The SaaSification of gift shops

Finally, we’re giving branded merch the attention it deserves. —me, a proud supporter of the merch business.

The New York Times recently published an article, If You Can’t Beat A.I., Outdress It, Tech Firms and Their Swag Say. In many ways, I was kinda waiting for an article like this to come out.

Branded merch has been around a while, it’s not a new concept. But more companies are adopting a more premium-first strategy for their swag. At least that’s what I’m seeing out in the wild.

$200 jackets, basketballs, embroidered dad caps, high-end pens, spending millions on out of home (OOH) advertisements, millions on PR stunts, fancy coffee carts in the middle of NYC, keyboards, leather notebooks, the list goes on. But let’s focus on the merch of it all; swag, as some call it.

I’ve always been a big supporter of the branded merch business. If done well, that is.

What I mean is that company merch should be intentional. It should be an extension of the brand, aligned to its values, and maybe give a nod to the literalness of the company name.

Take Granola for example. It just so happens, as I write this (this was not planned, truly), I am now the proud owner of Granola’s infamous spoon, thanks to Granola’s head of marketing, Rob Denton. Ever since seeing this spoon out in the wild, I knew I had to find a way to get my hands on one. Read more about this famous spoon here.

Having taste is the differentiator today.

In a world where we can get information fast, have automations and AI do stuff for us, it’s the human judgement (knowing what’s actually good) that is valuable.

It’s no longer exclusively about “a good product sells itself.” The AI competition is there, and so companies are investing heavily (maybe even aggressively is a better word?) in their brand marketing efforts. I mean, Slack even made vinyls of the huddles music.

The NYT times article makes an interesting point. There’s an irony here, and that irony is intentional. AI enables us to move fast and have endless amounts of access. Whereas merch emphasizes the opposite (again, if done right): exclusivity, limited drops, waiting for stuff, focused craftsmanship, and scarcity, all while staying true to the brand, and ultimately, the product. That is the Granola spoon in a nutshell.

What will SaaS stores release next?

Thanks for reading and for being here. I don’t take for granted that you care what I have to say. Or even if you don’t care, and you’re still here; thanks for being a fan anyway. ❣️

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