August 2007 - Cover Story

The Kid Zone

By Tonia Cook Kimbrough

Distributor Sheree Jordan has carved a profitable niche selling some wild and wacky wearables to the likes of Nickelodeon and its publishing partner Grolier Books.

Jordan, who’s president of Chesire, CT-based Jordan Group Promos, produced a winner of a campaign for the team’s Rugrats book club that relied on the promise of a silk-screened T-shirt custom designed with a 14-color imprint. The full-front chest design showcased the Rugrats engrossed in books and exclaiming, “Reading Wow!” The direct mail incentive ultimately motivated more than 300,000 kids to register – resulting in that many children running around the country in the logoed shirts.

“The demand for kids’ wear has definitely increased over the past few years, mirroring the growth experienced by the adult casual apparel market,” says Margaret Crow, director of marketing at Bolingbrook, IL-based S&S Activewear. “Imprinted or novelty tees in particular have continued to increase in popularity among teens and adults, and naturally expanded to the kids’ market in the past year or so.”

Trend Alert The thing about kids is you rarely have to worry about overdoing it with color and patterns. In fact, the more, the better according to those who specialize in pint-sized apparel. “One significant trend is the increase in the range of colors and patterns available in kids’ wear. It’s no longer just pink, blue and yellow,” says Margaret Crow, director of marketing for S&S Activewear, in Bolingbrook, IL. Infant T-shirts and onesies in tie-dye, camouflage, black and other non-traditional colors are popular. “At the retail level, there’s been a growing trend in concert and other pop culture T-shirts for infants and toddlers that, like adult sizes, are typically in black,” Crow says. You can also go wild with your imprint designs and materials. “We encourage our ad specialties distributors to think of their own young children or grandchildren when thinking of how to promote kids’ wear. Use or develop logos that are animated with lots of colors,” says Kristin Fleming, director of marketing for Mt. Pleasant, SC-based Northfield Trading Co. “It’s all about infants and kids looking cute and having fun. Companies that are using promotional kids’ apparel relax their normally strict guidelines in the process of putting together a fun logo to use on the apparel.” Also, combine colors with abandon. Choose two-tone garments for inspiration. “Two-tone styles have really gained momentum this year,” says Brinden Asher, director of marketing for Los Angeles-based Bella. “The two-tone combinations in kids’ wear make a great surface for embellishing in the trim color.” You can add that extra pizzazz by asking your decorator about specialty inks. “Clear gel, glitter, foils and shiny inks – these have been around, but they’re really catching on now for decorating kids’ wear. I was at Disney in January and there was clear gel coating and glitter on all the kids’ shirts,” says Cole Lohman, marketing coordinator at Naperville, IL-based Target Graphics Ltd. In the case of kids’ wear, apparently, all that glitters isn’t gold but can certainly be a golden opportunity for sales. On Kelsey, from S&S Activewear, a toddler 60/40 cotton/polyester sweatshirt (3326) with a hood, ribbed waistband and cuffs, jersey lining and side-seam pockets (Reader Service #151). The shirt underneath the sweatshirt is from Roper Apparel, a 100% cotton, stretch 1x1 rib T-shirt (4641) (Reader Service #130). On Jessica, L.A.T Sportswear’s 100% polyester polar fleece poncho (3398) with contrasting lined hood and stitching (Reader Service #152). Underneath the poncho, she’s wearing American Apparel’s youth-sized organic tee that has a stretchable collar and cuffs, and a double-stitched bottom hem (Reader Service #132).

For Jordan, promotional kids’ wear can be a bit of a challenging order simply because she goes that extra mile for added pop. “Most promotions involving kids’ wear are custom programs that need to be created from the ground up. They’re very specific programs with very specific fabrics and custom designs,” she says. “It’s a whole different animal working with kids’ promotions. Promotional wear for adults, especially corporate programs, are usually off-the-shelf items that are worked into a company’s brand marketing using their corporate logos.”

Fortunately, there are more options than ever being offered to satisfy the kids’ wear demand. “There’s been a higher demand for kids’ wear at the promotional level as options become more diverse and dimensional,” says Brinden Asher, director of marketing for Los Angeles-based Bella. “Now with the addition of brands incorporating more retail-ready styling and higher-quality fabrications, this segment of the industry is gaining much more interest and sell-through. Kids’ wear will likely see a rise in sales due to such diversity.”

Sales tips
You can be confident that any extra energy and expense put into the right promotional kids’ wear results in great exposure. The perk to stress to your clients is that kids’ wear has longevity, offering a great cost-per-impression ratio. “Kids’ wear, more than most any other piece of image wear, gets handed down to siblings or the neighbors’ kids or friends, keeping them in constant rotation and therefore keeping the company’s logo in the forefront,” says Christi Pack, Winston-Salem, NC-based Hanes marketing manager.

One tiny T-shirt that a child wears once a week to the playground can add up to lots of kids and moms who see that tee and company logo. Add to that the fact that children frequently become obsessed with a garment and only want to wear that item. But, you have to choose what’s hip.

“Without a doubt, the most popular trend is that children’s clothing is becoming more in line with today’s fashion industry. Kids – even the very young – are very aware of style and want to wear what they see on television, in magazines and on their favorite sports players,” Jordan says. “Kids’ wear manufacturers know that clothing found in Abercrombie and American Eagle, for example, are what kids want to wear – so they’re mimicking those colors and styles in their clothing. And, they’re smart to do so, as children comprise a huge market in terms of dollars spent, and they can better capture those dollars by being in line with the day’s fashion.”

Downsized adults
Being in line with what’s fashionable frequently requires a glance at teen styles right on through to adult fashion. “Right now we’re seeing a lot of trends that started in adult fashion trickle down to infant wear. For example, it’s OK to mix up the traditional ‘blue is for boys’ and ‘pink is for girls’ color palettes,” Pack says. “Parents have also started using their children’s playwear as a way to
show the same irreverence as their own T-shirts do with funny messages and funky embellishments.”

Crow agrees, saying silhouettes and styles take their cues from women’s clothing. “We carry an infant 2x1 rib tank top that’s extremely popular and looks just like a mini version of the rib tanks that have been a staple in the adult market for the past several years,” she says.

Eileen Nadal, a sales rep for distributor Charles Products Inc. in Rockville, MD, has had significant success, however, selling a basic white kids’ tee with photographic art or spot color. The ringer tee is a popular runner-up. Her specialty is tourist attractions, including clients such as Hershey and the National Zoo. “Stick to generic garments in the beginning,” Nadal says. Then, there’s plenty of opportunity to build business and grow orders. “The tourist industry is never finite,” she says.

Earth friendly
Another growing trend is the increase in organic fabrics, especially in T-shirts, Crow says. Parents are increasingly concerned with the environment their children will inherit, as well as the safety of the cloth worn next to young skin.

Luckily, today’s organic cottons are excellent options, providing both an attractive and imprint-friendly option. “The natural color of 100% organic cotton makes a versatile surface for promotional apparel, especially for companies that take an interest in the environment,” Asher says.

Regardless of whether or not you choose organic fabrications, think upscale and long lasting. “Quality and durability are musts for children’s wearables,” Jordan says. “Also becoming more important these days are brand names and styles as they relate to today’s fashion industry. Lastly, price point is always a consideration for the client.”

Finally, just look around you for sales openings. Fortunately, there are always “new recipients” coming into the world. “Where you see employees having children is an opportunity for their companies to show a personal investment. Infant wear makes practical yet emotionally charged gifts,” says Lee Strom, senior marketing manager at Seattle-based SanMar. “The same principle applies to client appreciation. Make this part of your own business practices, cement a relationship, and you’re likely to see a rise in customer loyalty.” ■