Brand vs merch, why definition matters

Most people think selling tees is selling tees. It's not.

There's building a clothing brand, and then there's selling merchandise.

They're completely different games with different rules, different timelines, and different ways running them.

One takes years and serious investment. The other can make you money next month.

Something I see often is them getting all mixed up.

Merch gets treated like it’s a supreme launch , or people think a brand is just slapping a logo on a shirt. Both are expensive mistakes. Not just with dollars, but also time.

Building a brand

YOU HAVE TO BUILD THE DEMAND

If you're starting from scratch, you’re trying to create something people will choose over Arcteryx, Gramicci, Carhartt, and everything else in their wardrobe. That's a massive ask, but when it works, it works big.

You need brand identity, target market research, building out hero products, extensive sampling, inventory management, seasonal planning.

You're creating desire for something that doesn't exist yet.

It is so much more than just a logo. You’re legit getting people to buy into your vision.

It's hard as hell, takes serious time and money, but you’re building something that could work on the retail level.

That’s the big thing though, you’re building something that COULD work, it doesn’t mean that it will work off the rip.

Brands need persistence & constant work.

Selling merchandise - you have the brand

YOU HAVE THE DEMAND

With merchandise, you already have the brand. Your sports club, your business, your event - that's what people want to support.

In a way it’s easier, because you’re not trying to create demand from nothing. The demand already exists - people already support what you do, you're just giving them a way to show it.

Your audience is there, the loyalty is there, you just need to give people a way to support.

You can go hard on the design side, or you can keep it simple, with just your OG branding.

With the way everything has been NICHED down more, people wanna rep shit they love. Merchandise lets them.

Merchandise vs brand

Are you trying to compete and create a brand, or are you turning existing support into something people can have?

Most of the time, it's the second one - and that's actually the easier path. Don't get it twisted, I'm not saying don't start a brand. You can't get a six if you don't roll the dice.

But if you're thinking of merchandise or starting out, don't get overwhelmed thinking you need to start a whole brand.

You just have to give people the chance to support

Always down to talk about either, so if you ever want to talk about brand or merchandise options plz just drop us a line.

Thank you for reading this

I’m trying to get this newsletter off the ground, I think it’s better than social media to actual share real thoughts about running a business, not just something to feed the almighty algorithm.

As always, at the end of every newsletter I’m gonna run a weekly special.

This week is if you order 50 Colour Plane Tees + A4 print they’ll be $21.50 each & if you order 100 of them it’ll be 19.50 (excl GST) It’ll be valid through to 5/8, then I’ll have a different special in that email. No code, you just need to be on the email list to for it to be valid.

Anyways, thanks for reading. If there’s anything I can ever do to help (merch, t-shirt printing, questions, or you wanna chat about starting something) please just shoot me an email, plus if you wanna share your own takeaways I’d love to hear them.

Gez (Full Cowboy)