December Giveaway! Win our Christmas Bundle
- Monday, December 9th, 2013 |
- Competition
Missed out on our last competition to win Personalised Winter Gear? Don’t worry, here’s your chance to win again! This month, we’re giving away 5 x perosnalised zip hoodies, from unique brand AWDis worth £114 plus we’re throwing in a special seasonal treat for the lucky winner.
Fancy winning this fantastic festive bundle, all in time for Christmas?
To enter via Facebook, simply like the Clothes2order page and share the competition post with your friends
To enter via Twitter, become a follower of Clothes2order and retweet the competition post to your followers
Good luck!
Terms and Conditions
Competition closes Friday 13th December at midday
Winner to be announced Friday 13th December
Winner entitled to 5 x personalised AWDis Zoodies + special seasonal treat
Personalisation available for print or embroidery
Delivery before Christmas based on competition winner promptly responding to all correspondence
Thanks to everyone who entered our competition on Twitter and Facebook to win personalised winter gear worth £126!
Our winner, who was randomly selected, entered by Facebook so if you entered this way please check your “Other” folder in your message inbox…it may just be you!
Terms and conditions:
Winner notified on 3/12/13. If winner does not come forward by 6/12/13 midday, another winner will be randomly selected out of Facebook and Twitter entrants.
Since the birth of Twitter, words such as tweet, twitterer and hashtag (#) among other jargon from the Twitter-sphere have become valid entries in the dictionary. In fact, the hashtag (or metadata tag as it is formally known) has become a digital and real-life phenomenon, with uses ranging from its original Twitter function of categorising information to allegedly being used as a baby name.
So, if you’re looking to reach new potential clients on social media, or to engage existing ones, understanding hashtags is essential and will make your digital life a lot easier.
Twitter gives a simple, clear definition of a hashtag and its function:
Why a hashtag? Where did it come from?
The hashtag was first used in 1988 on Internet Relay Chat (IRC): a live interactive internet text messaging service and was used for group communication in forums.
This original use of the hashtag then found its way into the 21st Century, back in 2007 thanks to Twitter user Chris Messina who saw the need to categorise information such as messages and content into groups:
how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?
— Chris Messina™ (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007
It wasn’t until July 2009 that Twitter decided to hyperlink tweeted hashtags so they could be found in Twitter search results. Then Twitter added “Trends” to its homepage: a list showing the most used hashtags by tweeters, making them easily available and more accessible to other users.
Hashtags: Example of marketing success
If used and applied correctly, hashtags can be extremely valuable in marketing campaigns and can generate interest and engagement, especially where giveaways and competitions are concerned. Take this Domino’s Pizza campaign whereby for every person who tweeted the hashtag #letsdolunch, Domino’s would cut the price of a selected pizza by 1p in a given time slot.
Domino's Tweet Treat has begun! Include #letsdolunch in your tweets to knock money of our Pep Passion. Full details http://t.co/kRe4OuOf
— Domino's Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) March 5, 2012
In one #letsdolunch campaign, users managed to knock down the price of a pizza from £15.99 to £7.74, and Domino’s made this exclusive price available not just to Tweeters, but to all Domino’s customers for a given period of time.
Some corporations have also used hashtags across platforms to great success:
As part of their weekend show, The X Factor now includes a Twitter wheel that displays the best real-time tweets about the show as demonstrated by this post from Twitter Ads UK:
#Xfactor is innovating with the arrival of the Twitter Wheel pulling in Tweets to the live broadcast #TwitterxTV pic.twitter.com/ItXt6OsW20
— Twitter Ads UK (@TwitterAdsUK) October 16, 2013
Other programmes also include hashtags on the bottom left or right side of the screen to encourage online engagement. Also increasingly popular is the employment of hashtags on billboards or at the end of promotional videos to engage twitterers to talk about the product or service:
Hashtags: Examples of marketing failures
The huge amount of engagement that hashtags can create for your business can also be dangerous if not monitored and implemented correctly. Take these two examples from huge multi-national corporations who have used hashtags to their detriment:
McDonald’s McDStories
McDonald’s ran a hashtag campaign in which followers were asked to share their “McD Stories”:
Meet some of the hard-working people dedicated to providing McDs with quality food every day #McDStories http://t.co/BoNIwRJS
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) January 18, 2012
But instead of users sharing positive stories about McDonald’s, the corporation had to deal with a lot of negative backlash, mainly fuelled by the press:
I almost had a McDonald's relapse…then I saw the #McDStories campaign. Cravings gone, forever. http://t.co/cNISDLfE
— Kendall Thornton (@kendallsf) January 24, 2012
Waitrose also had similar backlash with their campaign:
Finish the sentence: "I shop at Waitrose because ________." #WaitroseReasons
— Waitrose (@waitrose) September 17, 2012
I shop at Waitrose because Clarrisa's pony just WILL NOT eat ASDA Value straw #waitrosereasons
— Nic Stevenson (@nicstevenson) September 17, 2012
Despite the above, hashtags can be extremely valuable for effective marketing: How?
How can I make hashtags effective for valuable marketing?
Remember you’ve only got 140 characters so make your post relevant and clear
Things to avoid:
“Who’s #notguilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?!”
Whether it was accidental or with the intent to capitalise on the media/popularity, it is something to be very careful about avoiding.
And finally…
Twitter has provided its users with this very helpful, easy-to-follow infographic about choosing hashtags to make your marketing campaign as successful as it can be.
Have you ever used a hashtag to promote a campaign? Was it effective? Share your comments below or tweet us @clothes2order
With the cold weather on its way, we thought it was about time to launch our fantastic Winter Competition! This month we’re giving away £126 worth of winter gear, including clothing from quality brand Regatta. The prize includes 5 fleece jackets and 5 beanie hats all embroidered with your logo, text or design.
Fancy winning all that just in time for Christmas? Simply like the Clothes2Order Facebook page and share the post with your friends, or retweet it to your followers on Twitter to be in with a chance of winning! Good luck!
Terms and Conditions
Competition closes 29/11/13
Winner is entitled to 5 x Regatta Thor III Full Zip Fleece Jackets and 5 x fleece hats personalised with a design of their choice
Suitable for embroidery only
Earlier last month, we were nominated for the digital category at the 4th annual UK Customer Experience Awards, held in London. With considerable competition from major organisations in the digital sector, we were absolutely delighted to bring home the trophy!
For us, customer experience is everything. So after a year of hard work from all the team at Clothes2Order improving our website, growing our customer service department and investing in new print and embroidery technology it’s incredibly pleasing for us to have our efforts recognised. We hope if you’ve bought from us recently you’ve noticed an improvement too!
Whilst this award is a great accolade, there is no room to sit back. We believe building an exceptional customer experience is about constantly improving. Whilst the measures we have taken thus far have led to increased levels of customer satisfaction (currently 4.4 stars on review centre), we are still learning and discovering the best way to continue improving and refining the experience that we offer. We won’t be happy until we hit the full 5 stars!
With that in mind, we’d welcome any feedback, so if you have any suggestions at all on how we could improve our products or service, feel free to comment below or tweet us at Clothes2Order.
Ever wondered what’s the best printing method for your clothing? Here at Clothes2Order we take the hassle out of ordering by choosing the best method for your garment and design that will give a high quality durable print. We’ve put together this easy-to-understand guide of some of the most popular printing methods so you can find out more about how the process really works:
Cad Cut Printing
CAD stands for Computer Aided Design, which refers to software that is used to design and manufacture products. At Clothes2Order, your chosen design that you upload to our website is sent to our digitiser to be transferred to a design suitable for printing.
The design you have uploaded then needs to have an outline added, which is achieved using specialised design software.
The digitised design is then ready to be cut and used. It is put through a digital cutter which electronically cuts the design onto a sheet of vinyl.
The design then needs to be cut out from the vinyl sheet. This is done manually using a weeder, in a process called weeding.
The cut out design is almost ready to be transferred to the garment. It is then placed on application tape to prepare it to be heat transferred.
Next, the design is heat pressed in the correct position on to the garment. The garment must be cooled and then the application tape is taken off.
What’s good about it?
What’s its downfall?
Versacamm
Versacamm is essentially the same as cad cut technology; however it can produce multicolour texts and designs, although is not as cheap as cad cut printing.
DTG
DTG stands for Direct To Garment printing. We have several state-of-the-art DTG machines that provide your design with a fantastic high quality appearance.
DTG printers in the past used to offer printing on white garments only. However, thanks to latest developments in printing technology, top of the range machines can print onto any colour garment, including even the darkest of colours.
Like cad cut printing, the design is uploaded onto software. The garment is then sprayed with a pre-treatment spray to ensure the ink doesn’t soak into the fabric. It is then placed in the printer and the design is printed directly onto the t-shirt, much like an inkjet printer. It is then heat pressed or dried to ensure a durable finish.
What’s good about it?
What’s its downfall?
Screen Printing
Screen printing is one of the most traditional methods of printing. It involves the application of colour normally by ink. In order to screen print an item the design has to be separate into the component colours on software such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. Every colour requires a separate screen consisting of a very fine mesh surface which is produced using light reactive chemicals. Where the chemicals have been exposed to light, they breakdown and are washed off leaving spaces in the mesh.
The ink can then be screen printed onto the t-shirts direct or onto transfer paper which is later applied to the T-shirts by a heat press. If the direct printing method is used, the T shirts are place on a solid board (platen). The colours are then applied individually by placing the screen manually or automatically on top of the T-shirt and forcing the printers ink through the relevant screen stencil onto the T-shirt.
What’s good about it?
What’s its downfall?
What printing methods have you come across? What do you prefer? Leave you comment below or tweet us @Clothes2Order
Yes, it’s that time of year again when brands love to make the most of the scary season with Halloween-related products, promotions, and even pranks. So to get you into the spirit, here’s our top 5 most eerie advert campaigns that caused a fright or two…
1. Booking.com
For Halloween this year, hotel finder site booking.com is advertising 7 haunted hotels in the US, available for customers to book and “stay if you dare”. The campaign starts at booking.com/haunted, and takes the customer on a creepy virtual staircase tour presenting 7 haunted hotels and ends with a YouTube video advertising one of the spooky resorts.
2. Topshop
Last year, Topshop launched a Halloween Twitter campaign to coincide with their new Witching Hour clothing collection. The campaign invited customers to tweet Halloween tips or photos of their Halloween outfit followed by the hashtag #TrickorTweet. Customers were then invited to exchange their tweets in store for cosmetic items, and the best tweets each day won a £100 giftcard. The viral campaign proved to be very popular, even winning Topshop an award.
Share your Halloween costume tips & tricks on #Topshop Twitter or Instagram to win a shopping spree! #TrickorTweet pic.twitter.com/KnjRF0yO
— Topshop (@Topshop) October 26, 2012
3. Phones 4U
During October 2011, Phones 4U screened a horror-themed advert for their latest mobile deals which featured a young girl haunting a terrified shopper. The ad sparked more than 600 complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency from parents who claimed it had frightened their children. Despite being the most complained about advert of 2011, the ASA ruled it was unlikely to cause widespread offence, especially since the campaign was only aired after 9pm.
4. LG
LG wanted to make a big impact when advertising their latest IPS monitors and so filmed a video with the idea that their display screens look as convincing as real life. LG cleverly installed a grid of these monitors into a lift floor which projected images giving the illusion of the floor falling through, tricking lift users into thinking they were falling to their death. The viral video entitled So Real It’s Scary has been seen by over 20 million viewers on YouTube. LG have pulled similar successful pranks, including tricking interviewees into believing that an apocalyptic event had taken place by screening a fake meteor explosion on a huge window-sized TV.
5. Greggs
In 2012, Greggs ran an online viral advert entitled Britain Prepare for Zombies: Only Humans Allowed which depicted an invasion of zombies entering a Greggs shop. The campaign also featured on its Facebook and Twitter pages where customers could receive updates on ‘zombie sightings’. It also included nationwide samplings of two of its Halloween themed products and the chance to enter a competition.
INVASION NEWSFLASH >> Zombie Bakers spotted crossing the Scottish border – heading south… http://t.co/6HYrDc3s
— Greggs the Bakers (@GreggstheBakers) October 16, 2012
Do you know any more spooky seasonal ads that can be added to our list above? Let us know via Twitter @clothes2order or leave a comment in the box below.
To celebrate the exciting launch of our new onesie range, we decided to have a look at just why this item of clothing has become so popular…
Over recent years, the onesie has matured from being associated with babygrows for infants to full fashion wear for adults: Yes, Christmas is now no longer complete without a onesie. Whether taking part in a onesie walk, wearing one to work for “Onesie Wednesday” to raise money for charity or wearing one to a wedding, the craze is yet to show any signs of fading away. This former fashion fad is now on its way to becoming a full fashion trend, following in the footsteps of other crazes which have gone on to find status as wardrobe staples, such as the Ugg Boot and the Snood.
Here we take a look at the rising star status of the onesie over recent years and what it is that makes it so popular…
The Siren Suit: the Original Onesie?
One could argue that the precursor to the onesie was not infant wear, but in fact an outfit called the siren suit which was allegedly created by Winston Churchill during World War II and designed to be worn as lounge wear. Despite this, he was frequently seen conducting high profile engagements in his siren suit. Thanks to Churchill, the siren suit went on to become extremely popular and, as its name suggests, was often worn in air-raid shelters when sirens went off as it was easy to put on and comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
The Modern Onesie
The term “onesies” used to be a brand name of infant bodysuits long before they became popular lounge wear. Then, in 2007, a group of Norwegian university friends decided to set up their own company selling adult onesies under the name OnePiece, which they brought to overseas markets including the UK. They soon became an instant hit with the likes of Justin Bieber and Rihanna thanks to their exclusive high prices. Originally dubbed the “adult onesie” by the press, the term soon became shortened to simply the “onesie” after its popularity grew and grew from being an alternative to pajamas to a fashionable garment which could potentially be worn out in public. Other companies soon started stocking the new garment at lower prices after more celebrities started wearing them and after they made frequent appearances on hit US TV shows. One Direction have even gone so far as to design their own range and the infamous Twitter “selfies” have seen a rise in celebrities posing in their onesies.
Following on from the success of the Norwegian export, Japan decided to pitch a modern twist on a national traditional style of costume to an international market: The Kigurumi. These animal inspired onsies which made there debut to the world in 2009 have seen their popularity grow and grow.
What’s clear is that the onesie, far from being a fashion fad, has become a long-lasting warming wardrobe staple. What’s become debatable, however, is whether the onesie should be kept as an indoor clothing to be worn in the comfort of your home, or like many popstars and actors have done, be worn as be a fashionable garment out in public.
What do you think of the onesie? Should it be kept hidden at home or is it acceptable to wear out in public? Leave your comment below or tweet us with your thoughts @Clothes2Order.
At Clothes2Order, we aim to help your business create a great impression through amazing quality and value clothing.
Other businesses aim to create a great impression by striving to create foreign language advertisements to attract new audiences. But even some of the biggest brands have made some cringe-inducing translation faux-pas on their mission to crack the international market. Here’s a short list of mistakes by some big brands who were more than laissez-faire about their translations…
1. Parker Pen Reassures Their Customers
When Parker Pen wanted to advertise their ballpoint pens in Mexico, they made one huge language error. The tagline was a straightforward “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you” in English, but the Spanish translation was less than easy to understand. Customers were both horrified and amused when they read “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant” instead. “Embarazar” may look and sound like “embarrass”, but this false friend certainly doesn’t mean it.
2. KFC Advertises More Than Just Chicken
The fast food chain’s successful world famous tagline became infamous when it was translated for a Chinese market. Instead of reading “Finger Lickin’ Good”, Chinese consumers were told to “Eat Your Fingers Off”.
3. Pepsi Enters The Spiritual World
Another dodgy Chinese translation, but this time for beverage giant Pepsi. Their successful campaign tagline “Come Alive With The Pepsi Generation”, allegedly translated as “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From The Dead”.
4. Braniff Airlines Advertise A New Way To Fly
In 1987, Braniff Airlines decided to advertise their new luxurious leather seats in Spanish. The tagline “Fly in Leather” became “Vuela en cuero” which embarrassingly translated as “Fly Naked”.
5. Schweppes Promotes A Refreshing New Beverage
When Schweppes wanted to promote their tonic water in Italy, it was mistakenly translated as “Schweppes Toilet Water”.
There are claims that some of these blunders are exaggerated urban myths, and that in fact the reality wasn’t so disastrous. Whatever the reality, no business wants to make a translation error, however small it may seem, as it can potentially cost thousands of pounds, lose vital custom and waste a lot of valuable time…
To avoid making these mistakes in your business, make sure:
1. You have more than one translator. It doesn’t harm to double or triple check an advertisement or webpage to make sure it’s been translated properly.
2. You understand the culture. What is okay in English may not be in another language. If you translate with care and cultural sensitivity, you will gain the trust and respect of your target audience.
3. You are not a lazy linguist. It is vital to avoid copy and pasting into an online translation tool, however tempting it may be!
Do you know any failed translations that we can add to our list or have you experienced difficulties translating? Leave a comment below or tweet us @Clothes2Order
The world of advertising has brought us some mind-boggling bursts of brilliance, but it has also brought us some of the most terrible, embarrassing, offensive and simply what were you thinking?! campaigns. We’ve put together here a list of our favourite top 8 most disastrous ad campaigns in the world that have cost businesses big bucks and a lot of headaches…
1. New Coke
Back in the 1980′s, Coca-Cola was rapidly losing ground to Pepsi, which was the number 1 soft beverage of choice for customers. In 1985, to try and compete with the popularity of Pepsi, Coca-Cola launched a new product cal
led “New Coke”. It had a sweeter taste which delegates of blind taste tests preferred over the old Coke. In 1985, “New Coke” was launched to try and compete with the popularity of similarly sweet-tasting beverage Pepsi. However, it wasn’t long after that the public started to complain that they missed the “old Coke”, and the sentiments associated with it. Some even started to stock up on the original Coke in fear they would no longer be able to get hold of it. The Coca-Cola company soon realised the power that the old brand possessed and so only 3 months later, the old Coca-Cola was re-introduced to the market as Coca-Cola “Classic” which once again re-established itself as the market leader. The failed New Coke was later re-branded “Coke II”, but it was soon dropped due to a lack of sales.
2. Diet Pepsi Skinny Can
You can’t talk about the brief disaster of New Coke without mentioning Diet Pepsi Slim. In this case, it wasn’t about a new taste that customers were unhappy with; it was the new packaging that people complained about. Launched during New York Fashion Week in 2011 and branded by the CMO of Pepsico as a “slim, attractive new can…the perfect complement to today’s most stylish looks”, it caused controversy with some members of the public and the National Eating Disorders Association who thought the new taller, slim design encouraged dangerous body-image stereotypes.
Just recently, Diet Coke has announced its plans to launch another new limited edition “sleek” can in October in the US, this time in collaboration with the singer Taylor Swift. However, even before the product has hit the shelves, there has been backlash from critics claiming the sleek can may send out the same sort of message that Diet Pepsi Skinny did to some of Swift’s younger fans.
3. Virgin Mobile US
Virgin Mobile US’ Christmas campaign last year featured an online ad depicting a man surprising a woman with a gift. The tagline was “Necklace? Or chloroform?” It received several complaints due to its alleged trivialisation of rape. Although Sir Richard Branson does not own Virgin Mobile US, he publicly condemned the advert saying it was “ill-judged”. It was taken down from the site hours later.
4. YSL Belle d’Opium
A televised advert for the YSL Belle D’Opium perfume was pulled in 2011 in the UK after the Advertising Standards Agency concluded it was “seen to simulate the effect of drugs on the body”. The choreography of the advert shows a model drawing a finger down her inner arm, as if injecting herself and concludes with a voice over stating: “I am your addiction. I am Belle d’Opium”. The choreography and the tag line combined was enough for the ASA to conclude that the advert should be banned.
5. Paddy Power “Animal Cruelty”
In 2010, a televised advert in the UK by betting company Paddy Power sparked 1,313 complaints to the ASA, due to fears it could encourage animal cruelty. A cat is shown running onto a pitch of blind footballers, following which a player takes a kick. Despite its complaints, the ASA deemed it was unlikely to cause widespread offence and so the ad was kept.
6. PlayStation Portable “White is Coming”
In 2006, a billboard advertisement in the Netherlands for the new white PSP showing a white model grasping the face of a black model was quickly withdrawn after it sparked complaints of racism. Although it was only supposed to be advertised in the Netherlands, the offensive ad was talked about globally after images of it went viral.
Other failed and risqué campaigns by PSP include a poster advertisement at several UK train stationplatfomrs in the same year which read “Take a Running Jump Here”. It was soon pulled as it was seen as a distasteful advert which sparked major safety concerns.
7. Phones 4u “Jesus” mobile phone advert
During Easter 2011, Phones 4u ran a campaign in the national press advertising deals on android phones. The ad featured an image of a cartoon-like Jesus winking and giving a thumbs up. It carried the tagline “Miraculous deals on Samsung Galaxy Android Phones”. The ASA received almost 100 complaints and the ad was subsequently banned as the watchdog deemed that it “mocked and b
elittled” the Christian faith, especially since the ad ran during Easter.
8. Chevrolet’s Chevy Nova
Last but not least, a disastrous advertising campaign myth. Between 1972 and 1978, Chevrolet advertised their latest product, the Chevy Nova to the Latin American market. Legend has it that since no va means doesn’t go in Spanish, the product failed to attract interest causing it to be pulled from the market. In reality, the Chevy Nova did pretty well, especially in Venezuela. For a comparison, no va and nova are unlikely to be confused in the Spanish language, much like warrant and war rant are unlikely to be confused in English.
Do you know of any disastrous advertising failures that could be added to our top 8 list? Tweet us @clothes2order or leave us your comments below.