We’ve all seen them – and many of us have had to wear them – at trade shows: the company logoed button down shirt. These ‘every man’ shirts, worn by nearly every man and sadly nearly every woman, too, who has ever worked for a corporation attending a tradeshow. While admittedly a step up from the completely out-of-place trade show Hawaiian shirt, the company logo button down shirt, no doubt, became a secret weapon companies would rely on to manage the image employees project at trade shows. They are typically poorly tailored and hideous, boring, ugly, and waste a lot of resources to make. When I see professional men at trade shows, or on television shows or podcasts who are wearing their company logo button down shirts I just want to hurl. I expect this from a tradesman on a job site, but not from a corporate or sales executive.
When have you seen a company logo button down shirt that you really covet? “Oh, thank you boss. I will treasure this embroidered piece of cloth forever.” Yucko. As soon as a trade show is over, these rags are discarded, left behind in many a hotel room all across America.
In today’s corporate cultural climate, long-term loyalty is not rewarded as it once was. But at trade shows, it’s become, pardon the pun, conventional wisdom, to wear these doggone logoed button downs [and even worse is the short sleeve knit polo], like you are wearing your company loyalty embroidered over your heart. Companies must love corporate-sponsored clothing because it forces employees to conform to a minimal dress standard. This would be especially true of technology companies in Silicon Valley, as they tend not to have even minimal dress codes.
The problem with wearing company logo button down shirts is that the wearer becomes a talking head for the company. There’s no “you” there. What about your personal brand? Shouldn’t someone be connecting with “you”? Forming a relationship with “you”? Coming to rely on “you”? These are the foundations of doing business with someone, and in this context, I strongly believe these company logo button downs are relationship, personal brand, and business barriers.
Instead of providing promotional apparel to employees who need to create more personal, more authentic, more honest connections with customers, corporate management should provide opportunities to help employees learn how to express their own style and reflect the company brand and culture.
It’s not terribly complicated to put together a presentable look – if you know what you’re doing. The answers to some key questions provide enough direction to create successful looks for sales calls, client meetings, trade shows, or media appearances:
What message about yourself do you want to telegraph to your audience? Do you want to appear approachable, businesslike, or distinguished, for example? The goal you select affects the clothes you will wear to help you effectively communicate that message.
Does that message also appropriately represent your company? There are many ways to balance personal style with the corporate culture’s messaging. One idea is to subtly repeat the company’s corporate logo colors in an outfit without wearing any company logo-wear. Know, show, and convey the integrity of your company’s brand promise nonverbally.
Is it the right look for the occasion? You’re always better off dressing up if you’re unclear of the context of your meeting. If you are wearing a jacket and a tie, they can always be removed if they’re simply too much. But the real objective is to get the outfit right from the start by knowing who you’re meeting with, the purpose, and the place of the meeting. You want to show respect and be respected.
As your image consultant, I can help you prepare for your presentations, whether you’re going to trade shows, sales appointments, preparing a look for your headshot photo, or television and video appearances – all without ever wearing one of those dreadful company logo button down shirts.
Designing your image is the secret science to your success.
Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.
As an owner of a transportation company, this “uniform” dilemma comes up often. While others in our industry demand that their drivers wear the basic black suit, white shirt and black tie, we do not. We want our employees’ personalities to shine through and be expressed through their wardrobe. We are probably the only company in the Bay Area that allows their employees to wear color. All we ask is that they be well-groomed, coordinated, and presentable. And they always are. These are professional adults who know how to dress themselves and do it well. We receive comments regularly from our clients that they appreciate that their driver looks different than every other limo driver. However; we do, on occasion, provide greeters at the airport and work the trade show circuit and those “dreaded” logo’d polo and/or button down shirts are necessary. While they are not my favorite thing to adorn myself with (they are rarely figure flattering!), they are, indeed, a representation of the company and we do take pride in wearing them when obligated to do so. Jen Jaciw, http://www.lnstarlimo.com
Every small business should think about what is best for itself. Take, for instance, the way your company benefits by allowing your drivers to express their professionalism and personal brand of individualized attention and service just through the way they dress. Kudos to you for encouraging this kind of freedom!
If there’s no way around wearing logo wear for certain occasions [this would be rare], then wearing them with pride comes more easily – especially when you are the company owner.
Your company is a hospitality business. If I met you at a trade show, I’d want to have the impression of you as the owner/host of a premium hospitality company. The logo wear item, ill-fitting and all, does not say “hospitality,” does not say “owner,” does not say “host,” and does not say “premium”. It is a distraction from the message you really want to leave your audience.
Just some additional thoughts to contemplate. I love sharing ideas and thoughts. I still hate logo wear.
~Joseph Rosenfeld