Walking Advertisements

At one conference that had roughly two thousand attendees, the four of us from 1-800-GOT-JUNK? each wore a shirt with a huge corporate logo on the back. We really stood out, so much so, in fact, that many people thought there were at least twenty of us walking around because they saw our logos so often amid the masses of suit jackets.

At South by Southwest, startups have even been known to pay people to wear their T-shirts and walk around the venue, which instantly builds a brand army.

Organizers of fundraising races hand out T-shirts branded with the charity and sponsors of the event. Runners proudly wear these shirts and are free, walking billboards for these brands.

Why do companies do this? Simple. It’s cheap, effective and creates a tribe of devoted fans and employees who become brand ambassadors everywhere they go in the community. It’s a small investment for more business.