As students pour back onto campus, extracurricular activities ramp up, and summer sports head into playoffs, now is the time to set the vibe for the rest of the year. And what better way to do it than with your own custom spirit wear collection?

In this blog, we’re sharing why logoed apparel and accessories are a must-have for any member organization, and giving you expert tips to make sure your squad wins “best dressed” every time!

Why Use Spirit Wear?

1. It Strengthens a Sense of Belonging

When we wear custom logoed apparel, we signal to others that we are a part of a specific group. The “group” can vary widely - from being an athlete on a sports team, to a student at a local school, or even a fan of a popular sports team.

But why does this matter?

People are incredibly social beings - we need to feel connected to those around us. We are wired to strive for group membership - so being able to wear a physical signifier of membership in a desirable group helps us to feel socially connected, and that feels pretty darn good!

2. It Boosts Morale

When we feel like we look good, we often perform better! A team that feels proud in their custom swag might (consciously or subconsciously) experience a boost of confidence that helps them to play their hardest. For students, teams, and fans alike, effective spirit wear helps the wearer feel more aligned with an organization and its goals. This boosts engagement and excitement, and helps your people to wear their team pride on their sleeve (literally)!

3. It Raises Awareness and Funds

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the business-side benefits of a strong spirit wear collection. Cultivating good vibes is one thing, but high-quality logoed apparel can also skyrocket brand awareness and help raise funds for your organization. Like any other branded apparel, logoed Spirit Wear — from t-shirts to hoodies, hats and bags — functions as a billboard for your brand, sparking curiosity and gathering attention. Plus, selling your spirit wear can help you raise funds. Since many teams and clubs rely on members paying their own fees, this can be a great way to lessen financial strain on players and open the door for exciting athletic development and competitive opportunities.

What’s the Secret to a Successful Spirit Wear Collection?

There’s no secret sauce for a successful apparel line - but these tips should help you hit the mark:

Build Hype. Promo does best when it’s positioned well. Whether you’re a team of 20 people or a school of 20,000, that means:

1) Doing some research first to understand what your people actually want.

2) Raising awareness about your branded merch - because if people don’t know it exists, they can’t possibly want it!

3) Building excitement through exclusivity. For example, conducting limited-quantity product drops to ensure that there’s always a taste for more.

Don’t Skip on Quality. Your apparel is a reflection of your organization, and you want to put your best foot forward! Higher quality items look better and last longer, making sweet mementos for alumni and creating lots more opportunities to promote your team, club or school.

Capitalize on Brand-name Buzz. Popular brands carry their own hype that you can take advantage of. When you customize an Under Armour Hoodie or a NEW ERA^® Cap, you associate yourself with these well-established brand names, showing your commitment to quality and your alignment with that brand’s values while increasing the desirability of your branded merch!

Keep it Consistent.... Consistent branding is strong branding. Make sure all of your swag uses the same team colours and visual assets like logos and fonts. This helps to make your various pieces coordinate with each other - but most importantly, it helps you to solidify a powerful brand identity.

…But Offer Choice. Personalization is trending, and consumers increasingly want to be able to create or choose the products that feel right for them. Give your students, athletes and fans the power of choice by developing a few product variations for them to choose from. This could be different colour-versions of the same hoodie (for example, if your team colours are red and black, they may choose between a red option or a black option), or even a choice between a hooded, full-zip or crew-neck sweatshirt.

Where do I start?

Mapleleaf Promotions has been a longtime partner to Canadian schools and teams, and we’re itching to share our expert knowledge with you! That’s why we created our Spirit Wear #MadeEasy page - your one-stop shop to build your spirit wear line.

From the Spirit Wear #MadeEasy page, you can shop our full spirit wear collection, learn about featured items, and read a selection of articles that tell you all you need to know about creating custom apparel.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started on building your ultimate swag collection!