Marketing

Brand rebranding: corporate merch as a tool to build brand awareness

Company rebranding requires rebuilding brand awareness

Członkowie zespołu w odzieży firmowej na sesji po rebrandingu marki

Rebranding is a powerful tool that can completely refresh a company’s image, give it a new identity and increase its recognition in the market. But for the change to be effective, it must be consistently communicated – not only to customers, but also to employees. One tool in this process is company merch, which helps both reinforce the new branding among the team and solidify it in the minds of customers.

How does corporate merch build awareness about a brand?

One of the key elements of a rebrand is a consistent visual identity, and corporate apparel with logos is a great tool to help promote it and cement it in the minds of the audience and viewers. Corporate promotional apparel, such as printed T-shirts, sweatshirts and caps, make the new brand visible in public spaces, at the office or at industry events.

With printed promotional clothing, employees also become brand ambassadors, and every interaction with a customer becomes an opportunity to communicate a new image. Personalized clothing not only strengthens the team’s identification with the brand, but also builds the company’s visual coherence.

T-shirt with the company's logo on the photo shoot after the rebranding of the brand
Sweatshirts with the company's logo on the photo shoot after the rebranding of the brand
T-shirts and sweatshirts with brand logos work well as part of branding sessions after brand rebranding

Rebranding is also about making sure that customers not only notice the change, but also remember it. Sending personalized gifts with new branding – such as T-shirts with the company’s logo, candles with branding or other creative gadgets with the logo or a more complex design consistent with the brand – is an effective way to increase brand recognition and build positive associations with its new look.

How does corporate merch reinforce the new image in the minds of the team and customers?

Rebranding is not just a change of name or logo – it is a process that must be accepted and implemented by the entire team. Corporate clothing for employees has a key function here. New corporate clothing with logos helps the team feel part of the transformation, and thus identify more with the company and its new mission.

Among other things, we cared about this during the transformation from BluzUp to MerchUp(learn more about our rebranding).

Thanks to the fact that everyone on the team felt the need for this change, everyone was truly involved in the whole project, which from the very beginning had a positive impact on defining our company’s mission of creating communities and ambassadors for the brands for which we make merch.
Alex Paczek
Co-Founder, MerchUp

During the rebranding, MerchUp relied on a new name, a modern visual identity and personalized corporate apparel for the team, which we used, among other things, during the team’s branding session, so that after the change everyone would have new and beautiful photos in their email footers wearing our new apparel. This allowed every male and female employee to feel that they were part of the change!

Our new logo is more austere, in line with current design trends, with a hint of Scandinavian minimalism. It’s a change that fits perfectly with our team and our organizational culture.
Wiktor Rostkowski
Co-Founder, MerchUp

How to consolidate new branding among customers?

Customers like to receive personalized gifts, and in the context of rebranding, it’s a great way to effectively solidify the change. New logos, new color schemes and new corporate branding on promotional clothing or logoed gadgets make customers get used to the change faster.

In addition, the more people wear the company’s merch, the more memorable it is and the more it reinforces awareness of the company’s new identity!

Merch in a company’s photo shoot and events – why is it important?

Rebranding is not only changing the logo, but also the entire visual communication. It is worth ensuring that the new brand identity is clearly visible in promotional materials, on the website, emails and social media channels.

How to use corporate apparel in promoting new branding?

  1. A photo shoot with the team in new promotional apparel – a great way to showcase the change whether on social channels or other brand visuals.
  2. New photos for employee email footer – every email sent reinforces brand awareness if the logo is also visible aesthetically on the employee’s shirt in the photo.
  3. Publish photos on LinkedIn and other social media – showing the new corporate identity builds a professional image, especially if the profile photos of employees also smuggle the logo visible on them.

For MerchUp’s rebranding, the photo shoot was a key part of communicating the new image. Photos of the team in the new corporate apparel helped visually highlight the brand’s transformation and made it more authentic in the eyes of customers.

Sweatshirt and T-shirt with company logo, brand founders
Olek and Wiktor the founders of MerchUp (formerly BluzUp) in their brand’s new merchandise

Importantly, company merch is an important part of each of the company’s events, especially right after its rebranding. We’re talking about team integrations, internal events (such as those celebrating the holidays or the rebranding itself) or external industry events like trade shows.

T-shirts with company logo for employees during integration
For #teamMerchUp, corporate apparel is a permanent part of any company integration
Company merch during an industry event
T-shirts with logos or other items of corporate merchandise are also extremely useful at industry events

Rebranding is a process that requires a strategic approach. Company merch is one of the most effective tools that:

  • Helps employees feel part of the change,
  • Increases awareness of new branding among customers,
  • facilitates visual communication of the new brand,
  • Creates a consistent and professional image!

Whether a company is undergoing a full corporate rebranding or just refreshing its image, printed corporate apparel plays a significant role in building brand awareness. If your company is planning a rebranding, bet on professional corporate merch that not only reinforces the new visual identity, but also helps build a community around the brand!