There are plenty of box subscriptions out there but what sets our Shirt of the Month subscription apart from the rest is the people that it represents. We’ve been able to capture that niche market of Oklahomans that take pride in their state and can tell a story related to nearly every shirt they receive.
When we started, we designed and printed out of what was familiar along with the necessity of affordability. There were plenty of other great local companies printing Oklahoma t-shirts but we saw an opportunity to create a community through a subscription program. In late 2012, Netflix was the hottest community that people belonged to and were talking about with their friends and family. That (what use to be) $10 price point made it accessible for so many and everyone was talking about what they were watching and making suggestions for what they thought other people would like. We took that idea of an affordable community and coupled it with an idea that we thought people would want to pass along to their friends. Thus, Shirt of the Month from Oklahoma Shirt Company was born.
As our subscribership began to grow, we began getting to know our product better as well as our subscriber base and our potential customers. We started first by reaching out to a few friends in some of Oklahoma’s smaller towns. They would happily tell their friends, family, and colleagues about the designs, price point, and novelty of the subscription and we began to see these clusters of subscribers in and around several towns in Oklahoma. We also learned how to be adaptable and to listen to the needs of our customers. In February of 2014 we attended a local craft show where we were able to verbally communicate our subscription service and listened to the questions our customers had. We had so many realizations from being able to communicate face to face with our customers which is one of the main reasons we continue to attend craft shows across the state. So, we listened and then we adapted – we wanted to accommodate our customers who wanted to change sizes month to month to be able to share or gift their monthly shirt. We now provide a size change option, which has helped retention and truly allows customers to have flexibility within their subscription.
Ultimately, we attribute our growth and success to people – we value our Shirt of the Month subscribers as well as our custom business clients. We give individual attention to each of our subscribers and love hearing their stories about what their monthly shirts mean to them. Our team has doubled in size this last year and is comprised of friends that love and respect each other artistically and in a business sense. We constantly remind ourselves that we sell $10 t-shirts, both as a means to keep our vision clear of distractions and to remind ourselves to stay humble. So while we love making t-shirts with our friends and for our friends, we love making people happy even more and at the end of the day, that’s why we’re in business.
