Branded Merchandise for Product Launches

Merchandise for a product launch does three jobs at three different times. Before the announcement, it builds anticipation with a small number of people. On the day, it gives guests something to use and take home. In the weeks afterwards, it keeps the product in front of early customers and partners. Plan all three together, because the earliest one sets your ordering dates.

This guide covers what works at each stage, how to match merchandise to what you're launching, and how to keep both the launch date and the secret safe.

What does merchandise do before a launch?

It seeds the story with a small number of people who'll talk about it.

Pre-launch merchandise goes to a short list before the public announcement, such as journalists, reviewers, creators, key customers or partners. The aim is conversation and a sense of occasion before anyone can buy the product.

Teaser kits. A few items that hint at the product without giving it away. They suit consumer launches and product drops, where curiosity is the point.

Press and creator kits. Good quality items sent ahead of the embargo. The quality of the kit says something about the quality of the product, so this is the stage to spend more per person.

Presentation. At this stage the box matters as much as what's in it. A well presented box with one good item and a card makes a stronger impression than a bag of mixed merchandise.

What works at the launch event?

Things guests use on the day and take home afterwards.

Tote bags. They carry everything else from the event and travel home with the guest. Our guide to the best promotional tote bags for businesses matches bags to events, and our tote bag range has the options.

Drinkware. A quality bottle or insulated travel mug signals a brand that cares about product quality. For a high end launch, a name guests already know from our brands range adds weight.

Tech accessories. Power banks, phone stands and cable kits are useful on the day and long after it, which suits tech and software launches.

Clothing for your team. Branded clothing for staff and ambassadors makes the people running the launch easy to find. It doesn't need to go to every guest.

What to avoid. Generic giveaways with no connection to the product. A stress ball at a tech launch tells guests the merchandise was an afterthought.

What keeps a launch going afterwards?

Useful items sent to the people who matter most in the first few weeks.

Customer kits. A thank you for early buyers or pre-order customers, sent with the product or soon after it.

Partner and retailer kits. Items for distributors, retailers or resellers to mark the launch and keep your product in mind when they're talking to their own customers.

Team recognition. Something for the people who delivered the launch. Our guide to corporate gifts for clients and teams covers what to choose.

How do you match merchandise to what you're launching?

By price point and audience, so the merchandise feels like it belongs to the product.

The mistake to avoid is a mismatch. Cheap giveaways at a high end launch undercut the product, and heavy branding on a luxury item makes it less likely to be used in public.

How do you keep a product launch confidential?

Tell your supplier what's confidential, keep the product name off anything that ships early, and plan who receives the delivery.

A launch has a secret to protect until the day, and merchandise is one of the places it can slip. Three habits help.

Say what's confidential. If your artwork shows the product, its name or the launch date, say so in your branding notes when you request the proof. As members of the BPMA, we're required by its Code of Conduct to respect and protect sensitive information we come across in our work, which covers artwork and plans shared ahead of a launch. Our article on what BPMA membership means explains the Code.

Use teaser artwork on early items. Seeding kits can carry a brand mark, a date or a campaign line without naming the product, so nothing gives the launch away if a box goes astray.

Plan the delivery. If branded items arrive before the announcement, decide who receives them and where they're stored, so a box of launch merchandise doesn't sit open in reception.

How do you hit a fixed launch date?

Order against the date shown on the product page, and time each item separately.

A launch date doesn't move, so check the delivery date before you pay rather than after. You'll see it on the product page, on your Visual Proof™ and in your basket, where you choose the delivery option for each line. Dates can change until you order, and the date you select at checkout is guaranteed and locked once your order is placed, subject to normal payment and order conditions.

Delivery dates are selected per order line, which suits a launch. Each line shows its own options and dates in your basket, so you can choose a faster option for seeding kits that go out first and a slower one for items needed later, all in the same order.

Production is rarely the slowest part. Approving artwork internally usually takes longer, so name one person to sign off your Visual Proof™ and request it early. You can also order a sample through the product page to check the quality before you commit, and the current sample terms are shown there.

How much merchandise do you need for a launch?

Work from the list rather than a round number.

Seeding kits are counted name by name. Event items follow your guest list, plus a few spares for late additions and staff. Follow-up kits depend on how many early customers or partners you're thanking.

Minimums are set per product, and the number on each product page is the one that applies. If a minimum is higher than your list, a similar product may have a lower one. Our guide to budgets, quantities and lead times explains how quantity affects the price per item.