Branded merchandise plays a crucial role in how a brand connects with its audience and reinforces its values, whether it’s during an event, a brand redesign, or onboarding new staff - but the way you execute it can make a real difference to how it's received.

Branded merch. It's often considered too late in the planning stages of an event or sponsorship. Perhaps a bit earlier during brand redesigns or HR initiatives aimed at welcoming new employees. But whether it's front of mind or an afterthought - the decision on how best to execute it is an important one. We often underestimate how significantly the execution can impact our brand's ability to connect with its internal or external audience.

To go bespoke or not: that is the question.

Off the shelf merchandise (items readily available from manufacturers that you can apply your logo to) has some distinct advantages whenever time and budgets are tight. However, bespoke merchandise (items crafted uniquely to a specification that perfectly embodies your brand and identity) can be worth waiting for, and paying a little extra for.

Yes it is easy to default to generic off-the-shelf merch - it’s quick to produce, comparatively cheap and requires very little in the way of thought from you or your production partner. Minimum order quantities can be fairly low too. But will it stand out? And will it stand the test of time? Particularly in these eco-conscious times, audiences want good quality and they place a value on items sourced responsibly.

Being able to stand behind your merchandise choices is increasingly important.

In this article we’ll set out the case for going the extra mile and creating a considered and bespoke branded merchandise strategy that will elevate and enhance your brand in the minds of your customers (external and internal) both now and in the future.

What we'll cover:

• Understanding bespoke and off-the-shelf merchandise
• The importance of brand alignment
• A case study: Brugal
• Practical implications
• Relying on experts

Understanding bespoke and off-the-shelf merchandise

Bespoke merchandise is custom-made, designed from the ground up to align precisely with a brand’s identity and to support your overarching marketing strategy. It is acknowledged that by adopting a bespoke approach, you can create items that should better support acquisition, retention and loyalty strategies.

In contrast, off-the-shelf merchandise includes pre-existing products that are readily available and can be branded, but lack customisation from conception - you can brand them but you can’t make them exclusively yours (e.g. in material selection, in finishing touches, in shape and format).

The choice between bespoke and off-the-shelf merchandise involves weighing their advantages and disadvantages. Bespoke items, while typically can be more expensive, involve higher order quantities and require longer lead times, provide a unique opportunity to resonate deeply with a target audience. Off-the-shelf products, on the other hand, are more budget-friendly and can be procured quickly, bought in small quantities and be available with very fast turnaround times.

The importance of brand alignment

Brand identity and value is at the heart of bespoke merchandise. Tailored items ensure that every aspect of the product is thoughtfully considered to reinforce the brand’s message. For example, a bespoke piece can incorporate specific corporate colours, logos, and materials that reflect the brand's values, such as sustainability or luxury.

As a marketer you would always invest time crafting an advertising campaign therefore, when getting the privileged opportunity of putting the “brand in the hand” of a customer in the real world, the same care and attention is worth investing.

Consumers expectations are higher than ever and not only will they judge you poorly for giving them anything that is perceived as “cheap and irrelevant” - they will celebrate you and become more loyal if the merchandise you provide them with is functional (ie they have a use for it), emotional (ie it reinforces or creates a strong emotional pull to your brand) and social (ie they will be proud to wear it, carry it or show it off to others).

Case Study: Brugal's Custom Merchandise Journey

Brugal, renowned for its distinctive rum, sought to enhance its brand visibility and connect more deeply with its audience through uniquely crafted merchandise. Edrington, Brugal's parent company, presented a bold vision for a series of high-end, functional promotional items - including three different sized bottle glorifiers, two drinks trolleys, and various other items including a menu holder, coasters, a chocolate box, serving tray, mixing tin, jigger, and cocktail spoon.

Orb Group was brought on board to bring this vision to life, but it was far from plain sailing. Once we took the initial output from the creative agency, we were able to highlight some areas where production costs could be saved. We made some changes to the initial design, and then used our experience and knowledge of finishing and the factory’s capabilities, to get the ultimate end product.

Practical implications

Brands have to often make difficult choices with their budget spend and off the shelf merchandise can many times be a great solution. It’s all about context after all.

Let’s take the example of a Christmas party and gifts for staff. A branded off the shelf advent calendar we produced for the Ultimate Finance team was much loved and cherished (but was inexpensive to produce and quick to turnaround).

Or what about when a brand gets a last minute opportunity to attend a major trade show and the staff on the stand need something memorable to hand to any visitors coming to speak to them. Good quality brand merchandise (items that appeal to that particular visitor demographic and are tastefully branded) bought off the shelf can be a great addition to the line up.

But when looking to build long term brand equity, it can be advisable to look at investing the time and resources in developing a bespoke merchandise approach.

Relying on experts

Orb Group’s global sourcing capabilities allow us to offer a wide range of production options, ensuring that all the merchandise we create is sourced responsibly and fits in with the specific needs of the brief. Our quality control and compliance procedures ensure that your merchandise meets industry standards and legislation and prevents risk to your brand and business.

We can guide you through the decision making on how best to source and design impactful brand merchandise and whether off the shelf or bespoke solutions are the right path for you.

Conclusion

Opting for bespoke merchandise offers unparalleled opportunities for brand alignment and customer engagement. While it requires a more significant investment, the long-term benefits of creating memorable, impactful brand experiences can far outweigh the initial costs.