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Some company merch still has serious “my cousin was my first customer”<\/em> energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know the look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The logo hasn’t been updated in years. The design feels disconnected from the current brand. The apparel looks like it came from a trade show booth in 2014 and somehow never left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So why are companies still handing it out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the fastest ways to make a modern company feel outdated is through outdated branded merchandise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your customers, employees, and prospects may never see your website’s backend. They may never see your internal systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But they will see your swag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if your promotional products look old, people subconsciously assume the brand is old too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because whether you realize it or not, branded merchandise is often one of the most visible expressions of your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most businesses spend time updating their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then they keep ordering the same branded apparel they’ve been distributing for the last five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is a disconnect between who the company is today and what its merchandise communicates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your swag should reflect your current brand\u2014not a previous version of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many organizations treat company merch as an operational task:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Just reorder what we bought last year.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But branded merchandise is actually a customer and employee experience tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every hoodie, T-shirt, notebook, water bottle, or promotional giveaway sends a message about your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What message is yours sending?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your merchandise feels dated, generic, or disconnected from your current identity, that’s the message people receive about the brand itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not sure whether your merchandise is helping or hurting your brand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few warning signs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your branded products feature outdated logos, colors, or taglines, it’s time for an update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great promotional merchandise creates enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If employees leave swag behind at events or customers never use it, the problem may not be the product category\u2014it may be the design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The audience you served five years ago may not be the audience you’re serving today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your merchandise strategy should evolve alongside your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your company swag could belong to virtually any business, it’s not strengthening your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best branded merchandise feels specific, intentional, and connected to the organization behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Refreshing your merchandise doesn’t always require a complete overhaul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes it’s as simple as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Small changes can dramatically improve how people perceive your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best branded merchandise acts as a snapshot of your company in the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It should represent your current identity, your current audience, and your current standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your merch shouldn’t feel like a time capsule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It should feel like your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because every piece of company swag tells a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure it’s telling the right one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Some company merch still has serious “my cousin was my first customer” energy. You know the look. The logo hasn’t been updated in years. The design feels disconnected from the current brand. The apparel looks like it came from a trade show booth in 2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hide_page_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3738,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3736\/revisions\/3738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotomarket.studio\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Old Merch Makes Brands Feel Old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your Brand Has Evolved. Has Your Merch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Branded Merchandise Is a Brand Touchpoint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Signs Your Company Swag Needs a Refresh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You’re still using old logos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nobody is excited to receive it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It doesn’t reflect your current audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It feels generic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Modern Merch Builds Modern Brands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Your Merch Should Reflect the Business You Are Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n