Should your electrical contracting business spend on branded merch?

With so much marketing and promotion happening online, it’s sometimes easy to overlook some good, old-fashioned tactics that worked pretty well in the past.

After all, the physical is often more impactful than the virtual – and a decent coffee mug or a good quality cap bearing your logo can pay dividends long after it’s been gifted. So, is there still a good argument for quality branded merch in your promotion strategy?

We spoke to some experts to find out.

Brand designer Sam Angell believes branded merch has the potential to be an electrical contractor’s secret weapon.

“It turns everyday items, for example, caps, shirts or mugs, into unique walking billboards. When done well, it reinforces professionalism, builds recognition in local communities, and creates pride among staff and clients alike.

“A strong brand isn’t just seen on their ute – it’s remembered on the coffee cup in someone’s hand.”

The psychological benefits of branded merch

From a psychological perspective, gifting quality goods is effective – and research shows when you give gifts to potential customers, it can increase business, too.

David Hulett, CEO of Promo Gear, says, “Psychologically, gift-giving enhances relationships between businesses and recipients in several ways, increasing emotional engagement, building trust, and strengthening loyalty.

“When customised to reflect your brand, even common corporate gifts such as mugs and t-shirts can be highly effective in increasing brand recognition amongst your target market.

“Research has shown that professionals in a range of industries, from government and education to mining and healthcare, appreciate the value of custom merchandise, and that it can ultimately increase the likelihood of a sale, with 79% of recipients going on to research the company.”

The impact can be impressive. Further research has shown that 85% of people who received a promotional product could remember the name of the advertiser, while 83% of consumers feel stronger loyalty to a brand that’s given them a promotional product.

Corporate gifting in a B2B context is particularly effective, with some research suggesting it can lead to a 47% higher client retention rate and make recipients 61% more likely to do business with the company again.

Quality the key for branded merch success

Of course, a big consideration is quality. You want your brand to be represented well by the quality of merchandise you offer – cheap water bottles that lose their logo after a week or two do not shout ‘this is a great brand to work with’.

In addition, you don’t want to be seen to be a brand that’s contributing to the increasing volumes of plastic and non-biodegradable waste going into landfill.

Less is more here, and you’re better off investing in small to medium quantities of quality than large quantities of cheap… well, tatt.

Calin Oancea of Oacnea Media has experienced the benefits branded merch can bring, and agrees you need to be conscious of quality – and how you’re going to use it.

“We have invested thousands into different clothing types, but I found that investing too much in merch will misfire if the quality of your products is poor or if it’s not used strategically, which leads to wasted cash and zero impact.

“As a tradie, you should definitely consider merch if it adds credibility and creates a strong impression in person and online, but you must ensure that the items reinforce your reputation, not dilute it.

“And if you decide to order merch, you should first order a few samples so that you can assess the quality.”

Sam agrees – and says you need to have your brand clearly defined first before stamping it on gifts and freebies for clients. Simply put, you need to do the groundwork to ensure it’s a good investment.

“If the brand itself is not clearly defined – think unclear logo, muddled messaging, or inconsistent visuals – then putting it on merchandise just spreads that confusion faster.

“There’s also the risk of wasting money on items that don’t necessarily align with how clients actually engage with the business or don’t get used.”

So the message seems pretty clear. Good quality merchandise can add a lot to your marketing efforts – as long as the goods and the quality matches what people see every day.