Events and Promo items have always been inextricably linked. Consider the previous few events you attended, and the first thing that springs to mind is the product you brought home. It could be that custom water bottle, that t-shirt printed right in front of you, an event jersey or even your favourite stubby cooler that you still proudly use for your favourite drinks.
A successful event merchandising strategy is both a science and an art. It necessitates a deliberate approach that strengthens your brand and messaging through interactive designs, visual concepts, creative content and taglines, product sourcing, development, design, and distribution.
Having a team of professionals on your side during this process ensures that your chosen event merchandise will not only be valuable during the event, but will also deliver advantages beyond the event’s duration that your brand and bottom line will enjoy long after the event.
Creating Event Merchandise that Stands Out
Whether it’s a live music performance, a sporting event, or a business exhibition, events provide a terrific chance to strengthen the emotional connection your brand has and requires with your target audience. This type of in-person interaction is extremely valuable and should be handled through a thorough design approach.
It makes no difference if your business is B2B or B2C. According to recent surveys, when it comes to choosing a brand and completing a purchase, both sorts of buyers are looking for the same thing. A brand they can trust – the merging of B2B and B2C brand feelings has produced a new B2E (‘E’ for everyone) environment in which marketers strive to offer an authentic and trustworthy presence. This is sometimes referred to as H2H or Human-to-Human marketing which alludes to the idea that every marketing connection, whether between companies and customers or between companies and other companies, is a human encounter. Event Merchandise offers a critical touchpoint for Human-to-Human marketing and is something to be leveraged to the best of your ability.
In 2021, our team once again created and launched the Sunshine Coast Marathon merchandise campaign for the event. The items created for the event proved to be an effective branding tool that will continue to be beneficial for a long time as they are still seen in use by athletes across Queensland. The organisers took advantage of our event management team who then completed setup, personally ran the merchandise tent selling product, packed down at completion and followed up with a complete event report of stock and financials.
Things to consider when planning
Even before you start planning your event merchandising strategy, you need to start by proactively identifying which events your business should be a part of. This will allow you to properly plan your budget so that you can get the most out of each event, whether it’s one per year or several throughout the year.
Once the event or events have been selected, allocate the appropriate resources to each one, keeping in mind that each one differs in scope, audience type, topic, and maybe even location and other characteristics. As a result, instead of creating a one-size-fits-all strategy, tailor each event’s plan and merchandising strategy to ensure maximum engagement. This may mean delivering a unique product per event to ensure you’re audience feels catered for.
With this in mind, combine your brand’s identity, messaging, values, and a healthy dose of imagination to develop an interactive and engaging event merchandising concept that connects with your audience and provides one-of-a-kind piece of event merchandise they’ll use for years to come.
If you want to take your Event Merchandise to the next level, reach out to the experienced team of experts at Red Energy Promotions today.
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