More Than a Shirt: 7 Ways Brands Come Alive Through Merch

More Than a Shirt: 7 Ways Brands Come Alive Through Merch

Marketing

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Nike? Perhaps, you may have thought of their catchphrase, “Just Do It,” or maybe you have thought of their trademark check “swoosh” logo that resembles a wing on their products.

While these trademarks may just look like prints on shirts, they convey a message that holds so much power than people realize. These trademarks, slogans, and unique brand voice are some of the reasons why Nike and the other prominent brands in various industries are still topping the market competition. Creative and purposeful marketing tactics are also widely acknowledged by business frontrunners.

With different aspiring brands and companies emerging left and right, businesses have to up their games to stay competitive in the market. As a result, branded merchandise has taken a significant role in marketing efforts.

Branded merchandise is any product that contains the brand’s logo or name. Company giants use these products with the intent to increase the promotion of their products or services.

Do you also want your business to become a company giant or establish yourself as a solid brand in the industry? The following are seven reasons why your business needs brand merchandise:

More Than a Shirt: 7 Ways Brands Come Alive Through Merch

1. Establishes brand introduction 

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Business cards are out of style. Brand merchandise is the way to go. Brand merchandise can be an effective way to introduce your label to potential clients at once.

If you are still starting, try giving brand merchandise for free. Small firms can particularly benefit from this marketing strategy because people may still not know what they do as a business. Since they are new to the market, giving away free merchandise can raise awareness of their brand.

Remember to include your company’s website and other relevant contact information on your products to show where people can find you, making your marketing strategy successful. Make sure to provide specific details about your products or services as well.

Securing a collaboration with other brands can also help broaden your audience reach. Not only do you merge your resources, but brands that collaborate can also target each other’s substantial followings and instantaneously reach each other’s markets.

 

2. Ensures brand recognition

The more you give out free items, or the more you sell out branded merchandise, the more likely people will use their procured products and services. People will start walking on the local streets wearing your products, promoting your branded apparel in turn.

Social media is also a powerful marketing tool. If the items are highly creative and aesthetically pleasing, consumers will post their brand merchandise to social media where a larger audience can see them. As a result, the brand will get exposed to more people.

The general public’s recognition of your brand broadens audience reach and establishes brand identity. After all, consumers tend to buy more from brands they recognize and are recommendations from other people.

You can also distribute items that can be utilized daily or maintained for a longer length of time. This manner can help you gain the most publicity. Therefore, your consumers will remember your company for a longer time, lengthening your marketing efforts along the way.

 

3. Helps you stand out amongst competitors

In a heavily competitive market, you must stand out against your competitors. Brand merchandise can help you on your way to the top of the commercial competition.

Businesses that invest in brand merchandise are more likely to attract more customers than those who are reluctant. With the creative ideas brand merchandise can offer, your company will appear more engaging and compelling than others. Your efforts would not also go unrecognized as they will see your business as dedicated and goal-oriented.

By incorporating your brand identity into your products, you will also increase your brand promotion. Thus, expanding your target audience reach.

 

4. Cost-effective marketing 

Every business aims to increase its profits. Since profits are a marker to a business’s position in the market competition, companies focus on keeping the size of their profits stable, if not increasing. Thus, more profits equal a more successful corporation.

Hence, it is a no-brainer that businesses would prioritize their profits over anything else. Small and up-and-coming companies particularly restrict their budget. Consequently, they hesitate to spend their money on brand merchandise.

However, brand merchandise can do more good than harm financial-wise. When executed right, they can bring your business more profits than you anticipate. While other marketing strategies require commissioning radios, TVs, or social media, you don’t need to go all out when it comes to brand merchandise.

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Instead, you would only need to purchase and assemble items and print your logo or trademark on them. Bulk buying of merchandise can also save you more money. The more goods you buy, the lower the costs would be.

Brand merchandise works using word of mouth. While working with influencers isn’t necessary, you can tap into some personalities to boost your merch. As your items gain more exposure to the general public, the brand acquires more recognition.

 

5. Creates a new revenue stream 

By including branded products into your marketing plan, you can enhance brand visibility and ensure that your brand receives the exposure it deserves cost-effectively. Hence, your sales will boost as well.

You can also see your brand merchandise as a new revenue stream to add to your current profits. More than just helping you build brand loyalty, distributing branded items may lead to firms selling limited or seasonal branded merchandise when they have grown larger.

When your business becomes more recognized, you can also consider opening up a pop-up store where you can use it solely for selling your merch and promoting your brand.

However, it is also important to ensure that the manufacturing of your merch will not take a huge hit in your budget. Only then can this marketing strategy be efficient to have a good profit margin.

 

6. Creates customer-company connection 

Although profits move the corporation, it is well-acknowledged that customer satisfaction is the lifeline of any business. Without new customers spreading the good word about the company, your business reputation will not foster.

The success of any business heavily relies on potential consumers since they are the ones who will buy the items or services in the end. Thus, corporations must create a happy customer-business connection.

Providing company merchandise to customers that includes your brand name and logo give customers a sense of familiarity. When you hit the right spots, they will start recommending your business to their relatives and friends.

Brand merchandise also wins when it comes to tangibility in comparison to other marketing strategies. People are more likely to purchase a product that they have tried and seen. Meanwhile, they are more likely to overlook passing billboard advertisements.

When a consumer actively experiences a product, the act of connecting with your brand becomes even more memorable. In addition, the authenticity of the experience can contribute to capturing the hearts of potential consumers.

 

7. Builds a solid following 

It is indeed a lot more work to gain new customers than retain your existing customers. Customer loyalty is hard to secure, especially with a highly competitive market. Releasing brand merchandise can help you build a solid fanbase.

All consumers want to have freebies. Free items make the customers feel special and wanted. When a consumer receives something helpful yet unexpected, they feel pleased. This feeling of pleasure will put your company in the consumer’s good books.

Buyers also associate branding with their purchases. They are most likely to acquire products and services from a brand that they know and trust. As brand merchandise helps establish brand identity, consumers will purchase from you more than a brand that is not recognized well.

 

Final Thoughts

Especially as we live in a highly competitive world, the market competition has also become so fierce. Hence, businesses have to employ different marketing strategies to stay in the market scheme.

Many company giants have been using brand merchandise as their way to promote their brand. Brand merchandise has been the key to boost their way up the market. These companies have done this marketing for good reasons too.

You can use brand merchandise as a business card to introduce your business to clients. It is a big effective way of launching your products and services to several people at once. Promotional merchandise is also cost-effective, as it works by word of mouth.

You can increase brand recognition and guarantee that your business receives the attention it deserves by including branded items into your marketing strategy. The more it goes out to the general public, the more it gets brand recognition.

With the highly fierce market competition, your business must stand out among the rest. Brand merchandise can help your company look engaging and dedicated. Through this, you can also establish good relationships with your customers and build a solid following.

Know that brand merchandise is not just logo prints on shirts. It’s a creative way brands come alive and a good marketing strategy that fuels the business and drives the market scheme. As mentioned in this article, brand merchandise is crucial to a business.

Therefore, never hesitate to start producing your brand merchandise. Colossal corporations have been doing it for years. Who knows? Maybe it will be the key to unlocking your business success. Maybe your business will be the next company giant.

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Author: Maki Ng Maki is a writer for 0917 Lifestyle who’s always on the lookout for upcoming trends and isn’t afraid to test the waters with fashion-forward pieces. He loves vibing to lo-fi and R&B.

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