Marketing never has a shortage of jargon, especially when it comes to customer engagement tactics.
Marketing stack, for example, is a proverbial stack of technology products and services that are used by a company to reach its target audience. Stacks can include tech tools like Hubspot, Wordpress, Hootsuite, Salesforce, Slack, Trello, Asana, Airtable, Dropbox, Google Suite, etc.
No matter the combination of tools, all tech stacks share the same business objective: To create and foster lasting connections with a company’s customers and target audience while also internally tracking, communicating, and analyzing activity.
If a new tech solution came to market that helped you build lasting and profitable emotional connections with your audience in a tangible way — in a way that was measurable and effective — you’d be the first in line to request a demo.
But what if achieving these goals is possible without technology? Or at the very least, in addition to technology?
More and more marketing executives are partnering with us here at Anthem Branding to shake up their traditional marketing stacks by adding custom merchandise to their line up.
Related: How to Use Custom Merchandise To Emotionally Connect With Your Audience
If you’re like many technology start-ups, the first few rounds of funding went mostly into product development. And now that it’s in a good spot, it needs to find its people. Hello, that sparkly and eager new marketing team! But where do you begin? Let’s start with building a brand voice, but in a way in which you can touch and feel it rather than hear or read it.
Why? Because your customers seek authentic connections that aren’t found in another blast email campaign or sponsored Instagram ads; they crave more.
You may be wondering the same things that many marketing leaders who are building a marketing stack from the ground up are:
First off, you’re asking the right questions. Secondly, we’re here to help. Here is a taste of our approach to custom merchandise.
Traditional marketing certainly has its place and time, but almost every demographic you will be targeting expects authentic, more personalized branding that you can’t get through traditional means.
If you can give your consumer base a genuine feeling of belonging and connection with your brand, you will have a lifelong customer. The easiest way to start connecting with your audience is to offer custom merchandise that appeals to their lifestyle and extends the values of your brand in a tangible way.
Here’s an example of how that is actually done. While Google is a strong global technology brand, their Boulder campus sought for ways to incorporate a local vibe into their brand voice.
Starting with the Google Boulder logo, we collaborated with them to create a diverse range of merchandise and apparel to showcase their local, fun, and outdoorsy brand personality.
Google Boulder logo designed by Anthem Branding.
Close up details of custom branded hoodie for Google Boulder by Anthem Branding.
Front and back of a custom branded hoodie for Google Boulder by Anthem Branding.
Custom branded backpack for Google Boulder by Anthem Branding.
Related: Custom Merchandise: The Secret Sauce to Brand Loyalty
When more thought is put into the details of custom merchandise, you don’t need to be worried about your brand voice getting lost in translation. We believe that the details make the design — they do the hard work for you.
And when people get really amazing and high-quality gear from your brand, it becomes something more. They feel pride in your brand and get a strong message that the brand cares.
Physical items sing the song of your brand and set a clear and concise brand tone. If you’re a company just ramping up its marketing efforts or just looking to put some muscle behind it, there’s no doubt that custom merchandise can create the level of engagement you're looking for while building your brand — uniquely and authentically.
Related: Custom Merchandise Helps Audi Flatirons Customers Represent Brand Pride
Again, it’s important to choose items that are aligned with your brand and that help out your audience in some way — extending the brand experience into their lifestyle. Here are some thought starters to consider:
Our team of brand experts can help you navigate and choose what's best for your brand, budget, timeline, and overall objective. Contact us today to get the conversation started.