In the realm of education marketing, branded merchandise has emerged as a powerful tool for private schools and colleges. These personalized items, also known as merch or SWAG (Stuff We All Get), have gained popularity among marketing directors seeking to engage students, parents, and alumni (your typical primary MAP target audiences) in a relatable way. These customized products provide a unique avenue for institutions to represent themselves to their support ecosystem. From wearables and stickers to electronics and supplies, swag offers an excellent opportunity to promote private schools and colleges beyond conventional advertising methods.
According to Promotional Products Work, promotional items allow consumers to physically interact with a brand, creating memorable experiences. The positive reception of promotional products, with 94% of people enjoying receiving them, contributes to brand recall and fosters relationships.
Why Branded Merchandise Matters
Swag is a great way to turn students and alumni into brand advocates. Merch increases visibility and can spark word-of-mouth conversations, potentially attracting new students through referrals.
- Trust and Credibility: Items like branded gadgets and backpacks enhance professionalism during events, reinforcing your institution’s reputation. High-quality swag items foster loyalty and pride, while unique and memorable merchandise helps you stand out from competitors.
- Educational Tools: USB drives, journals, and other materials can serve as valuable resources, offering information on courses and campus life.
- Community Engagement: Thoughtful gifts like chargers and school supplies build strong relationships with students and parents. Selling branded items can also support scholarships.
- Employee Recognition: Apparel, awards, or gifts for milestones contribute to a positive school culture, boosting morale among faculty and staff.
- Events and Conferences: Fun promotional materials like custom socks or fidget toys at school events, alumni reunions, and educational conferences help you stand out in a competitive academic environment.
- Acceptance Packages: Sending a cool branded box or package with gifts, acceptance letter, and fun items for students will more than likely be shared on student and parent social media channels for free school promotion. Consider items like blue light glasses, solar-powered chargers, webcam covers, and don’t forget the pom pom shaker and pennant.
- Alumni Engagement: Branded items like picture frames, drink wear, sports items, or exclusive merchandise for alumni can enhance engagement, encouraging a sense of pride and connection with the alma mater.
- Consistent Branding: From school supplies to customized apparel, maintaining a cohesive visual identity reinforces the independent school or college's brand, making it easily recognizable.
Are you ready to jump on the merch wagon? Great!
Creating merch is more than putting your logo on an item and calling it done. When considering the items you want to create, you’ll need to look at your target audiences and what appeals to them most. Look for opportunities to connect your tagline, theme, or campaign slogan to merch. You’ll need to consider what best represents you and intrigues them, designing items specifically for those you see using it (and be sure to photograph it with them, as well!). Just about everybody loves a t-shirt but thinking outside the shirt can pay off when they start sharing your brand on their social media. Things like jewelry, 3D models, flags, or even edible gifts like branded cookies are not your standard merch.
Your merch has to be something fun, not boring! Make your brand something your employees, students, alumni, and fans want to display, wear, and share.
Some important things to keep in mind when deciding on effective merch are:
- Stick to your school style and culture: Make sure that it is conveyed in your merchandise offerings.
- Match your brand quality: Don’t represent yourself as a low-quality school—the quality of swag given could very well be correlated to the worth of the education you provide. Creating value simply by what materials are used in your merchandise could boost your reputation as a top-rated school. Always make a good impression—even with your merch.
- Make an emotional connection: You want them to want to keep that freebie or purchase a branded item.
Don’t forget to make a plan for how to get your items distributed outside of the standard event.
- Marketing Videos: Feature your merch in promo videos or podcasts.
- Limited Edition Promos: Try to create a fear of missing out (FOMO) on specialty items to drive up popularity.
- Social Media Campaigns: Engage followers with contests and giveaways. Offering promotional items as incentives for online engagement, social media contests, or referral programs can help educational institutions expand their digital reach and engage with a wider audience. Branded air pods and other tech gifts are popular.
- Collaborations: Partner with alumni-owned businesses for joint merchandise.
- Charity Events: Donate branded items to increase visibility and support good causes.
- Branded Vehicles: Use school vehicles as mobile advertising.
It all comes down to just being creative—anything could work as compelling merchandise! Whether it's through events, social media campaigns, or collaborations, strategic distribution of branded merchandise can significantly contribute to building a strong brand presence in your community. Not sure where to get started? We’d love to chat about how we can make you stand out with merch! Let’s talk >