How Branded Apparel & Other Swag Can Set Your Brand Apart
The term “branding” is said to come from the Old Norse word “brandr,” which means “to burn,” and is rooted in the Proto-Germanic “brandaz,” meaning “fire” or “sword.” This is why the age-old practice of permanently marking hides of livestock with a burning hot iron to signify ownership came to be known as branding. Today, it has also come to define another type of marking: how a business, team, or other organization uses unique images, symbols, fonts, and other typically visual devices to distinguish itself from competitors.
A company’s logos, colors, and name are all used to “brand” their products, storefront, website, and other aspects of their business so that consumers can recognize them and their products in the marketplace. While branding is much more than a logo, tagline, or name — it represents everything from a company’s product and purpose to its voice and values — there is a type of branding that literally involves the placing of a company’s name, logo, slogan, or other image on a physical object, like a shirt, hat, or mug. This is called branded merchandise, or branded swag, and it’s a powerful growth tool that offers plenty of benefits to businesses, teams, and other organizations.
From team and spirit apparel to client gifting and trade show freebies, branded merchandise can help turn your brand into something more tangible and memorable, which is why you should consider adding some to your overall marketing and business strategies. What are some of the benefits that branded merch offers your organization?
Here are 5 of the biggest ones:
1. Enhanced Brand Awareness & Visibility
The more that people see, hear about, and interact with your brand, the more it will remain top of mind when they need your product or service. Branded swag helps amplify this notion as your logo and other branding elements become the centerpiece of tees, mugs, hats, office supplies, and more. Worn by customers in different settings and situations, branded merchandise becomes a source of free advertising in real places, not just in-store, online, or in traditional ads. Customers effectively act as brand ambassadors, helping to increase your business’s visibility and organically spread brand awareness.
Branded apparel, accessories, and promotional items can help make people aware of your product, service, cause, or event, creating social buzz or drawing people to your store or booth. They can also be incentives or rewards for loyalty or participation in a contest or marketing campaign. A lot of people enjoy showing off the branded products they have on social media, so it can help you tap into user-generated content and organic promotion too.
2. Additional Revenue Stream
Your main revenue stream flows through the selling of your products or service, but branded apparel and other swag offer another channel for you to bring in money. Whether it’s touting your company, memorializing a charity event, or encouraging team spirit, custom branded products like shirts, hats, and other accessories can often be produced at relatively low costs and then sold at revenue-boosting prices. It’s a great way to generate profits, especially supported by a loyal customer base. Customers who use and love your brand and what it stands for will be more than happy to rep your brand, as long as it’s paired with quality merch.
3. Marketplace Differentiation
Setting your business and its offerings apart from others — or marketing differentiation – is one of the keys to building a strong brand. High-quality, stylish, and practical apparel and merchandise tied to your brand is a great way to stand out from the crowd of competitors. Plus, if that swag is especially desirable and unique, it will bolster how customers perceive your brand — positioning it as professional, fun, edgy, or whatever brand personality you’re going for.
4. Increased Customer Loyalty & Engagement
Successful marketing involves nurturing deeper, more authentic relationships with your audience, and branded merch is a great way to do this. Unlike wearing a unique hat or drinking from a unique mug — which is more about standing out from others — wearing a branded hat or drinking from a branded mug is more about gravitating toward a community of like-minded people and a product or service that one identifies with. This increases customer loyalty and fosters greater engagement with your brand.
5. Elevated Team Spirit or Employee Morale
Maybe the most popular form of branded merch, apparel and gear surrounding sports, band, or other school/community activities or events create a sense of belonging and unity in ways that few other things can. The same can be said for a company and its employer branding. Providing company-branded swag to your employees can improve morale and show pride in where they work, both inside and outside the workplace.
Whether handed out from time to time or part of a rewards program, well-designed branded merch can be a big boost to company culture and turn employees into enthusiastic brand ambassadors. It’s also a great way to attract new employees and emphasize the team environment.
These are five of the biggest benefits that quality branded apparel and other swag can bring to your business, team, or organization. To realize these benefits, you’ll want to partner with a trusted agency that specializes in it, from acquisition and marketing to design and fulfillment.
M:7 Shop — part of M:7 Enterprises — is the only place that businesses, schools, and other organizations need to go for their branded apparel and merchandise needs, whether it’s trade show essentials, employee swag, or team and spirit wear. They’ll work closely with you to strategize, select, and design merch that aligns with your brand’s story and audience.