If your current company swag management process consists of Excel spreadsheets and closets full of t-shirts in unusual sizes, you may be looking for a better way. An online company store for employees is the easiest way to source, manage, and distribute company swag, including tangible rewards (like branded tech and gift cards) for your dedicated staff. Here are the top six reasons why your company would benefit from an online company store platform:
1.) An online company store for employees is the most cost-effective way to distribute company swag
An online company store makes obtaining swag easier for everyone, from HR or admin staff in charge of employee incentive and rewards programs to the rewards recipients themselves. That’s because an online company store for employees allows you to outsource the sourcing, storage and shipping of your branded company products, which saves your organization a lot of time and money. In addition, moving to a web-based platform automates much of the ordering and inventory management and provides easy access to rich data that will help make your swag work for you.
By significantly reducing valuable staff time spent on inventory sourcing, distribution, and management, an online company store for employees is the most streamlined method for distributing corporate swag to company staff – especially a distributed workforce – or franchisees.
2.) An online company store can boost employee morale and improve workplace performance
Incentive flexibility is a vital component of the most effective incentive and reward programs in many industries including technology and financial services. An online company store, which allows your employees to choose their own rewards, is a more flexible, effective way to distribute employee rewards via incentive programs and employee referral programs. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, a properly implemented incentive program can increase employee performance by 22 percent on average.
Online company stores for employees help motivate your workforce and increase productivity, making them an essential HR technology tool.
3.) An online company store is a more environmentally friendly way to source and distribute employee incentives, rewards, and uniforms
Reduce environmental waste while boosting employee morale at the same time. By allowing employees to choose their own swag, you avoid wasting money purchasing products that will not get used, helping to reduce the amount of swag that ends up in a thrift store – or a landfill.
An online company store is also an environmentally conscious way to handle employee uniform sourcing and distribution. Lower inventory and direct shipment from a single location is a more eco-friendly, sustainable way to handle branded company merchandise including corporate apparel and uniforms. Streamlining the management of branded company apparel, accessories, and employee uniforms helps reduce excess inventory and eliminate waste – all while ensuring your employees have access to a wider range of items, including the styles and the sizes they need to feel happy, comfortable, and productive at work.
4.) An online company store ensures brand consistency
From the design of your online storefront to the fabrication and decoration of your company swag, an online company store strictly adheres to your brand guidelines, ensuring consistency in the use of your brand colors, logo, and fonts, helping to create a unified brand identity. Online company stores also work as the central distribution point which ensures all stakeholders are given access to the digital and print-ready assets that they specifically need.
5.) An online company store improves internal marketing and employee brand engagement
An online company store can help build a team of brand ambassadors at your company.
Company swag is a crucial component of internal marketing. An online company store for employees enhances company culture by giving employees the option to choose the sizes and styles of branded company apparel and gear they prefer to wear both inside and outside of the office. This helps increase employee brand engagement.
The best way to ensure your employees will enthusiastically promote your brand at conferences and trade shows is to make sure they are outfitted in custom swag that fits well, looks great, and feels comfortable.
6.) It’s easy to start small and scale up with an online company store for employees
Your custom online company store can be configured to serve multiple audiences and multiple functions within your organization. Besides company swag for employees, digital items like variable data products (such as business cards, spec sheets, and signage) can be added to your store at any time, making it easy for employees to access important marketing communications while ensuring brand consistency.
Internal Distribution of Marketing Materials
Many corporations use online company stores for much more than just company swag. An online company store platform is an ideal way to distribute digital marketing materials to clients and manage:
- employee uniforms and personal protective equipment
- branded office supplies
- employee incentives and rewards
- corporate wellness program incentives
- employee recruitment and onboarding gifts
- incentives for employee training programs
- employee appreciation gifts and employee recognition awards
- annual holiday gifts and employee anniversary gifts
- luxury gifts for executives and VIP clients
- promotional products for giveaways, conferences, trade shows, and other events
- social media contest rewards
- customer loyalty program awards
An increasing number of B2C corporations, from McDonald’s to Netflix, even sell branded apparel directly to their customers as a way of increasing brand engagement.
Approval rules allow you to restrict access to specific items in your online company store based on login credentials. If desired, a site can be locked to only allow entry if a password is entered, ensuring that only the right users are able to access the site via single sign-on authentication. Promo codes make it easy to manage employee spending on promotional merchandise among departments or divisions – or provide discounts or freebies to customers as needed. All this adds up to a smooth user experience for your employees and/or customers.
BrandHub Online Company Stores for Employees
It really couldn’t be simpler.
- Store configuration and hosting is provided for you by Metron Branding, ensuring an easy, hassle-free implementation process.
- If desired, a pop-up shop (a temporary online company store created for a specific event) can be used to test out an online store for employees before committing to a more permanent option.
Contact Us for a BrandHub Online Company Store Consultation or fill out the form below today.