Hey everyone. Let me start off by saying a massive apology for the time between posts – I hope everyone has been hustling and making big things happen in the meantime.

Today I wanted to talk to you about endorsements and what they can do for your brand. We’ve all heard the old saying ‘any publicity is good publicity’ and that’s never been more true than when you’re starting out in this industry. Endorsements can offer you the chance to get your gear in front of crowds you’d never have access to otherwise, and in the early days this can mean big things for your brand.

When it comes to endorsements, there’s a whole lot of options, but right now I want to talk about the one I believe works the best – endorsing bands.

It works like this – you agree to give free clothing to the band and promote them in exchange for them wearing your gear at shows. This is undoubtedly a fantastic way to get your gear in front of a large audience and gain access to the bands fan base.

When I was starting my brand I knew that I wanted to get into band endorsements but I really wasn’t sure how to go about it. Basically, I ended up just biting the bullet and reaching out to bands that I liked. I now endorse three amazing bands for my new line, before it’s even officially launched. Here are my tips for you:

  • Remember to start small. Although you might dream of having stacks of bands on your team, when you first launch you’ll be limited in the amount of garments you can afford to give away. That’s why I suggest selecting a few bands and starting there.
  • Work with bands you truly believe in. It’s all well and good teaming up with a band, but the key is to find a band whose music you love and want to support. Here in Australia we have a radio station dedicated to independent artists. The bands I am endorsing I heard on that station, loved their sound and got in contact with them.
  • Be clear but casual in your terms. No one wants to get locked into any strict terms if they can avoid it. That’s why it’s good to be casual when it comes to making an agreement with your bands. Work out exactly what it is you are willing to offer the band (how many garments etc) and exactly what you expect in return (wear them to shows, rep your brand on social media etc) and make a verbal agreement to hold up both ends of the deal.
  • Be polite and professional. When you contact bands, be sure that you let them know why you want to work with them, why you have selected them personally and what you think you can do to help them out in return.
  • Don’t take rejection personally. Not everyone is going to go for your offer or see the beauty in the designs you rock. That’s ok. You only need one band to like what you’re doing. So tough up, believe in your brand and don’t take anything to heart.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share below.