to increase profit and develop a relationship with schools. In the past year some of the more interesting fundraisers include a registration day bonanza rally t-shirt sold as a fundraiser by the band, prom t-shirts sold by the junior class, Homecoming pep rally t-shirts sold by the Homecoming committee, and sweatshirts with the school mascot sold by the school ski club to raise money for their winter ski trip.