let’s talk about merch for a minute -okay maybe 2:
i’ll start with a story: i was wearing this white Ketchup t-shirt last saturday during a 5k run in Golden Gate Park. Julian Weisser might have been the first -definitely not the last- to come and ask me how much i like Ketchup. later on while we were getting our morning coffee at Flywheel Coffee Roasters someone came and asked me if i was also working at Kraft Heinz. that’s when i saw his sweatshirt -Ketchup related of course- and we all had a good laugh and started talking. first question from him being: 'where did you get this?' since it’s coming from my favorite burger spot in France, it led us to talk about Lyon, the food scene, SF and so on.
design wise: THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT GOOD MERCH SHOULD BE. discussion starters. if i wear some merch, i’m using my body to tell the rest of the world what i’m into. we often read about human-tech new interfaces but let me remind you something: clothing is a damn great interface between our body/ skin and the ‘outside world’ for a little while.
now, if you’re about to make some merch. please, PLEASE, make it great. what do you think you’re telling the world when the quality of your product is shit? when you have no idea where it’s coming from? how it’s been made? if you’re treating merch like soulless disposable stuff, you’re a disposable business. period.
so be thoughtful, be intentional. why do you want to make merch in the first place? be creative. if you don’t have the budget and/ or don’t think your people would buy a $60 t-shirt, that’s totally fine, make something that’s way cheaper -could be a pin or stickers- but make it insanely great. and use it to tell a story, show your values and create human connections.
at the end of the day, it’s all about connections. CONNECTION to your brand, CONNECTION to the people behind the product itself, CONNECTION to other fans. when done great, it provides MEANING.
