Blog categorized as Branded Merchandise

A new logo feels like progress and that’s the trap. It’s tangible. You can point to it on business cards. Show it to your staff. Put it on merch and call it a win. But a beautiful logo without a story is just decoration which is the problem most marketing pros won’t admit.

Navy hoodies. Gray t-shirts. Maybe a branded tote if the accelerator is feeling fancy. Walk into any startup event and you’ll see fifty founders wearing the exact same uniform, like they all raided the same closet at a tech conference.

The guy on the phone sounded friendly enough. “We need some cheap swag for a trade show next month. What’s your best price on tote bags?”

Anthropic's team handed out branded hats last week. Limited edition. Good quality. The response? Exactly what you'd hope for. Trending hashtags. Photos everywhere. Recipients talking about meeting fellow fans and Anthropic team members in person.