How an Experienced Merchandise Specialist Can Help You Choose the Right Promotional Products
With thousands of promotional products available, finding something with space for your logo is easy.
Choosing the right promotional product is much harder.
Should you invest in premium drinkware or choose something at a lower price point? Is branded apparel right for your audience? What will people genuinely use? How much should you spend? And how far ahead do you need to order?
These are the questions Stephanie Parsons, founder and owner of Corporate Merchandise Australia (CMA), has spent more than three decades helping Australian businesses answer.
For Steph, successful promotional merchandise does not begin with a catalogue. It begins with understanding what a business is trying to achieve.
Why Experience Matters When Choosing Promotional Merchandise
Promotional merchandise represents your organisation long after it leaves your hands.
Choose well and a product might sit on someone’s desk, travel to work with them, be used at the gym or become part of their everyday routine. Choose poorly and it may disappear into a drawer – or worse, into the bin.
That is why Steph believes the conversation should not begin with “Which product do you want?” It should begin with understanding the audience, objective, budget, quantity, timing, branding requirements and how the merchandise will actually be used.
Once those questions are answered, the thousands of possible promotional products become a much smaller and more useful shortlist.
Meet Stephanie Parsons, Founder of Corporate Merchandise Australia
Stephanie Parsons is the founder and owner of Corporate Merchandise Australia and has been working in promotional and corporate merchandise for more than three decades.
CMA’s story began through Steph’s family involvement in professional golf and corporate golf events, where she saw firsthand how businesses were using apparel and merchandise to extend their brands. CMA initially focused on golf apparel before expanding into a comprehensive corporate merchandise business serving organisations across Australia.
While the range of products has grown enormously, Steph’s approach remains highly personal. Rather than expecting clients to work everything out themselves, she gets to know the organisation, its audience and what it needs to accomplish before recommending suitable options.
What Does a Promotional Merchandise Specialist Actually Do?
A good merchandise specialist does much more than send you a catalogue. Their job is to help turn a marketing, event, employee or gifting objective into a practical merchandise solution.
That can include advising on product suitability, budget, quantities, branding methods, lead times, quality, presentation, personalisation and alternative options when the original idea is not practical.
This is where experience can save businesses considerable time. Instead of scrolling through hundreds or thousands of products, the client can start with the problem and allow an experienced specialist to narrow the options.
“I Don’t Know What Promotional Products I Want” – Is That a Problem?
Not at all. You do not need to know what product you want before speaking to CMA.
A much more useful starting point is to tell Steph who it is for, what you are trying to achieve, your approximate quantity, budget and deadline. From there, suitable merchandise options can be explored.
This is particularly useful for busy marketing managers, executive assistants, HR teams, event organisers and business owners who do not have hours to spend comparing promotional products.
What Makes a Good Promotional Product?
After decades working with promotional merchandise, one principle continues to influence Steph’s recommendations: choose something people will actually use.
A practical promotional product has the opportunity to generate repeated exposure for your brand. A reusable drink bottle may travel between home, work and the gym. A quality notebook might appear in meetings for months. A jacket or polo can be worn repeatedly. A useful technology accessory may stay on someone’s desk every day.
That does not mean every company should order the same products. The right item depends on the recipient, purpose, environment, budget and brand. That is precisely why the selection process matters.
Why the Cheapest Promotional Product Isn’t Always the Best Value
Price matters, but unit price should not be the only consideration.
Imagine choosing between an inexpensive item that is used once and a slightly more expensive item someone keeps for two years. Which provides better value?
A product that lasts and is regularly used can create many more opportunities for the brand to be seen. Quality also influences perception. A poorly made product bearing your logo can communicate something very different from the message your organisation intended.
The goal is not necessarily to spend more. It is to spend more intelligently.
What Types of Businesses Does Steph Help With Merchandise?
Promotional merchandise can support many different business objectives. Steph and CMA can help organisations planning merchandise for conferences and trade shows, employee onboarding, staff recognition, corporate and client gifts, customer loyalty and referral programs, schools and universities, healthcare organisations, sporting and community events, product launches, sales campaigns, branded apparel and uniforms, multi-location organisations and end-of-year gifting.
The product recommendation should change according to the situation. A conference delegate has different needs from a new employee receiving a welcome pack. A premium client gift should create a different impression from merchandise distributed to hundreds of people at a community event. Context matters.
Personal Service Still Matters
Promotional merchandise involves deadlines, artwork, colours, quantities, production and delivery. When something is needed for a particular event or launch, there is often little room for error.
That is another area where CMA’s clients repeatedly highlight Steph. Client feedback on the CMA website praises her product knowledge, product suggestions, responsiveness, attention to detail and fast turnaround.
Those comments point to something that is easy to overlook when comparing merchandise suppliers: you are not only buying the product. You are also relying on the people behind it to get the project right.
How Far Ahead Should You Order Promotional Merchandise?
As early as practical.
Lead times can vary considerably depending on the product, quantity, branding method, stock availability, personalisation and whether an item is being sourced locally or internationally.
Planning earlier generally gives you more product choice, more time to consider alternatives, greater flexibility around branding and less pressure around delivery. If you have a fixed event date, start with that date and work backwards.
If you are unsure whether there is enough time, ask. An experienced merchandise supplier can tell you what is realistic and recommend alternatives when necessary.
How Can Steph Help If You Have a Fixed Merchandise Budget?
Having a budget is helpful. You do not necessarily need to know how much each individual product should cost. Instead, tell Steph the approximate total budget, quantity and audience.
For example, “We have $3,000 for merchandise for 150 conference delegates” is a much more useful brief than “Can you send us some promotional product ideas?”
It gives Steph the information needed to recommend realistic options rather than presenting a huge list of products at different price points.
Can CMA Help With Sustainable Promotional Merchandise?
Yes. CMA offers merchandise options across reusable, recycled and other sustainability-focused product categories.
However, sustainability should still be considered alongside usefulness, durability, audience, budget and the intended life of the product. A product is not automatically a good choice simply because it carries an environmental claim.
The aim should be to choose something appropriate, useful and likely to remain in use, while considering the materials and sourcing attributes that matter to your organisation.
What’s the Best Way to Start a Promotional Merchandise Project?
You do not need a completed brief. You do not even need to have chosen a product.
Start with five things: who is it for, what are you trying to achieve, how many do you need, what is your approximate budget and when do you need it?
Then speak to someone who understands the options.
BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY 15-MINUTE MERCHANDISE STRATEGY CALL WITH STEPH
If you are planning promotional merchandise and do not know where to start, book a complimentary 15-minute Merchandise Strategy Call with Stephanie Parsons. Use the call to discuss your organisation, audience, project, approximate quantity, budget and timeframe. Steph can help you narrow the options, identify suitable product categories and determine the practical next steps. There is no obligation to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stephanie Parsons from Corporate Merchandise Australia?
Stephanie Parsons is the founder and owner of Corporate Merchandise Australia (CMA). She has worked in promotional and corporate merchandise for more than three decades and personally helps businesses select merchandise suited to their audience, objectives, budget and timeframe.
How do I choose the right promotional products for my business?
Start by identifying who will receive the product, what you want it to achieve, your quantity, budget and required delivery date. A merchandise specialist can then narrow the available options based on practicality, quality, branding and suitability.
Can CMA recommend promotional products if I don’t know what I want?
Yes. You do not need to choose a product before contacting CMA. Explain your audience, objective, approximate quantity, budget and deadline, and Steph can help identify suitable options.
What promotional products do people actually use?
Useful products such as quality drinkware, bags, notebooks, technology accessories and apparel can work well because they fit naturally into everyday life. The best choice, however, depends on the audience and situation.
Why work with an experienced promotional merchandise supplier?
An experienced supplier can help with product selection, quality, branding methods, quantities, budget, lead times and delivery. This can reduce the time spent searching products and help avoid unsuitable choices or ordering mistakes.
Does Corporate Merchandise Australia work with businesses across Australia?
Yes. CMA is based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and provides corporate merchandise services to clients across Australia.
How quickly does Corporate Merchandise Australia respond to enquiries?
CMA aims to respond to enquiries within 24 hours.
Can I speak directly with Steph about my merchandise project?
Yes. The recommended next step is to book a complimentary 15-minute Merchandise Strategy Call with Steph to discuss your project, audience, budget, quantity and timeframe.
