Why should I offer merchandise like mugs, tote bags, or other non-art items?

Merchandise functions as advertising that goes places your social media posts and traditional ads never can. A mug lives in someone’s kitchen, a tote bag goes to the grocery store, an art fair, a friend’s house. These items get seen by people who would never encounter your work otherwise. One artist sold a greeting card through a botanical garden gift shop; the recipient loved it, asked who the artist was, came to the artist’s exhibition, and bought an original painting—all from a card that generated minimal profit initially. Merchandise also creates new customers and email subscribers at accessible price points. Many of those customers return later to buy higher-priced prints or originals. Treat each piece of merchandise with the same respect and enthusiasm you’d give a major piece—if you’re excited about it, that shows, and people respond.

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Asked by artists questioning the value of merchandise · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Hava Gurevich · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-06-28