So you’re looking for some promotional apparel, but you don’t want to do the same old thing everyone else is doing. What apparel item should you use to promote your brand? If you haven’t thought about creating some promotional socks, you should! Socks are a much more unique promotional item when compared to the “industry standards” like shirts and hats. A nice pair of promotional socks will really make your brand stand out from the pack.
High-End Socks Lead the Footwear Market
When you think of promo socks, you might be concerned that they’re just a passing fad — much like fidget spinners. Well, the good news is that promo socks were around before fidget spinners, and they’re still going strong. Socks are apparel items that everyone wears — just like shirts — which is part of the reason they haven’t dropped off in popularity. Since people wear socks every day, promo socks will always have a place in the consumer’s wardrobe.
And to further prove this, the global footwear market has been increasing every year, with high-end socks as the leading contributor! In fact, every year since 2016 the popularity of promo socks has steadily risen. This just goes to show that not only do people love their socks, but socks are something we should continue to pay more attention to in the future.
Socks are the new Ties
One of the great things about socks as a promotional item is that they’re unisex and, for the most part, one size fits all. However, there is one particular demographic for whom the rise of promo socks has a greater impact — and it’s not one you might immediately expect: men working office jobs.
As more and more companies are shifting towards a business casual dress code, the dominance of the tie in the workplace has come to an end. Tie sales peaked back in 1995, and they have been decreasing ever since. But what does the decrease in workplace ties have to do with the increase of promotional socks? For many men, ties were their way to show off their unique style in the office. Now that they no longer have that medium, socks have stepped in to fill the void.
Socks are personal items of clothing. When people find a particular pair of socks they like, they’ll wear them whenever they get the chance. You can use this to your advantage by creating a unique pair of promo socks your employees, customers, and future customers will love.
Socks are Weird — and that’s a Good Thing
Yes, we get it, socks are a weird promo item. But that’s a good thing! Weird promo items are the ones that stand out the most, and standing out is important from a marketing perspective. There are two things the ideal promo product should accomplish: they should be useful to their recipients and they should make everyone else look twice. Socks accomplish both of these goals. They serve multiple purposes (warm toes, fashion) for their wearers, and truly unique socks will make people do a double-take.
Promo socks can also generate more qualified leads than other apparel items. A shirt can generate many more impressions than a pair of socks, but most of those impressions won’t make any effort to convert, or simply don’t turn into qualified leads. Socks, on the other hand, probably won’t generate the same amount of impressions. But the trade-off is that promo sock wearers are more likely to show off their unique socks to people who care.
To use pop culture as an example, let’s say there was a Spider Man fan with a Spider Man shirt on — most people who see that shirt wouldn’t think twice about it. However, if that fan had a pair of Spider Man socks, they’re more likely to show them off to other Spider Man fans or people who are into unique socks. This expands and reinforces your brand awareness.
Socks for Every Occasion
The final thing you should know about socks is that there are a wide variety of styles and materials to choose from. Your promo socks can be low cut, quarter length, crew length, mid-calf length, calf-length, and more. The length of the sock you choose has to do with both your target audience and how much promo space you want to be on the sock. Some socks provide more ankle support for activity, some are for more professional settings, and some are simply casual.
Additionally, cotton, wool, and cashmere are the most common materials used. However, as with the length of sock, the material used also has to do with who your promo socks are meant for. If your target audience is highly active, athletic socks are typically made of spandex and polyester.
Conclusion
The key takeaways from this article are that socks are rising in popularity, socks are replacing ties in the workplace, and socks are more unique than other promo apparel items. Promo socks have steadily been on the rise since at least 2016, which is a sign that they should be taken seriously as a promo product. And this growth is partially influenced by the increase in business casual offices and the unique sense of personality custom socks can have. Finally, once you’ve decided on socks as your promo item, selecting the right length and material is key.
Rock Your Socks with Safeguard Premier
If you’re ready to take the leap into the wonderful world of promotional socks, your local Safeguard Premier Branding Solutions representative can help. Contact us today to learn more about your promo sock customization options. And if you have another unique promo product idea in mind, we can help you turn that into a reality as well.