How Companies Are Standardizing Employee Merchandise Globally

 

As companies grow into different countries and across continents, it’s more important than ever to deliver a consistent brand experience. When people think of branding, they often think of marketing campaigns, websites and office design. 

But employee merchandise has quietly become another important piece in the puzzle of brand consistency. And more companies now want to offer their employees the same quality branded products in New York, Singapore, London and Bangalore.

Global organisations are moving away from siloed merchandise buying where each office buys products individually. Instead, they’re implementing standardised merchandise programs to ensure that employees receive the same products, quality and branding regardless of location. It improves the brand of the company, simplifies the buying process and creates cost efficiencies and employee experience across the board.

Creating a consistent brand identity

Many companies’ employee merchandise is the first physical manifestation of their brand. Welcome kits, apparel, office accessories, notebooks, backpacks and drinkware all help to shape the employee’s perception of the organization.

“When each office orders their own merchandise, you can have inconsistent branding. The logos may be different colours or different sizes, the packaging may be different, the product quality may vary a lot from place to place. Such inconsistencies lead to inconsistent employee experiences and dilute brand perception.

Products are standardised globally with companies providing clear brand guidelines for product selection, logo placement, colours, materials and packaging. All employees receive merchandise with a common look and feel, and quality, promoting a cohesive company culture.

We deliver the employee experience you can count on.

Today’s employees are more connected than ever. Employees work internationally, travel between offices, attend international conferences and attend virtual meetings. Standardised goods make you feel that you belong somewhere, anywhere.

Ideally a new hire to the company in Germany should be given a welcome kit that gives them the same experience as a colleague in India or Australia. Some regional changes may be necessary for language or local compliance but overall quality and presentation are unchanged.

This consistency helps in improving the employer branding by showing the employees that wherever they are the organisation treats all the employees equally.

Simplify purchasing in all territories

One of the main reasons companies standardise merchandise is to make procurement easier. In the absence of centralised processes, regional offices often spend a lot of time searching for vendors, comparing products, negotiating prices and managing quality themselves.

A standard merchandise program would set out approved catalogues of products and preferred suppliers for the regional teams to use. Procurement teams gain better insight into spend and less admin burden.

Centralised sourcing also cuts out duplication, allowing procurement teams to concentrate on strategic purchasing rather than simply processing lots of small merchandise orders.

Scale efficiency for cost optimisation

Standardisation = big buying advantages. By buying merchandise in bulk, organisations can negotiate better prices with suppliers and reduce production costs.

Companies can aggregate demand across multiple sites as opposed to each regional office placing its own small order. The more you make, the cheaper it is. Better efficiency in manufacturing, more consistent quality.

Companies also cut out costs associated with duplicated design effort, supplier onboarding and product approvals, driving long-term savings without sacrificing quality.

Delivering Quality Product Around The World

Corporate swag is expected to be as good as the consumer products employees use every day. Usually the employer is judged by the poor quality of his goods, which in many cases cannot be sold.

Global standards can allow organisations to specify minimum quality requirements by product category. Same approved specs. Same durability. Same materials and functionality. In apparel, bags, drinkware, electronics or office accessories.

Many organisations routinely assess their suppliers, and carry out quality audits to ensure products meet set standards before they are delivered to employees around the world.

Global Consistency, Local Relevance

Standardisation does not mean that all offices have the same products whatever the needs of the locality. Successful global programs are flexible to the region, but consistent to the overall brand.

The products are useful according to climate and cultural tastes and work habits. For example, workers in colder climates might want quality jackets or hoodies while crews in tropical climates might prefer light weight apparel or insulated water bottles. Country specific plug types or certifications may also be required for electrical accessories.

The most successful programs have a core of merchandise that is consistent throughout the world, but allow local teams to choose from approved options that make sense locally.

Sustainability Goals Support

Multinational companies are highly ambitious in environmental, social and governance (ESG). Standardised merchandise programmes are designed to ensure that buying decisions reflect these commitments.

They can demand that their suppliers are meeting some sustainability standards like recycled materials, ethically sourced fabrics, environmentally friendly packaging and responsible manufacturing practices.

With centralised procurement, it is easier for companies to monitor supplier compliance and apply sustainability standards across all regions, rather than on an office-by-office basis.

Sustainability is a key component of branding and engagement, as employees also like merchandise that reflects the company’s commitment to responsible business practices.

Global Merchandising Management Services Technology

Technology has transformed how companies manage employee merchandise. Many organisations have a centralised merchandise platform where employees anywhere can order approved products directly.

These platforms help to keep your brand consistent by providing pre-approved product catalogues, artwork and customisation options, and automatically routing orders to regional production or fulfilment partners. Lower freight costs, delivery time and inventory management.

For example, welcome kits to new hires, milestone rewards or event merchandise can be automatically triggered for employees based on their status. Some companies also connect merchandise platforms to HR systems.

Creating better employer brands worldwide

Branded merchandise is a brilliant tool for employer branding. A quality welcome kit will make a good first impression with new hires and premium apparel and accessories will encourage employees to wear the company brand proudly on and off the clock.

Consistent merchandise also benefits company events, leadership programs, conferences, volunteer efforts and employee recognition campaigns. For the employees, the quality and professionalism of the experience is identical, no matter where these activities are performed.

Providing employees worldwide with thoughtfully curated merchandise that embodies the organization’s values can also boost employees’ affinity to the brand and foster a shared corporate culture.

Global Employee Merchandise Market Outlook

As companies go global and adopt hybrid work models, standardised employee merchandise will become an even more important part of the employee experience. Merchandise is being viewed by companies as a strategic investment in culture, branding and engagement, rather than as a promotional expense.

The future is in programs that marry global consistency and local flexibility, supported by technology, sustainable sourcing and high quality design. For organisations that are able to standardise their merchandise successfully, it simplifies procurement, reduces costs, strengthens employer branding and creates a consistent experience for employees in every office.

In today’s hyper-connected world, employee merchandise is more than a branded item. It’s a physical manifestation of what a company stands for, its values and its commitment to its people. Standardised merchandise across the world means that organisations can ensure all employees wherever they are based feel the same connection to the brand and the culture it represents.