Why would I buy a $10 Pop-Tarts shirt? And why would Kellogg sell it?
A box of cereal is about $3. A box of Pop-Tarts, about $2. A can of Pringles, less than that. In general, Kellogg products are low-cost. So… how does a food giant like Kellogg foster a culture of raving fans and continue to build brand awareness? An eCommerce store with fun items like Pop-Tart shirts!
From gift baskets to custom birthday treats and more, The Kellogg Company understands that it’s not about the income as much as the lifestyle. Selling shirts that bring back the nostalgia of Saturday morning cartoons won’t take over the main business of food production, but it’s a great way to foster a few things. And it’s a lesson more businesses can learn from in this modern era.
Brand Awareness
From independent podcast producers to Fortune 500 companies, building and maintaining awareness is always a key desire. Whether it’s staying top-of-mind so customers remember you or simply re-introducing people to a beloved brand, offering apparel and other fun items can help with brand awareness.
As consumers we see it everywhere. From hats to shirts to vest to keychains and so much more, branded “stuff” is everywhere. If you can capture someone’s attention, why not? Offering your branded apparel and other goods in an online store open to the public can help spread the brand.
BONUS: In the social media landscape, photos of happy customers in your branded shirt stay on the internet and can spread, giving a whole new life to your apparel!
Customer Delight
Sending codes to your online store for discounts or sending gifts to your customers can build delight through simple touchpoints. I remember a company I used to use for a service who would send gifts throughout the year – water bottles, a t-shirt, even a really nice jacket one time – just as a thank you for being a happy customer. I would advocate for them as a client, and they’d thank me with branded gifts. I was proud to sport them. It was a win-win!
Branded apparel can act as a customer delight tool in this digital age. Real-life gifts go a long way compared to “another digital gift card.” Then, as your customers enjoy the gifts, they may visit the online store you have for replacement items (sometimes your cat chews your water bottle) or other items.
Building a Tribe of Raving Fans
Building on delighted customers, imagine if your business had raving fans that loved to sport your brand. For some companies, it seems like a no-brainer. What Coke drinker or Pop-Tart eater wouldn’t love wearing a vintage t-shirt that gets people talking? But it most likely wasn’t that clear of a connection before the first time someone suggested it.
Imagine the meeting where someone told the powers-that-be at Coca-Cola, “Hey, we want to put the logo on t-shirts so people will wear them and more consumers will drink Coke.” It probably fell flat (pun intended). But then someone tried it, and now there are full-blown Coke memorabilia collectors!
So think about your brand and how you could help your raving fans enjoy talking about their experience with you when someone asks them, “What’s the logo on your shirt?”
Building an eCommerce Store
You can offer your customers choices for branded apparel and gifts with an online store. The eCommerce world has exploded over the years as retailers, online auction sites and Amazon have become just another part of our lives.
You can ride that wave with the right software and systems in place. When your business is ready to find a third party solution to manage the online store, the email promotions, the fulfillment, the shipping and anything else that may come up, do your research. A solution like eCommEdge just might help you build brand awareness, increase customer delight and build a tribe of raving fans.
