March 21st, 2024
Design Matters. Why it’s Important to Invest in Good Branding.
Running a successful company is no easy feat. In fact, the daily tasks of managing sales, operations, events, etc. can easily consume your entire week.
It’s no wonder then, that branding and swag often fall on the back burner. But, what if I were to tell you that branding and swag are almost as important as the product you’re selling? Stay with me.
Let’s pretend for a second that you are a water company and your only two products are single servings of still and sparkling water. We all know the main players out there: Smarter Water, La Croix, Perrier – all with fairly basic branding and millions of dollars in sales. After all, it’s water; an element essential to survival – it sells itself.
Now, what if I were to tell you, that with good, targeted design and branding, that 15% of your sales could come from selling branded merchandise to your customers? Don’t believe me? Well, you don’t have to imagine, because that is exactly what Liquid Death has achieved in the past few years since their launch. In 2021, Liquid Death sales exceeded $45 million, 15% of which came directly from selling branded merchandise on their online shop – that is $3 million dollars in hard goods. Today, the company is boasting well over $100 million in total annual sales and their branded merchandise has expanded from exclusively online sales to brick and mortar shops, the most notable being Urban Outfitters.
So how exactly did a simple water company land in one of the trendiest retail stores in the United States? Design and branding. Liquid Death separates themselves from the competition by morphing a lifestyle brand into an everyday product – it’s not just water, it’s cool water. It’s not just a logo, it’s a cool logo, a logo I want to wear. It’s edgy, it’s fun, the products they produce are retail quality and things that can be used, worn and shown off daily. In fact, their branding is so successful, they have launched several collaborations with a broad range of celebrities including Travis Barker and Martha Stewart – two very different types of personalities with two very different fan demographics, but with one thing in common, they love Liquid Death.
Sure, not every industry and company has the flexibility to incorporate edgy branding. And not every company is going to, or needs to, sell branded merchandise. But at the end of the day, it’s not about being edgy or selling a million dollars in t-shirts. It’s about targeting your core demographic and penetrating and understanding their lifestyles to create a brand identity that resonates with them. This is where brand loyalty is born. This is where brand loyalty is maintained.
From design and creative to website development, branded merchandise and fulfillment and warehousing, our team at a2e is the perfect partner to assist with everything you need, every step of the way.
Don’t put branding on the backburner. After all, it’s just water, right?