Impressions, engagement, and loyalty are everything in marketing. You pay to attract new customers and showcase your brand, and you hope to get people talking.
Custom merchandise can do all of that and more. If you do it properly, it could deliver a cost per impression far lower than any other form of marketing.
Picture this scene: You create high-quality, branded apparel for your most loyal customers. You go above and beyond to create something unique, stylish, comfortable, and durable.
Your customers love them. They take the gift as a sign that you appreciate their loyalty. Their lifetime value increases. More importantly, they become a walking, talking billboard for your brand. Every time they leave the house, your exposure increases, and your cost per impression decreases.
That’s the power of custom merchandise for business.
Custom-branded merchandise is not just about getting more eyes on your logo and keeping loyal customers happy. The benefits go much further than that:
Consumers see ads and brands every day. Simply putting your logo out there won’t count for much if it’s not backed by a story, an idea, and social proof. Custom company merchandise provides all of that.
In the example above, not only is the customer wearing your brand, but they’ll also happily discuss it with anyone who asks. Their friends, family members, and colleagues will learn who you are and what you do, and as the customer is loyal, they’ll hear glowing praise.
In some industries, customers spend more attracting new customers than they receive from those customers. They want loyalty, not fleeting visits.
Every dollar a loyal customer spends in your store improves your return on advertising spend (ROAS). Loyalty is valuable, so anything you can do to increase that loyalty is essential.
Custom printed merchandise shows loyal customers that you appreciate them. You’re rewarding loyalty with a free gift. They’ll likely reciprocate by committing even more time and money to your brand.
Brand awareness sits at the heart of every marketing campaign. You want your brand to be seen as many times as possible. Executives, employees, customers—if everyone wears your custom-branded merchandise, you’ll be keeping your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
So, what’s the best type of custom merchandise for your business? We can help you figure that out, and it will often come down to your industry and goals. Typically, though, the most popular custom logo merchandise includes:
Clothing is one of the most popular types of custom-branded merchandise, but it can also be one of the most problematic. Everyone appreciates well-made apparel, but if it’s poorly made, uncomfortable, and the wrong size, it’ll get stuffed in a closet and will never see the light of day.
Spend an hour at a trade show, and you’ll leave cradling tote bags with a pocket full of pens. Promotional products are ubiquitous, but many of them are cheap and poorly made. The goal of custom-branded merchandising is to create something that people will actually use; something that elevates your product over the usual promotional trinkets.
Branded merchandise isn’t just for loyal and potential customers. It can also foster a sense of belonging among your employees, improving their loyalty, increasing brand cohesion, and even rewarding them for their efforts.
There are several ways to put your branding onto merchandise:
As most brands offer some kind of merchandise, you need to differentiate yourself. Here’s how:
Branded merchandise is essential for trade shows and industry events. It leaves an impression once the doors shut and the attendees leave. They’ll remember your conversation or showcase every time they see it.
You can also offer branded merchandise as part of customer loyalty programs and employee onboarding, encouraging loyalty on both sides.
Custom merchandise for businesses is products that feature a company’s logo/name, such as an item of clothing or stationery.
Apparel is always a good choice, while practical items such as pens, notebooks, and drinkware are fairly cheap to purchase at scale and place your brand on something practical that could be used every day.
Contact Foxtrot Marketing, and we can discuss customization options and design features. Subtlety is often the best approach, but it depends on the purpose and the intended recipient. Get in touch to discuss your options.