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Nobody Needs Another T-Shirt
- iamalanhowe
- May 2
- 3 min read
Most merchandise is easy to produce. What’s difficult is creating something people actually want to keep. In today’s market, businesses, events, and organizations have access to a wide range of suppliers that can deliver similar products with comparable timelines and quality. Because of this, the product itself is no longer difficult to replicate, and that has changed how people evaluate what they receive or choose to purchase.
When options are widely available, the item alone is rarely the deciding factor. What carries more weight is the context surrounding it. Merchandise is no longer viewed simply as a functional or promotional product, but as something tied to a larger experience. Whether connected to an event, a brand, or a shared moment, its value is shaped by what it represents rather than how it is produced. When merch is treated purely as a commodity, it becomes interchangeable and easy to overlook.
Using Event Merchandise to Strengthen Brand and Customer Experience
For screen printers and those working closely with clients, this shift creates a more strategic role. The focus is no longer limited to producing merchandise, but to helping clients think through how that merchandise contributes to their brand and the experience they are creating for their audience.
Merchandise has the ability to extend an event beyond its scheduled time, reinforce brand identity, and influence how people remember and interact with a moment. When approached intentionally, it becomes part of the experience itself rather than an afterthought. This is where thoughtful guidance and planning can make a measurable difference in how effective a project becomes.
Instead of starting with the product, it is more effective to start with the experience. From there, the type of merchandise and its purpose become clearer. Different items serve different roles depending on how they are used within that experience:
Apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, hats): Acts as a visible extension of the event or brand, allowing individuals to represent their participation and carry that identity into everyday settings.
Drinkware (cups, bottles, mugs): Offers repeated, practical use, reinforcing the memory of the experience through daily interaction.
Accessories (tote bags, lanyards, wristbands): Often tied to the event itself, these items support functionality while also serving as immediate markers of participation.
Premium or limited items: Creates a sense of exclusivity and value, strengthening the perceived importance of the event or brand.
Giveaways and promotional items: When selected intentionally, these can introduce or reinforce brand awareness, but only when they align with the experience and feel relevant to the recipient.
Each of these categories can either strengthen or weaken the overall experience depending on how well they align with the intent behind the event or brand. When merchandise is selected without that consideration, it risks becoming disconnected from the experience it is meant to support.
The Role of Merch in Shaping the Experience and Purchasing Decisions
As my friend Greg Kitson once put it, “nobody needs another t-shirt.”
At a certain point, it becomes important to acknowledge a simple reality: most people do not need more merchandise. The market is saturated with products that serve similar functions, and additional items only hold value when they offer something beyond basic utility.
This becomes clear in how people interact with merchandise tied to events. At concerts, for example, attendees regularly purchase items at prices that exceed their practical value. The decision is not driven by the product itself, but by what it represents. Even when one item may not feel worth purchasing, a different piece tied to the same experience can still carry value. The difference is not the product category, but the strength of its connection to the moment.
This is where many projects fall short. When merchandise is created without a clear connection to the experience, it becomes easy to overlook, discard, or repurpose. The issue is not always quality or cost, but a lack of meaning. Without that connection, the product does not carry enough significance to be remembered.
The opportunity, however, is in approaching merchandise with intention. When it reflects the experience, reinforces the brand, and creates a sense of participation, it becomes something people want to keep. It extends the life of the event and strengthens the relationship between the brand and the individual.
In a market where customers can source similar products from nearly anywhere, differentiation comes from understanding the end user’s perspective and designing with purpose. The objective is not simply to deliver merchandise, but to create something that represents a moment worth remembering—and something people are proud to associate with long after the event has passed.
A Better Way to Approach Merch
If you are looking at your current merchandise and questioning whether it is actually contributing to the experience you are trying to create, it may be time to take a different approach. If you want an honest look at how your current merchandise strategy is performing, or where it may be falling short, I am always open to a conversation.
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