How to Use Branded Merchandise to Reach the Millennial Market

Why we’re all in on performance branding – and how it can transform your growth.

How to Use Branded Merchandise to Reach the Millennial Market

Bryan Karas

December 4, 2018

Now a days, you can’t just build a great product and expect success…you need to build a great brand too. So what are great brands, who have great products, doing to compete? Building more “great” products – no, not in the form of lasers but in the form of ugly Christmas sweaters and bartending robots.

It’s called branded merchandise and it’s one way that two major alcohol brands are targeting Millennials this holiday season.

Captain Morgan teamed up with a Hollywood funny man to run a holiday contest – alongside the contest the brand is selling Captain Morgan themed ugly Christmas sweaters and funsie onesies. This is perfect for the target audience that loves fun, goofy outfits for holiday blackout parties like SantaCon.

Stella Artois – another big player in the “making bad decisions” game – also launched brand merch to appeal to Millennials. The brand tells the story of a man hosting a holiday party – but he’s too busy taking care of things and can’t actually enjoy the company of his friends.

Until… B.A.R.T. (Bartending Automatic Robotic Technology) comes to the rescue. It’s pretty much a stand that attaches to a robotic vacuum and travels around the party holding a few beers…

Branded merchandise works. But there are a lot of variables in play. Not every brand has the budget to mass produce ugly Christmas sweaters and Rumba attachments. But every brand has the budget to create solid merchandise that expresses brand personality and builds a connection with the customer.

Here are some tips on how to create dope branded merch:

Implement a strategy: first you must understand who your target market is
Use items that have high usability and perceived value: water bottles, hoodies, hats etc
Create a theme: have your standard merch that casts a wide net on your target market but don’t be afraid to expand to an ugly Christmas sweater
Focus on quality: spend the money…nobody wants to wear an uncomfy shirt

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