An annual company picnic is a great opportunity to expand your brand’s visibility and get more than just your employees involved. The trick is to throw a terrific party, encourage each of your staff to bring their family and friends, and give away a free custom printed shirt to each attendee.
A company picnic generally means hot dogs, hamburger, chicken and/or ribs, salads, and bowls of fresh fruit, chips and dips followed by a generous dessert table. Games of horseshoes, volleyball, softball and swimming may be in store, and music piped in at your chosen venue for a fun vibe. Consider different colors for men’s and women’s custom printed shirts, and divvy up into teams to pit guys against gals in a little friendly competition. In fact, consider slightly fitted shirts for the women, even if the cost is a little more per shirt – studies show that women will be more likely to wear a fitted shirt than a plain straight sided tee.
If your company picnic has a theme, let your shirts reflect it. If your picnic is memorable enough, everyone who gets a shirt will be happy to wear it in remembrance of the great time they had! Consider having some child-friendly entertainment, and make sure you have child-size printed tees in stock for the youngsters to wear home.
The biggest argument in favor of doing a mass giveaway of custom printed shirts at a company picnic is the amount of advertising you achieve for a ridiculously low cost per impression. Each shirt has the potential to become a travelling billboard that introduces your company logo to hundreds or even thousands of people during the lifetime of the shirt – especially if you use only high-quality shirts which will remain in good condition for years.
Once you’ve selected the shirts you want printed and the designs you want to use, determine where you want the designs printed on the actual shirts. A simple logo on the front and a “I was There – (Company Name) Annual Picnic 2011” on the back makes for a good balance of design and isn’t overwhelming.
The colors you use should reflect your brand, without making the shirts unwearable in other venues. Stay with neutral colors like tan, pale yellow, green or blue, navy, white, or black. A glaring neon pink shirt will not fit well into most people’s wardrobes, and you don’t want your custom printed shirts relegated to the back of the closet next to the once worn bridesmaid’s attire.
Your company picnic can be a resounding success if properly planned and executed, and a lasting positive impact can be achieved if your employees, their families, friends and children like their free shirts well enough to wear them often and in public. If you can achieve this, your latest advertising campaign is off to a great start, and whatever you spent on the company picnic will have been well worth it.