Corporate merchandise is in the place of utility and recollection. It falls unobtrusively into ordinary life–a borrowed pen which is never returned, a sweatshirt that becomes the default when in a rush to go to the store. These little convenient items have a lasting effect, as they tend to last longer than the customary adverts, due to the fact that they are a part of life. Read more here!
The boundary between an object worthy and an object that is to be thrown into a landfill is often sensual in nature. Human beings naturally compare weight, balance, texture, even smoothness of a zipper. When it feels weak, the brand making it is weak. There is no logo that can be used to offset bad quality.
Time is a definite factor as well. Give a person a good notebook, when one is thinking of doing something new, and it is almost instinctual. Pass the same notebook with months in between and may be left unopened. The merchandise would work best in situations where it corresponds to a real moment rather than a date.
Respect matters as well. Majority of the population does not desire to be walking advertisement boards. Things that can be easily mixed with real life survive. Subtle branding maintains the products in the market, loud, excessive logos are usually disposed in the drawers.
Balance is needed in repetition. Recognition can be developed through familiarity, and tiresome, foreseeable repetition kills the interest. One more typical water bottle hardly leaves anyone excited. A shift of materials, experimentation with unforeseen color, or a new element of design can provide a moment of interruption of wonder–and can be a moment of great strength.
Merchandise also has a social connotation. It is possible to give the message of belonging by wearing a jacket. Even a small spot or symbol can arouse awareness between two strangers. In one occasion, I observed two of my colleagues reconnect after some years due to the same patch of event on the bag of each other. Such organic relationship is not common when using digital ads.
Budget is always a factor. Go too cheap and the product is disposable. Be too expensive and there might be reluctance to use it amongst the recipients. The vibe that is most welcomed is the practicality one- something that can help in solving a small, daily issue. When a product is really helpful, loyalty is established automatically.
Corporate merchandise is not about putting boxes in branded products. It is leaving helpful, recognizable traces in the day to day lives, the ones that do not have to be drawn to to make people notice who you are.