March 26, 2020
Merch Fundraisers a Lifeline for Businesses
Amid the economic carnage of COVID-19, promo products firms are organizing merch-driven fundraisers to help struggling businesses and people in their communities.
Mass shutdowns and social distancing tied to the coronavirus are crippling the American economy.
Still, promotional products distributors and apparel decorators are fighting back to help struggling small businesses in their locales. And they’re doing it the best way they know how: with branded merchandise.
ScreenBroidery created this shirt to support Indianapolis area businesses and people.
Indianapolis, IN-based ScreenBroidery (asi/305623) is among the promo firms doing its bit. The distributorship, which has extensive in-house decorating capabilities, is helping hurting businesses and area residents in need through its #DoYourPart campaign.
It involves ScreenBroidery selling three T-shirts, which the firm designed and prints (check out the collection here). All the proceeds go to buying gift cards from local businesses. CEO Tom Rector and his team are then sending the gifts to organizations like the United Way, which can disperse the cards to people in need of food, clothing and other essential items.
Another shirt from the ScreenBroidery #DoYourPart campaign.
“ScreenBroidery wants to make sure that when this storm is weathered, we are able to open up our Google Maps and that the places we all love and support will still be there,” the company says on its website. “By making a purchase, you are doing more than buying a cool shirt. (You) are saving someone’s business and giving hope to someone in need.”
Elsewhere, Denver, CO-based AMB3R (asi/590243) has launched a fundraiser that donates 100% of the proceeds to beneficiaries in the Colorado food and beverage industry.
I know merch & I know how much of an extra revenue stream it can become if done right. Since many venues don't give merchandise adequate focus, I decided to do our own t-shirt fundraiser to show people, not just tell them.
— Jeremy Picker (@JWPicker) March 24, 2020
100% of the profits will go to our beneficiaries. pic.twitter.com/bWm80unskr
AMB3R CEO/co-founder Jeremy Picker told Counselor that one of AMB3R’s brands, Pub & Grub Creative, delivers merch services to more than 80 bars, restaurants and breweries in Colorado. Economic shockwaves from COVID-19 has ravaged those clients’ businesses. “So many of our friends got laid off overnight and so many venues shut down that we were a little in shock,” says Picker.
But rather than simply sympathize, the AMB3R crew flew into action to help. “My whole team and I worked all last weekend [March 21 to 22] to create a few designs, set up a web store, produce a best practices document, and launch on social media,” says Picker. “Everything seems so urgent and we felt that urgency to support our community.”
The merch collection, which can be viewed here, centers on fashion-forward T-shirts. Messaging includes “Do Good. Eat Local.,” “Do Good. Drink Local.,” “Spread Love, Not Germs” and more.
AMB3R created these tees and others to support Colorado food and drink businesses.
AMB3R’s beneficiaries include the Colorado Restaurant Association and Food Bank of the Rockies. Picker told Counselor that AMB3R is open to supporting more beneficiaries. “We are also waiving all fees to set up a webstore on our marketplace, whether it is for a client or not,” Picker told Counselor. “I believe merch is a lifeline during this time and one of my goals is to encourage all venues to start selling merch.”
Across the United States, promo companies are undertaking similar charity-fueled initiatives. In Knoxville, TN, for instance, Riot Printing Co. was raising money to help support employees of local bars and restaurants. Riot has been printing and selling $20 T-shirts that say, “I Support Knoxville Service Industry.” Proceeds were being donated to the Knoxville Services Industry Relief Fund.
In South Dakota, Yankton-based Embroidery & Screen Works was on the brink of closing its own doors when CEO Andy Holst got an idea for how he could keep some revenue coming in and help other local businesses, according to Keloland Media Group.
Embroidery & Screen Works was about to close their doors, leaving several of their employees without a job. That is, until they found a unique way to help keep themselves and others covered. @KELOMaxH has the story on KELOLAND This Morning. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/2JWU16FlQh
— KELOLAND News (@keloland) March 25, 2020
The initiative centers on making T-shirts that represent local businesses and nonprofits, and then selling them in the company’s online store. Half of the proceeds from each $20 shirt benefits the business or nonprofit featured on the tee, Keloland reported.
Similarly, Champaign, IL-based Weiskamp Screen Printing, which has been in business since 1982, has been printing limited-edition T-shirts that feature the logos of local businesses. Each shirt costs $20. Of that, $7 goes to the establishment represented on the shirt, $4 goes to Weiskamp employees, and the remainder goes to production and shipping costs, the company says.
The list of promo companies using their branding powers to step up and help through merch sales could go on much longer. The bottom line, though, is that many promo firms are doing their best to weather the hard times brought on by COVID-19 and to help their communities and fellow businesses do the same.
Says Picker: “I love seeing all the people in our industry stand up and do what they know best – and that is to sell T-shirts!”
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