Australian-Owned
Tech companies innovate relentlessly in product development.
They blow our minds and have us lining up for hours for the next release, yet their branded merchandise often feels like an afterthought.
Sometimes it’s out of place.
Sometimes it’s rushed.
And sometimes it quietly erodes the brand you’ve worked so hard to build.
So if you’re building sleek, cutting-edge technology, let’s make sure your merch doesn’t look like it walked straight out of a 2005 conference table.
Now, we’re not here to point fingers, but we are here to ask the uncomfortable question:
Why so innovative with your tech, and so uninspired with your branded products?
Why Your Merch Needs to Reflect Your Brand Values
Say you’re an eco-conscious tech brand.
You encourage cycling-to-work programs.
Single-use plastics have no place in your office.
You’re actively helping customers reduce their carbon footprint.
This commitment to the planet is integrated into every facet of your brand and plastered everywhere, everywhere except your merch. Suddenly, disposable items and products that won’t last a week, wrapped in unsustainable packaging, are ordered in excess.
Brand products are tangible representations of your values.
When your merch doesn’t align, it quietly undermines trust.
If sustainability, innovation, or quality matter to your brand, your merch should reflect it too.
Why Innovation Should Be Non-Negotiable for Tech Brands
You’re solving problems, adding value, building better systems and a branded product range that stops at “logo on product, done” doesn’t scream innovation.
Look at iconic merch in Australia:
- The Bunnings umbrella (so good we wrote a love letter to it)
- Woolworths Little Shop and Coles collectable campaigns
- Vegemite’s nostalgic merch
- IKEA anything, instantly recognisable
- Brewery and pub merchandise that runs laps around everyone else
So where’s tech in this conversation? You’d think it would be right up your alley.
What “Bad Merch” Usually Looks Like
When you walk through a tech conference, what do you see?
Pens. Water bottles. Notebooks. Maybe a cap or a reusable coffee cup if you’re lucky?
Usually plain white or one sole brand colour, logo slapped on, slogan if someone got ambitious. That’s one way to do merch, and sometimes the only thing you have time for. But when it’s not done correctly, it is generic and forgettable.
Bad merch usually shares a few traits:
- No thought
- No connection to the brand story
- No reason to keep it
Even tight timelines don’t excuse uninspired execution; simple merch can still be done well.
Good Merch: What It Actually Looks Like
Great branded merchandise does three things:
1. It Serves a Purpose
If it solves a problem or fits naturally into someone’s lifestyle, it’s here to stick around.
Take the portable speaker we created for Netflix.
Yes, your phone can play music and shows, but not very well, not loudly, and not outdoors.
So we designed a waterproof, high-quality speaker that plays Netflix’s iconic ta-dum when it turns on. Functional, memorable, and unmistakably Netflix.
2. It’s Memorable
Merch should spark conversation.
Like TikTok’s retro-inspired merch, playful, bold, and instantly recognisable, you don’t forget it because it doesn’t look like everyone else’s.
3. It’s Something People Actually Want
Case in point: the Google Corduroy backpack.
Plush corduroy fabric.
Vintage texture.
Modern silhouette.
This wasn’t merch people scrolled past, we got messages if they could buy it off us (you can’t, it’s for Google folks). From campus to conference, it turned heads and carried brand equity everywhere it went.
When people don’t stop talking about your merch, you know you’ve nailed it.
You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel, Just Design It Better
We’re not saying toss the merch playbook out the window.
Even “classic” merch can be elevated by considering the choice of materials, playing with different colours, textures, and decoration methods, adding custom elements, and using the entire product for design.
Take socks. Sure, you can grab a white pair and slap your logo on them. Branded merch, done.
Or you can design something no one’s seen before, gift it in a memorable way through packaging, and ensure the material is so irresistibly comfy, they’ll be the first choice on fresh laundry day.
A Branded Merch Partner That Moves at Tech Speed
At Good Things, we build brands through product innovation, honest partnership, and care for our planet. A branded merchandise partner that understands how tech companies operate.
Our in-house expertise includes:
- Product development and sourcing
- Logistics and distribution
- Creative design (including product designers and graphic designers)
We use industry-leading proprietary technology and automated processes to ensure unmatched product production, helping us design and deliver branded products efficiently, accurately, and at scale.
That includes:
- Integrated systems supporting end-to-end workflows
- A proprietary quote builder with live supplier data
- Automated quote prioritisation for faster turnaround
- Unmatched accuracy, what you see is what you get
Our biggest partners work with us for one reason: trust. Ridiculously high levels of accuracy, on-brand execution, and typically… something even more delightful than expected.
Final Thoughts
If you want to delight your audience in 2026, maybe it’s time your merch caught up with your technology.
Let’s create innovative branded merchandise that actually represents who you are.
Ready when you are.
