The Iconic Inaugural Post

Acquaintance is a stage I typically avoid. The awkwardness of intros and ice breakers make me want to either immediately exit a conversation and remain strangers or overshare to skip the small talk. This is probably something I should discuss with my therapist or continue to avoid it entirely as if I were actually Carrie Bradshaw. But I feel as though I would be doing this blog a disservice without a formal introduction on my inaugural post, so I’m Sav, also known as MERCH GIRLY, the tastemaker of the corporate merch industry, VP of Marketing at TEAM SCG, and now the author of this blog, MERCH and the GIRLY.

Before I set the stage of exactly what readers can expect to look forward to each month, I would be remiss if I did not mention that this blog is written FTG (for the GIRLYs). If you find yourself wondering what a GIRLY is, simply put – it is more of an energy than anything.  Contrary to popular belief, a GIRLY is not defined by age. Ultimately, a GIRLY is a very dynamic soul. She can be many things, but mostly she is someone who remains in the know and constantly strives to become the most iconic version of herself while exuding confidence in exactly who she is at her core!

Something I pride myself on is keeping it real for the GIRLYs, so if you came here looking for a five-paragraph essay in MLA format on the trends of the promotional products industry, I can guarantee this is not that. This blog is going to feel more like the worlds in which my texts to myself, camera roll, and algorithms collide. I anticipate the format to go as such:

- A TASTEFUL TRUTH: this isn’t meant to be in anyway controversial, but rather an open-minded idea with a sprinkle of chic

- MERCH MOMENTS X MERCH GIRLY: things I have taken note of through my personal experience and consumption that I find to be in some way relevant to our industry

- A MANTRA OF THE MONTH: avoiding cliches at all costs, but also finding appreciation in words that make sense when things get tricky as they inevitably do for all high performing GIRLYs

Expect the grammar to be questionable with an abundance of filler words and exclamation marks, but the content will consist of things I draw inspiration from as I gallivant through my whirlwind of a professional and personal life. My biggest hope is to inspire other MERCH GIRLYs to find power in their own interests, so they can enhance their own absolutely iconic professional personas by simply showing up as themselves!

A TASTEFUL TRUTH

Sex and the City should have just revamped their merch line instead of making “And Just Like That”. This flop of this series was shocking to any real SATC fan after they were able to properly tie off 6 seasons of the TV show and produce not one, but two movies that were not necessarily Oscar contenders, but entertaining and watchable. By producing this new show, they took a hard turn toward confusing character development, horrendous fashion, and a need to make every political statement possible, when we are literally just here for the girlhood and outfits.

With the resurgence of the original series and trending audios on TikTok, their efforts would have been much better spent riding the wave of a newfound audience and dropping collaborations with all the iconic brands featured in the series. The merch currently offered on the official HBO site is about as bad as the Strawberry Shortcake hat Carrie wore in the AJLT season 3 premier. Let me know how it makes sense that the show that preached from the gospel of Manolo Blahnik, is slinging drawstring bags?? A merch revamp would serve as a tangible reinforcement of the elevated attitude Sex and the City is known and loved for. This would create an opportunity for fans, new and old, to buy into the brand as they fall in love with the series for the first time or all over again, rather than cringing at every scene in the tragedy that is And Just Like That... but I will continue to tune in to watch a potential revival of Carrie and Adian's relationship!

MERCH MOMENTS X MERCH GIRLY

-  Rüfüs Du Sol: This is amongst the very short list of concerts in which I would attend in a general admission capacity. Upon arriving at Bayfront Park, in the heart of Downtown Miami, I immediately wanted to check out the merch tent, but the show had already started. To avoid crawling through the sea of people and risk missing Innerbloom, I figured I would just buy merch online from the comfort of my couch the following morning. Much to my surprise, the only merch available on the official store was a vinyl. Now Rüfüs Du Sol is entirely too iconic/Australian of a brand to have overlooked producing a fully baked merch line, so this had to be done strategically. Since I don't have a record player, I didn't purchase the vinyl, but this led me to consider the power of a single product offering. This allows you to take time developing the product with a deep intention and eliminates customers’ decision paralysis at checkout. Selling one product would also allow you to produce at higher quantities creating more potential margin and/or decoration capabilities, and ultimately creating a higher perception of value. So if Rufus finds the "less is more" strategy to be sufficient, then I too am open to this concept of selling a single or limited product line… and maybe even getting a pink record player now!

-  Bagatelle St. Tropez: Maybe it was the magnum bottles of rosé, or the cohesive branding throughout the establishment, but I felt alive enough to dance on a table and purchase a $120 sweatshirt from St. Tropez hotspot, Bagatelle. Of course, as a professional I know this sweatshirt actually cost less than $20 to make. However, I was so high on life that I threw caution to the wind and at least the embroidery stitch count was substantial. My takeaway is when placed in a premium experience and under the influence of immaculate vibes… and branding, people will pay a premium to commemorate the feeling of living life and actually bring that memory home as long as it is not a total POS!

-  Labubus: The accessory of the season, or propaganda we are not falling for? These little mischievous looking creatures made by Chinese toy manufacture, Pop Mart, have taken the internet by storm. Labubus first went viral after Lisa, from Blackpink and White Lotus (for those not familiar with Kpop), showed one off as a bag charm on her $2,600 Kaithe Elena bag. The mystery behind the Labubu is the fact that you don’t know which one you are buying. You must either go on an unboxing journey or purchase one on a secondary market to get exactly what you’re looking for. What our industry needs to pay attention to is the fact that this product is the intersection of the HOT plush and bag charm trends. At the moment, they are used to zhush up luxury handbags, but I anticipate them to trickle down to more casual bags as a form of self-expression, which creates an interesting opportunity for the merch industry.

MANTRA OF THE MONTH

If it was easy everybody would do it! Anything worth doing and anything worth having is going to require application that 99% of everyone else is not willing to do. I do not say this to highlight the scarce nature of the 1%, but rather so you recognize that as you strive towards iconic achievements, you will face things that feel very much so difficult. I ask you to shift your mindset towards the fact that these hard moments are challenging you to confirm you are part of the 1% willing to put yourself out there and take what is meant to be yours. For most people, the discomfort of showing up without immediate validation is too much, which is why I say, "If it was easy everybody would do it".

Stay Fabulous. Stay Hydrated. Stay Branded. - MERCH GIRLY