Best Branded Merch For A Creative Industry
If you’re building a brand, then branded merch is a great way for small and creative businesses to grow their customer base, check it out.
Image Source: SipsElixir
Even in highly creative industries you need to get your business name and identity out there and recognized. A great way to do this is by harnessing the power of merchandising to leverage your brand.
You need to merchandize effectively and efficiently. Branded merch can be an effective way to reach new customers using existing customers and you do not have to focus on mass production of merchandise to create a presence that’s share worthy.
Shoes and Boots
Image Source: Brand Your Shoes
Usually merchandised footwear is clunky, ugly and hard to look at let alone wear, but this does not have to be the case, you can get custom converse shoes which you can comfortably and confidently wear any day of the week, and the best news is that they will be promoting your business and brand all the time you are wearing them. Even when not wearing them, if they are eye-catching, people will ask questions and as a result they will be spoken and talked about which is good for your brand. When it comes to branded merch, shoes and boots can have high impact.
Cheap shoes will not last and will ultimately be a waste of money. Start off with a pair of shoes that have a good reputation and a good image and from there you can start to incorporate and integrate your brand. As space is often limited on shoes and boots you do not have a lot of room to make the right impression, so it is important to invest time into creating a pair of shoes that catches everyone’s attention and interest. If you are not a designer or you do not feel confident in branding, then it is probably best that you seek the expertise and experience of a design and merchandising company.
Hats and Beanies
Image Source: Branded Bills
From straw hats to beanies and caps, there are lots of hats that can be personalized and branded with your business logo or slogan. Hats are used all year round, and are used both indoors and outdoors, meaning that your branded headwear can be seen by anyone. When it comes to deciding on what type of hat to use you need to think about what your target audience wears.
For example, it is no good getting straw hats if you are trying to reach gamers who are mostly indoors. You would be better off focusing your efforts on caps and beanies. When looking at getting head wear done as part of your business merchandising efforts you need to think about whether you will use embroidery on your hats or if you will go for a more cost effective option such as transfer or print. Whichever option you decide to go for, it is important that you use a reputable supplier for your hats. Again, cheap isn’t a great way to go with branded merch. Good quality, well manufactured hats will stand the test of time and isn’t this one of the messages you want to be subliminally sending out on all of your merchandising efforts.
Bluetooth Speakers
Whether used at home, on the go or in the workplace portable Bluetooth speakers can be ideal to use within a creative industry. When deciding what to use and incorporate on your speakers it is wise to think about your logo and your colors. For example, is there a way that you can incorporate both, or do you just want to focus on your logo and keep everything else plain and simple, ensuring your logo gets all the attention and interest. The good thing about having Bluetooth speakers as merchandise is that they are heavily used and relied on meaning that they should get a lot of exposure even if you do not provide them on a large scale. When looking for speakers to use for your merchandising needs you want to think about quality. Plastic speakers will no doubt be cheaper to buy and customize, but is this what your audience expects and desires. For example, if your creative audience is eco conscious then you would be better off investing in environmentally produced and sourced speakers. You also need to think about size – are clip on speakers the right way for your business to go, or should you be looking at outdoor waterproof speakers. Knowing what your audience and market want and expect will ensure that you can get the best results possible, ensuring that money and time is well spent and justified.
Bags
Image Source: CustomInk
Everyone loves a bag, and bags are readily used in everyday situations from carrying grocery shopping home to carrying documents to and from meetings and appointments. Bags are a great merchandising tool and they are a fantastic way to get results as they are affordable to source and produce, meaning that if you wanted to merchandize on a big scale you could! As bags are one of the bigger items you can use as merchandise you have a bit of room to play with, and you have room to shout about what your business is about and what it is offering. Plastic bags (unless made from recycled materials) are probably not the best way to go. You will instead want to focus on bags made from natural fabrics and materials. Bags can last for many years so the message you send on the bags has to be just as relevant and relatable to both your business and your audience in the future as it is now.
Summary
Merchandising works and it will continue to work in the future for your business and your brand as long as you use relevant items and products for your audience. Think carefully about what will get the most use, and what will raise the most awareness and interest. You may find that a combination of products put together with a regular giveaway works better than ad hoc attempts. Differentiate from what your competitors are doing and focus on what your industry and audience want and need and then fill this gap to ensure success.
