Brand Merch
Brand merch, or brand merchandise, covers any products or collectibles that carry a brand's identity into everyday life.
What is brand merch?
Brand merch, short for brand merchandise, refers to the branded products a company sells or gives away to its audience, from apparel to limited edition collectibles.
Done well, it turns customers, fans and staff into walking brand ambassadors, extending the identity into places advertising can't reach. Done badly, it's a logo on a low-quality product that ends up in landfill.
For that reason, merch should be treated as its own standalone piece of brand expression, using elements from a visual and verbal identity to make something people actually want to use or collect.
What makes good brand merch?
A product people genuinely want
The most well-considered merch answers a clear need for consumers or staff, rather than acting like a vehicle for a logo.
Strong application of brand codes
Every piece should feel like an extension of the brand behind it, adapting its most distinctive assets to make it desirable to the audience and recognisable to everyone else on the street.
Quality that reflects the brand
A brilliant idea executed on a sub-par product will do more harm than good to brand perception. Materials and finish should be considered carefully so they match the brand's positioning and values, especially if sustainability is at its core.
How brand merch works in practice: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is much more than a day out. It's where people get closer to nature, where experts and innovators connect and inspire, and where passion for the natural world and the experiences created within the grounds spark a wave of action around the globe.
Their new brand was designed to champion their nature-positive efforts and make them a 'Force for Nature'. Key to this was a design system that could be applied to every part of its brand experience, including their merchandise.
Chester Zoo
Across apparel, stationery and gifts, Chester Zoo's merchandise takes advantage of the brand's vibrant colour palette and custom typeface (which has cuts and curls that mimic tails, leaves and claws) to create not just fans, but advocates for conservation.
Even more expressive is the merch specifically for the zoo's Junior Rangers, giving curious young minds something to take home from their hands-on learning experience.
Outcome: Annual profits up a record 10% from the year before rebrand.
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