Hey there! Hope you're doing swell!Click here to read this on the web Hey Reader! Back in May, I didn't give a flip about soccer or the World Cup, even though my city (Dallas) was hosting nine of the games. That all changed when rabid fan groups came through town and took over. Argentina fans took over a city park. England fans drank so much beer a bar had to close early. Croatia took over downtown. After the US men's team lost to Belgium - and Erling Haaland did his awesome western store...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey there! Hope you're doing swell!Click here to read this on the web Oh hey Reader! Every few years, a politician makes headlines going after government swag, trying to ban agencies from spending on branded merch. Meanwhile, some government entities are doing the opposite, and doing it well. San Antonio is getting into merch, Connecticut Tourism turned sightseeing into a loyalty program, and NYC just gave its decades-old city store a full overhaul, pigeon mascot included. Here's the thread...
6 months ago • 2 min read
It's me again! You're looking fabulous!Click here to read this on the web Hey there! This week's stories have nothing obvious in common. A NASA Plushie, a Band-Aid collab with a 155-year-old art museum, and a Portland shirt shop that outmaneuvered an NBA team. But they're all pointing at the same thing: merch that earns real attention because it actually means something. Here's what they have in common: Give your product a reason to exist beyond "here's our logo" The best partnerships are the...
6 months ago • 3 min read
It's been a hot minute! Hope you're doing great!Click here to read this on the web Hey there! The movies are running some of the most fun merch programs around. This week, I’m breaking down three things they’re doing really well — and how you can steal the approach for your own brand. building products around what people already love, using exclusivity to make people choose you, turning a limited-run item into something worth collecting. Want to talk through any of this? Reply or hit the big...
8 months ago • 3 min read
It's been a hot minute! Hope you're doing great!Click here to read this on the web Hey there! Some of the best branded merch campaigns aren't complicated. They tap into something that already works. This week, we're looking at three approaches worth stealing: using nostalgia to make your brand history feel fresh again, turning a product your customers already love into a club they actually want to join tying your brand to a bigger event to ride the momentum. Whether you're planning a product...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Boo! You're doing great!Click here to read this on the web Hey there! 👻 It's Halloween’s week. Boo! 🎃 Just a friendly reminder that there are only about a few weeks to get corporate holiday gifts out. If you’re planning on sending anything custom to clients or employees, now is the time to act. Things take a while to produce and ship, and production lines fill up fast once November hits. Whether you're looking for drinkware, gift boxes, apparel, or something completely custom, getting...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Hey Boo! You're doing great!Click here to read this on the web Back-to-school season has parents on edge. Chomps saw an opportunity, setting up a retro car wash pop-up in Austin. They cleaned 120 cars and gave out snacks and merch to over 1,000 people. It was fun, useful, and experiential marketing gold. Three takeaways: Make it useful - Give people something they actually want, something they can use. Not another logo pen. Set the scene - Design your space like it’s part of your brand story....
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Boo! You're doing great!Click here to read this on the web A San Francisco brand called Baggu opened a new store and handed out water bottles and hats featuring the BART transit logo. Only one problem — BART never gave them permission. And it wasn't even real BART merch: Baggu thought it would be OK to knock off the BART logo and make it their own. Not good! The stunt earned headlines and backlash. Takeaways: Unauthorized “homage” drops might spark buzz, but they erode trust fast. Real...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Boo! You're doing great!Click here to read this on the web King’s Hawaiian just showed how merch can be more than a giveaway, it can be an experience. To celebrate 75 years, they refreshed their logo and took over O’Hare Airport, swapping travelers’ clothes for cozy “soft-wear” sweats and donating the trade-ins to charity. Comfort, creativity, and cause can turn branded merch into something people actually remember. Takeaways: Turn your swag into an experience Tie comfort to stressful...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read