What does a clothing supplier know about bringing products to market?

As a UK based clothes manufacturer, we have helped 350 brands to turn their dream into a reality. It is a fulfilling job but can sometimes be a challenge. Through each challenge we have learned new things; the good, the bad and the pitfalls that we can fall into in our industry. Although sometimes it doesn't come down to us. We have seen some brilliant products fail because of their poor marketing strategy after the production is finished but we are here to make sure you don't fall into those traps. This blog will highlight some of the most important things that we have learnt since the inception of White2Label. Hopefully reading these important facts will help your brand succeed and build your knowledge of what to do, and not do, with your brand. Here at White2Label we want to build long lasting relationships with our client base and sharing our knowledge of the industry is just one of the small ways we plan to do that. So let's jump into the facts and the do’s and don'ts for your brand.

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"Creating great products is one thing, bringing them to market is something completely different."

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Marketing is important

So for the moment let's forget the product and the clothing production, we will come to that later. Let's talk about what you can do after the products are in your hands.

Marketing is what gets your product noticed and that's why it is extremely important. We have learned over the years that bad marketing can sink a business and reduce sales. Too many clients that we have worked with do not make the most of marketing a good product. They have a great idea and design but when it comes to the marketing they drop the ball. They get confused as to who they want to market too or their content often doesn't do the product any justice. 

Clients will spend months, if not years (rightfully so) perfecting products, collections and sourcing fabrics only to assume the end consumer will know the work that's gone into the collection through no more than a basic image.. the unfortunately reality is that they don't and assuming this will impact your ability to sell the items in the first place.

To avoid this with your brand it is good to market with good editing and colours that work with your target audience and branding. Having a dash of colour will stand out to social media swipers and will sell more for your brand.

Be creative with your design

One of the most common pitfalls of a new clothing brand is committed before any products have even been ordered. It happens while the owner is still creating their brand with pen and paper. A creative design can make all the difference to a clothing brand. A logo design doesn't have to be anything crazy but it does have to look good. Sometimes, less is more but remember, you have to cater towards your customers.

Don't be afraid to be creative with it either. You don't need to source a clothing manufacturer and go down the generic route that every brand follows to do well. Being different will help get (and keep) eyes on your brand.

When you think of creative designs, they tend not to be just the brand's name. Nike's swoosh, Adidas’ stripes, Calvin Klein's initials and Tommy Hilfiger red and white colour scheme are extremely popular ones that come to mind. If you are worried about being too obscure or over-creative then remember that Lacoste logo is an Alligator. Creative designs like these ones will help your brand stand out in the shops and they will not get mixed in with simple ‘brand name’ designs. 

Don't follow the crowd

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Test and find out what works

Marketing and branding are valuable things we have learned a lot about in the clothes manufacturing sector, but all of this is tied into the ability to test and find what works for your clothing brand. What works for industry leading businesses will not work for you - they have larger budgets, more efficient and stable supply chains and likely more staff.

If you're running paid ads, you need to be split testing

So, this goes without saying. Facebook won't print you money as these online course gurus will make you believe. The truth is, you will need to spend money finding the right ad creative, audience and execution prior to seeing any conversions.

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Branding is crucial

Branding comes about in many different forms - it doesn't just have to be your logo, name and colour-scheme, but it's often the way you translate this into products.

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When sourcing a clothing manufacturer, it's important to ensure you present tech-packs and specifications to ensure they meet your branding requirements. This can often be made up of logo applications, custom Pantone dyeing fabric, woven and/ or printed labels, branded bagging and swing tickets.

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Conclusion

So There you have it,those are some of the most important things we have learned taking 350 brands to market. Following these rules your brand will have more of a chance of succeeding. As you will now be aware It isn't all just about your product or marketing, you can make a huge difference in the way that you conduct yourself as the brand owner. Being professional may be the most important thing on that list but it doesn't take away from the importance of marketing and creativity. So follow these facts and see what you can learn yourself in the future.