How to Choose a Uniform Supplier that Aligns with your Brand – Arrow Uniforms NZ

Looking for a new summer uniform for your company?

There are a number of benefits of a workplace uniform - promoting a cohesive team environment, encouraging a sense of belonging within the company, evoking brand-awareness, and maximising safety. The uniform you choose is a reflection of your business as a whole, and there are a number of important factors to consider when selecting the perfect uniform for your staff; Style, audience, brand representation, ethical awareness, and sustainability.

Finding a dedicated and experienced uniform supplier, like Arrow Uniforms, who will incorporate these aforementioned factors with the individual needs of your company can make a world of difference.

Brand Identity

The best place to start when considering uniforms is brand identity, and the image you’re aiming to convey with your prospective uniform.

Your brand identity is more than just your company logo or a fun slogan - it’s an emotional embodiment of your company’s personality - the lasting impression people get when they interact with your brand. It’s the cohesive look and feel of your organisation as a whole, reflecting your target audience, your goals, values, and interactions, and it is largely shaped by the visual identity that your company presents.

This is where uniform comes in to play. By identifying the values that are important to your brand, you can identify what your business needs most from a uniform, and choose accordingly.

Target Audience

Uniforms are one of the many ways your brand reaches out to your target market, meaning that identifying your target audience is important when considering uniform options.

A uniform is one of the most effective forms of marketing, and targeting them appropriately can be the difference between your brand being taken seriously or not. For example, if your brand identity is aimed towards young people, a more fashion conscious uniform will probably assist in promoting your product/service.

By the same notion, no business executive is likely to be willing to take advice from someone in shorts and sandals.

Sustainability

If your brand is focused on sustainability, ensuring your chosen uniform walks the walk is an important part of your brand identity.

The fashion industry is currently known to be the second biggest contributor to pollution worldwide, so choosing a uniform supplier that specialises in ethical work-wear, created using sustainable practices and eco-friendly resources, ensures you can sleep soundly knowing that your uniforms are better for the environment, and free of carcinogens, toxins, and other harmful chemicals.

Sustainable clothes also tend to be of higher quality and contain fewer allergens, meaning that not only is your brand as a whole supporting sustainable practices and human rights, your workers are also getting the best possible quality uniform. Unsure how to find out whether your uniform provider uses sustainable practices?

Check out our blog: A question of ethics: 4 things to ask your uniform provider. 

Design

Considering the ‘whys’ of your uniform can dictate many facets of uniform choice, including design, colour, materials, branding, and supplier. Consider the goals of your company. How does a uniform benefit them? Why do you need a uniform? Is it for safety? Fashion? Advertising? Brand cohesion?

• Identification: Psychologically, wearing uniforms has been found to significantly boost productivity, a phenomenon known as “enclothed cognition”. When a person is wearing a uniform, they feel more positively engaged with their workplace, and are more likely to commit to their tasks. Uniforms have also been found to create a more cohesive team, boosting employee’s productivity and morale, and contributing to a more positive work environment.
• Advertising: Uniforms are an extremely effective form of advertising, and have been found to increase brand awareness, with specific uniform colours boosting recognition by up to 80%. Many well known brands have formed their identity around their uniforms, utilising them to deliver a message about their product/service. Our team at Arrow will work with you to create a uniform that shows who you are and what you do, without compromising style or comfort.
• Safety: Your team’s safety is a top priority. You need to factor in the risks of your workplace before deciding on a uniform. For example, you don’t want anything loose that can get caught in heavy machinery. If you’re working in wet or cold conditions you need something that keeps your staff warm, dry and healthy. Arrow will help you to consider these risks before making your final call to reduce workplace injury and keep your staff and customers happy and safe.
• Longevity: Uniforms are worn every day, and they need to be able to last the distance. Ensuring your uniforms are made with the highest quality fabrics and materials is crucial to ensuring your uniform stays looking its best, and to reduce replacement costs. Arrow take pride in producing long-lasting, affordable products.
• Comfort: Your staff need the right fit of uniform to ensure your team can complete their day being confident and comfortable in their workwear. A full range of movement and your staff feeling confident in their uniform will boost employee satisfaction and therefore maximise productivity. We have a handy sizing chart for our range, and can provide samples for your staff to try out before you place your order.

Service

You know what works for your company, so reward yourself with a uniform provider that understands your needs, and works not only for you, but with you to deliver the best results. We at Arrow Uniforms aim to create an engaging, ongoing partnership, and to provide our valued customers quick and efficient service, to help your business thrive.

Choosing your ideal uniform supplier is about much more than just the right price, it's about choosing someone with design capability, an ethical approach, and the right people to support. We want to help! To find out more about Arrow Uniforms, or to get a no-obligation quote, call us now on 0508 643 676.