Avoid These Mistakes When Ordering Branded Merchandise

A common perception people have about ordering branded merchandise is that it's an easy, straightforward process. They don't see that putting your company's logo and brand colours on a branded merchandise is simply not enough, there is so much more to it, especially if they want a high-quality, long-lasting, and good looking final product. 

Successful brands know their customers and their goal with branded merchandise. They conduct extensive research and plan way ahead. We created this list of mistakes to avoid to help you create higher quality brand merchandise and improve your marketing campaigns 

You should avoid ordering branded merchandise without first creating a plan for how you will use them. You need a  well-thought-out plan before ordering koozies "just because," as doing so would not just waste your money, but it won't provide any brand awareness. 

To maximize the effectiveness of your promotional products, you should develop your buyer persona and a campaign strategy. You shouldn't just order branded merchandise without giving some thought to how they'll actually be used. 

As an example, if you need branded merchandise for an upcoming conference but have very little booth space, you should purchase smaller, lighter items rather than, say, a bunch of t-shirt boxes. T-shirts, for example, can be ordered with the ideal fabric, design, and sizes thanks to a promotional product strategy.

You don't have to go overboard with your promotional efforts. Just 30 minutes of team time spent coming up with ideas is a great investment in getting the ball rolling.

If you're going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on branded merchandise, you need to make sure it looks excellent. You definitely don't want to distribute goods that appear to have been thrown together in Microsoft Paint.

The success or failure of your promotional goods campaign hangs on its design. 

Make sure you work with a graphic designer to achieve the ideal ratio of text, picture, and white space. If you're unsure of your design, run it by a few coworkers or a branded merchandise expert like BrandIt to make sure it's good to go.

Large-scale campaigns from popular companies naturally involve more distinctive, tailor-made branded merchandise. There is no doubt that these take a while to deliver because of the longer manufacturing process. Unfortunately, many companies make the mistake of placing orders too late. This causes you to either settle for subpar goods that are currently in stock or pay excessively for expedited shipping. Think about the damage to your company's reputation that could result from any of these scenarios. Be sure to make preparations in advance so that your company is not hampered by late orders or forced to make concessions.

Nothing is worse than placing an order for 500 stress balls only to discover that the company’s name is spelled incorrectly on the front. Your excitement over promotional products can quickly become an expensive nightmare if the wrong colors, logos, or typos are used.

Before you send your product design off for printing, have it reviewed by a few different people; new eyes will most likely spot embarrassing mistakes before it's too late. Naturally, if you collaborate with a company like BrandIt, we'll double-check your design to ensure that you're always putting your best foot forward.

You run the risk of making a mistake or overpaying when placing an internet order without consulting a branded merchandise specialist. Professionals are aware of the best-selling products and know how to pick the ideal item for your occasion or company. If you order branded merchandise online without contacting a human being first, there's a chance you won't include all of the information needed to get high-quality results. You can't afford to entrust your brand to a ticket number, or "upload," button.

You want potential consumers to learn as much as they can about your brand, but promotional products aren't the best place to do so. The ideal design for a promotional item is one with few visual elements.  Overcrowding the imprint with too much detail will result in a low-quality print. As tempting as it may be to cram as much content as possible into a single promotional item, doing so is likely to leave you disappointed. 

For instance, people often make the mistake of trying to cram too much information onto a lapel pin. This just reduces its overall effectiveness and leaves the buyer feeling unsatisfied with their purchase. 

You can avoid this mistake by ordering an product and in the right size. The imprint area on a tote bag will be far more noticeable than that on a pen. If you want customers to keep and use your promotional goods, it's crucial to consider both the usefulness and the visual appeal of the item.

This is another money-saving strategy that frequently backfires. Giving away cheap branded merchandise can actually hurt your brand. 

Yes, its true. You are continually expected to accomplish more with less resources, and you may believe that reducing the money you spend on branded merchandise frees up some money in other types of advertizing. 

But the thing is, branded merchandise are an extension of your brand in the eyes of the people who get them, and no one likes to receive low-quality branded merchandise. It's better not to hand out merchandise at all than to risk having low-quality items reflect poorly on your business. Choose items that will help you achieve your campaign goals without breaking the bank, and don't confuse affordable with economical. 

The primary goal of distributing promotional goods is to draw attention to your company's brand. Distributing common branded merchandise like pencils, frisbees, and koozies most likely won't impress anyone. Yes, you can achieve some success with these items, but in a market where your competitors are constantly striving to outdo you, you need to take more measured smart risks. 

It's okay to switch things up as long as the products you order make your consumers happy. Consider products like Yoga mats, Waterproof speakers, Thermo flasks, rechargeable fans, Corkboards, Beach towels, and so much more. You should spice your branded merchandise up as long as your audience research, advertising plan, and customer personas support it.

Conclusion

As long as you plan ahead, branded merchandise can generate a lot of buzz among your target demographic. Think of your merchandise as an investment with a potential for a good return, and use it as such in your marketing efforts. You may increase your profits by avoiding these mistakes when ordering brand merchandise. 

Let Brandit take common items and elevate them to the next level. We work with companies like yours to improve advertising efforts and let you reach your target audience. Check out how we use branded merchandise to unleash a wave of interest in brands.