29 Jan Why we love branded merchandise + why you should too
Think of marketing like a gear. A successful strategy only works when all the cogs are operating in unison. If some of the pieces are missing or you don’t have the right framework to back it up, then the whole thing loses its ability to function optimally.
This is how branded merch fits in with other marketing activities. It’s an essential piece of the workflow that closes gaps and reinforces your values and messaging.
To put merchandise into perspective for your business, let’s take look at some of the reasons we love branded merch and how it can fit into your overall marketing strategy.
Brand building
Building a holistic brand that resonates with your customers is fundamental to becoming successful in business. When a customer connects with you in a meaningful way, not only are they more likely to do business with you over a competitor, but they’ll likely come to you for multiple products or services too.
Achieving deeper connections with your customers
Branded merch allows you to inject your brand deeper into the lives of your customers and offers them more personal and frequent exposure. So, if you’re able to offer a promotional item that becomes part of daily routines, not only will your brand awareness increase, but the relationship your customer feels they have with you will strengthen too.
Merch for every occassion
Whether you’re running a trade show, launching a product or enticing customer purchases with a free gift, there are so many exciting ways to integrate promotional merchandise into your marketing strategy. As well as boosting awareness and engagement with your brand, distributing the right promotional item at an appropriate time can help your customers solve problems, create better memories, or make an experience more enjoyable in the process.
Here’s just a few distribution opportunities for your promotional products:
- Social events
- Corporate functions
- Product launches
- Corporate gifts
- Uniforms or accessories for a team
- Promotions & giveaways
- Reward staff and top sales performers
Effective merch for every business
Making your merch a hit with customers is easy if you present them with something that they’re likely to use on a regular basis. A cordless phone charger, for example, could be a great gift for sales reps who are always on the road, the same way a fancy drink bottle might be valuable to fans attending a sporting event. Useful gifts won’t end up in the back of the draw never to be seen again but will rather be treasured and used again and again into the future.
Top quality sells your brand
When someone receives a high-quality gift for no reason, they immediately feel positive feelings towards the gift-giver. It’s the simple theory of reciprocity; when we experience an authentic act of kindness, we generally reward it with an equally kind act in response. In the best circumstances, this could involve an increase in purchases made with your brand, the variety of products or services a person chooses to come to you for and even positive recommendations and word-of-mouth reviews to friends.
High quality branded merchandise and apparel also speaks to the calibre of your brand and demonstrates that the relationship you are trying to build with your target market isn’t just a one-way street. Consumers often feel like businesses are trying to take from them, giving very little in return. For this reason, offering an incentive to do business with you is a great way to make them feel valued as a customer.
So how can you guarantee top quality as a business? At Lifestyle Australia, we have partnerships with some of the top retail brands that allow us to print, stitch or style your merch on the same stock as major players like Nike, The North Face and District – letting you ride on the quality and reputation of these companies.
The options are endless
With high quality suppliers and an extensive range of decoration solutions, every business can create something special. A good merch provider will be able to offer you a variety of application processes to create custom styles, textures and finishes to ensure the finished product stays true to your vision. If you’re not sure what application process is best for your project, talk to an application specialist or check out our comprehensive list of processes and uses below.
Let’s make something incredible!
From high-quality sourcing and supply partnerships to award-winning design capabilities and first-class manufacturing equipment, Lifestyle Australia can help you develop a holistic merchandising strategy at a competitive price. To get the ball rolling, give us a call on 07 3386 3600 or email us at hello@lifestyleaustralia.com.au