Highlighting Healthcare Workers with Custom Apparel

For a business, word of mouth is everything.
Whether you’re a local restaurant just starting up, or a decades-old multimillion-dollar corporation, customer recommendations can make or break you. It’s not any different for the medical field—getting your practice’s name out there is important when trying to reach new patients and help them feel their best. However, unlike most other businesses, there aren’t as many options to reach an audience. Billboards and paid advertisements lack the integrity that can help a practice seem more valid, so medical professionals need to find other creative ways to showcase their services.

To get their name out, Westford Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center uses custom t-shirts—after all, if your patients can’t speak, word of mouth isn’t an option. Taking care of cats and dogs across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, Westford Veterinary has been ordering custom shirts from Custom Ink for their staff as a way to represent their work both inside the facility and out in public.

Westford Veterinary Clinic updated their employees’ shirt design to keep spirits up during COVID.

Showcasing the same logo that they’ve used since 2012, the design conveys the services Westford Veterinary provides with dog and cat silhouettes next to a first aid symbol. Over the past few years, Westford Veterinary has been able to utilize their logo across multiple shirt orders—whether it was for staff shirts, shirts for a specialty celebration, or, most recently, specific shirts for workers during COVID-19. The COVID-19 shirts, featuring the text “COVID TEAM ESSENTIAL” and “WVERC HEROES” along with the Westford Veterinary logo, built camaraderie during an extremely stressful time. Printed on a gold-colored Hanes 100% Cotton T-shirt, it drew attention to the employees that worked so tirelessly during the height of the pandemic to ensure that the health of local pets was still looked after.

Sarah McCarthy, the Hospital Relations Coordinator for Westford Veterinary, explains that custom gear “can help with advertising, clients can easily recognize staff, and it also shows a sense of community. It allows for a unique opportunity [and] solidarity at the same time.”

As a way to advertise and gain recognition, the offices of Coastal Integrative Health have been ordering custom products from Custom Ink since 2012. “We have ordered many things from Custom Ink before and have loved all the products we have received,” says Physical Therapist Assistant Lydia Smith. “Having custom gear gives us the opportunity to present our business in day-to-day life. Whether at the grocery store or ball field, we are able to make our brand known to others, giving them the opportunity to come see us and potentially have a reduction in their discomfort.”

Even outside the office, the staff at Coastal Integrative Health can find potential clients with their custom gear, like this Sport-Tek Tri-Blend Short Sleeve Raglan Performance Shirt.

The office has ordered more than just t-shirts—they have ordered staff polos, performance shirts for their Skull & Bones Athletics center, and most recently, custom masks. As a healthcare facility, it was important for the staff to have a safe way to work with their patients, but there was no reason why they couldn’t showcase Coastal Integrative Health at the same time. “In light of 2020, the most recent item we have ordered is custom face masks with our business logo on them. Not only are they comfortable, but they are also breathable and easy to clean. We are able to wear them outside of work as well, which makes our brand seen wherever we go, sparking conversation about our business and opportunities to help others,” says Lydia.

The pandemic didn’t slow down the staff of Coastal Integrative Health—they were ready for business in matching Customized Triple‑ply Cotton Face Mask.

Having visibility outside of the office is important for getting your brand out there. “Wearing your brand publicly will not only take your business to the next level, but it will allow others the opportunity in public to see what your business has to offer and enhance your growth,” says Lydia. And to really wow your patients and rep your brand, why not offer them their own custom shirt or hat? Coastal Integrative Health rewards patients with more than just a clean bill of health. Explains Lydia, “We are firm believers in giving away our products as well as wearing them ourselves. People who complete physical therapy and chiropractic care receive a free t-shirt, and we see them wearing them around town. Free publicity never hurt anyone, right?”