Image courtesy of Brand Fuel
As conference season ramps up, there's branded merchandise everywhere -- but it's evolving into more than just a classic tote bag or stress ball. According to Danny Rosin, co-founder of Brand Fuel, the future of merch is rooted in sustainability and intention.
Rosin says one of the biggest shifts in the branded merch industry is the demand for sustainability. Rather than handing every conference-goer the same product with an oversized logo, make sure it's something that feels personal and useful and can travel home with them. A small logo or discreet URL will go further than a loud logo stamp. "You want the giveaway to feel more like a gift and not an advertisement," he explains.
Similarly, Rosin points to the growing popularity of retail-quality merch, products people genuinely want to wear, carry, and keep. Companies are moving away from mass-produced items and toward fewer, higher-quality pieces. "Sustainability is now an expectation," Rosin says. Sustainability isn't just about using eco-friendly materials; it's creating products that have usability and longevity.
Rosin believes many companies still underestimate the strategic power of branded merchandise. "When done thoughtfully, merch is not an expense. It's a relationship-building tool," he says. Merch can help companies attract and retain customers, especially when integrated with broader marketing campaigns and storytelling. It can be a cultural or lifestyle statement that helps consumers identify with the brand on a deeper level. Unlike traditional advertising, which disappears quickly, a useful branded product can remain a part of someone's daily life for years.
"Sustainability is now an expectation," Rosin says. "Sustainability isn't just about using eco-friendly materials, it's creating products that have usability and longevity."
- Danny Rosin, Co-President
Some brands are using merch in a powerful way. Companies like Patagonia and Liquid Death have built strong merchandise strategies by treating merch as part of the overall brand experience. This creates deeper customer loyalty, increased engagement, and more organic social sharing.
Rosin's advice to marketers: stop focusing on outspending competitors and instead try to prioritize human connection. "Create experiences that are useful, surprising, shareable, human, and maybe even weird," he advises. "The best... activations make people feel something, not just collect something."
While impressions and visibility still matter, Rosin says the best campaigns include merch that will increase retention, referrals, social sharing, event participation, and ROI. Brand Fuel also uses ROE or "return on emotion," to measure success, because emotional engagement is what they believe ultimately drives business outcomes.
"Becoming a certified B Corp... pushed us to evolve beyond simply selling products and think more intentionally about how our business, industry, and supply chain can create positive impact alongside profit," Rosin says. A branded merchandise company being recognized for its sustainability efforts is telling of where the industry is headed.
Image by Brand Innovators
Global companies are ready for the biggest opportunity to get eyes on their brand. The usual players are cornering their share of the ad space: Budweiser, Visa, Adidas, and Lenovo. With the family-friendly appeal of the World Cup, there are some bold moves and big dollars being spent by brands looking to capitalize on a global all-ages audience. Roblox, Huggies and Ferrara have announced their plans for the event with their own clever campaigns. Keep track of the brands as they announce their involvement. And as always, Shimek is here to help your company engage with agencies that specialize in sports marketing.
Image courtesy of @edikted on Instagram.
Last week, dozens of UNC students posted sponsored content for the College Tour campaign by the online clothing brand, Edikted. None of the students were famous, having fewer than 3,000 followers on their platforms. Despite this, they were paid to promote the brand through Instagram stories and TikTok content from a campus pop-up. It’s a small-scale activation, but it shows where influencer marketing is headed next: nano influencers.
Smaller creators tend to drive higher engagement and trust within a tight-knit community, while larger “mega” influencers still deliver the reach needed for awareness. Alix Earle can put a brand on the map, but nano influencers are often the ones who actually get people to buy.
People are more likely to trust recommendations that feel personal and relatable. That’s why creators with smaller, more connected audiences can be so effective.
Influencer marketing, like everything, is evolving rapidly. Brands are starting to see that real impact comes from balancing scale and trust, using larger creators to drive awareness and smaller ones for credibility.
"Alix Earle can put a brand on the map, but nano influencers are often the ones who actually get people to buy."
- Susanna Mann, Shimek's Gen Z Voice
Each month, Shimek's Sarah Daniels invites someone she thinks you should know into The Salon, a space to share ideas around vocation vs. corporate ladders, and individuals making a difference in the best way they can.
In this conversation, Mary reflects on what it meant to grow up in a place where opportunity was non-existent, and how education became both an escape and a responsibility. She speaks candidly about the experience of representing refugee communities in global spaces while also recognizing how many voices still go unheard.
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