Are you unhappy with your branded merch? Did you start with a lofty vision of people not only buying your merch, but of seeing your awesome logo and designs everywhere you looked all over town. But then, once the reality set in you realized that not many people are buying your apparel and even fewer are wearing or using it?
You Did What You Thought You Were Supposed to Do
You researched branded merchandise and did what you thought you were supposed to do to get your program started.
Maybe you went to one of the big print-on-demand sites and pulled up their “super easy-to-use” templates. You designed what you wanted on your apparel and it looked pretty good on your screen. You digitally placed your order, never having actually spoken to anyone.
Then the merch itself arrived.
The material the shirts were made of was thinner than you expected and the amount of material in the shirt was skimpy at best.
The shape of your hoodies wasn’t quite right.
All the sizes seemed too small. . . or too large.
The tumblers didn’t feel as substantial in your hands as you thought they would. Your coasters and magnets seemed to be nice quality, but unfortunately, they are not the focus of your program.
But the worst part was your artwork.
What you were so excited about when you designed it turned out to be kind of ‘meh’ once you saw it in the wild. You had hoped people would gravitate to your merch because it screamed cutting edge, but instead, it is whimpering, “we’re here. . . over here.”
If you are honest with yourself, maybe you feel embarrassed. Maybe it isn't so bad that your items aren’t selling well. Of course, it also means the extra revenue you expected to generate has not materialized.
A Better Way
If part of what I just outlined is how you see your merchandise, don’t worry you aren't alone. Many businesses fall short of their goals on their first try with branded merch. In some ways, this shortfall prepares them to take the step to retail quality.
When you are ready to work with a dedicated partner instead of a detached vendor, there are people who can help.
Find a partner with branded merch in its DNA. A partner who:
- Brings a unique and diverse perspective to presenting your brand instead of the same bland cookie-cutter approach everyone else uses.
- Focuses not so much on where or what your brand is as what your brand could be with the power of merchandise.
- Emphasizes a production process that prioritizes pursuing the craft of producing quality apparel over the race of lowering costs.
Partner with a Dedicated Team
Find a partner who will remain with you every step of the way. Usually, that means you will be provided with a dedicated account rep, a real person you can talk to who has
- Worked with dozens or hundreds of different types of organizations
- Knowledge of where the pitfalls are: where not to go and what not to do
- An understanding of what is trending right now across other segments not in your industry.
Find a partner who has a dedicated in-house art team that carefully works with you to achieve the look and feel you want and creates apparel that accurately represents you.
You Dream it, They Produce it
Since apparel will generally be at the heart of your branded merch program, find a partner who has the if you can dream it, they can produce it philosophy. Make sure they have access to and can work with:
- Multiple levels of quality blank merchandise,
- Both Plastisol-based and water-based inks
- All types of specialty inks such as discharge, metallic, glow in the dark, sueded, puff, glitter, crackle, fashion-soft, etc.,
- Both vintage and vibrant looks.
Retail Quality Merchandise
Find a partner who can provide all the detailed final touches that scream retail quality including:
- Custom private label size tags
- Hem tags for a retail finish
- Hang tags for additional branding
- Bag and sticker for inventory integrity
One-Stop Shop
Find a partner capable of providing everything you need as a one-stop shop, including apparel, hats, drink ware, magnets, coasters, and anything else you can think of.
Conclusion
You can do it!
Stop avoiding your branded merch program because your merchandise has not turned out the way you thought it would.
Stop being embarrassed about its low-quality look and feel.
Stop thinking the cookie cutter volume vendors who show up at the top of your Google search are the only ones out there who can provide you merch that fits your financial goals.
If what you are doing is not working, change the game. Your brand deserves a quality look you are proud of showing off.
At Huge Brands, we practice what we preach. Give us a call at (801) 355-0331 or shoot an email to info@hugebrands.com if you want to talk more about how to provide the best branded merchandise in your space.
