Building a Story with Branded Merchandise

Promotional merchandise is a core element of brand building that often receives less attention than it deserves. 

Brands of any size have powerful opportunities to connect with their communities by providing valuable, high-quality items and merchandise that exemplify the brand’s ideals—whether it’s materials for employee onboarding, giveaways at a trade show, holiday gifts for customers, or a pop-up shop for exclusive branded merchandise. 

Our expert design team at Premier Press has helped brands design truly gift-worthy branded merchandise for every need, making each item a memorable extension of the brand identity. 

Here’s a look at our process and what we can accomplish for your team.

Promotional Merchandise Inspiration

The best promotional merchandise evokes a clear feeling and builds a connection at a distinct moment, leaving a lasting memory. We connect the dots from idea to execution, helping our clients create promotional merchandise and branded apparel that fulfills any goal while extending their brand identity perfectly.

Exploration is essential in this process. There are countless combinations of items, materials, and designs, which makes it hard for teams to know exactly what they want or what’s even possible. 

We guide clients through options big and small to find the best fit within their budget and timeline so they don’t have to settle for basic, uninspired merchandise that won’t leave any impression.     

iQ Credit Union Branded Merchandise Ideas

Our work with iQ Credit Union, a locally owned credit union dedicated to strengthening its communities, exemplifies our process.  

As its team developed its annual branded merchandise strategy, we designed several ideas using iQ’s fun plaid motif to create merchandise that would help its members immerse themselves in the beautiful Pacific Northwest surroundings:

A complete yoga set ready for any wellness getaway includes a branded mat, towel, beverage mug, and shoes—all with a consistent plaid pattern. Each item is durable and truly useful for members as they embark on an outdoor adventure or take a moment to relax and enjoy their surroundings.

A fun sticker pack is perfect for young adventurers and anyone who loves Bigfoot, the cryptid legend ingrained in PNW culture. The stickers are easy to give away at credit union branches or during community events.

A second towel concept features Bigfoot in a complementary color to the plaid design. The towels come in different material options and have a vibrant color that lasts after many washes. 

Each of these items showcased what’s possible for iQ’s branded merchandise to help them quickly refine their strategy and select the best options to fulfill their goals. The items are versatile and can delight employees, customers, and community members alike, empowering them to bring iQ along on any adventure.

Curating a Cohesive Gifting Experience

As leaders in promotional merchandise and personalized apparel, our team is constantly exploring new ideas and materials to make the process effortless for our clients. 

We remove the guesswork and can educate you on different materials and options within your budget to ensure every item leaves a lasting memory. Our state-of-the-art equipment allows us to fulfill highly detailed projects and create personalized merchandise with ease. 

We frequently partner with teams to create merchandise for needs like:

• Community events and activations
• Employee onboarding and brand building
• Tradeshow giveaways and swag bags
• Client gifting for milestones and holidays
• Internal awards and employee celebrations
• Merchandise stores and pop-up shops

Our annual Backstage event is one opportunity for you to meet with dozens of vendors and get ideas for your gifting strategy before the holidays. We also have showrooms in our Portland office with samples that showcase what’s possible to accelerate your search.  
If you’re ready to take your promotional merchandise to the next level, contact us today.