Notes:

Slide 1: Branding, Marketing & Merchandise BootCampPGH April 21, 2007 Lindsay Patross http://blog.spreadshirt.com

Slide 2: Tip #1: Go for customer WOW Go for customer “WOW!” with your product …making your customer your promoter

Slide 3: Tip #1: Go for customer “WOW!”

• Target one simple question: Would you recommend this product? Cite: Satmetrix (Bain + Fred Reichheld), netpromoter.com

Slide 4: results of WOW Cite: Satmetrix (Bain + Fred Reichheld), netpromoter.com

Slide 5: Tip #2: Have a clear, consistent theme

• Customers need to know what to promote

Slide 6: Tip #4: Tell your story

• Blogging is a great way to tell your story
• People like to buy from people they like
• People like to buy from people “like them”
• People like to buy things that people “like them” buy

Slide 7: Tip #5: Learn from customers
• Blogging, forums, etc. are great ways to interact with customers

Slide 8: Tip #7: Be both active and passive

• Email and RSS

Slide 9: Tip #8: Find folks wanting to find you

• Social networking… be there

Slide 10: Why merchandise your brand?

• Promote your podcasts, blogs, Website – Let your listeners spread the word offline… in new places
• Make money – Capitalize on the love for your brand… fans buy gear
• Bring your online community offline – Keep people engaged… and meeting!... when they are away from the Internet

Slide 11: Blog Gear www.CraftBeerRadio.com

Slide 12: The Gift of Merchandise
• Put your logo to use!
• Think of items that can be used on a dialy basis. – T-shirts, aprons & totes
• add your logo and the recipient will be reminded of your brand every time they wear your t-shirt to the gym.

Slide 13: Best practices in design
• Have just enough text – People cannot read small font – Too much text is hard to read – Keep text near the top… lots happen at the bottom
• Location, location, location – Front… message in their face, graphics work well – Back… give people something to read while standing in line – Sleeves… something different

Slide 14: Front and Back

Slide 15: Text Placement

Slide 16: Promoting your merchandise
• Think about the merchandise as content… make it interesting – Don't replace your content with merchandise
• Use pictures of what you… visuals attract
• Add links to sidebar, footer, and emails
• Add new products regularly
• Run promotions – Make limited edition merchandise – Have a t-shirt of the Month club – Do contests: Pick one winner a week from new newsletter subscribers HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Slide 17: Getting started
• Chose a merchandising partner on the quality, style, and features – The partner you chose represents your brand – CafePress and Spreadshirt are the leading solutions – Any time you spend on procurement, inventory, production or shipping is time away from your content Quality: Research products, printing, and service
• Read forums, blogs and order samples Style: Think about the style you want to present
• Classic, fashion forward, adult, teen Features: Merchandise done by you, or customized by your customers You can have a store ready in 30 minutes