The Power of Branded Merchandise at Events

Events are a great way to connect with your audience, showcase your brand, and create memorable experiences. Whether it is a conference, a trade show, a festival, or a concert, you want your attendees to remember your brand and associate it with positive emotions. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by using branded merchandise at your events. Branded merchandise, also known as promotional products, are items that feature your logo, name, slogan, or message. They can be given away as gifts, prizes, souvenirs, or incentives to your attendees, sponsors, speakers, or staff.

Branded merchandise can have a powerful impact on your brand visibility and recall. According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), 85% of people who receive promotional products remember the advertiser. Moreover, 89% of people who receive promotional products have a more favorable impression of the advertiser.

How to Create Branded Merchandise for Your Event with AAC

Whether it is a conference, a trade show, a festival, or a concert, you want your attendees to remember your brand and associate it with all the warm and fuzzy feelings that they felt, long after its conclusion.

One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by using branded merchandise at your events. Branded merch are items that feature your logo, name, slogan, or message. They can be given away as gifts, prizes, souvenirs, or incentives to your attendees, sponsors, speakers, or staff.

Branded merchandise can have a powerful impact on your brand visibility and recall. According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), 85% of people who receive promotional products remember the advertiser. Moreover, 89% of people who receive promotional products have a more favorable impression of the advertiser.

Some examples of successful branded merchandise campaigns at events are:

• At the 2012 London Olympics, Coca-Cola gave away 80,000 red and white scarves to the spectators, creating a sea of brand colors in the stadium.
• At the 2017 Coachella Music Festival, American Express offered its cardholders a free monogrammed denim jacket with their name and the festival logo.
• At the 2019 Web Summit, Microsoft distributed branded reusable water bottles to the attendees, promoting its sustainability message and reducing plastic waste.

Branded Merchandise Can Be Broken Down Into Two Main Categories

There are two main types of merch that you can use at your event; apparel and promotional products. Which of these you should use depends on your budget, audience, and objectives. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Apparel: These are essential for events that charge admission or have limited capacity. They can also be used to create anticipation, excitement, or curiosity among your attendees. Tickets can be printed on various materials, such as paper, plastic, or hologram, and can be customized with your logo, design, or barcode.
• Promotional Products: Promotional products give your patrons a daily use case on products they use to remember your brand and event. Bags, tech, cups & mugs and even stationary and water bottles make fantastic merch products.

It’s also key to realise that alot of ID products can also be a form of branded merch. It’s a trend for patrons to keep wristbands, tickets, ID and lanyards from events as souvenirs, so it’s important that we integrate all of our marketing material with our branded merch.

One of the key factors that determine the success of your branded merchandise is the quality of the materials you use. You want your products to be durable, reliable, and comfortable, so that your attendees can use them for a long time and associate them with your brand. That is why you should choose a reputable and experienced manufacturer and supplier of identification, apparel, branding, print, signage, and promotional products, such as AAC.

Event planners know the importance of creating memorable and engaging experiences for their attendees. One way to do that is by offering custom merchandise that reflects the theme, purpose, and personality of the event. Merchandise can also serve as a marketing tool, a revenue source, and a way to build loyalty and community among the participants.

But how do you design and create merch that stands out and appeals to your target audience? Here are some steps and tips to help you:

Define your goals and budget

Before you start designing your merch, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with it, and how much you can afford to spend on it. Some possible goals are:

1. Increase brand awareness and visibility
2. To generate additional income or donations
3. Reward or thank your attendees, sponsors, or speakers
4. To create a sense of belonging and connection among your attendees
5. To promote a cause or a message that aligns with your event.

Next, you have to consider your budget.

A laundry list of factors will effect what strategy you pursue for branded merchandise at your event. The size, duration, and type of your event, the number and profile of your attendees, the quality and quantity of your merch, and the production and distribution costs, all have a direct impact on which path you go down. You can use online calculators or consult with merch suppliers to estimate your budget and profit margin and cross reference it with your branded merch goals.

As an example, if you have a good chunk of budget to play with, selling both hoodies and t-shirts brings in significantly more revenue opportunities.

But, at a small event this strategy may not be viable, as it increases risk of overstocking. It will be cheaper and therefore less risky to sell branded t-shirts at a budget conscious event.

Choose your products and suppliers

Once you have your goals and budget in mind, you can choose the products that best suit your event and your audience. There are hundreds of options for brand merchandise, so choosing the best products can be challenging. We’ve done the research to find the eight best-branded merchandise ideas for your next event. Some of the most popular and versatile products are:

1. T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and our entire apparel range…
2. Mugs, water bottles, tumblers, and other drinkware
3. Bags, backpacks, tote bags, and other accessories
4. Pens, notebooks, stickers, magnets, and other stationery
5. Keychains, pins, badges, lanyards, and other souvenirs
6. USB drives, power banks, headphones, and other tech gadgets
7. Masks, sanitizers, wipes, and other health and safety items
8. Eco-friendly, organic, or recycled products You should also research and compare different suppliers that can provide you with the products you need. You should consider factors such as quality, price, delivery time, customer service, and environmental impact. You can use online platforms such as Canva or Bonfire to design and order your merch online, or work with local or specialized vendors that can offer you more customization and support.

Design your merch

This is the most creative and fun part of the process, but also the most challenging. You need to design your merch in a way that reflects your event’s identity, message, and value, and that appeals to your audience’s preferences, tastes, and needs. Here are some tips to help you design your merch:

Use your event’s logo, name, slogan, hashtag, or website as the main element of your design. This will help to increase your brand recognition and recall, and to create a consistent and professional image.

Choose colors that match your event’s theme, mood, and personality, and that contrast well with the product’s background. You can use online tools such as Adobe Color or Colours to create and test different color schemes.

Choose fonts that are legible, attractive, and suitable for your event’s tone and style. You can use online tools such as Adobe Fonts to browse and download different fonts.

Add images, icons, graphics, or patterns that complement your text and enhance your design. You can use online tools such as Canva, Freepik or especially, AAC’s Product Design Tool to access thousands of free and premium images and illustrations to use.

Keep your design simple, clear, and balanced. Avoid overcrowding your design with too many elements, colors, or fonts, and use white space, alignment, and hierarchy to create a harmonious and appealing layout.

How to Integrate Your Merch Line with Your Wristbands

You can customize your wristbands, just like you can with promo products and apparel with your logo, name, text, or event details, using our simple online design tool or our free design service. You can also choose from various colors, presets and styles. Just make sure it matches your event merch.

By integrating your merch line with your wristbands, you can create a synergy in your event branding!

How to Order Your Merch Line and Your Wristbands from AAC?

Ordering your merch line and your wristbands from AAC is easy and convenient. Just follow these simple steps:

• Choose your ‘bands: Browse our website and select the type of wristband you want for your event, such as Tyvek, Polyband or r-PET Fabric, for example. You can also contact us if you need any advice or guidance on what products suit you bes.
• Customize your products: Use our online design tool or our free design service to create your own logo, name, text, or event details for your products. You can also choose your preferred color, size, style, and material for your products. You can also upload your own artwork or design if you have one.
• Place your order: Once you are happy with your design, you can place your order online or by phone. You can also request a free sample or a quote before you order.
• Receive your products: We will process your order and deliver your products to your address within 5 business days or less. You can also track your order online or contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Why Choose AAC for Your Branded Merchandise?

AAC is a company that has been in the industry for over 25 years, and has a reputation for quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction. We can supply thousands of branded merchandise to suit any budget or campaign. Here are some of the benefits of choosing AAC for your branded merchandise:

• Quality: We use only the best materials and processes to produce our branded merchandise. We also use the highest quality UV and digital inks, which ensure vibrancy and color consistency, and high resistance against running or bleeding. We’ve spent millions also use the latest printing technology, such as dye sublimation, to create stunning graphics and designs for our products.
• Security: We ensure that our branded merchandise is tamper-proof and non-transferable, which means they cannot be removed or reused without being damaged or destroyed. We also use unique die-cut designs, barcodes, and QR codes, to prevent counterfeiting and enable fast and accurate verification and data collection.
• Customization: We offer a wide range of options for customizing your branded merchandise, including colors, patterns, sizes, shapes, and printing. You can choose from 18 vibrant colors in plain stock, as well as various patterns, such as stripes, stars, dots, or checkers. You can also choose from two sizes of Tyvek wristbands, 19mm and 25mm, to suit different preferences and needs. You can also create custom shapes of Tyvek wristbands, such as circles, ovals, or triangles, to make them more unique and eye-catching. You can also print any logo, name, text, or event details on your branded merchandise, using our simple online design tool or our free design service.
• Price: We offer competitive and affordable prices for our branded merchandise, without compromising on quality or service. We also have a price beat guarantee, which means we will match or beat any competitor’s price for the same product and service.
• Delivery: We offer fast and reliable delivery across Australia, with a turnaround time of 5 business days or less. We also have express delivery options for urgent orders.

Ready to Create Your Branded Merchandise?

Don’t wait any longer and order your branded merchandise from AAC today. Ordering is easy and fast, with our simple online design tool and free design service. You can also contact our friendly and helpful customer service team, who are ready to assist you with any questions or queries.

Order now and get ready to experience the difference that branded merchandise from AAC can make for your event.