Creators, YouTubers, musicians, artists and influencers… lend us your ears! The leaves are starting to turn brown and crisp. The skies are starting to fill with mist and the mornings are getting cold and crisps while the nights are growing darker. That means fall is well and truly here, folks! It’s the season of crunchy leaves underfoot, ubiquitous plaid, pumpkin spice lattes and wrapping up warm and cozy when stepping out into the cold.
As much as we all love summer, here’s something truly magical about the coming of fall. And in order to cater better to the fans you cherish, you need to make sure that the merch you offer is appropriate for the time of year. If you want to make your personal brand a household name, you need to make sure that your fans have access to the right branded gear for the season. To be perfectly frank, baseball caps and t-shirts simply aren’t gonna cut it when the autumn mists descend.
You need to make sure that your merch catalog changes with the seasons. Seasonality not only helps you to adapt to the changing needs of your fan base, it also helps you to make more sales through the phenomenon of scarcity marketing. People are more motivated to buy when they know that the product is only available for a limited time. Just ask fans of the McRib or eggnog!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 merch items that your fans will be wearing or using this fall. Whether they have your name on them or someone else’s is up to you…
1. Hoodies
Hoodies are kind of evergreen, but you can expect a big push when it comes to hoodie sales over fall. They’re pretty much perfect for wearing at this time of year when the weather can be unpredictable. Hoodies tend to be warm and dry, offering them protection from the autumnal rain. They’re possibly the most versatile garment ever created, too. You can experiment with different sizes, styles and textures to ensure that the garment matches your brand while keeping your fans warm and snuggly in the fast-cooling fall weather.
What’s more, the generous surface area of a hoodie can be a wonderful canvas to get creative on. It affords you tremendous scope to flex your graphic design muscles and create logos and designs that capture the eye and the imagination.
2. SnowCaps or Beanies
When the weather gets cold and damp, it can rob hair of its luster and make your ears go numb. Nobody needs that! Which is why many of your fans will reach for their favorite snow cap or beanie when fall sets in. While most of us have enjoyed a relatively warm fall so far, the cold winds are coming!
And when they do, your fans will offer you yet another opportunity. The chance for you to display your name and / or logo on their eye line. That’s a perfect position to expose everyone they meet and talk to to your brand.
People are much more likely to reach for these kinds of hat than a conventional cap in the fall, so make sure that you’re selling merchandise beanie hats emblazoned with your logo when the cold winds start to blow.
Your brand could wind up following them around well into the new year!
3. Long Sleeve T-s
If we’ve learned anything about fashion from Queer Eye (apart from the slimming effects of a good French tuck) it’s that layering is the key to creating a multitude of looks even when you have a limited wardrobe. And when the fall comes, layering is also a great way to look good while keeping warm.
Long sleeve t-shirts are pretty much a staple when it comes to layering. They can be dressed up or down and worn with a huge array of other items of clothing to create cohesive looks. This means that long sleeve t-s are an item you’ll want to get your name, face or logo on this year. There are few other garments that will give you so much possibility for visibility!
4. Mugs
The fall season belongs to hot drinks. From hot cider to cocoa to spiced chai tea and, of course, the ever-present pumpkin spiced sugar rush from everyone’s favorite franchised coffee bar. A hot drink does way more than keep your fans warm when the weather grows colder and gloomier when winter draws closer. There’s also a huge comfort factor.
A hot cup of cocoa or seasonal latte gives us a warm and glowy feeling inside that brightens up even the gloomiest day, and the grayest skies. It’s essentially a hug in a mug… and when your logo or image is on their mugs, your fans will feel like they’re getting a hug from you personally.
Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch. But the fact is that a hit drink on a gloomy fall day creates positive associations in the drinker’s mind. And if there’s one thing that all creatives and influencers could use, it’s more positive associations.
What’s more, the more often they reach for their favorite mug, the more they’ll be reminded of you. Friends and coworkers may see your logo on their mug and start up a conversation about you. In short, mugs are a great way to promote your personal brand this fall.
5. Scarves
Doctor Who, Sherlock, Harry Potter… many of our most beloved fictional icons are devotees of the humble scarf… but who says that the Brits should have all the fun?
As the days grow colder, many of your fans will be reaching for their scarves to keep themselves warm when they head out to school, college or work. They could literally be wrapping themselves up in your brand! Scarves may not be the most obvious of fall merch items, but they have the potential to be one of the most effective.
When you’re trying to make a name for yourself as a creative, success lies in the ability to get your name out there… and the above 5 items offer some great opportunities to do just that!
