Custom merchandise is a valuable addition to your marketing arsenal. When deployed correctly, it raises your brand's profile, engenders customer loyalty and increases your profit margins. So how do you deploy this tactic correctly?
1. Identify your target demographic.
Who are the people that you want to receive your custom merchandise? What do they want and how do their desires align with your brand's intent and aspirations? You will need to tailor your design to resonate with the preferences of your target demographic, so getting this first step right is crucial to your success.
2. Find inspiration through market research.
You will want to stand out from the crowd, not follow it, so take the time to investigate your competitors' offerings. Identify trends and gaps in the market to determine what you ought to invest in and how you should market it to appeal to your target demographic.
3. Stay true to your brand identity.
Custom merchandise should reinforce your brand identity and strengthen your connection with your customers, so make sure that all branding elements are consistent with other messaging formats that you use and instantly recognisable as belonging to your brand.
4. Quality trumps quantity.
Your custom merchandise will represent your brand in the hands of consumers, so focus on making a great impression by investing in high quality products and finishes. Make sure the products that you supply will enhance your customers' opinion of your brand, not tarnish it.
5. Choose practical products.
The aim of custom merchandise is to get people using it. This builds familiarity and trust and means that they will instantly think of your business when they need something that you can supply. For this reason, choose products that will be used in everyday life, such as notebooks, water bottles, trolley tokens and tote bags.
6. Have fun with it.
Sketch out your ideas on paper, experimenting with layouts and images and seeking feedback from colleagues until you arrive at a design that is exciting, bold and truly YOU.
7. Remember, you need to make a return on your investment.
Tempting as it is to blow the budget on custom merchandise, the intent is to generate increased profit margins, so consider the cost of production and distribution balanced against the potential retail price when selecting products and manufacturers to work with to ensure that your business model remains viable.
Taking custom merchandise from concept to creation is a major task that requires you to thoroughly consider a number of factors. Working with an expert such as Source Promotional Merchandise can simplify this process and enhance customer satisfaction, so if you want to find out how we can help you to optimise your custom merchandise plans, please contact us today.
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