Episode 289: How to Create Covetable Brand Merch with Emma Ralphs, Butterfly Cannon

Emma, so glad to have you on the skewcast. Thanks for doing this.

No, thanks for having me. It's a very big pleasure.

So you wrote this article, as I said in the intro, from tacky to trend setting, how to create covetable brand merch. And that's how we met. I saw the article and I thought, I have got to talk to her. What kind of research did you do going into that article?

So, I mean, the idea kind of was floating around in our agency just from kind of projects that we'd worked on before. We kind of know, noticed this sort of, kind of, you know, this thing of kind of brand merch kind of picking up and kind of having more of kind of cultural currency. As an agency, we're very much like, we love sharing articles, we love, like, taking pictures, things we've seen. So, yeah, we just. And it's one of those things where once you notice something, you start noticing it everywhere. Like, yes, there's a coffee shop around the corner. And I noticed they were doing much. And I was like, well, this is really interesting. Places where you go to buy your coffee and now offering their own kind of merchandise, kind of putting their name out there in a different way. So then, yeah, kind of, once the idea, you know, we saw there was an idea, we saw there's kind of definitely something to it. Then you do, you know, all the kind of usual thing of the research, seeing what else is out there, who else has kind of said things about it, and then kind of seeing what is your kind of take on it, what's your angle. And obviously, the work we did with Johnnie Walker really helped to inform that in terms of kind of what the kind of content would be for it and how. What the angle would be. So that's kind of brief overview of kind of the approach to it and everything.

Okay, I love how you use the word social currency, because that's exactly what's happening. It's become a part of our social fabric. What did you discover that brands get wrong with merch?

I think getting it wrong is just kind of this, like, lack of intention. I think it kind of feeling very inauthentic. I think a really big thing with a lot of the work we do and a lot of the work we see with brands. It's like, it's really important that whatever you do is true to who you are and kind of true to your audience. Even if it's kind of. You're trying to reach a new audience, you're doing it in an authentic way, not just the money making kind of scheme, which I know at the end of the day much is a kind of part of that. But it's, you know, having the intention, seeing what your consumer wants. And I think when they get it wrong, it's when it's kind of low quality. You know, it's the kind of stuff where it might create hype but then it's going to end up in a landfill because actually it doesn't have a place in consumer's life. And it kind of feels like an afterthought, you know, when you kind of see those like T shirts or tote bags and stuff with their kind of logos just sort of like thrown on it and it feels very standard, kind of very expected. So yeah, definitely, when it's not really aligning with a brand's values or just doesn't really feel very thought through is when we kind of see it not really like, yeah, not really getting a place in a consumer's world, in their kind of life.

What did you discover that brands get right? I mean, you've sort of covered that in your previous answer, but are there brands that also do merch incredibly well that you discovered?

Yeah, I think. Well, as I was kind of saying, it's when brands do something authentic, they kind of do something in a way that speaks to them as a brand. A kind of example of that is it's actually a collaboration, but it was between Glenn Livitt and Prabhul Gurung and it was a partnership where they created this limited edition for flask and then this flask bag, obviously Glen Livett is a whiskey and through this much, it kind of like put them in a different category. What was really interesting is they both, both these businesses kind of embrace each other's kind of like break from tradition. So that's kind of speaking to the brand truth of each brand is like we're kind of, you know, like we like to push things with disruptors. So then they're doing something that speaks to that in terms of kind of like other brands that are doing it. Well, I'd say a lot of like, and it's quite interesting, but a lot of London restaurants, especially during the pandemic, making merch became another way of making money or kind of, you know, still surviving while everything was locked down. But also it's a way of kind of you're, you know, showing your loyalty to something. Obviously with a restaurant you're the easiest way to do that is, you know, by going there. But with merch you can kind of show your Loyalty show. You're part of this kind of in crowd because the kind of brands that were doing it were like these kind of in crowd London restaurants. It's just really interesting to see when brands do that and they kind of move from one kind of position to another one using merchandise.

Yeah. It's interesting that you noticed how a brand chooses to break out of its sort of stereotypes to embrace a merch partnership or merch creation. I think that's a fun part of it. You also mentioned a few things I think that are really important for this audience and that is we talked about social currency earlier, earlier, but Gen Z is has really embraced merch as a part of an outward expression, as a part of identifying with the brands they love. Do you think that's a part of what you've seen as the growth and phenomenon behind merch?

Yeah, I definitely think so. I think because Gen Z are so much more not. I mean it's one of those things that you don't want to brand an entire generation one thing. But they're kind of way more open minded, the way more experimental with things. They are the kind, you know, they're the kind of generation to be like, I'm going to wear that T shirt from this restaurant because you know, I like it. Not because I'm worried about what other people think, but because I'm like, that's cool, that's fun. And I think so much of merch is actually about that. I think it was really interesting. I was listening to your episode with Mark Graham that was released I think this week. And also you talking about the joy economy and the kind of. I think this is such an interesting trend, the joy economy and the way that we're looking for these little bits of excitement and joy in everyday life. And you get that obviously through like dopamine dressing. So for example, wearing merchandise from your favorite brand because that's a way of saying these are the things I love and there's the things that bring me joy in like this really nice way.

Yeah.

And then you get.

Do you use the phrase dopamine dressing?

Yeah, I did read it in an article. I'm not claiming it. I love it.

What a great phrase.

I know, it's amazing, isn't it?

I think such a good phrase.

Yeah, definitely.

I just got in a book yesterday by Alison Borenstein called Wear it well, she just released it. She's the one that came up with the wrong shoe theory and the three, the three words to describe your personal style. But the fact that you mentioned Dopamine dressing. That's an interesting aspect of the joy economy and merch and tying that together with Gen Z. What a great connection.

Yeah, yeah.

It's like your research is a connect the dots to try and figure out what kind of picture we're creating. In your article, you also talk about inclusivity and exclusivity with merch creation. And you said that we have to sort of tread the line between those two. What, what did you mean by that?

I think in the sense that like, at the end of the day, exclusivity sells. People want a part of that thing that maybe, you know, for example, it's a limited run, you can only get it at a certain place. Maybe it's kind of priced a bit up your usual price bracket. That sense of something that's slightly. It's like obtainable, but like you've got that sense you're being part of something, but at the same time you don't want to exclude people. You know, I think merch, obviously, as we've been talking about, is a way of creating community or feeling like a part of something. So as we can say, it's like really toeing this line between making it feel special and, you know, something that people want to invest into and buy into. But also it doesn't feel like every day it's something that feels special. And, you know, obviously you're trying to create hype. You're trying to create that PR story with the merch as well.

You, There were two, two things you brought up also. You suggested that brands should be willing to be playful with merch collections that you probably saw. Heard Mark and I talk about the fact that Tim Hortons and was that a brand miss or was that the brand trying to just play and have fun with it? And in the context, you also said collaborate wisely. Can you unpack that a little bit? Why do you think it's important for brands to have fun with this?

Well, I think at the end of the day, as we've kind of been talking about, consumers want to have fun with things as well. And I think gone are the days where things were really like, stuffy. I think especially with the way we're seeing luxury change, luxury is becoming less stuffy. This is kind of whole changing phase of luxury, the rise of like the Gen Z luxury consumer. It's like it's no longer what you assume. I'm going to talk a lot about luxury because that's kind of what the agency I work at does. But yeah, the way that Things are kind of changing and there's this kind of willingness, I think, from a lot of people to kind of break the rules and have fun. Because at the end of the day, that's the only way you're going to innovate. That's the only way you're going to grow. And I think that's why merch is a really great avenue for brands to kind of grow and innovate, is because you can have fun and you can usually it's a way of getting into a different category. Like say, for example, if you're a restaurant brand and then you release much, you're kind of then tapping into fashion. So you're moving across into this other segment. So, you know, inevitably it's going to obviously be strategic. It's going to have to have a lot of thought behind it, but it can also be fun, it can also be playful. And I think at the end that's, that's what it should be.

Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about the Johnnie Walker project because it was such a cool project that you worked on. What was your project scope at Butterfly Cannon for the Johnnie Walker merch in particular?

So it was kind of, the project came to us as part of this bigger scope to kind of transform Johnnie Walker from a lifestyle into a lifestyle brand with this kind of fashion focused attitude. So this kind of came as like the first drop in this redefining strategy. So we kind of work really closely with the team, with suppliers, with partner brands to kind of think about how we were going to do this, how are we doing thinking about brand match, especially in kind of alcohol segment in a different way. This is, this is going to be something that people actually wanted to wear. It wasn't going to be kind of expected much where it's kind of, you know, just putting a logo on something and you move on. This is like we want to tap into something different. It was also really big because it's changing the way people think about whiskey because it's like it's not just, you know, this drink that's kind of drank by a certain type of person. We're moving into a different space and it may be moving into a different space. Space where it reaches people that maybe wouldn't have, aren't necessarily whiskey drinkers or connoisseurs. They maybe see the merch first and then they kind of get into it. So this really big shift, this really big kind of like reworking of where Johnnie Walker would sit as a brand, which we were a part of which is obviously really amazing.

Yeah, that is a really fascinating aspect to think that merch is opening up avenues of a new audience for a brand, traditional brand, particularly a very traditional brand. Did you consider Johnnie Walker's competitors, merch in your creation for Johnnie Walker? What did you, if so, what did you discover about that?

I think it kind of just proved to us that we were kind of going to be the first to do much in this sort of way. I think when you look at the kind of competitors, none of them were doing it in a way that was kind of pushing fashion or pushing any sense of joy. It's a typical. You go to the distillery and you can get a T shirt with the brand, like brand word mark on it like it's nothing. It wasn't anything challenging. It wasn't anything that was desirable necessarily. And so that's what kind of gave us even more push to be like, we're going to do something really different. It's going to be bold, confident. This kind of like, this is me statement pieces, which is what, you know, we ended up creating.

What did you learn about the audience and market segmentation and related to this in relation to this merch project? I mean, I'm assuming Johnny Walker's being such an established, long established brand, has a particular audience and maybe merch appealed to a completely different demographic. What did you learn?

Yeah, we knew that we were kind of going to be reaching different people that as we were kind of saying maybe didn't, didn't see Johnnie Walker in that way. We're kind of going for that kind of younger consumer, recruiting newer drinkers, trying to change the perception of what Johnnie Walker and whiskey can be. So it's kind of looking for those trendsetters, those people that are kind of looking for, you know, something different, something bold, something statement that kind of gentle. Obviously not the young Gen Z, but like the able to drink Gen Zs. And that's kind of what we did with the, with the, with the merch. We're kind of blowing up the KBAs. We're setting them off the lease, the leash, that's the word, you know, kind of blowing things up, going bold, going confident. Because that's, you know, that's what's fun and that's what, you know, people want to see, people pushing things and challenging the way of thinking.

I love that merch gives you that permission to do that. Like it opens up that energy in that channel. Because when you treat merch like a channel, then it can open up all kinds of opportunities also When I think of the Johnnie Walker brand, I think of this sort of dark pub experience, and I think of darker tones, and maybe I don't. Obviously, you work with the brand all the time, but was there a mood change or a voice shift you want to make? You touched on it a little bit, but there's. In the video, for example, that you created, there was this vibrant energy. Very colorful.

Yeah, definitely. I think. I think Johnnie Walker as a brand is very progressive. Even if it maybe has those associations, kind of darker whiskey drinking. They're very kind of, you know, their whole thing is the striding man. It's going forward. It's being. It's like pushing things. And we really wanted to create this kind of boundary pushing. Very culturally aware, but also fun, bold, energetic thing, which is why you have all these really bold colors. It's your yellows, it's your blues, it's your reds. You've got the kind of KBAs, like, going across things. It's like, you know, messing things up a bit. And with the video, obviously, that is, you know, kind of tapping into that kind of cultural sense of, you know, social media and, like, content is key and, like, how can we make things easy to digest and impactful? And a video is a really great way to do that is to have that kind of really dynamic way of conveying what you're doing is, like, create a video.

Yeah, it was fun. We'll put link to this in the show notes. It's a beautifully done video, of course, and your agency does beautiful work. It's fun, it's energetic, it's colorful. And did you cut that up and use it in social. Like, what were some of the other ways you used? Because I thought it was like a cool video. I know it's like a commercial in a sense, but it's like a cool video catalog.

Yeah. I mean, yes, it was kind of like, how can we do a catalog without doing a literal catalog? It's like, here's everything we've done in a way that is easily digestible, especially for an audience with less of an attention span. How can you make things snappy? I mean, we kind of left it to markets to kind of how they wanted to cut it up and how they wanted to use it. Part of the project was creating a toolkit to go with everything we did to kind of allow the markets to kind of run with it, allow them to do what they needed to do, but giving them the guidelines to be able to do that.

Was the merch campaign a part of a Bigger campaign within Johnnie Walker or was it specifically? No, we're going to focus on just the merch campaign.

It was, I mean, for us it was mainly the merch campaign and everything. I mean, obviously it was part of a greater brand strategy, so there were things around that. But for us it was kind of all about, you know, creating this merch, thinking about the activation, thinking about, you know, making this lasting impression. Obviously the merch is going to be sold at the kind of Johnnie Walker distillery in Edinburgh. And so it wanted to be, you know, it's the first and last thing you see when you go there, I believe. And so it's kind of about delivering that lasting impression, it being bold and bright and you're thinking, yes, that's, you know, that's the associations you want to have with it.

Yeah, love it. Talk a little bit about Butterfly. Butterfly can. Sorry, let me start that over. Let's talk a little bit about Butterfly Canon because it's a cool brand, what a great agency. And you call yourself designers for aspirational brands. What's your unique expertise at Butterfly Canon?

Yes. Do you mean me or the agency?

Both the agency and Anna. And you as well?

Yeah, sure. So, yeah. Butterfly Canon, we are a London based agency, so based in Holborn, which is near Covent Garden. It's very central and we're a design studio and we kind of, our expertise is aspirational brands. We kind of, we see those as the brands that people are willing or want to pay more for. They're the kind of brands that have usually unique and very impactful stories to tell. Our mantra is powerful stories, beautifully told. And so we're all about storytelling, we're all about doing that again really beautifully and also really consciously. A big thing about the way we do things is we're really into sustainability and thinking about, you know, if we're making these beautiful, you know, beautiful, you know, designs, they also need to have, you know, they need to be conscious, they need to have a good impact wherever they may end up. So that's kind of, you know, us as an agency and then my experience is I'm a strategist and copywriter at bc, so I've been here for four years now. And yeah, it's a really great place to work. It's amazing. This is kind of my, my first experience of the kind of branding world and the kind of packaging world and it worked, you know, what an interesting place to be in. It's, it's. Yeah, so we kind of work across from kind of alcohol to Fragrance. We work with kind of, you know, the big players to the more local heroes and we kind of have an international spread of clients. So, you know, which is really exciting to work, you know, with people all across the world.

That's a lot of fun. It seems this industry does a lot of packaging. Now this is a Covid post Covid phenomenon, but seems you do a lot of merchandise packaging design. Can you share more about that or a few high profile examples of what you do?

Yeah, sure. I mean, I think just the kind of most recently released stuff is we did some amazing work with Brook 37, which is a US based tea company and they kind of really wanted to push what tea was seen as in the US Is it this kind of being a bit of a like, you know, not this, not really being seen in a luxury sense. And they really wanted to reposition it as this kind of, as the themselves, as the kind of atelier of tea. So we kind of looked at the brand identity, the storytelling of community at the heart. We created this really beautiful, consciously designed metal tea caddy which really tells the story of like community from the heart with the tea leaf design. Another project we've worked on is Mojt, which is a ready to serve bottled cocktail project and it was kind of bringing Chinese megacity cocktail culture to consumers. Again, really beautiful packaging which kind of tells the story through really intricate designs of kind of cocktails and. And then another one, I'm trying to think of another one. Yeah, another one is Godaven, which is a Indian single malt whiskey. So we helped with, you know, bringing that, the whole brand to life like right from the beginning of what's this brand going to be to now, you know, the activations, the toolkit. And so yeah, we do, we do a lot of packaging design work. We also do work in terms of campaigns and things beyond that. And we also do like brand refreshes as well.

Okay, well, let's talk about Emma a little bit. What brands inspire you? Like who do you follow and where do you go? In many ways in your role you have to be a multi hyphenate. You have to sort of be very open to all kinds of design experiences. But what brands inspire you the most?

I'm going to be super annoying and not have a straight answer for this because I mean, as you're kind of saying as a strategist, I kind of have to be up to date with everything. I think most of my mornings at work are kind of spent seeing what's happening, seeing what the trends out there are, I think not really in terms of brands, but the kind of places I go to are like wgsn, Wunderman, Thompson, Stylus, lsn, always looking for kind of what brands are doing, who's innovating, who's treading in a different space. Because obviously that's really good for us to be aware of. I'm really interested in like consumer insights and just consumer behavior because I think we're all quite fascinating and it's just really interesting to see what the trends are. Like. We kind of spoken about like the joy economy and stuff like that.

Well, it's funny you have to cross pollinate in your work and that's really what you're talking about. Okay, so I have two final questions here, Emma. One is one the community loves for me to ask and that's do you have a particular book, podcast, movie or article you had recently that made an impact on you and it doesn't have to be about business?

Yeah, I've actually got two. Again, be annoying, but the first is a business related one. It's by wgsn. They have a really good podcast called Create Tomorrow, which is really good for insights and they released one recently and it's will AI become your new design superpower? We've obviously been having a lot of discussions as an agency about AI, what the kind of impact's going to be. I know there's been a lot of rumblings about will we lose our jobs, which, you know, isn't the case, but kind of thinking about how we're going to incorporate that into our work. And that, and that podcast is really insightful in terms of making sure you're using AI authentically and that it actually kind of works for you as a brand. And then a not so business related. So I've read a really good book called Still Life, which I really recommend. I actually can't remember the author of it, but really beautiful, really lovely story about a man who inherits a house in Florence in Italy and he moves there. And it's just really beautifully written.

So, yeah, okay, I added that high to my list. Thank you for that last question. I know we have just three minutes left. I loved your article and to wrap this up and bring it back to Merch for this audience. You have some. And by the way, thank you for those recommendations. All of those are phenomenal. People are going to be writing down where it is that you're sourcing your latest trends. You have some great insight for this audience. And going back to the article is there one particular takeaway you took from researching the merch industry. And since you work with high profile brands all the time, if you had to distill your advice down to one piece of advice, what would be the most important?

This is the gold question, isn't it? I think that merch is actually easy to get right. And I think the answer is, as I've kind of been saying, is to just know your audience, know what is important to you as a brand and allow yourself to have fun with it. And I think those are my, those are my nuggets of wisdom.

I love it. Emma, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to visit with us from beautiful London and love the work you've done. The Johnnie Walker campaign, everybody at your team, just to see has done such an amazing job. We're watching with admiration, but thanks for showing up and joining us for the podcast.

Thank you so much for having me. It's been, yes. Been great fun. So, yeah, thank you.