Most companies waste their entire merch budget not because they pick bad items. Because they add merch like it’s an afterthought. Something to throw in because “everyone does it.”
Here's the uncomfortable truth: 89% of branded items get thrown away within six months. Your custom pens, stress balls, and logo t-shirts aren't creating brand loyalty…they're creating brand pollution.
For years, I pushed stress balls, branded pens, and USB drives that nobody wanted. I told myself I was "building brands" while filling storage closets with forgotten tchotchkes.
