As an emerging designer, establishing your brand in print and online is a huge step in marketing your business — but don’t stop there!
There are plenty of other details that can help make a lasting impression on customers and potential retailers. Hang tags are one of those details, and getting them right can be an unexpected challenge.
Why do my products need a hang tag?
Hang tags have become an industry standard that customers expect to accompany products in stores. They’re also an opportunity to do good things for your business:
- Help customers identify your products. Products, especially garments in crowded retail stores, can easily get lost on the racks. Having a distinctive hang tag that’s strategically attached to your product can help it stand out from the crowd.
- Share your brand’s unique story. Giving a little background on the product you’re selling helps customers become invested in your brand. This is especially true in the case of eco-conscious, locally made, or one-of-a-kind pieces. You worked hard to make this product — don’t be afraid to share why.
- Give easy access to care and pricing information. Presenting this information on the hang tag makes your brand feel more transparent and helps your customer make an informed purchase. Many of our members’ pricing strategies account for cost of ethical materials and their own labor, making their products appear pricier than mass produced products in the same store. Asking a fair price (alongside your brand’s story) can help educate customers on the true cost of consciously designed products.
- Promote your business! Plug your brand’s website and social media channels. Think of each tag as a roomy business card you’d proudly hand to your dream buyer.
And in the end check out our advises for emerging designers on creating a hang tag that works:
- Look at other brands in your similar market space and assess what you like and don’t like about the branding.
- Make sure that every detail of your hang tag is well thought out—your typeface, brand colors, paper texture and method of attaching the hang tags must match your overall brand identity and appeal to your target customer.
- Grab their attention! You are competing in a sea of other apparel brands and you want to impact your customer immediately.
- If you are wholesaling, make sure to leave space for the retailer to include their SKU and pricing information.
- Remember the Goldie Locks rule—not too much information, but just enough to make a memorable impression.
- Include your website and social media usernames on the card so customers can find you later.