In my last post I wrote about fashion editors to make the connection between curation and taste-making. Taste is developed through cultural knowledge. Read that here.

Exploring the impact of merchandising on storytelling and brand positioning.

In my “Influence Framework” (full report here), merchandise is artifact. Merchandise as a tangible driver of culture. Thinking of product as an extension of brand storytelling. An expression of world building anchored in physical experience.

Then, tying in music marketing. There is folklore that says the first concert tee came in the 1950s from the Elvis fan club (Highsnobiety 2018). Nonetheless, the tour tee became standard practice. By the streaming era, declines in hard CD sales made room for a deeper exploration of merchandising as a revenue stream. Hip-hop connects merch to lifestyle streetwear. Merchandise as a blend of culture and fashion (Coveteur 2019).

Although I’m blending the two together, there is technical distinction between merchandising and product strategy. Merchandising focuses on who to sell to, where to sell and how to market the products (Andjelic 2024). Product portfolio, audience segments, retail contexts.

Product strategy is design.

Merchandising validates brand positioning to drive sales. That’s where there’s overlap. Arguing the best-case scenario: a product, or an assortment of products, fulfill some white space in its market. Occupying a distinctive space strengthens brand identity (or brand culture & community).

There’s a tangent to be had on department stores, but it deserves a full post…

Then, layer on visuals. Imagery as a vehicle for storytelling, making meaning through iconography (semiotics). Strong, distinctive visuals also reinforce brand and product positioning.

I guess the point is a trifecta between product, brand, and creative.

The only other thing I’ll say is: I start to be able to wrap my mind around visual storytelling if I consider lookbooks. Lookbooks evolved out of the catalog practice of brands in the 1980s. “Through these lavishly produced pamphlets, brands were able to suggest a more artistic interpretation of their garments than offered by editorial found in contemporary mainstream magazines” (Martin 2004).

Focus on aesthetics with less emphasis on detailed product information. An evolution of show notes and a means of brand storytelling. In a more corporate context, I’d consider this to be the final output of the season’s creative brief, encapsulating insights, etc. as a means of delivering on brand positioning.

Merchandising: using products to tell stories.

The Premise of Merchandising

Structure & Form

An Editor’s Guide to Curation