Uniforms for employees have become pretty rare in recent years; most clothes shops simply have their staff wear brands that they sell, workmen tend to wear whatever they want as long as it meets regulations and the most you’ll usually see in a supermarket or fast food outlet is a branded polo shirt or fleece. The question is, could uniforms actually be a powerful marketing tool?
The answer is almost certainly yes, and the simple reason is that easily recognisable uniforms carry very strong connotations with them. If you’re looking to push a particular message or impression on your clients and customers, then having your employees wear a uniform could well be a great way of doing so. Here are a few examples of how and this idea works:
The Coffee Shop
If you’re a Starbucks regular, then you may never have actually paid attention to the uniforms that the baristas wear, unless you’ve accidentally wandered into the wrong coffee shop. Most employees wear a large green apron in the same color as the company’s logo. It drills this color into the mind of the customer, associating it with the brand, but the apron itself reinforces a feel of cleanliness and professionalism.
