My friend told me a story recently about a trip she took Montana. The sky was blue and seemed to last forever. The mountains were everything you expect as winter transitions to spring – the perfect mix of snow-capped glory and granite. The weather was brisk but the air was clean and refreshing. She lives in New York City and longed to escape to a peaceful place where the only traffic jams around involved moose or buffalo.
She talked about the lodge where she relaxed each morning, bundled up in front of the gorgeous stone fireplace with massive mugs of coffee. She showed me photos of the wild animals she’d spotted. She shared stories of her fellow travelers – all looking to get away from their daily grind and experience a slower pace and a different sort of beauty. She slept more soundly than she had in months and came home rested, relaxed and content.
To help remember and keep this feeling of balance, she purchased a shirt from the lodge’s gift shop. It’s a somewhat silly item, with the outline of a moose head and the name of the resort. But it’s a reminder of a time she holds dear and she hopes to use the shirt to channel her experiences from this wonderful escape. I wasn’t with her at that lodge, but after hearing her story about such an amazing week, I wanted that shirt, too!
Stories like this remind us of the impact of t-shirts to inspire, unite and serve as keepsakes for life’s adventures. When thinking of new ways to sell or advertise your product, think about how those products impact your customer. How do your customers connect emotionally with your product or with the memories those products represent? What are those stories that make people smile, laugh or make them stop and think? Now, tell those stories.
You can tell those stories through static images, gifs, a blog post, a short video, a case study, social media, emails, or even just through a simple conversation with your customer. The goal is to emotionally make that connection between your customer and your product. You can turn a basic t-shirt into something so much more by telling a story about the product that sets it apart and brings those memories to life.