Initially, wearing branded merch seems like a pretty easy way to make a big impact at business events. After all, the more brand visibility, the better, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not always quite that straightforward.
The truth is that wearing company-branded clothing can both help and hurt your efforts at industry events, depending on where you are, who you’re meeting, and how you go about it. Let’s take a closer look.
Context-Dependent
There are a lot of events where branded merch can work very well. At trade shows and industry exhibitions, standing out loudly—but not too loudly—is often one of the trickiest things to get just right.
In those kinds of professional settings, a well-made jacket or t-shirt with your company’s name can provide you with a competitive advantage off the bat.
It makes it immediately obvious to other attendees what organization you represent, which can make it easier and quicker to initiate conversations.
It can also help to create a sense of togetherness if you’re attending the event as part of a team.
A consistent kind of branded aesthetic helps to make your team appear as more of a cohesive unit, especially in fast-paced environments where conversations need to be initiated as quickly as possible.
Branded Merch
At more formal events—think investment summits, legal conferences, or anything with a ‘business dress’ expectation—it’s a different story.
Wearing bold, branded merch at these types of events can make you look like you’ve missed the memo. Worse, it can give off the impression that you’re at the event just to sell your brand, not to connect with actual people.
In general, that's not the kind of first impression you want to make at these kinds of events. Subtlety often works better. If you really want to wear something branded, keep it low-key, like a small logo pin or tasteful embroidery on a smart jacket.
Quality Over Quantity
Even when it’s appropriate, you still need to get the merch right. Poor quality items, like flimsy polos or cheaply printed tees, will do more harm than good.
You want to present your business in the right way, in the right setting, and that means investing in high-quality branding material and an exhibition stand from a provider like Focal Exhibitions.
People do tend to notice details. If your branded clothing looks cheap or not well-made, it’ll reflect badly on your business, detracting from the overall efficacy of your event attendance.
So—Merch or no merch?
Clearly, there's no simple yes or no answer. It depends on the event, your goals of attendance, and how carefully you plan and execute your merch strategy.
If brand recognition more generally is the goal, and the setting’s casual enough, then branded merch can be a smart move.
On the other hand, if your main networking goal is to pursue professional relationships with senior executives, it’s generally better to be a little more subtle with your attire.
Ultimately, effective networking is all about initiating genuine conversations, not finding the perfect branded logo—that's another issue altogether.
Focus on what your goals are and how you'll meet them, and then take things from there.
