How Merchandise Programs Drive ROI for Businesses
Zinc Group
At a glance:
Merchandise programs help brands maintain long-term visibility without the need for constant digital advertising.
They strengthen customer loyalty, enhance employee engagement, and create meaningful, real-world brand presence.
Selecting the right products, distributing them at the right time, and adding personal touches are key to driving stronger program performance.
ROI can be measured by tracking longevity, brand recall, cost per impression, and loyalty indicators.
Merchandise programs are how brands live, work, and travel in the real world.
Unlike one-off giveaways, these programs establish a sustained brand presence and genuine connections that last well beyond fleeting campaigns. They support customer engagement, enrich employee experience, and give brands a tangible place in everyday life.
Programs can include employee onboarding packs, client gift calendars, trade show merchandise, and loyalty rewards. When done well, they offer steady brand exposure without the need for ongoing advertising spend.
As businesses consider where to direct their marketing investment, it’s helpful to understand how merchandise programs compare to digital advertising. Merchandise creates lasting, real-world touchpoints that digital campaigns alone cannot fully replace.
Now that we understand what merchandise programs offer, the next step is to comprehend how they create measurable value for your business.
How Merchandise Programs Generate ROI
Merchandise programs deliver measurable returns beyond the initial investment. Here are some of the ways they generate ROI.
Long-Term Brand Visibility
Branded items such as notebooks, apparel, drink bottles, and tech organisers remain in use for months or even years. This ongoing presence keeps your brand visible in offices, client meetings, and daily routines long after the first handover.
For example, Siemens AG partnered with Zinc to deliver a global merchandise program that ensured brand consistency across multiple markets and aligned with the company’s ESG goals. This shows how a well-managed merchandise program can reinforce brand identity worldwide while supporting sustainability commitments.
Physical merchandise becomes part of everyday spaces, providing consistent brand visibility without ongoing spending.
Customer Loyalty and Engagement
Merchandise programs help brands stay connected with their customers over time. Loyalty rewards, milestone gifts, and seasonal merchandise drops demonstrate to customers that they are valued.
Zinc’s collaboration with Sonepar focused on upcycling old inventory into new, sustainable apparel, reducing waste and avoiding landfill. This creative approach not only supported Sonepar’s sustainability goals but also demonstrated value to environmentally conscious customers.
These regular, thoughtful touchpoints help build emotional connections and encourage long-term brand preference.
Employee Engagement and Retention
Branded merchandise has become part of how great companies make employees feel welcome. Items shared during onboarding or at key recognition moments aren’t just gifts; they help employees tangibly connect with the business. When employees receive these items at the right time, they carry meaning that strengthens their connection with the company.
KFC partnered with Zinc to create summer activations featuring eco-friendly products like portable speakers and flying discs. These seasonal activities helped bring employees together and reinforced positive team engagement through memorable, sustainable experiences.
Teams notice when they’re thoughtfully supported, and this often translates to stronger commitment and a deeper sense of belonging.
Why Merchandise Programs Are a Smart Long-Term Investment
Merchandise programs create ongoing brand exposure without requiring continuous advertising spend.
Unlike digital campaigns that cease once the media spend is exhausted, merchandise continues to work quietly in the background for months or even years.
A branded drink bottle, notebook, or tech organiser can keep your brand visible in daily life well beyond the initial campaign.
Merchandise programs do more than cover marketing needs. When designed well, these items become lasting tools that quietly reinforce your brand’s presence day after day.
To maximise this long-term potential, it’s essential to regularly review the performance of the merchandise and determine whether it continues to deliver the desired value.
These benefits are only as strong as your ability to track and measure them.
How to Measure the ROI of Merchandise Programs
Measuring the success of your merchandise program is not just about the number of products distributed. The real value comes from whether these products continue to serve their purpose and remain visible in the recipient’s environment.
Cost Per Impression: Evaluating Long-Term Value
Cost per impression (CPI) helps you understand how efficiently your merchandise generates brand exposure. To calculate CPI, estimate how often a branded item is seen or used throughout its lifespan and compare this to your investment.
For example, a tech organiser that stays on a client’s desk for a year creates ongoing brand exposure and a low CPI compared to short-term digital ads. Tracking the CPI gives you a clear view of whether merchandise offers better long-term value compared to other channels.
Longevity and Usage: Measuring Active Brand Presence
The lifespan of your branded items plays a crucial role in overall ROI.
It’s essential to consider whether those items remain in use and continue to deliver brand visibility over time. Useful, well-made products such as drink bottles, quality notebooks, or desk organisers tend to stay in circulation for longer than you think.
To measure longevity, conduct regular follow-ups, administer usage surveys, or engage in direct conversations with clients or employees to identify which items they use most actively.
Brand Recall: Assessing Brand Awareness Impact
Brand recall is a key indicator of merchandise program effectiveness. You want recipients to think of your brand naturally when using the item, even without extra reminders.
You can assess this by asking whether the brand easily comes to mind when using the merchandise. Strong brand recall indicates that your merchandise is doing more than just sitting on a desk; it is actively enhancing awareness and familiarity.
Customer and Employee Feedback: Capturing Real-World Impact
Feedback from customers and employees offers valuable insight into whether the merchandise is making a positive impression. It helps answer important questions, such as: Is the item useful? Does it feel high quality? Does it make the recipient feel valued?
Collecting feedback regularly through surveys, interviews, or check-ins will help you fine-tune your merchandise selection and delivery timing. Positive feedback indicates that your program fosters brand goodwill, while negative feedback highlights areas for improvement.
Loyalty Metrics: Tracking Behavioural Shifts
Merchandise programs can influence loyalty in meaningful ways.
In B2B settings, this often manifests as increased repeat business, higher referral rates, and stronger employee retention.
You can track this by monitoring:
Repeat purchase rates from customers who received branded merchandise
Employee tenure or satisfaction linked to onboarding or recognition programs that included merchandise products
Customer referrals from those engaged in merchandise-driven loyalty efforts
These behavioural shifts help build a complete picture of merchandise ROI and highlight the long-term value of sustained brand touchpoints.
Consistently tracking these indicators will help you refine your merchandise strategy and ensure you are not just distributing products but creating brand experiences that last.
To sum up, merchandise programs are more than branded products. They are where your brand lives, works and builds real connections. Done well, they create loyalty, inspire teams, and keep your brand visible long after the first touchpoint.
At Zinc Productions, we bring brands to life. We design, manage, and deliver merchandise programs that drive measurable ROI and create lasting impact.
Contact us today to develop a merchandise strategy that works in the real world and delivers tangible ROI for your business.