Denimrush Experience

0:00Aparna Avasarala:Welcome to the Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. This is the podcast to discover stories behind your new favorite CPG brands. Each episode brings you behind the scenes of the brand and founder story, learn what sets them apart in the marketplace, and their strategy going to market. We talk about plans for growth, practical advice for an emerging brand founder, and where to shop products that are making waves in food, beverage, wellness, beauty, and beyond. You'll also hear from industry experts, brand builders, investors, and operators you should absolutely have on your radar if you're building a CPG brand today.

0:44Aparna Avasarala:I'm your host, Kelly Bennett, a Brooklyn-based brand strategist with a front row seat of what makes an emerging CPG brand stand out. Whether you're building a brand of your own or love supporting what's next, you're in the right place. This podcast is brought to you by Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations. They are connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to generate shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in markets that matter the most. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details and let them know I sent you.

1:29Aparna Avasarala:Now, let's dive into the new episode. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to a new episode of Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. Today, I'm talking to Aparna. She is the founder and CEO of Denim Rush Experience. We are going to talk all about merch, CPG brands doing it right. This is such an important conversation. And I was so excited to have this on the podcast because so many emerging brand founders are thinking about merch, but there's definitely strategy around it. So AP, I'm so happy to have you on the podcast today. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to dive in. Merch is like all I breathe now.

2:16Aparna Avasarala:Okay, perfect. Perfect. So to kick things off, can you tell people what is Denim Rush? Yeah. So we are, I like to say like we are anything tangible. We make anything tangible in the marketing and PR world. So we are not digital marketing. We are tangible marketing. And what I mean by that is it goes anything from merch to DWPs to event collateral to PR mailers all the way to on-site customization experiences. So basically three main channels, one being merch. Merch is such a broad term. Yes. And then you have PR mailers, which is like, you know, the rat race right now between all programs. And then you have on-site customization, which really is us bringing our studio on-site.

3:14And what that does is how do you experience merch IRL? So it's like three different tiers, but they all kind of fall under the envelope of tangible things you can feel, touch, that make a visceral reaction towards your brand.

3:30Aparna Avasarala:I love everything you just said. And before we hit record, I was saying that I worked in promotional marketing. And this was a long time ago when I started out my career, say, over 15 years ago. And the way that brands thought about merch, I mean, it was pens. It was like stress balls. It was mouse pads for a computer. It was so basic and boring to cut to today where it's truly a strategy to get attention and eyeballs and make people feel something when they are touching something tangible that is connected with your product. So I would love to hear your lens of how you help brands find what merch works for them.

4:24Aparna Avasarala:Because you see cute hats and cute tote bags, which I'm all about. But I would love to just hear more so your strategy around bringing in tangible products for a brand. So I think the first thing we do is ask the question, why? And I think that's like the most important question that people seem to forget. And it's why are we making this? Because if you – the promotional product industry is like 8 billion or like 80 billion. It's like huge. It's a huge industry. And I will guarantee – I mean this is not like real facts. But I will guarantee that like at least 50 % of that gets thrown away. And how many times do we make a t-shirt that a brand makes that's like your grass cutting t-shirt or your sleeping t-shirt?

5:15And then is it really serving the purpose of reminding people of your brand at a time that they need to be reminded of your brand, right?

5:23Aparna Avasarala:That's a great point. Yes. Because that's what winds up happening. And it's like – and then, you know, it's like everyone wants to make merch and then you fall into this situation of, oh, my God, I'm just like Googling stuff or like I'm going on foreign print or like custom ink. And I'm just like seeing what's there and I'm making it because everyone's making it and so like I'm going to make it. And then you spend like$10 ,000 on merch and no one wants it. And now all of a sudden you're like we don't do merch anymore because it doesn't work. No, it works. You just – there was no need for you to spend this much money on something.

6:03That was in percent.

6:05Aparna Avasarala:So how do you help brands find that match, so to speak, of – For sure. Okay. They get it. They know that they want to do it right. I would love to hear how you walk brands through to finding that correct way of bringing those tangible pieces. Definitely. So the first thing we do is, again, it's the why. What is it? Is this evergreen merchandise? Is it a campaign-specific merchandise? Is it an event merchandise? Is it a GWP? Like, what is the purpose of the product that's being made? And then second of all, it's like, why are you giving this product? Like, what do you want them to do with it? Right.

6:45Like, I think the best case example is the Rode, like, phone case. It's so simple. it's so like it's just an item but like if you think about it it's like we're always losing your lip gloss so like how do you create that supporting item that supports your main business and that's what merch is merch is not just a t-shirt or a hat or like shorts or just like whatever standard item you think to me and to our team merch really means what is that product that supports your main goals and supports your main campaign or supports your main product or supports your main like is it just brand awareness like do you just have to do something really crazy for the purpose of brand awareness and like because you're kick-starting and you want something to go viral right so I think it's like finding that purpose and then finding then we talk to them and we're like all right well we've now narrowed down like your why or like why do you exist what's the purpose why are we doing this and then we go into like all right What's your budget?

7:45Because at the end of the day, if your budget's not that high, you shouldn't, you should be thinking, am I, if I'm sending this to someone, if it's influencer merchandise, like don't make something that they're going to throw away. Like it's just, you don't have money. Right. Like even if you do have money, you shouldn't do that. But like it, brands do that. So it's a matter of just like, where is it going? What is your budget? Right. What's your timeline? Because are we going domestic? Are we going overseas? Like, Like what's our strategy here? And then like what is it that at the end of the day that we make is going to like really thread the needle for you and the purpose of it, right?

8:25So like those are the main high-level points that we hit. Because if your budget's low, we have to go overseas. But then your time, you got to have time for it. And then it's the triangle, right? Right, always. You have points of the triangle. So it's like understanding your goals. Like what are your number one goals? Is your goals like we just have to have something and it has to be on this date? Okay, we got to figure out what are our available options. But if we're working with you from the beginning and we can see into your entire calendar year, maybe there's cost savings that we can help you with.

9:01We'd be like, hey, if we pair this with this, our unit cost is actually going to be better because we're ordering more. So we kind of just help you navigate that because it winds up falling on the lap of the marketing manager and the marketing manager has a million other things to do and everyone has amazing ideas for merch and then it's like who's doing it right who's doing it who's making this who is like dealing with the factories who is like rejecting stuff because from what you see on the screen to what gets made in real life is just so different and I think like setting those expectations and like who knows how to do that and that's why we wind up with bad merch because there's not someone like QC-ing this entire process.

9:44And we want to take that headache and make it easier for brands to make merch because that's all we do. Right. So there's certain things that we can catch where we could be like, I don't know if that's going to look that – like we can be like, that's not going to look good. Like I wouldn't even make it if you were going to do that, you know. And I think it's like having those important conversations with the brands and like just trying to guide them as best as possible.

10:09Aparna Avasarala:Which totally makes sense because when you're building a brand, in my opinion, even if you're just starting out, finding the best people who are experts at a certain niche, I think that's one of the biggest game changers in business at all. So I love how you have really honed in on merch and making that easier to check off the list but doing it correctly. Yeah. For you, when you are working with maybe or someone who's just starting out and they're really early on and they are wanting to bring merch on, what are some things that you would advise them or maybe some things that are lower lifts or something to like test to see if merch works for their brand?

10:58Aparna Avasarala:I would love to hear your advice on that perspective of it. I truly think if you're a young brand, you don't have enough data to know what your customers want. Right. And that goes from your product. If you already don't know from your product, you're not going to know from a rich perspective. So I truly suggest doing smaller events and just giving away like totes or hats or something that's like smaller lift, lower lift. Is it a keychain or like something that just makes sense with your product? Obviously design is what makes it so much better and like right elevated and you think through the process but it's like don't go make 500 of something when you don't even know if your customer wants that because you're so young and then you waste all this money on stuff that you don't need right you know it's like because that's what happens with young brands are just so excited and that's amazing and like you should be so excited and it's like I think you forget that like no one knows who you are so But like it unless you're like solving a dire need that no one else has solved before, it's such a challenge.

12:03And like you just need to see what else what are other people doing the CPG space? Like what are other brands doing? Why is it work for them? Why does it not work for them? Like you just have to think through it. Don't order 500 units or something.

12:16Aparna Avasarala:That's a really good piece of advice. I would also ask when you think for an emerging brand in particular, when do you think merch makes sense? Is it before they launch? I have my feelings on this, but is it before they launch, at launch, building brand awareness, when they hit a new retailer? I would just love to hear your perspective around when merch is started to be introduced into the brand. I would not launch merch unless you're in the brand awareness phase and you already have a product and your product's been out because now you're deteriorating from your product. Like you're taking away from – you're already trying to sell one thing that no one knows about.

12:58Right. You throw merch there and then like that's a challenge. But I will also challenge what I'm saying because if you think of a brand like Away – again, this was like back in the day. It was totally different. Their main product was not ready and they needed to launch with something. and they launched with this beautiful coffee table book. I consider that to be a merch item that really drove brand awareness. So it's, again, a strategy thing. If you're going to just do – if you're going to do a hat, that hat better be, like, so not boring that, like, someone is going to be like, what is this hat?

13:36And they're just, like, very confused by it, but they're also perplexed and, like, that's why they want to, like, know what it is. that is a way to drive brand awareness pre-product. But like once you've launched that product, all your efforts should be going into at least getting the product into people's hands. And then I would do merch if you're doing PR mailers, if you're gifting the product, what is the additional item that they could use along with the product? So it's like one of those like, what are you doing? What is your product and why are we doing it? It's like, it really just boils back down to that.

14:05Aparna Avasarala:Thank you for saying that. That's, I very much resonate with you on this because as a brand strategist for emerging brands, I know that so many founders get so excited and they want to start doing merch before they even have a product. And I think it's okay for like founders or like friends and family. But beyond that, staying focused on the actual product. Then when you're getting ready to launch, maybe have a special like first hundred people who order or something along those lines. but don't get caught up in the merch of a brand that no one knows about before you even have a product on stuff so thank you for saying that I was hoping that we would be aligned on that but also always open to feedback and you are the expert here but I think that's a really reassuring of what I normally tell people um getting their product in people's hands number one and number two how do you keep that top of mind how do you keep that memorable I think also your note of what other products can you use that enhance maybe the experience of the product itself what came to mind when you were saying that was Ghia sent a mailer and I got a really pretty bottle opener it was when their glass bottles launched and it was a really beautiful really cool it was actually a little funky um and I still use it and it keeps Ghia top of mind I think it's just a really clever bottle opener it has like some fun design yeah like I thought okay that's a really clever way to do merch exactly like if you're a brand a supplement brand and you need someone needs to take something the night before the morning of why like you should be making like a really cool alarm clock or something that sits on the bedside table to remind them, oh shit, I have to do this.

16:08Right. Oh my God, I'm thinking of this brand now. Like that's what we need to like, you know, really push brands to do from the very beginning. And like, just be smart and use it as a tool. Don't put your logo on. No one cares. Like,

16:23Aparna Avasarala:I don't really know how else to like be more blunt than this is like, no one really cares unless you have like an amazing saying that's just hilarious and has nothing. It has a different of meaning. Like it works with your brand, but it also works without your brand. And that really helps in the beginning because that is how people would be like, oh my God, that hat's so cute. Like I'm just referring back to a hat. Obviously that's not like, it's just easy during conversation to say. But like, you know, like, oh, oh, oh, we're like, whatever the case may be, it's like, how are they wearing this beyond, oh, I'm just supporting your brand.

16:58Because that is why people keep merch?

17:02Aparna Avasarala:I think also a good example is Outdoor Voices, their totes. That became like a really iconic tote that they were doing with community activations and you had to show up to get certain products. And I think that's also another really smart strategy around merch so that people can identify who else was in that community. And I've noticed people bringing that tote back out with the uh news of ty buying it back which is kind of fun too of people being like oh no i really do love this brand still and bringing it back from the archive of different merch they've had but i feel like that's a really unique piece of merch that it could build community it could build loyalty it keeps you top of mind i always think about new york city i mean if you have a good tote you get so much free brand awareness just people riding the subway with your tote yeah it truly is yeah and now you got charms added on on top of that you got like you know there's just so much like accessories like the coolest thing about merch is you can follow a trend but the coolest thing about merch is also you can be evergreen and be a collectible so really that's a good point So broad, you know, and it's not like you have to, you don't have to order 10 ,000 units of this version.

18:27You can order 100, you know. Or maybe if your MOQ is high, it's 500. Okay, that's still like if it's a small item and you're spending a dollar or two dollars or three dollars, but it's such a valuable three dollars, like that's$800. So you can, like as a small brand, that's more affordable than spending$800 and ordering like 50 t-shirts that like, what is happening with that?

18:51Aparna Avasarala:you know exactly exactly so when a brand is really starting out they're conscious of where they're spending they are bootstrapping to get started what are some ways that you can get them on their merch journey so to speak or ways that if they're just googling right now tote bags hats other like easy get you started in merch type of items do you help them in that place also and then help them build up exactly like we'll help brands and we'll just sort of be like okay what what is it that we're doing what are we doing it for what are we doing and like if you can only order 50 items I'm only going to show you options that in which you can order up to 50 like do you know what I mean like I'm like is it the toe is it the hat like are you just making merch to gift investors are you like what is the purpose and I think it is obviously a low lift for us.

19:49But if we, part of us is like, we're also seeing like, is this brand cool? And like, do we really love what they're doing and what they're sharing? And like, we're, we want to grow with them, you know? Right. And so that's something that's been, like, we want to build a partnership. And that's what we say with all of our clients is like, we want to build a partnership. Like, you don't have to have a zone retainer. There's no retainer fees or anything of that nature, but like just think of us so that we can help you create what you actually want to create and like not waste money.

20:23Aparna Avasarala:Yes. I love that part of not wasting money. I, that's like one of my biggest pet peeves is founders doing too many things at the same time really early on. And then you have zero dollars of when you actually have to promote the launch of the product or bringing in the right experts at the right time. And I'm really big on that. So I'm so glad that you're saying all this because it very much resonates with the conversation overall that we've been having on the podcast. For someone, like I said, I'm picturing clients right now. I just got off a call with a client that we were talking about merch for one of their product, not products, for their event coming up.

21:09Aparna Avasarala:How can people start working with you or seeing what's available, seeing their options? Okay. You can email me. I loop in the rest of the team. Either email me at aparna at denimrush.com. You can email Emily who works on our team as well. Emily at denimrush.com. Just be like, hi, I am so-and-so. I need merch for this specific reason because if you don't have a reason, that's part of the problem. Right. I need merch for this reason. then can we hop on a call to discuss what's possible? Got it. I'm writing this down. I'm going to send you an email because I really do. I'm thinking of this client.

21:48Love it. Well, we're here.

21:49Aparna Avasarala:Yeah, and I was thinking about it too. And I was like, oh, this is perfect timing. I'm having her on the podcast because as a brand strategist, I come up with the vision of the brand and how it works. And I put the ideas on the board, but I can't get too in the trenches of the execution, right? Because I have to stay in that vision of the brand. So I love finding people like yourself who are experts in these niches that you could say, here's what I need. What can you do? And you give back the answers and then you don't have that decision fatigue because you have someone doing that filtering for you.

22:30And I would say to any founder listening

22:34Aparna Avasarala:or soon to be founder, the sooner you get in the habit of finding the experts, it's going to make your life so much easier. And it's something that I'm just doing in my business after 15 years. I'm like, wait, you're taking your own advice. I'm really taking my own advice right now. I'm like in my outsourcing era right now. Like who is the expert? Who can I talk to? Because it's just not worth your time and energy, right? And it's always that balancing act. But I would say this is one of those things that it's worth sending that email to see what the options are. And just doing that, getting that off your plate and letting someone who's an expert in this figure it out for you.

23:18Aparna Avasarala:It's such a huge part of a strategy. I don't think we've talked enough about. So I'm so glad that the timing all of this happened today. Me too. Me too. I'm excited to like, I mean, we've been screaming this. We're like, don't make boring merch. Like, just don't make boring. Just don't make it. Just don't make it. And so like. And for a merch company to be saying that says something of that you really believe in strategy behind it and doing it intentionally. And I think that speaks volumes to who you are and what you stand by. and that's a really refreshing conversation and point of view so thank you so much for sharing that of course and you'll always have merch that just requires your logo but it has a case by case basis like if you're hosting a master class like you probably want to do pens and pencils with your logo on it because it makes sense for photos and videos like that is good but then unless you're making something crazy high quality like maybe people don't need it and want it.

24:21Like if you just, they're not going to buy it, if that makes any sense. Like think about that.

24:25Aparna Avasarala:That's a good filter. Is it merch that you're selling or is it merch that you're giving away? Because there's a huge difference. Yes, that is a huge difference. Thank you so much for nerding out with me about merch. It's really something I'm passionate about. Yeah. And I'm just really glad that you came on. I love bringing on, again, experts in different niches that a founder is going to have on their periphery of, okay, this is important, but who do I talk to? How do I think about this? So everything you shared today is super helpful. And just thank you again for coming on and sharing. Oh, of course.

25:04Thank you so much. This has been awesome. Nerding out is the best about merch.