In today’s market, brand recognition is crucial for a company’s success. One of the most cost-effective ways to enhance brand awareness is through branded merchandise. Online company stores offer a unique opportunity to turn employees into walking billboards, promoting your brand effortlessly and effectively.
The Power of Branded Merchandise
On-demand company stores are more than just a place for employees to redeem and enjoy swag. Branded merchandise is a powerful advertising tool with proven effectiveness. Research shows that the cost per impression (CPI) for a logo baseball hat is just ¼ cent per impression, and a fleece is ½ cent per impression. This makes branded apparel one of the most cost-efficient advertising methods available.
- High Impressions: Apparel and promotional products receive significantly more impressions than other advertising forms.
- Walking Billboards: Employees wearing branded gear promote your brand everywhere they go.
- Community Presence: The more employees wear your branded items, the greater the brand awareness in the community.
Investing in Employee Swag
For maximum impact, it’s essential to invest in quality products that employees are proud to wear or use. Marketing departments should allocate a portion of their budget to employee swag, ensuring great ROI on these funds. An on-demand, online company store funded appropriately can drive significant brand recognition and employee engagement.
Funding Your Online Company Store
Employees are very unlikely to spend their own money on company-branded merchandise. The key to successful online company stores for employees is to fund the company store for each employee. This makes it easy for employees to access and choose items they like. Here’s how different departments can contribute:
- Marketing: Funds for branding and recognition.
- HR: Budgets for required uniforms, new hire kits, and service awards.
- Safety Department: Funds for PPE and safety awards, especially in industries where compliance is crucial.
- Company Budget: Funds for holiday gifts and general employee appreciation.
- Sales Department: Incentives and contest rewards.
A successful online company store platform will allow budgets from various departments to be integrated, allocating points to employees for anniversaries, birthdays, education, safety awards, and more.
Enhancing Employee Choice
To maximize ROI, it’s vital to offer employees a variety of options. Avoid giving everyone the same item, as one style doesn’t fit all. There is no ROI when a shirt stays in the closet. Instead, provide a selection of brands, colors, and styles that employees can choose from. Regularly update the store with new items, especially as seasons change.
The On-Demand Advantage
Stocking a wide range of quality products might seem expensive, but there’s a solution: partner with a company like iCoStore. They offer hundreds of brands, styles, and colors with multiple logo options, all produced on-demand with no inventory requirement or minimum order quantities. This ensures that employees get items they are excited to wear or use without the need for a warehouse full of pre-decorated merchandise.
Conclusion
When your company store is well-funded for employees and offers a great selection of products, employees will be more likely to use it. They’ll choose items that fit their personalities and body types, promoting your brand effortlessly. Think of your company store as a mall offering multiple brands and styles, yet everything is compliant with your brand standards. By offering employees a great selection, you’ll significantly increase brand awareness and employee satisfaction. Happy employees love wearing company swag, turning them into enthusiastic brand ambassadors without even realizing it.
