What's the strategic benefit of merchandise for artists beyond just making money?

Merchandise represents something digital advertising can never achieve: constant presence in someone’s home when they’re not on their phone or computer. A calendar on the wall, a mug in the cabinet, a coaster on the coffee table, or a sticker on the refrigerator is essentially a 24/7 advertisement for your work that reaches people during moments when paid ads and emails can’t. You can’t buy a Facebook ad placement on someone’s refrigerator or kitchen wall. That’s why merch is so valuable—it gets your work in front of people during the majority of their day when they’re not on devices.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2023-06-02