Creating Outstanding Brand Merchandising: The Essential Do's and Don'ts
Branded merchandise is a great way to build brand awareness and customer loyalty. These are high-quality promotional products that feature your brand’s logo or messaging.
Before you invest in branded merchandise, there are a few things you need to consider. We’re here to walk you through the merchandising do’s and don’ts, to ensure you maximize the effectiveness of your brand merchandising and reach your goals.
Here’s everything you need to know about merchandising do’s and don’ts.
What is Branded Merchandise?
Branded merchandise are promotional products you buy to promote your logo or messaging. These items may be given out as corporate gifts, added to an employee welcome kit, or products sold in your store. Branded merchandise is typically more high-quality and comes at a higher price than traditional giveaways.
The Do’s of Brand Merchandise
Before you start buying branded merchandise, there are a few do's you'll want to consider to ensure the items are a good match. This includes:
DO Consider Your Audience
Your audience should always be top of mind when you buy brand merchandising. It may seem like a great t-shirt, backpack, or journal to you, but if the style doesn’t align with their likes and dislikes, they may not use it or wear it. Consider creating buyer personas to learn more about your audience. These buyer personas will have information like:
- Interests
- Age
- Buying habits
- Demographics
Then, you'll want to consider how these characteristics influence your branded merchandising. For example, if you own a brewery and the audience is predominantly male who live in Ohio, you'll likely look for men's t-shirts and sweatshirts rather than a women's tank.
DO Stick to Your Branding
The stylish red T-shirt might seem like a good idea, but if it doesn't compliment your branding, you might want to look for an alternative. The items you add to your company store or give to employees as a gift should always compliment your brand's colors and messaging. It should serve as a reflection of your brand and a mobile advertisement for your offerings. Of course, there's a way to do this in a stylish way! So, you must be strategic with your offering. Consider looking into the latest trends, conducting competitor research, or sending a survey to your target audience.
DO Invest in Practical Options
When looking for branded merchandise to sell on your website or in your store, you’ll want to look for functional and practical products your audience will use. What products would your customers use or wear? Will the item end up in the trash? Is it worth the price tag you plan to add to it?
When you invest in practical options, you can entice your customers to purchase. Practical promotional products will help you gain long-term brand exposure and complement your image. When looking for items, consider:
- T-Shirts, Hoodies, and Sweatshirts
- Backpack, Cinch Bags, or Totes
- Bottle Openers
- Can Coolers
- Towels or Blankets
These items serve a purpose and are likely to be used the most by your customers.
DO Use Branded Merch to Increase Customer Loyalty
Branded merch is the perfect investment to use to entice your loyal customers. Outside of just selling these items in your store or online, consider using them for other marketing campaigns. Whether it’s a social media giveaway, gift with purchase, or a special offer. This is the perfect way to keep your customers engaged and build a stronger connection.
DO Incorporate Your Logo
You should always include your logo or message on your branded merchandise. While buying a specific item blank and in bulk may help you save money in the long run, it won’t deliver the same results.
You'll want to conduct research and look into how your competitors brand their branded merchandise. This is a great way to find new ideas and innovative ways to incorporate your branding without being overwhelming.
The Don’ts of Brand Merchandising
Not all branded merchandise is great branded merchandise. Here are some don'ts you'll want to avoid doing to ensure the items you invest in serve their purpose:
DON’T Invest in The Cheapest Options
The most budget-friendly option is not always the best option. Think of your branded merchandise as an extension of your branding. A low-quality and cheap item won’t accurately represent your brand.
It will also leave a bad taste in your customer’s mouths if they buy something from your merch and it breaks or wears easily. You may feel wary about investing in expensive promotional products to add to your branded merchandise. However, you should always consider these items as just another product in your store. You wouldn't want someone to pick something up and think it felt cheap, would you?
When looking for promotional products you want to sell in your company store, always consider your margins. For example, if an item costs $20 to make and you want a 35% profit margin, you'd sell it for around $30. This way, you make $10 for every purchase.
DON’T Over Brand The Item
While you might feel inclined to go big and bold with your logo or branding, it’s not always the best option. Customers want something they can use and enjoy. They don’t want to feel like a walking advertisement when they wear a t-shirt, sweater, or backpack. Sometimes, subtle branding is a better option for brand merchandising. Great alternatives to consider include:
- Add your logo or icon to the sleeve of a shirt
- Make your logo smaller than the imprint area
- Go for a monochromatic look
Get creative, but always keep your audience in mind. Keep in mind, if you're investing in branded merch you can probably get away with a big design! But you'll want to be mindful of your audience and goals.
DON’T Forget To Do Your Research
Every decision you make should be backed by data and research. Think of the branded merchandise you offer as another item in your store. Before you go out and buy 1,000 units of a specific backpack or t-shirt, make sure you do your research and understand your customer’s buying habits.
If you buy in bulk and the item doesn’t sell, you may end up sitting on a big pile of inventory for a while. When learning how to brand merchandise, start small and consider doing some test runs. If something sells well, then you can place a larger order.
Explore Brand Merchandising With Bagmasters
Brand merchandising is an invaluable investment for your business. With the right items, you can improve customer loyalty, increase employee morale, and take your marketing initiatives to the next level.
At Bagmasters, we offer various high-quality options at various price points. Whether you’re looking for t-shirts, backpacks, water bottles, or all three - we have everything you need for your upcoming marketing campaign.
Shop our best sellers today to get started.
