Summer Camps provide a safe space for children to not only rest and have fun, but also make friends and learn new skills during the warmer months of the year. The influence summer camps can have over those involved should not be underestimated.
More than a way of life, summer camp is a culture.
Why is merchandise for summer camps necessary?
As a way to identify
Colored clothes are a great way to create hierarchy and identify roles among a group of people. The most obvious example are hospitals where surgeons, internists and nurses each wear their own color to make them easier to spot during an emergency. In a summer camp the different roles would be:
- Counselors
- Campers
- Directors
- Other types of staff such as maintenance, kitchen, etc…
As promotional merchandise
Some of these summer camps have become brands of their own, which is why they started creating merchandise. Whether to sell or giveaway, these products have the same purpose here as in any other company.
- Promote the brand
- Create a new source of revenue
- Build an affinity with the customer
- Provide something of value aside from the main service
As a souvenir
Whether good or bad summer camps create memories that can last a lifetime and by adding merchandise to the mix, an extra layer of attention is added. Some articles even become collectors’ items, making the remembrance all the more special. Another benefit of the souvenir T-shirt is that whenever they’re worn off season, they make free promotion for the camp.
As a uniform for special activities
T-shirts are sometimes given to children as part of a welcoming package. It’s also sometimes mandatory for them to wear them whenever they make a trip outside the camp so they become easier to identify.
Some of the activities that could potentially require personalized garments are:
- Day trips and/or excursions
- Sports team activities
- Competitions with other camps
- Customise your own T-shirt workshops (with techniques like tie-dye)
- Team-building
