Impressions - August 2020 - 24

Figure 1

VIRTUAL CUSTOMIZATION

Local micro-factories do away with the need for inventory, bringing
customization closer to the consumer. Businesses can offer virtual
"salespeople" and respond with customized orders to online interactions. This idea means implementing tiered customization that can
allow consumers to feel more connected to their purchase than was
possible in the retail environments of the past.
Consider a product that is 80% finished and a consumer can complete the remainder via customization, or a product variation that
makes the purchase feel more unique. If this represents a new type
of customer for your shop, find a mentor to help you learn this new
space. Recognize and research your choices. Plan small steps to change
in your preferred direction.
Using video in unique ways to show special effects or interaction is
another way to grab the attention of consumers in the virtual space. As
our experiences are becoming more virtual, interactive apparel using
quick-response (QR) or augmented-reality (AR) technology have a
unique market niche. Not only do consumers have the opportunity
to enjoy another level of interaction with their unique environment,
but the apparel manufacturer also has more opportunities to interact
with consumers beyond the purchase via mobile devices.
A QR code can be updated with various information tracking to
events, other retail products, statistics, etc. Consumers can buy an
interactive tee, which they scan to reveal an updated, but familiar
virtual experience. For example, all the M&R QR shirts shown in
this article have been updated to showcase a new experience, even
though they were printed either last year or this past January.

is focused on a different elephant reservation
from around the world. Along the elephant's
back is the reservation's name. Each shirt
has a special effect - either a color-shifting
pearl or metallic silver.
We produced 60 different garments with
60 different reservation photographs, focusing on different elephant species. Through
a virtual experience, a consumer can learn
about what their purchase will support. Some
of the profits from shirt sales are donated
to that reservation. Videos and links allow
consumers to feel educated and have an experience that enables them to feel connected, which is a feeling a lot of people have
been missing.
Online product customization or variable
data means you don't necessarily have to create
the product before it's sold. This fact naturally minimizes inventories and creates efficiencies. Limited-edition products likely create
higher demand; similarly, when a product is created "to order," less
waste and excess are the results.
If at first you don't succeed, celebrate small wins, like less waste.
By continuously learning, two things occur: You have more options
when things change and your network is broader. The "new normal"
is changing, and that makes it a great time for ideas. 
Michelle Moxley is a career research, development and innovation expert with a demonstrated history of working in the apparel and fashion
industries. She is skilled in screen printing, special-effects printing,
separations, graphics, pre-press, digital printing and textiles. She currently
is director of innovation at M&R Cos. For more information or to comment on
this article, email Michelle at michelle.moxley@mrprint.com.

CROSSOVER PRODUCTS

As events reopen in our post-pandemic world and we can attend
with limited participation, there is an opportunity to create custom garments for individual attendees and demand a higher
price point. Numbered concert tees, or limited-edition garments, make the event feel more intimate and special. Products that cross over into support and donation initiatives are
relevant in today's climate; athletes, musicians, artists have
been increasingly lending their names to brands to help raise
funds or awareness.
In the M&R's Joe Clarke Technology Center, we created
an example of a crossover product this year with the DS-4000
Digital Squeegee hybrid-printing system. Ivory Ella is a brand
that supports elephant rehabilitation and conservation. Each tee
P.24

These Ivory Ella
T-shirts each contain
a one-of-a-kind
photograph and name
drop. Prof its support
the reservation pictured.

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M AUGUST 2020

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Impressions - August 2020

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