Go to Market – Page 6 – Custom-Designed Merch for Your Brand

Brand Recognition or Lead Generation?

A friend called me yesterday to bemoan that her client wants to print 1500 stress balls for an upcoming conference 🚫👎🙈

She knew it was a bad idea but didn’t know what to suggest instead. Because a lot of people face this problem, let’s talk about what I recommend!

If you have a trade show or conference and want to hand out something to everyone there, but can’t afford to buy something nice for hundreds or thousands of people, what do you do?

The first step is to ask whether you’re looking for 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 or 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

If you’re looking for 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and want to hand something to everyone, keep it simple: mints, pens, sticky notes, and other useful small items that people *might* stick in their bag for future use. You’re not going to build a relationship or get leads this way, but there will be eyeballs on your brand name.

I’m not a fan of this route because it’s usually expensive and environmentally wasteful, but if a company insists on printing hundreds or thousands of something, this is the way to go. (𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 😖)

If you’re looking for 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, here are your steps:

1) Create a print-on-demand shop with all your cute, fun, trendy branded items. Make it cool, creative, and chic. (Need help? Hire us at Go To Market – Custom Print-On-Demand Branded Merchandise!)

2) Print a postcard with a QR code to your shop and offer a gift code for a FREE hat / t-shirt / tote (you pick). Have people in your booth wearing your merch.

3) At checkout, ask customers to opt-in to your mailing list.

Here’s why this works:

1) A small percentage of people will take you up on this, but the people who do are 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒. These are the people who want to engage with your business.

2) It’s a 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 when people are wearing your brand out in the world. It’s like handing out those 1500 mints except that there’s social proof involved.

3) It’s environmentally sustainable, which is often aligned with your customers’ values.

If you can’t get a print-on-demand store up and running, offer something else that’s high value — a free course, consultation, interview, etc — that gets people to your website.

Pens and stress balls don’t make sales. But people who opt-in for your merch are solid leads!

If you HAD to get a piece of low-cost merch, what would you pick? I’m going for the mints.

What is Print-On-Demand?

Post author By Savannah LeBlanc
Post date January 4, 2024
Categories In New to Merch, Print on Demand

You’ve heard of print-on-demand, but you may not understand what it is or how it works. That’s okay! I’m here to explain it in simple terms:

Print-on-demand means that the items you design 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 and 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. There’s no warehouse with your printed items and there are no minimum order sizes.

For example, you can create a neon yellow I HATE BANANAS t-shirt digitally and if no one buys it, you have lost nothing and spent no money; better still, a stockpile of those shirts is not going to a landfill.

On the other hand, if Billie Eilish finds your shirt and wears it to an awards show, you can start selling tens of thousands of copies of the shirt. You’ll earn profit per shirt and still not have any inventory.

There are printers all over the world with the same blank inventory. All of them have the same technology to print your design.

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭-𝐨𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞.

So you can take chances with that neon shirt you’ve always dreamed of 🤣

Here are some things you can do with print-on-demand:
👚 Clothing: tees, tanks, hoodies, sweatshirts, socks, leggings, joggers, sportsbras, shorts
☕️ Drinkware: mugs, water bottles, glasses, wine tumblers, insulated mugs
📱 Tech: phone cases, laptop cases, bluetooth chargers, AirPods cases
👦🏻 Kids stuff: clothing, stuffed animals, PJs
👜 Accessories: bags, totes, patches, coasters

How did I do in explaining this? If you didn’t have a good understanding of print-on-demand before, do you now?

Overcoming the Swag Dilemma: 3 Solutions for Busy Professionals

Post author By Savannah LeBlanc
Post date December 19, 2023
Categories In New to Merch, Print on Demand

In the world of corporate responsibilities, there’s a line item that often gets neglected or hastily thrown together: company swag. Yes, that branded merchandise designed to promote team spirit, conferences, or act as thoughtful gifts tends to suffer from a lack of attention to detail. The primary reason? Those entrusted with the task simply lack the time, energy, or inclination to make it appealing.

Whether you’re a manager overseeing numerous responsibilities or an admin juggling a multitude of tasks, the overflow on your to-do list can be overwhelming. When the directive arrives to create merchandise, it often finds itself relegated to the bottom of the priorities list.

If you find yourself staring at the daunting “order swag” item on your agenda, fear not. Here are three viable options to consider:

Outsource it: Look for companies specializing in custom print-on-demand branded merchandise. These firms, such as Go To Market, handle everything from conception to printing. The added bonus? They can set up an evergreen print-on-demand shop, alleviating the hassle for the future.
Delegate it: Pass the task to someone enthusiastic about working on merch. There are individuals out there (perhaps among your team members) who relish these projects and will gladly take charge.
DIY with a purpose: If handling it yourself is inevitable, use a simple yet effective metric to guide your choices. Ask yourself, “Would I genuinely appreciate receiving this item? Will it be useful and enjoyable?” If the answer is no, conduct a quick survey among your colleagues to shape the offerings.

Have you encountered this challenge in your workplace? How did you manage it? Embracing one of these strategies can transform the swag ordeal into a seamless, well-received initiative within your company. Share your experiences and let’s navigate this together!

Vacation Merch: Yay or Nay?

For me, it’s a yay, yes, absolutely, never miss. This weekend we were in Killington VT for the women’s world cup ski racing (Mikaela Shiffrin fans, where you at 📣) which was both a delight – unforgettable for me and the kids – and also frigid 🥶.

I bought this fleece-lined gorgeous hat that says Killington Cup Vermont and reminds me of this incredible weekend watching Shiffrin crush as the GOAT of women’s skiing. My daughter and her friends got hoodies and my son got a baseball hat. (My husband plans on “borrowing” my son’s hat when he’s not using it.)

Every time we touch this merch we’ll be reminded of this beautiful weekend.

That’s the point of merch: it’s a tangible connection to something intangible. It’s a memory, a feeling, a sense of belonging, and an identifier.

Did you buy any merch this holiday weekend?

One Size Fits All is a Myth

One size fits all is a lie. I mean this both for apparel AND for giving-everyone-the-same-gift.

For apparel, you and I both know those socks don’t fit all 🧦 👀 .

But more importantly, when you give everyone in your company the same thing, you must reduce-reduce-reduce until you’re buying generic garbage.

When you’re buying ONE ITEM for everyone, you:
👎 Can’t do apparel because you can’t guess sizes
👎 Can’t do food because of allergies and preferences
👎 Can’t do booze because of people who don’t drink
👎 Don’t want to pick something techie (like a charger) because not everyone has the same devices

So you’re going to end up with a tote bag (🥱) or a mug (🚮).

What’s the solution then, if you have a per-person budget? It’s simple, folks: give choice. When you have a website with your swag, apparel people can choose apparel (in the size, shape, and color they want it), mug people can choose mugs, tech people can choose the right item for their devices. It is stupidly simple.

Tell me one item a company has bought en masse that everyone likes and I’ll eat my shoes. Can you think of one?

Branded Merch is Social Proof

Post author By Savannah LeBlanc
Post date October 24, 2023
Categories In New to Merch, Print on Demand
No Comments on Branded Merch is Social Proof

If you think you’re too small of a company to have branded merch, then now is the time to make merch. That might sound backwards, but let me explain.

Branded merch is social proof.

When you see a company who is selling swag — and has a “team” (even if it’s just you) wearing their values — you look like a bigger, more established company. You look committed to your brand, committed to your values, and committed to your success.

And customers want to invest their time and money in companies that are committed to and care about their success.

You’re not too small to make merch for your brand. What’s holding you back?

Your Brand is Only Repetitive to YOU.

Post author By Savannah LeBlanc
Post date October 18, 2023
Categories In New to Merch, Print on Demand

You’re likely bored of your own message and feel super repetitive. Doesn’t everyone who follows you know your message already?

While you hear your own message 😵‍💫 every single day 😵‍💫 the majority of your followers fall into two camps:

1) they have a vague sense of what you do

2) they don’t know what you do at all

… and the information they gather about you is taken in half-second scrolling ⏱.

One surefire way to pack more information into that half second — and maybe stop the scroll altogether — is by wearing MERCH with your MESSAGE.

You’ll never (ever!) see a photo of me online in a business capacity without a cool branded tee or hat. It’s impossible to see my face without also seeing MERCH or SWAG.

What that does is teach my followers about who I am, what I do, and what my vibe is — all in the blink of an eye.

If you’re in a crowded field (I’m looking at you, coaches), distinguishing yourself is key. Put your values on your clothes and you’ll go far.

Also, it’s cute and fun.

Do you wear branded merch in your feed? If not, what’s stopping you?

No Promotional Products!

I cringe when people say promotional products.

Promotional products, to me, is synonymous with cheap logo’ed items that are given out — usually en masse — for free.

You know what I mean: t-shirt guns, flashlights, wireless charging pads, koozis.

So I hate when people think I’m in promotional products. I call it branded merchandise, and here’s what branded merchandise is to me:

high-quality items you actually want to own
items you CHOOSE to own (they are not thrust upon you)
designs that actually mean something to you and reflect the company’s values and identity

“Promo items” should make you cringe — it’s the wasteful stuff you don’t want. Branded merchandise can be fun, easy, high-quality, and can actually increase the bottom line in your business.

What’s a promo item you want to hate but actually love? I’ll go first: SHORTS. If you give me shorts I will actually keep them forever. I’ll probably wear them until they have holes in them.

Sustainability in Swag is Important

As the earth gets older, sustainability becomes more important. It’s terrible seeing companies print bulk swag that often ends up as waste that only worsens our environment around us. There are easy and effective ways to make your branded merchandise both meaningful and eco-friendly. Let’s discuss:

1️⃣ Choose Quality Over Quantity

One of the most common mistakes brands make when buying branded merchandise is opting for very cheap and low-quality items like pens. While these items may seem cost-effective and easy, most of the time the end up in the trash, contributing to landfill waste. Instead, invest in high-quality, durable swag that people will actually use and cherish.

2️⃣ Opt for Soft & Low-Packaging Items

Something you might not think about is the packaging your swag is sent in. Soft and flexible items like hats require significantly less packaging compared to bulkier items like mugs. By choosing merchandise that doesn’t need excessive packaging, you can reduce your company’s carbon footprint and minimize waste. You can also opt for eco-friendly packaging materials, such as recycled or recyclable options, which can further enhance sustainability.

3️⃣ Give Gift Cards

Gift cards offer a practical and eco-friendly alternative to physical merchandise. When you provide gift cards, recipients have the freedom to choose what they want, ensuring they get something they’ll use and enjoy. This reduces the chances of swag ending up unused or discarded. Additionally, you can partner with a print-on-demand merchandise shop that offers customization without minimum orders or inventory requirements.

We believe that it’s crucial for brands to adopt eco-friendly practices in all aspects of their operations, including branded merchandise. By following these three easy and affordable simple steps, you can create swag that not only promotes your brand but also contributes to a greener, more sustainable future 💚

How To Make Your Conference Swag Better

Post author By Savannah LeBlanc
Post date September 20, 2023
Categories In New to Merch, Print on Demand

Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay.

Here’s how you can do yours better, guaranteed:

1️⃣ Plan far in advance so you can spend time thinking through your designs. And no, the name of your conference on different merch items is *not* a design. The better the design, the more likely your recipients are to keep your items and not trash them.

2️⃣ If it fits in the palm of your hand — unless it’s jewelry or high end tech — it’s trash. Pens, pencils, keychains, stickers: these are a skip.

3️⃣ Give people choice ahead of time for what they want. It can even be as simple as asking people if they want apparel or non-apparel. Remember, the more people love what you’re making, the more effective that swag is at building your relationship.

Do you love conference swag or hate it? Or somewhere in between? Share your thoughts!