Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:00
Screen printed clothing could be the key to ensuring that online content remains free but also delivers an income for its creators. Wired magazine suggests that creative people and groups are increasingly harnessing the so-called 't-shirt economy' in which the sale of printed clothing helps to provide an income stream to compliment free online content.
During 2003, Burnie Burns alongside three of his friends launched Red Vs Blue, which is a humorous animated series set in the world of video game Halo. The show became a hit with almost a million people downloading the free episodes every week. After deciding that they wanted to leave their paid jobs and concentrate solely on the show, Burns and his friends decided that printed clothing was the way to back their creativity with sound financial sense.
The sale of branded printed sweatshirts and printed polo shirts is important in this instance because charging for online content is generally a problematic process. Even a small fee for users to view an episode of Red Vs Blue could prove a turn-off for both new and old fans of the series. Therefore, creative teams using online media have instead learnt to look elsewhere for ways to make money.
Branded printed clothing can generate an income from fans who want to support the videos, while also allowing the content to remain free. This means that it has a greater dynamism to circulate around the internet and accrue a larger number of fans. If the content carriers a charge, then it may stall the show before it reaches the stage where branded printed clothing can really provide a sustainable income. Furthermore, printed t-shirts can also act as marketing tool to spread the word about the show to other people.
According to figures compiled by clothing trade publication Impressions, around $40 billion (£26.1 billion) is spent each year in the US alone on branded apparel. The printed clothing industry incorporates a wide variety of entities; ranging from bedroom businesses to multinational corporate companies. New York photographer David Friedman has a printed clothing business which produces four humorous designs each year featuring blurred, fictional corporate branding. This brings a reasonable enough income to cover his cost and provide a small profit.
At the other end of the scale, Busted Tees has predicted that it will sell 350,000 printed t-shirts by the close of 2008 and clear a 20 per cent profit. Alternatively, Cafe Press or Zazzle both enable artists, musicians and creative types to select a range of designs but not have to pay any money until they make a profit on their first printed t-shirt. Fred Durham, co-founder of CafePress, told Wired: "When you drive the risk to zero, you really open the floodgates."
The t-shirt economy can also help with various entertainment acts as consumers are often equally reluctant to pay a charge to listen to a podcast or read a blog. Therefore branded clothing, such as printed ladies t-shirts and polo shirts, can generate a viable income to sustain creative endeavours. Whether creating music, art, film or just entertainment, printed clothing holds the key to sustainable success.
