Brian P. from the band Tenth Planet asks:
Other than the staple merch item of shirts, what are some other really popular things people ask for at shows to purchase?
Mrchgrl says:
This is a great question and one that I get asked quite frequently! Obviously T-shirts are considered a merch "staple" but there is such a wide range of options when it comes to merch! One of the things people ask for often is actually something to carry their merch in (i.e. a bag) so Tote bags are definitely a cheap option that could garner a couple extra bucks of sales per customer which adds up pretty quickly. Tote bags can also be a pretty inexpensive thing to make and you have a lot of options as far as fabrics, printing styles and locations. You can opt to be eco-friendly or wallet-friendly!
Another item that gets requested a lot is patches. Primarily for bands that play to a teen demographic, these small pieces of fabric are not only super easy to make & print, but fully customizeable!
More oft-requested items include: hats, stickers, posters, toques, necklaces, bracelets or cuffs, baby onesies and buttons.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
New Layout?
I think this layout is a LOT less eye-boggling, but I'd love to hear your opinion!
Leave a comment!
xo mrchgrl
Leave a comment!
xo mrchgrl
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Twitter for BANDS made SIMPLE!
@iheathen (http://twitter.com/iheathen) just wrote a great article on his blog about twittering for bands. As you may already know, I use twitter quite frequently as a way to get my brand out there and communicate with new potential clients. I also use it to collect feedback about my business and the things I could/should be doing with it.
I would recommend that anybody interested in getting into the online game check out this article to learn how it's done effectively. Click here to check out the article!!!!
New Q&A's coming soon!!!
http://intrsctn.com/
I would recommend that anybody interested in getting into the online game check out this article to learn how it's done effectively. Click here to check out the article!!!!
New Q&A's coming soon!!!
http://intrsctn.com/
Question & Answer: Give Aways
Helmut K. from Dead But Dreaming (www.myspace.com/deadbutdreamingtheband) asks:
im really hype on promotiong...we have a cd for sale and also starting soon i wanna have promo cd samplers with 3 songs on them to give out for free at shows.
burned cds and given out at shows with the myspace and email address on them...for buzz factor.
what do you think?
Mrchgrl says:
Honestly, people never listen to cd's that are given to them for free. I'd say one out of 20 people you give them to might actually listen.
Your best bet? Do something different. Don't try and be like every other band out there, handing out samples and praying someone hears your stuff. The bands that are successful are the bands that let the fans and the success come to them, they dont need to seek it out because they are already great at what they do.
My advice is put on a wicked live show, write good songs that people will like and if you want to spend time/money/energy on giving something away, be unique.
A good option? USB Keys
have your band logo printed on the side, have your demos, publicity photos, bio, epk, award info, whatever uploaded onto them and ONLY Give them to industry people you want on your team. You can SELL them at your merch table if you have the album on them and the best part? They are reuseable!
More Info;
Giving away stuff to promote your band is a great way to gain new fans and get yourself out there! Helmut definitely has the right idea, it’s just the approach that could be different. Every band wanting a shot gives out demos, people accept them because it’s the polite thing to do, but don’t ever listen to them on most occasions.
Having free demos is a great idea, just don’t walk around giving them out. Have them available for free at your merch table and announce while you perform that you will be giving away a couple free songs to the first 20 or 50 people at the merch table. Not only will that get people over to your merch table which could equal more sales, but it also assures that only the people who WANT the demos will get them.
Other options for freebies to get peoples interest include but aren’t limited to: Lighters, Matches, Condoms, Bottled Water, Stickers, Magnets, Buttons, Pens, Lanyards, Toques and more! All of these things can be sold or given away for free because they aren’t super expensive to make.
im really hype on promotiong...we have a cd for sale and also starting soon i wanna have promo cd samplers with 3 songs on them to give out for free at shows.
burned cds and given out at shows with the myspace and email address on them...for buzz factor.
what do you think?
Mrchgrl says:
Honestly, people never listen to cd's that are given to them for free. I'd say one out of 20 people you give them to might actually listen.
Your best bet? Do something different. Don't try and be like every other band out there, handing out samples and praying someone hears your stuff. The bands that are successful are the bands that let the fans and the success come to them, they dont need to seek it out because they are already great at what they do.
My advice is put on a wicked live show, write good songs that people will like and if you want to spend time/money/energy on giving something away, be unique.
A good option? USB Keys
have your band logo printed on the side, have your demos, publicity photos, bio, epk, award info, whatever uploaded onto them and ONLY Give them to industry people you want on your team. You can SELL them at your merch table if you have the album on them and the best part? They are reuseable!
More Info;
Giving away stuff to promote your band is a great way to gain new fans and get yourself out there! Helmut definitely has the right idea, it’s just the approach that could be different. Every band wanting a shot gives out demos, people accept them because it’s the polite thing to do, but don’t ever listen to them on most occasions.
Having free demos is a great idea, just don’t walk around giving them out. Have them available for free at your merch table and announce while you perform that you will be giving away a couple free songs to the first 20 or 50 people at the merch table. Not only will that get people over to your merch table which could equal more sales, but it also assures that only the people who WANT the demos will get them.
Other options for freebies to get peoples interest include but aren’t limited to: Lighters, Matches, Condoms, Bottled Water, Stickers, Magnets, Buttons, Pens, Lanyards, Toques and more! All of these things can be sold or given away for free because they aren’t super expensive to make.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Excuses, Excuses!
Quite likely the most frequently used excuse I hear from bands and artists about why they aren’t getting [new] merch is that they don’t have the “funds” to get merch made. “We want to wait until we have more money until we get merch” is unfortunately one of the lamest excuses in the book. I don’t mean to be harsh about this and after all, it is my job to get you guys to understand what you don’t already, right?
Making a budget (and sticking to it) is quite likely the most important thing a band can do. It shouldn’t be difficult to raise the money necessary to get a run of merch going in more than two to four months. Every show that your band plays without merch should be considered a show that loses money. It’s a missed opportunity for your band, not just to make a bit of extra cash (which could go towards making more or better merch) but it’s a missed opportunity for advertising, for a connection with the people in your audience, and for business opportunities.
It is as easy as each band member putting $50/month into a bank account. After one month? Maybe $100, maybe $250... after two? $200 to $500... four? Potentially over a thousand bucks... that is more than enough to get a first run going. Use that first collective amount to get some GOOD t-shirts. Don’t get the cheapest tee’s you can find and don’t save money on printing, spend less, get less. Spend more, make more. Invest in quality t-shirts and quality printing.
In the meantime, while you’re building up your savings, research what kind of prints would work best for your band. Pay attention to what the kids are wearing at your shows. Utilize the things you see around you to your advantage! Be funny, be creative, ask questions and promote, promote, promote!!! Let your fans know there is new merch coming! Tell them it’s limited edition, you’re only doing 100 of these t-shirts and then NO MORE! What is going to be more enticing than a limited edition t-shirt from your favourite band? Offer to let them PRE-PAY for their t-shirts, that way you can make sure you get their sizes, and then put that money into your budget as well. Congratulations, your t-shirts aren’t even printed and you’ve already made a profit!
When your money is all saved up and your designs are ready to go, don’t start half-assing it, there! Hire a merch person to sell your merch, upsell everything and keep all of your profits! Divide all of your merch earnings, don’t pay out the band with that money, put it BACK into your piggy bank and use it to make MORE merch!
The second printing, instead of printing 100 t-shirts, do 250, or 500, or 1000 if you can afford it, it will be cheaper per unit costs because you are ordering more quantities! Do different types of merch, more items at different prices. Give your fans options but keep it consistent. Keep production going, keep selling and listen to what your fans have to say. Before you know it, you’ll be making enough money to pay for touring and take a bit home.
Congratulations, now you know how merchandising should work!
Making a budget (and sticking to it) is quite likely the most important thing a band can do. It shouldn’t be difficult to raise the money necessary to get a run of merch going in more than two to four months. Every show that your band plays without merch should be considered a show that loses money. It’s a missed opportunity for your band, not just to make a bit of extra cash (which could go towards making more or better merch) but it’s a missed opportunity for advertising, for a connection with the people in your audience, and for business opportunities.
It is as easy as each band member putting $50/month into a bank account. After one month? Maybe $100, maybe $250... after two? $200 to $500... four? Potentially over a thousand bucks... that is more than enough to get a first run going. Use that first collective amount to get some GOOD t-shirts. Don’t get the cheapest tee’s you can find and don’t save money on printing, spend less, get less. Spend more, make more. Invest in quality t-shirts and quality printing.
In the meantime, while you’re building up your savings, research what kind of prints would work best for your band. Pay attention to what the kids are wearing at your shows. Utilize the things you see around you to your advantage! Be funny, be creative, ask questions and promote, promote, promote!!! Let your fans know there is new merch coming! Tell them it’s limited edition, you’re only doing 100 of these t-shirts and then NO MORE! What is going to be more enticing than a limited edition t-shirt from your favourite band? Offer to let them PRE-PAY for their t-shirts, that way you can make sure you get their sizes, and then put that money into your budget as well. Congratulations, your t-shirts aren’t even printed and you’ve already made a profit!
When your money is all saved up and your designs are ready to go, don’t start half-assing it, there! Hire a merch person to sell your merch, upsell everything and keep all of your profits! Divide all of your merch earnings, don’t pay out the band with that money, put it BACK into your piggy bank and use it to make MORE merch!
The second printing, instead of printing 100 t-shirts, do 250, or 500, or 1000 if you can afford it, it will be cheaper per unit costs because you are ordering more quantities! Do different types of merch, more items at different prices. Give your fans options but keep it consistent. Keep production going, keep selling and listen to what your fans have to say. Before you know it, you’ll be making enough money to pay for touring and take a bit home.
Congratulations, now you know how merchandising should work!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
What does the Recession mean for Merch?
Sadly we are at the beginning of what seems to be a downfall in the economy, the dollar is low everywhere and people are losing their jobs left and right; nobody seems to have much disposable income to throw around these days, so does that mean bands will stop touring, concerts will halt production and nobody will go see shows anymore? No. So where does that leave us in the world of merchandising?
Despite a year of record lows for the rest of the world, the concert industry seems to be doing better than ever, as indicated by this article by the associated press. I strongly believe that people use music as an escape from their everyday lives and put so much value on their favourite bands/artists/tunes that what little money they have, they'd most often rather use to go see a concert than on some other frivolous items. And what people are failing to understand is that this isn't heading into a 30's era depression with kids wearing cloth diapers and people losing the clothes off their backs. People will obviously have less money to work with and need to budget appropriately, but their wont lose all of their worldly posessions or have to give up all of their luxuries.
Our job in the industry is to fulfill the needs of our customers, in this case, the concert audience, while still giving them options for supporting acts on the road. Cheaper tickets to shows, more affordable items to buy at the merch table, dropping prices back down to reasonable rates. (You can still make a fair profit on a $15 dollar t-shirt, there is no reason for it to be $35 and chances are you'll sell a lot more!)
I think the concert and merchandising industry will manage to make it through the recession, so long as we put our money where our mouths are and drop prices to rates that are affordable. This doesn't mean losing profit, it just means we need to re-assess the way we make/sell merch.
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