January 25, 2024

How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Branded Merchandise

(Hold on a second…a t-shirt, sportswear, and promotional items printing company who cares about KPI and ROI??? Yes…that’s how we roll! Read on)

No matter what your business or your goals, the investments you make need to pay off. When it comes to marketing, that is easier said than done.

Marketing is tough to measure. Did the expense increase revenue? Did it change a customer’s mind? Did it accomplish the brand persuasion you wanted to see?

Who knows???? But it sure did look good! Right?

For businesses investing in corporate branding through shirts and promotional items, understanding and measuring the return on investment (ROI) is essential. Let’s look at some key performance indicators (KPIs) and effective strategies to help businesses like yours maximize the effectiveness of their branded merchandise.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs help you determine what you’re trying to accomplish, and measure whether you did it or not. You may want to measure effectiveness on whether you achieved any of the following:

Brand Visibility

You can measure how many events or trade shows you attended where you gave out your merchandise, and how many people attended those events. Or, you can measure how many times you see your employee sportswear being worn in the office.

Lead Generation and Customer Engagement

It makes sense to set a baseline of customer engagement before you launch a merchandise promotion, and after. If engagement increases (social media, direct conversations, etc), maybe it has something to do with the merchandise. Let’s assume so!

Conversion Rates

Consider a branded gift strategy for potential customers. Your generosity and professionalism could be the difference that gets someone to sign on the dotted line.

Employee Feedback

This seems strange, but perhaps a great KPI is whether your employees like their branded workwear, safety apparel, and gear. Ask them! And then proceed accordingly.

Return on Investment (ROI)

If the KPIs are in place, now you can measure Return on Investment.

• The first way to do this is to trust your KPIs. If you hit them, and you know you hit them, then your marketing dollars were likely well spent.
• Alternatively, you can measure social media analytics to see if you moved the needle.
• And of course, you should look at sales data. Don’t be afraid to attribute sales spikes or trends to specific branded merchandise initiatives.

If you’re going to invest in a promotional and branding activewear or promotional items campaign, take the extra step to lay in some metrics to help you determine success. Use that data over time to continue to improve the Return on Investment for future branding and marketing campaigns.