{"id":1596,"title":"Start a conversation: Designs for mental health","description":"We've seen some amazing brands using great photography, powerful slogans and engaging social media content to make their voices heard, especially when it comes to opening up conversations around mental health. Brands like Kay Ska and This Thing They Call Recovery share personal messages and turn them into designs that encourage self care and kindness. They show us how you can create engaging online communities which lead to growth for your brand. And when you grow your brand, you grow the issues you care about too.","content":"

We've seen some amazing brands using great photography<\/a>, powerful slogans and engaging social media content to make their voices heard, especially when it comes to opening up conversations around mental health. We share some of the best ones with you here and show you how you can apply some of the principles these brands are using to build a store with a strong message.<\/p>

Slogans make connections<\/h3>

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-- And Owning It have mastered the art of 'less but better' when it comes to design<\/em><\/p>

Some of the best designs use the power of just a few words to create instant impact. Slogans are quick and effective ways to make a point to every passer-by. And with all the easily-customisable slogan templates available in Studio<\/a>, you can create a product with a strong message in just a few clicks.<\/p>

And Owning It is a brand that is all about wearing the things you're insecure about, rather than hiding them. Their simple slogan designs help young people to feel more confident in themselves, acknowledging that 'no-one is perfect'. They can choose whichever label applies to them and own it. That means each tee brings a boost of confidence with it and that's exactly what their customers are looking for. On their homepage, they say:<\/p>

\"Embrace the labels you're insecure about and wear them - literally- with pride. Own it. Say it. Live it.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>

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If they buy into your brand, they'll buy from your brand<\/strong><\/h3>

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-- This Thing They Call Recovery has built an online community which leads to high quality engagement<\/em><\/p>

When speaking out about important issues like mental health, a personal connection is how you get people on board. A great strategy is to focus on creating a community. This is something that Jenny, founder of This Thing They Call Recovery, has done with great success. On social media, This Thing They Call Recovery is a safe space where mental health issues can be discussed and followers can share their own stories, chatting with Jenny directly. T-shirts and art prints are an extension of this for people who want to wear powerful and positive messages on their chest or hang them on their walls as reminders.<\/p>

When you build an online presence, the conversations you have with your community can start to be distilled down into a few key words which will resonate with those who follow your content, just like Jenny's 'Compassion Over Comparison Please' tee.<\/p>

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-- Kay started her store as an extension of her blog, to share her story in a new way<\/em><\/p>

Kay Ska is another brand that's particularly good at putting a face to a message. Run by multi-award winning mental health blogger Kay, the brand is defined by her experiences with her own mental health. This is what led her to start her blog, spread awareness and get people talking more openly. Kay's Teemill store is another way for her to encourage everyone to engage with self-care. Modelling her own tees and sharing her brand with personal stories about her own struggles makes Kay's brand memorable, relatable and authentic.<\/p>

Putting your face to your cause makes it easier for customers to form a personal connection and makes them feel like they're supporting a friend with every purchase.<\/p><\/blockquote>

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-- The Blurt Foundation know how to share content that makes their followers feel supported and more positive<\/em><\/p>

The Blurt Foundation is another example of how brands can create connections that lead to customers. \u2060\u2060From their social media to their store homepage to their tees, everything is about creating a calm, light and positive vibe. Their creative designs and cute aesthetic creates a more relaxed yet equally powerful message about the importance of understanding mental health.<\/p>

It's also a great example of how to use social media as a platform for building relationships, not just showing off your products in every post. Sharing content that is educational, helpful or motivating will lead to more people becoming engaged with the issues your brand cares about. And if they buy into it, they'll buy from it.<\/p>

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Real people like to support real people<\/h3>

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-- Jenny from This Thing They Call Recovery wears her own products in her photos to show the person behind the brand<\/em><\/p>

One of the best ways to show the personality of your brand is through original photography. We've seen time and time again that it's high quality photography which makes the biggest difference for conversion rates. Ordering samples and taking your own photos means creating content that's unique, where you can tells the story of your products exactly how you want.<\/p>

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-- Heartknoxx's awesome photography got them noticed, which helped them spread awareness of their cause<\/em><\/p>

The brand for world-changers, Heartknoxx, know how to take a cool photo. They created a viral t-shirt campaign to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation and took some awesome shots to spread the word. Thanks to their dedication, Heartknoxx managed to get celebrities to wear their tees<\/a> and press coverage for the campaign to make their message go even further.<\/p>

Grow your brand = grow the issue<\/h3>

At Teemill, we're all for wearing our hearts on our sleeves, quite literally. That's why we love products that start conversations simply by being worn.\u00a0And the more fans you gain, the more your brand can grow and your message can spread.<\/p>

Everything we've said above is applicable to all sorts of causes and messages. Whether you're fighting to save the rainforests or for LGBTQ+ visibility, you can use the power of a good slogan, engaging social media content and original photography to get people on board.<\/p>

Whatever your brand cares about, use your Teemill store to say it with style.
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