The bpma academy certificate is the first promotional merchandise qualification of its kind. It is designed to help address the promotional merchandise industry's need for staff to have a more rounded knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the promotional merchandising industry.

The starting point, of course, is to emphasise to students the importance of matching the brief they have been given to the most cost effective and most visually acceptable branding.

Historically, promotional clothing has tended to be a couple of years behind fashion. But promoters now understand that increasingly fashion-conscious consumers expect promotional womenswear to be in ‘vogue'.

Promotional clothing is, of course, meant to serve as a showcase for a brand. So the item has to be right, look good, and give the core values of the brand.

Promoters now require a stylish cut, a soft and smooth feel, a particular thickness of cotton or knit, and a fashionable look. There is also a shift to fitted tops with shaped necks of different size and style, along with contrast stitching and stylish detail. And promoters now expect all of the above without having to pay much more than they would for a standard T-shirt!

These days, branding often needs to be more discreet than in the past, so it requires more thought and greater invention. There are now many more ways to brand clothing instead of traditional embroidery or simply placing a screen-printed logo on the front of the garment.

As a result, producing promotional clothing is becoming much more design-led - and we encourage students to keep abreast of new techniques, materials and branding methods.

For example, promotional womenswear has seen the introduction of Lycra for shape and the use of combined materials, such as bamboo, for softness and sustainability of the material. Quality is also important, with mixed fabrics preferable to all-natural or all-synthetic materials because of their durability, washability and the way they keep their shape.

The bpma course also covers print processes for clothing and other promotional items. We take students through the various ways in which artwork can be used in different formats - such as the four-colour process, spot colours and blends - and how and where each process can be used on different garments.

As ‘clothing with a conscience' gains in popularity in the high street, promoters are becoming increasingly aware that they too must ensure that suppliers of promotional attire meet strict, ethical standards.

This is resulting in a shift towards ethical, organic and carbon neutral clothing for marketing campaigns. The advent of carbon zero-certified promotional clothing, for example, now offers brands a highly visible way of making a strategic statement about their ‘green' credentials.

With today's students becoming increasingly eco-aware, it means the talented individuals who will run the promotional merchandise industry in the next decade will be able to combine what the bpma academy has taught them about design, branding, production planning and compliance, with green and ethical production that may help save the planet.

For more information visit www.bpma.co.uk or call 0207 689 5553

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