It is no surprise that the media industry has been under fire since the 2016 presidential race. But thank the First Amendment, news sources have prevailed. Today, we’re going to look at local and social media to see how branded caps can be used to build loyal fans and instill a sense of confidence in the news.
Next week, we’ll talk about national media sources in television, print, and radio.
Branded Caps for Local Media
Local media predominately consists of news stations, area radio stations, newspapers, and community magazines, all of which are highly involved in events happening in their metropolis and surrounding areas.
Events like galas, charity auctions, golf tournaments, holiday celebrations, grand openings, and more. Events that are practically begging for logoed headwear to promote them.
The media outlets themselves, also need promotional products. Update the local news stations’ coffee mugs with a high-quality hat their viewers will love. Provide radio personalities with caps their listeners will covet when calling in for a contest. Outfit reporters, journalists, and meteorologists with headwear they can wear when they are on the go covering stories and performing interviews.
Branded caps are also perfect for behind-the-scenes members of the media like camera men and sound engineers, especially when they are out in the elements shooting on-location.
Branded Caps for Social Media
Did you know tech companies spend more on promotional items for internal use than most other industries year after year? Or that 70% of distributors surveyed said their customers in the technology industry purchased apparel items.
Over the past decade, we have seen the national unemployment rate reach alarmingly high levels. Jobs have been cut and layoffs increased. It is common for us to think about individual workers being in competition with one another for only a few job availabilities.
For most tech companies, however, things are very different. The technology market’s unemployment rate was less than 3% in 2015.
It is the employers who are in competition with one another for the workers. It is one of the few markets in which the individual holds all of the negotiation power with regards to employment opportunities.
The tech industry as a whole is growing faster than universities can turn out graduates, so it is common for several companies to be in a bidding war with each other for a highly talented engineer or developer.
Does your territory include Silicon Valley? It never hurts to reach out periodically, especially with large powerhouses like Facebook, as they have dozens of departments utilizing promotional products. You never know when a buyer is dissatisfied with their current distributor. Catch them at the right time, and you will land yourself an invaluable account.
The most notable social media sites and apps include: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. There are also more specialized areas of the social sphere like Twitch, Pinterest, Whatsapp, and Tumblr. All of which have influencers, or individuals made famous by a specific medium, especially Instagram and YouTube.
Social media influencers use their platform as a money-generating business; they are today’s entrepreneurs. They use social posts as paid sponsorships by partnering with businesses to promote products.
Since these posts are primarily visual imagery, it can be very beneficial for the influencer to wear promotional apparel in the photo they are using to push the product. That way, consumers can see the product itself, as well as the brand’s logo right on top of her head without having to go look up the #linkinbio to learn the name of the brand.
Bitmoji is an app that users use to create a cartoon of themselves to use in texts and Snapchats. Each caricature is built and dressed by the user and comes with dozens of scenarios and emoji-type graphics. Bitmoji recently announced you can now buy apparel with your avatar and your friend’s avatars printed on it. This is just another example of how #Hatswork to promote brands.
Despite the bad press, the Media and Entertainment market reached $1.9 trillion in 2016 and shows no signs of slowing down. Check back next week as we dive into national media, and let us know what you think about branded caps for the local and social channels in the comments below.
