Merry Merchmas! And A Profitable New Year

Where did this year go?  In just two weeks, it will be time to open up the many gifts lovingly placed under the tree.  And in other households, a multitude of presents throughout those “8 Crazy Nights.”  Between Christmas stocking stuffers, small but meaningful Hannukah presents, and the many Secret Santa “grab bag” celebrations, millions are looking for those perfect gifts that won’t break the budget.

In a different time, radio station merch would’ve been the perfect gift for many of these occasions.  Sadly, however, many stations and shows – popular ones at that – have no logo wearable programs or strategies in place.  In some cases, online station stores are designed to close this gap, but many of the e-commerce solutions lack timeliness and attractiveness.  They may check off a box but accomplish little else.

On top of that, competition for the brands consumers choose to display on their bodies has greatly intensified.  Back in the day, radio stations could slap their logos on a white or black t-shirt and call it good.  Today, the average person can blend loyalty with style to satisfy their tastes.

I have watched with great interest how sporting a Detroit Lions logo has transformed wearers from diehard losers to proud winners in the span of just a season or two.  It has also been interesting to watch many women as well as casual fans go from disinterested to avid over this time.  To see so many more people – including yours truly – sporting the Honolulu blue and silver has been fun to watch.

And it’s not just the typical jerseys featuring Lions greats like Barry Sanders or Calvin Johnson.  Stylish merch for newly minted Lions fans continue to show up all over town – as well as airports across the country.  And as Lions fans endeavor to show up in force at the team’s away games, we’re seeing more and more versions of smart and attention-getting logowear.

(Brad Galli, sports anchor / WXYZ-TV Detroit)

The Lions – like every other team in the NFL – have upped their merch games, featuring a vast array of gear designed for fans of all ages and tastes.  Their new campaign – “The Drip is in the Details” – shows off various teams’ array of clothes and accessories.  Note that all teams – from those in the playoff hunt to those already firing head coaches – are involved because fandom is eternal.

And if you’re perplexed about the meaning of “drip,” Google’s AI engine defines it as slang for “something that is stylish, awesome, or very cool.”  It goes on to say the NFL Shop’s campaign – created by the agency 72andSunny – signifies how even the small details in clothing enhances the entire look.  These newly designed wearables exude confidence, swagger, and pride.

Well-designed merch can also capture a moment, a vibe that also reverberates throughout radio when something in the market – a sports team, concert, station event – is happening.

Great merch marketers know that clothes and other logo products that seize a moment can generate lightning hot sales.  Case in point: “Squid Game,” Netflix’s dystopian Korean-language series back for its much-anticipated second season that drops next month.

The show has a distinctive look and style, typified by the clothes contestants wear during intense life or death challenges.  In a recent story in the LA Times by Wendy Lee, clothes from Puma, Crocs, and other brands have developed wearables designed to capitalize on the show’s buzz.

No one knows how this sophomore season of “Squid Game” will perform on Netflix, but the sales of tracksuits, shoes, backpacks, and other products should make up for whatever may be lacking from the show itself.

The odds are strong this content merch strategy will be a successful one for Netflix. Consider the first season became the most-watched Netflix show of all time, generating more than 330 million views – so far.

There’s even a “Squid Game” branded whiskey, produced by distiller Johnny Walker.

As the Times story acknowledges, sales of merch isn’t just profitable – it drives awareness for the show itself.  Additionally, Netflix is opening pop-up stores, restaurants, and even a retail center called “Netflix House,” a concept I blogged about several weeks ago.

Merch tie-ins to media content is nothing new.  Disney has perfected the concept again and again, always having a strong line of associated products they used to refer to as “touch points, as well as experiential promotions that sustain and expand the brand.

How could radio companies adopt some of this philosophical DNA?  Co-showrunner on “Squid Game,” Matt Owens, puts the plan into perspective, noting merch is “like a badge of honor” for fans of the show.

And he ties the concept of merch + content together in a way we can easily understand the potential here for additional revenue, as well as brand growth:

“It’s the same thing as wearing a jersey of a sports team.  It just adds that feeling that there are other fans all over the place.”

There’s strength in numbers.  The idea that like-minded people will sport and support favorite brands shouldn’t be lost on any of us.  And that begs the question: How can a radio station make progress – and money – from its merch?

It’s a challenge, to be sure.  More than a decade ago, I was in L.A., consulting Bonneville’s KSWD – the Sound.  Thanks in no small part to the programming team led by Dave Beasing, the station rapidly developed a fiercely loyal audience.  And we created a brand advocacy group – the Sound Backstagers – as a way to encourage stations fans to help promote and market the station.

I moderated a couple of live meetings at the station, giving me the chance to meet and talk to these super core fans of the Sound.  Among the many areas of the brand we looked for feedback on from the Backstagers was a new line of merch – the usual, shirts and hats.

This group was nothing if not brutally honest.  The moment they saw the new designs, we looked at a room full of thumbs-down votes.  The Backstagers told us the new designs looked like every run-of-the-mill radio station piece of merch they’d always seen.  In other words, the same old stuff.

At first, I attributed this less-than-stellar feedback as a result of L.A. area listeners more attuned to fashion and style.  But as time went on and I conducted more groups around the country, it became clear the average radio station merch is simply….average.

Whether it’s the radio content or station wearables, broadcasters can no longer be average and expect a better result.  Thanks to exponential competition in audio entertainment and information, the bar has been raised.  A mediocre product simply won’t perform well over the long haul.

And so it is for station merch.  If it doesn’t look better than the standard issue radio t-shirts and hats, chances are good the stuff won’t sell.  Having an online store simply isn’t enough.

That’s likely the logic WNYC recently employed with the rollout of a new, designer shirt and sweatshirt – and of course, a tote bag.  You might have seen the story last week in Inside Radio:  “Swag Become Style Pieces As New York Public Radio Teams With Clothing Brand.” 

We have long advocated partnerships for radio, and WNYC got the memo.  They’ve teamed with fashion designer Only NY on a new line of clothing and accessories that commemorates their 100th anniversary.

The design incorporates vintage WNYC and New York City images, including a “Voice of the City” logo, a radio show hosted by the late John F. Kennedy, Jr.

While WNYC is jubilant about the collaboration, the co-founders of Only NY, Mical Belamarich and Julian Goldstein sound just as thrilled to partner with a local radio icon:

“To have the opportunity to collaborate with an organization that we grew up listening to as lifelong New Yorkers makes this Centennial celebration that much sweeter with WNYC. We are forever grateful to be able to partner with and further tell the stories of such culturally rich institutions here in our city.”

It makes you wonder whether designers in other local areas might also value a collab with a solid local radio station.

To effectively compete with the NFL, Netflix, and other super brands for attention, content, and yes, merch, radio can no longer mail it in.