Branded Merchandise
Ideation, design, development, procurement and distribution, managed end-to-end
Brand-Focused Processes
Everything we do is aligned to your brand identity, goals, & campaigns
Designed to Scale
Flexible branded merchandise solutions that are scalable & adaptable
Behind-the-Scenes Protection
Secure ordering platforms enabling access to safe, ethically-sourced products from validated suppliers.
Marketing Execution / Branded Merchandise
Branded Merchandise Managed at Enterprise Scale
You need branded tools to help your teams succeed, but your programs are large, complicated, and have many stakeholders. IMS smoothly manages all the moving parts, while ensuring every component is on-brand and aligned to your goals.
In addition to executing the design, development and procurement of your branded merchandise collections, IMS also manages online ordering solutions, promotional campaigns, inventory warehousing, fulfillment and more to optimize execution, and drive down cost.
All of this IMS muscle gives you more bang for your budget and helps you focus on growing your brand and increasing engagement.
Types of IMS-Managed Branded Merchandise Programs
- Consumer-Facing Branded Merchandise development and e-commerce portals
- Turnkey Company e-Stores
- Recognition and Awards Programs
- Apparel & Team Gear
- Alcoholic Beverage Premiums
- Local and International Events
- Consumer-Facing Branded Merchandise development and e-commerce portals
- Turnkey Company e-Stores
- Recognition and Awards Programs
- Apparel & Team Gear
- Alcoholic Beverage Premiums
- Local and International Events
Key Elements of a Successful Branded Merchandise Program
BRAND STEWARDSHIP - EMBODYING YOUR BRAND
Our team starts with a deep exploration of your brand’s story, audience & goals. Translating your brand’s character into merchandise requires focused attention on detail and use-case, creating products that excite the end-user.
We reinforce your brand’s story through a complex interweaving of design, texture, and color, resulting in products sure to surprise and delight.
TREND-FORWARD DESIGN WITH FLAWLESS EXECUTION
We identify current marketplace trends that reflect your brand and appeal to the target audience. Our goal is to present clients with a fresh yet relevant perspective on branded merchandise.
Attention to detail does not stop at design and product development. Extensive experience with product sourcing at factories around the world ensures that your branded merchandise programs have products with high perceived value, delivered on-time, at an excellent price.
Designed to Scale & Sell
IMS develops easy to navigate, intuitive online shopping experiences for your employees and target audience; all built on a secure platform to protect sensitive information.
Our flexible and scalable e-commerce solutions help to develop and promote your managed branded merchandise programs. They’re built to empower your audience to make their own, purchases—saving you time and making the process more efficient.
Company Store Features
- Single Sign On Available
- SSI Encryption
- Custom Order Requests
- Real-time Inventory Levels
- Event & Program Support
- Consolidated Ordering
- Drop-shipping to Multiple Locations
- Promotional Pricing Available
- Credit Card or AU direct billing
- Available Analytics
Campaign Calendar Alignment
Planning is key to successful branded merchandise campaigns. IMS syncs with your own marketing calendar to develop seasonal and year-round initiatives aligned with your own internal campaigns and programs.
Managed programs include seasonal merchandise launches, catalog development, event-specific focused product collections, and more.
Managed Marketing Campaigns
We work closely with our clients and get to know your audiences. This learning guides our targeted emails, direct mail, catalogs and social media advertisements to more effectively promote your branded merchandise program.
We constantly evaluate the success of all our client marketing campaigns, allowing our marketers to provide insights for improvement on an ongoing basis.
Product Planning, Inventory and Fulfillment
- Sampling and Sourcing – Once our Product Designers handoff design and development, IMS Merchandising professionals sample each article from manufacturers identified as specialists in the selected product type.
- Cost/Value Analysis – Branded Merchandise items are developed and sourced to provide the best value to our client.
- Inventory Planning – Our buyers specialize in Branded Merchandise, developing efficient buy plans that maintain stock levels, minimizing stock-outs whilst keeping inventories in line with demand.
- Bids and Purchase Orders – products are bid out to ensure the best pricing. Manufacturers are continually reviewed on product quality, compliance, deliveries and pricing.
- Safety, Quality and Compliance – All IMS suppliers are monitored and audited for product quality, safety and compliance levels based on our client’s needs. Factories are audited for worker and workplace conditions. In addition, IMS uses minority owned suppliers wherever possible.
- Fulfillment – IMS warehouses, located across the US, can efficiently ship any Branded Merchandise order, large or small.
- Analytics – Demand-based analytics married to product forecasting measure success of each item offered and inform inventory decisions.
Protecting Your Brand Like It's Our Own
We exclusively work with suppliers who produce branded merchandise in safe, ethically-responsible environments. Not only do we comply with product safety laws and regulations, we work with you to ensure your specific safety requirements are met as well.
We factor in government and private testing when exploring new product choices and have established relationships with many product testing labs. We are proud to source items across the globe and will protect your intellectual property as if it were our own. Additionally, we look for sustainable alternatives whenever possible and comply with environmental regulations.
Beyond creating great products, we help you tell your story & connect with the people that matter.
Client Case Study
Celebrating a New Delivery Service with Smile-Inducing Swag
The world’s largest QSR (quick-service restaurant) announced an exclusive partnership with a popular Rideshare app to offer a new service to its customers: food delivery. In 2017, the two companies decided to launch a global, one-day promotion in 13,000 restaurants centered around smile-inducing swag given to first-time customers of the new service.
Project Details
IMS was tapped to develop the collection of branded merchandise that would be available for restaurants to add to each delivery order during the promotion.
The custom-designed collection of merchandise perfectly fit the company’s theme and budget requirements for the campaign – from collectible custom pins to hamburger onesies, and french fry fanny packs.
In 8 weeks, IMS produced 22,000 custom-designed items and delivered to all participating US locations, as well as locations in 7 different countries, in preparation for the event.
Outcome
During the promotion period, IMS’s QSR client saw:
- 164% increase in delivery orders to US restaurants participating in the promotion
- 37% increase in the Rideshare’s Food Delivery app downloads
- 543 earned media placements with more than 1.3 billion impressions around the globe
- 221M+ impressions from social media influencer posts, and over 2 million views on the company’s owned Instagram account during the promotion period
In 2018, IMS was tasked to build on the previous year’s performance, delivering branded goods across 19 different countries in order to promote the recent geographical expansion of the delivery service.
1.3
impressions around the globe
164
increase in delivery orders to US restaurants participating in the promotion
221
impressions from social media influencer posts related to the promotion
