ImagesMagUK_April_2021

68 images APRIL 2021 www.images-magazine.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT immediately pin the race number sheet onto in order to help them track their time for the event. What if every runner had a hyper- personalised race shirt with their race number already printed on the shirt, and maybe something on the shirt recognising their status as having run that race in previous years? The beauty of hyper-personalisation is going to be linking the data somehow with what is going on in the garment decoration. The limited edition aura creates the higher value to the consumer. Hyper-personalisation is a collaboration-driven experience Imagine the power of marrying a brand with an idea, image, or verbiage from a consumer to an actual product. We’re seeing that now with brands such as YR Stores that have interactive kiosks at stores, events, and trade shows. They aren’t selling the printed product, they are selling the experience of hyper- personalisation. You may remember YR co-founder Tim Williams’s presentation from the first ThreadX in Palm Springs, California a few years ago. He spoke about using the hyper-personalisation idea with a pop-up store and selling digitally printed shirts for about $120. He is using the same DTG printer that you probably have in your shop. It isn’t the ink on the T-shirt that the consumers are buying. It is hyper- personalisation and a better experience. YR has evolved and has been doing this with some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Nike, Adidas, Kiehl’s, Google, Star Wars, Oreo, and Levi’s, to name but a few. The live design experience drives its success. The backend production uses the same tools you have in your shop. Dye-sublimation printers, DTG printers, and embroidery machines. Hyper-personalisation is for your customers Think about your customers for a moment. How could you use this idea to deliver something new and exciting for them? Can you imagine the excitement and power they will feel when they get to control what goes on the shirt? What if you could deliver that experience? Many of the ideas in this article are already in existence. Someone else could be slowly marching towards gathering your customer segment into this new hyper-personalisation idea. It’s time to start researching and brainstorming. Hyper-personalisation is scarcity People will pay more for things if quantities are limited. Look at the success of Supreme or Johnny Cupcakes. In retail, smaller print editions for a design increases the demand and value to the consumer that is a fan of the brand. With today’s digital print technology, the art can easily contain individual art watermarks or even simple ‘Print 23/300’ tags below the image to safeguard the value of the garment. Marshall Atkinson is a production and efficiency expert for the decorated apparel industry, and the owner of Atkinson Consulting and co-founder of Shirt Lab, a sales and marketing education company, with Tom Rauen. He focuses on operational efficiency, continuous improvement, workflow strategy, business planning, employee motivation, management and sustainability. www.atkinsontshirt.com YR Store is selling an experience, not a product