The importance of merch for your brand

Do you already have your own merch? Don't you? Then you are making a mistake! People love merch! You don't need to be an influencer, just a good idea for an interesting graphic that appeals to a select audience, and another source of income is in the world. In recent years, big companies, leisure entertainment centres, sports clubs, restaurants, universities and various communities have also been betting on the power of merch.

Why have your own merch made?

4. Possibility of additional income

Branded merch can easily become a source of income for you. It depends on how big a community of people you have and how big an audience of people you can reach.

How to create merch that sells

A branded bag printed with a funny slogan, a comfortable hoodie with your embroidery or a T-shirt with a big colourful graphic across the back. Your merch can look like this too. The best branded merch is distinctive and reflects your brand identity - in color, logo and design. 

What (or rather who) decides whether your merch is successful? Your target audience! Before you rush headlong into ordering products with your logo or graphics, ask yourself a few key questions:

• What products are a good fit for my target audience?
• What design does my target audience like?
• Will my target group use/buy the products?

Once you've got these basics clear, you can then move on to the bigger details. Not only is there a market analysis to be done, but also selecting the products themselves, the graphics, pricing, and figuring out where and how you will sell your merch.

2. Logo, slogan or creative graphics

A hoodie with a logo may be nice, but it probably won't have a significant wow effect. Don't be afraid to bet on playful, creative graphics. No ideas? That's okay, put yourself in the hands of the experts - graphic designers. They know best what the trends in graphic design are. Always keep your target audience in mind. For example, nature and mountain lovers will appreciate a minimalist nature pattern, while a lively teenage audience will be appealed to with bold colors and playful graphics. Minimalist merch in primary colors with a simple slogan, catchphrase also works great. Elegant typography plays a major role in this case. 

3. Product selection and production

The next step is one of the most fun, and that is the actual selection of the products. If you're going to include clothing in your merch, forget about the cheapest. Instead, choose branded pieces made from organic cotton that your customers will love to wear. That's what you're all about! This is the only way to keep your merch in front of more and more potential customers. Include more sizes and colours in your range so that your customers have more to choose from. The same goes for promotional items. Don't choose the cheapest ones. The choice of the products themselves then depends on the preferences of your target group. 

Then have your merch made. Choose printing technologies that look luxurious, are durable and thus last a long time. Embroidery, digital printing or screen printing are most suitable for textiles, while engraving or digital printing are most used for items. 

4. Pricing

Even the price should reflect your target audience. Do you have an upscale restaurant and are you addressing your own merch? Then don't be afraid to choose branded pieces, your customers will definitely be happy to pay extra for quality and branded products. Are you an entertainment center and you deal with smaller merch for your little visitors? Then choose rather cheaper products that will make them happy but at the same time won't put too much strain on the family budget. Expensive merch wouldn't sell well. Do you know how to set the price? Take it from the other end. Think about how much your customers are willing to pay for your product, factor in your margin, production and delivery costs, and you'll come up with a price range for your products. 

5. Where to sell your merch?

The last thing to do is to figure out where you're going to sell your merch. Sell where your target audience is. Create a simple e-shop, set up social media pages, collaborate with influencers, go for interaction and meeting your target audience. 

Sample

The final form of your merch is always influenced by your target audience. Without knowing them, you can never offer exactly what your customers want. Take a look at examples and differences in merchandising for a different target group.