* “Great brands belong to their customers, communities and fans. And those being served by the brand tend to expect merch..’ says Violet Grey founder Cassandra Grey and rightly so.
Here at Brilliant we work with some fantastic food and drink brands, who are part of everyday life for their customers. We see that repeat purchase of their favourite gherkins, peanut butter, biscuits, sugar, syrup and cheese creates a real sense of ownership and affiliation to these brands for their loyal fans.
More often than not we see the opportunity for fans to get their hands on branded merchandise is viewed as a fun and irreverent way to say something about who you are, what you like and affiliate your own personality with the brands.
The merchandise allows you to tell the outside world that you are, a (insert brand name) person / family / household. Creating a new level of brand loyalty and salience for that individual / their family / sphere of influence.
We love creating merch for our clients or working with existing merch already sourced (like Pollen + Grace and SKIPPY® Peanut Butter – who are the masters of quality merch!)
What actually makes great merch?
Quality – Even if the brand’s hero products aren’t the most expensive the merchandise needs to feel purposeful, well made and thoughtfully designed for a fan to really want / wear / use it.
Merch that Makes Sense – This isn’t to be confused with only making branded items that can be used with the product itself but also should include lifestyle items which fit with the brand’s personality. For example Pollen + Grace have fantastic cooler bags for their freshly made meals and fun yellow frisbees to play with in the park!
Limited in Availability – Something limited edition we know makes it all the more covetable. Making limited batches and gifting or giving prizes to those most dedicated to the brand creates great UGC and brand loyalty.
Commemorating the Coronation with Lyle’s Golden Syrup
When our client Lyle’s Golden Syrup told us that they were creating a commemorative tin for the Coronation of King Charles III we knew we had the opportunity to do something really special to mark the occasion.
Creating a piece of memorabilia synonymous with landmark Royal Family occasions we decided to create a tea towel to giveaway with their limited edition tins.
To do the special design justice we took the tin design and had it specially screen printed on cotton hand finished fabric, complete with a hanging loop for extra kitchen functionality.
Finishing touches that make the merchandise as special as the occasion were added with the addition of an embroidered brand label inside and belly band printed with the tin design and QR code taking you to the Lyle’s Golden Syrup website.
It’s a beautiful tea towel that has allowed us to provide them for journalist press packs, competitions and as spot prizes for people sharing images of their commemorative tins!