Reading, writing, arithmetic and … merchandise? Why, yes! Merchandise can be a great way to generate additional income for your school, whether you work with a primary school or at a university. Many schools sell merchandise on-site at gift shops; others sell these items online via digital stores or school websites. Either way, customised items like badges or pins are a great way to generate a little additional revenue for your school and build a sense of community and pride at the same time. This post will look at some of the different types of items that schools can create as well as some creative ideas on how to best position these products for sale.
Lapel Pin Badges: The Perfect Graduation Keepsake
Graduation ceremonies will be here before you know it. Does your school sell merchandise to commemorate this special event? If not, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to drive revenue through thoughtful keepsake items. Consider ordering lapel pin badges that feature your school crest. These make perfect gifts for both students and their proud parents. We suggest high-quality badges, as these gifts are lifelong keepsakes. Try sandblasted or precious metal badges which offer stunning textural effects and can be plated in polished gilt or nickel.
Custom-Made Cufflinks
Many people think of customised cufflinks as a formal, corporate gift. But did you know that these high-quality, wearable products are also a great revenue option for schools? Custom cufflinks are perfectly positioned as graduation or seasonal gifts that can be purchased by students and given to their parents or favourite teachers. Cufflinks can be customised with the graduation year or even with a small school crest for more year-round sales.
Woven Badges to Spruce up Uniforms
Customised woven badges are the perfect embellishment for school uniforms. These badges can be sold at your school as a way for students to add some personal flair and style to their uniform or backpack; typically, they’re sewn or ironed onto textiles. Woven badges can also be designed, positioned and sold to school clubs and sports groups. Consider creating special themed woven badges that can be purchased by students who are proud to take on leadership responsibilities or who are passionate about their extracurricular activities.
Collectable Button Sets
Button badges are one of the most iconic promotional items available and can be a cost-effective and fun way to design something special for your school. Create entire button badge sets with the school’s identity for purchase by students and parents alike to demonstrate their school pride. These could be designed in various colours or themes such as commencement ceremonies, matriculation or sporting events.
Make a Contest Out of It
One creative idea that might really inspire school spirit is to host a competition among students to create the design that will go on your customised merchandise. Ask for submissions from a classroom or an entire school, and vote on a favourite or top three. You could pick a theme or topic for the competition or leave it entirely up to your creative students. The winning designs can then be incorporated into truly one-of-a-kind items for sale, year after year.
Because your goal is to sell these items to generate revenue for your school or university, be sure to think about how you will package and display them. With most items, you can add custom backing cards or presentation boxes for a little touch of luxury as well as more space for additional content about your school.
This year, consider adding creative merchandise to your school syllabus, and generate a little school spirit and revenue in the process! Please get in touch with our experts today to talk about your ideas. We can help you put together the perfect customised items and offer suggestions on how to position and sell these items at your school or university. Sounds like an A+ to us!
