Fraternity and Sorority Life Apparel

Fraternities and sororities everywhere are constantly ordering new apparel. That being said, this presents a multitude of opportunities for the screen printing industry. There are so many different opportunities when it comes to marketing to this group because there is always a need for apparel and accessories. Being in a sorority myself, I can tell you first hand that we seem to be constantly placing orders for shirts. This may seem excessive, but there are a great deal of events that require shirts for marketing and branding purposes. In this post, I will discuss different types of events for which fraternities and sororities often order apparel and ways you can get their attention!

Recruitment
Recruitment is the biggest event in the world of Greek Life and is the one time of year when almost every organization on campus will be ordering T-shirts or some form of apparel. The governing council of sorority life will typically order bulk shirts for the women participating in the recruitment process. Depending on the size of the Greek community at the school, these orders can total thousands of dollars. Additionally, individual fraternities and sororities typically order T-shirts for recruitment that they wear during the recruitment process. Many chapters also order T-shirts for their new members, which are given to them on bid day when they are formally invited to join a chapter. Bid day is a time for accessory purchases as well. This includes items such as tote bags, magnets, decals, stickers, and many others!

Depending on the college or university, recruitment can take place in the fall or spring semester. This information is easily found on the school’s website along with contact information for each chapter president. To make sure these organizations know about your company, it is best to get on their radar as early as possible. For schools conducting fall recruitment, it is best to reach out to chapters over the summer. For spring recruitment, it is best to reach out to chapters during the beginning of the fall semester when apparel will be one of their priorities. Information about when a school conducts recruitment can be found on their website as well.

Custom T-shirt design created from Easy Prints® layout QAL-421

Philanthropy
Chapters usually host one or two philanthropy events per school year, and they almost always order shirts for the entire chapter for these events. Reach out to chapters over the summer so you are on their radar whenever they go to get proofs and quotes for their events. Some take place fairly soon after the school year begins!

PR and Branding
Just like businesses, fraternities and sororities are always looking to get their name out. On a college campus, this is easily done through T-shirts with memorable or catchy sayings. These shirts play a large part in Greek recruiting, and chapters will be thinking about these orders over the summer months, too.

General Greek Events
Greeks love to print shirts for all of their signature events as well. Some of these events include Greek Week, chapter meet and greets, formals, semi-formals, and date parties. These shirts serve as a keepsake and a marketing tool for the chapter, and it is always fun to have apparel to show pride for your chapter!

Custom fraternity T-shirt design created in Easy View, our online designer.

Governing Councils
Fraternities and sororities are overseen by groups of students elected to governing councils. These executive boards often order apparel as well and should never be forgotten about! They will often order apparel for themselves as well as the entire Greek community making for large, profitable orders! Some examples of apparel and accessories ordered by these Greeks include sweatshirts, computer decals, bags, cups, travel mugs, and magnets. Again, contact information for these individuals can be found through the college or university website.

Attention Getters
The following is a list of ways to help you grab the attention of these organizations!

• Group Discounts
  o   Just like the average group of college students, fraternities and sororities are on a budget.

• Quick Shipping
  o   Orders can be made fairly close to the event dates.

• Speedy Proofs
  o   Chapters are typically on a tight schedule when ordering apparel so the faster the better.

• Apparel Brands Offered
  o   One of the biggest decisions a chapter makes aside from the design on the shirt is the brand. Below are a few brands that are currently popular!
  • American Apparel
  • Bella
  • Comfort Colors

• Colors Offered
  o   The more the better! Color options can make or break an order!

Transfer Express offers a variety of Greek designs and the option to create designs that your customers request!