# New Label or a New Line?



## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

My current T-Shirt label i sell decently priced t-shirts, i would call them cheap t-shirts. They are funny and slogan t-shirts, and i make them available in an array of sizes and colour all year round.
I am thinking of doing something different. I want to start selling more expensive t-shirts, with a graphic or a 'stylish' slogan. They would be only available for a limited time, and only in the colour it was designed in.

I do not know whether to sell them under the same website and label and advertise them as 'special' more exclusive kind of line, or to have them as a completly seperate website and label. Another option would be to have them as another label but on the same site (but that is almost like the first option).

Any Thoughts? All the options have their good and bad points.

The biggest disadvantage of having it all under 1 roof is will people buy an expensive t-shirt when there are lots of cheaper ones on the same site.

However if i setup a new label i have to start all over again in terms of promotions of a website, not to mention i would have to maintain 2 seperate websites.


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## rejoice (Jun 7, 2007)

I would have it all under the same website, but for the more expensive shirts have a reason for upping the price (not just because of graphics). Have them limited edition, or better quality t-shirts, or like you said have it as a seperate brand of t-shirt and split the 2 types of t-shirts. You could also run a promotion such as buy 2 graphic t-shirts and get a free text t-shirt. Just my 2 cents.


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## Liefde-Chance (Sep 19, 2007)

I agree with rejoice to have all the shirts under the same umbrella. Cusotmers like variety. Some customers want a tee that is simple and some want more colorful tees, it all depends on the customer. Having the shirts under the same umbrella also allows customers to be able to find your site and products as well.


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## jlcanterbury (Jul 26, 2007)

if the label you are working with right now has any kind of reputation or name recognition, then it would be beneficial to continue using it...

if not, then a new label would be a good alternative. Even if you sell them on the same web site it will give them an image separate of the "cheap" shirts, and you can showcase the quality and fashion aspect of the new label.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

The T Shirt Man said:


> Any Thoughts?


Start a new brand, it doesn't sound like these two would be close enough to co-exist as the same brand.

The whole premium/classic range thing has worked for some labels (including a lot of more upmarket labels), but it's a dangerous and difficult thing to get right.



The T Shirt Man said:


> The biggest disadvantage of having it all under 1 roof is will people buy an expensive t-shirt when there are lots of cheaper ones on the same site.


Actually the biggest disadvantage is the people who _would have_ bought a cheap shirt now say "Hang on, does that mean this is poor quality?" and don't buy it *and* the people who _would have_ bought an expensive shirt say "Hang on, how good could this be if the same company does this cheap crap?" and don't buy it either. It makes every buyer second guess their purchase.



The T Shirt Man said:


> However if i setup a new label i have to start all over again in terms of promotions of a website, not to mention i would have to maintain 2 seperate websites.


But knowing what you didn't know when you started, so it's not quite the same as starting all over again.


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

All things considered, I agree with Solmu.


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## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. See, this is my dilemma, there are some people who think keep it the same, and others say keep them seperate.



> Actually the biggest disadvantage is the people who _would have_ bought a cheap shirt now say "Hang on, does that mean this is poor quality?" and don't buy it *and* the people who _would have_ bought an expensive shirt say "Hang on, how good could this be if the same company does this cheap crap?" and don't buy it either. It makes every buyer second guess their purchase.


That is what i was driving at, which makes me want to have it completly seperate.



> But knowing what you didn't know when you started, so it's not quite the same as starting all over again.


That is true, but when i say start all over again i am more referring to the website side of things such as PageRank, SERP position, promotion, design and have to maintain it. Not to mention the extra cost of another SSL Cert//Domain (the least of the problems as both things are not expensive).

What i am thinking of doing is having an "information" type of site (i.e. no store/ecommerce) with t-shirt pics and info, everything but the store really, and if people want to buy them then they click a link which goes to the product on my store. So it would be 2 labels, 2 websites but only 1 store.


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## jlcanterbury (Jul 26, 2007)

You can just keep the fact that both shirts are in fact produced under one roof disclosed the the buyer. They will simply think you are a store that only carries two labels...


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## global epidemik (Dec 2, 2006)

im with solmu, I wouldn't buy a limited edition $35 tee shirt from a company thats also selling $9 "im with stupid --->" tees. If I was you, I would start an entirely new brand because your dealing with a different demographic...just my 2 cents

plus "building the brand" is the best part of the whole t-shirt process...


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## The T Shirt Man (Aug 29, 2006)

yeah, i think i will, just wanted to get other people's thoughts. I want to have an "up market/exclusive" label, so it is not really that if i sell both those and regular 'cheaper' ones.


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## abstractline2003 (Sep 22, 2007)

I think having them on the same website is great promotion for both lines, I do agree with Jacob you have to give the customer a reason for paying more for this tee. There are sooooooo many different type of customers, just educate them on why this particular tee is worth their extra dollars. Give it some type of plush category name: example "Premiere Tees, " etc. Maybe upsale the quality of the fabric.
You just gotta let them know why they deserve this Wonderful Tee. Customers love new things, you just gotta educate them.

Good luck!!!!


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

I would say that you definitely want to keep them separate. A new brand deserves to be marketed separately.

There's no problem in linking to the other site to help with promotion, but I wouldn't call them the same thing or put all the products on the same website.

The upscale products will require a different marketing strategy all together. That includes a new site layout that will appeal to the upscale buyers, different wording, seo focus, etc. Having them separate will actually make marketing and advertising easier I think.


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