Discover the best location-themed merch ideas for companies that are ready for customizing!
If you’ve been searching for custom merchandise ideas that are both unique and memorable, location merchandise might be just the thing you need to help your company stand out and delight your recipients. The best thing about these based ideas is that you don’t have to be a top travel destination to create incredibly cool custom merch. In addition, when it comes to matching your branding, you have a plethora of options to make your brand come to life.
5 Tips for Making Your Branded Merch Ideas Unforgettable
1. Determine how you will use unique merch ideas
Are you needing an item to giveaway at your next tech event? Or possibly you want to sell your city themed items in your gift shop, hotel lobby or gym. Knowing what you will use your items for will help you narrow down your options for items that make sense for your company.
2. Think about your audience
Just like anything else you invest in for your company, you will want to keep your target audience in mind. Consider their likes, dislikes and even the convenience of how they will get your location-themed items home.
3. Know your budget
Looking for a great deal? With so many options on the market, knowing your budget and who to partner with will help you find the best items for your money. Talk to your Gemnote rep. Not only will they give you a curated list of swag options that are ready for customization within your price range, they can even help you find ways to cut costs.
4. Keep your branding (and logo) top of mind
If you are looking for business merch ideas to help your recipient remember your company, you’ll want to keep your logo and brand identity looking its absolute best.
5. Choose sustainability
You’ll definitely want to give your recipient items that are every bit as fun as they are functional. From apparel and accessories to cool tech and home goods, your Gemnote rep can help you find amazing options by reputable brands.
29 Cool Custom Merch Ideas to Get Noticed!
Prepare to be inspired! We’ve pulled a curated collection of location and artist merch ideas to give you just a sampling of what your own personalized swag could look like. Factor in your location of choice, branding, and logo, and you’ve got cool merch ideas that go the distance!
1. Band Merchandise
When it comes to sustainability with endless options, apparel like tees, sweatshirts, socks and more always come out on top! For those on the lookout for band merch ideas for music festivals, concerts, giveaways and more, location themed graphic tees are a great way to make your business merch ideas live on!
2. Custom Designed Hoodie
Because branded hoodies are a staple in many people's wardrobes, they make excellent custom merch ideas that are easy to brand. For fall and winter merch ideas, choose styles that offer comfort and warmth, as well as your branding and style!
3. Personalized Giveaways
Looking for something small to offer your fans or visitors? Custom candy, treats, and even beverages also make for the best location-based swag. From giveaways at conferences, as part of your new hire swag kit, to selling in your online store or company gift shop, a tasty treat is always appreciated!
4. Cool Socks
Who can resist a great pair of quality socks? They’re the basic essential we all need, and with the right ones, they can have major staying power. Not just an inexpensive swag item, but you’ll have tons of options on styles and branding to bring your merch design ideas to life!
5. City Apparel Tee
Want to promote the best aspects of the city you’re in? This is great for targeted marketing. Whether you're based out of a specific region or hosting an event like a tradeshow, concert or other event, this allows your followers or visitors to purchase an item they can sport long after their visit is over.
This is also a fun way to highlight what your city is known best for! These graphic tees from Nashville, also known as Music City also make excellent band merch ideas.
6. Customized Pint Glasses
These city glasses are an excellent option for those wanting to display hometown pride or offer a memorable souvenir for their tourists. For the best merch ideas for companies, choose chip resistant styles that are dishwasher safe and can withstand daily use.
7. Custom Location Themed Headwear
Customized hats featuring local landmarks, symbols, or slogans can evoke a sense of pride and belonging among residents of the area. This an excellent choice for those looking to flex their marketing power while offering up a cool basic people love. Ball caps like this one are a popular option for summer merch ideas.
8. Event Based Graphic Tees
Have an event coming up? Let your recipients remember all the fun and excitement, learning and networking, and more with a quality graphic tee that shows off your event logo and city.
9. Personalized Location Based Sweatshirt
For cool merch ideas that are an upgrade from the standard tee shirt, a sweatshirt is perfect for customizing. When it comes to unique merch ideas, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to get a personalized look. Just let your design (and Gemnote) do the heavy lifting.
10. Custom City Souvenir Ideas
For more unique merch ideas, don’t forget about custom jewelry pieces. Whether you’re promoting a sports team, a city, state or other defining factor, jewelry, like this necklace and pendant shown below is an easy offering your recipient or shopper will love.
11. Custom Winter Event
Want to zone in on one of your city’s best winter activities? Why not show off what makes it so great? Whether it’s the festivities, quaint mountain town, the downhill skiing or the like, there’s a lot to love about a basic crewneck sweatshirt — including all the ample space you have for customization.
12. Simple Location Themed Swag
One of the best artist merch ideas is stickers thanks to their versatility! Your recipient will love using them to decorate drinkware, laptop cases, books, and the like. Best of all, they are inexpensive enough to offer as freebies, gifts, or sell in your store.
13. Location-Based Office Supplies
Stickers aren’t the only fun merch item ideas. With office supplies like magnets, enamel pins, custom pencil cups and the like, you definitely have options! Talk to your Gemnote for more ideas that suit your brand and your budget!
14. City Themed Notebooks
For merch you know your consumer will use long after they receive it, you can’t go wrong with paper goods, like notebooks! Not just for conferences, training, and employee swag stores, with the right design, notebooks can top your artist merch ideas list too.
15. Engraved Location Based Swag
Want to up the ante on your customization? You aren’t limited to screen printing, as this cool Zippo lighter proves. Talk to your Gemnote rep for ideas on engraving for all of your product and merch display ideas.
16. Custom Posters + Prints
Notebooks aren’t the only paper goods worth keeping. If you’re looking to show off your company and your location, a cool poster (with or without the frame) won’t go unnoticed! Posters also make excellent merch display ideas too!
17. Personalized Home Goods
Other sustainable merch item ideas that are sure to delight recipients from all over include location-themed home goods that they can use many times over. That’s one reason these custom cutting boards are such a hit!
18. Custom Destination Games
We talk a lot about sustainability and if it aligns with the spirit of your culture, you’re in the right place! So if you’re looking for sustainable gifts that also bring the fun, think puzzles! Talk to your Gemnote rep about company merch ideas centered around games that are customizable.
19. Inexpensive Location Themed Ideas
Want to add a little fun to your swag bag? Or, possibly you need a great giveaway that won’t throw your budget off track. Whatever your reason, customized matches can be the perfect destination themed giveaway.
20. Customized Throw Pillows
Whether you have a gift shop or just want to offer cool home goods to show off your city, you have plenty of options. Maybe you want to highlight the best of your town or go low key cool with coordinates, either way you have location company merch ideas that get noticed! Plus, with these fun pillows it works for your winter and summer merch ideas.
21. Customized Blanket
Ready to really bring your merch design ideas to life? A blanket isn’t just an affordable option, it’s got plenty of room —and options— for customizing so you can really bring the wow factor!
22. Customizable Basic Essentials
Custom printed tea towels and canvas pouches offer a blend of practicality, aesthetic appeal, and brand visibility, making them excellent choices for customized merchandise. Tea towels serve a functional purpose in the kitchen—so everyone can benefit them. Canvas pouches are another favorite and offer a convenient storage solution for both men and women. Best of all, both items are lightweight and small so for travelers, they can easily be packed in a carry on bag.
23. Custom reusable Totes
Totes aren’t just one size fits all! From leather straps to a plethora of sizes and fabrications, the options are practically endless. As for customized merchandise, they’re also the practical gift or product offering your recipient will appreciate! Not to mention, you get maximum visibility for your brand—and your city. And, as far as sustainability goes, they’re a reusable product that is appealing to your environmentally-conscious consumers.
24. Favorite Custom Coasters
Coasters are another ideal choice for companies wanting to offer products with practicality, visibility, and versatility. These small yet functional items serve as protective barriers against drink condensation, preventing damage to furniture while also showcasing custom designs, logos, or messages. Placed in homes, offices, or restaurants, customized coasters offer continuous brand exposure to users and their guests. Plus, with so many options to choose (and ways to customize, like the leather embossing as shown below) you can have fun with all of the design details.
25. Custom Candle
While custom scents and candles make excellent housewarming gifts and more, they’re also a favorite for companies wanting to invest in products they can use to market their company—and make unique merch ideas for small businesses.
So what makes a candle a great item? According to CleanLink, our sense of smell links to the emotional regions of the brain more directly than our other senses and helps evoke memories.
Need more unique merch ideas?
There’s a lot more where this came from! Whether you’re needing merch ideas for small business or something specific to promote your podcast or other idea, talk to your Gemnote rep today! They can help you get a curated collection within your budget while handling as many or as few of the details as you want! Find more inspiring brands and products in our Look Book!
