Craftware × MerchUp: how to turn company merch into the foundation of an IT community?

Craftware has been proving since 2021 that well-designed company merch is not just a gadget, but an effective employer branding tool.

Case study: Craftware x MerchUp

In a technological world where remote and hybrid work are the norm, physical brand touchpoints are becoming increasingly important. Craftware has been proving since 2021 that well-designed company merch is not just a gadget, but an effective employer branding tool.

Explore Craftware

Craftware is a technology hub, part of the Orange Polska Group, which supports large organizations in solving complex business problems with modern IT tools. From sales systems and automation, to data and AI platforms.

The company skillfully combines the potential for ambitious projects with a genuine concern for relationships. An important element supporting these activities is merch, which acts as a bridge between the world of technology and a team of more than 500 people.

Craftware team in company sweatshirts

Customer needs: quality and usability of corporate merchandise

Craftware has always focused on quality merchandise and has consciously abandoned “junk gadgets” in favor of standard and premium products. With each project, the goal is the same: to create merch that will stand the test of time and fit naturally into the informal atmosphere of the IT industry.

What does Craftware use its merch for?

  • Building community (internally): in the distributed work model, merch becomes a link to the company. It accompanies employees from onboarding to celebrating successes together, realistically fostering a sense of belonging.
  • Appreciation culture: merch has become a mechanism for recognizing seniority and development. Examples include the unique sweatshirt designs designed for each Craftware Academy edition or the 5th anniversary celebration.

Authentic visibility (outdoors): thanks to lifestyle quality, employees wear merch of their own accord (even after hours), becoming natural brand ambassadors among family and friends.

The solution: thoughtful merch architecture

Craftware’s collaboration with MerchUp is a process of constant refreshing and testing new formats. Instead of individual orders, we have implemented a collection that best meets the needs of the Craftware team:

  • Welcome pack – Each new employee receives a kit packaged in a branded bag (an eco-alternative to cardboard), building a sense of belonging from day one.
  • Kangaroo sweatshirts, or the heart of the merchandise – in the IT industry a sweatshirt is the standard, but at Craftware sweatshirts are additionally a concept of “badges”. Other designs were given to Craftware Academy graduates, others to people celebrating 5 years at the company, and still others to winners of internal competitions.
  • New to the collection – waterproof, elegant and designed for the real needs of the IT industry Roll-Top backpack. It has such a cleverly hidden laptop pocket that even employees initially couldn’t find it.

Loose lifestyle for everyday life – socks in dachshunds, bags, sweatpants or buffs cleverly complement all merch.

The project for Craftware is a model example of building a system that supports an employee’s career path and fits naturally into the company’s culture. And when you hear from the client that the team wants to donate company sweatshirts to the family, you know the plan has been executed.
Alexander Paczek, Co-founder
MerchUp

The result: cooperation based on partnership

The best merch is one that is alive. This can be seen in everyday inches, such as when a team joins a meeting in a company sweatshirt, which they wear by choice because they simply feel good in it. However, the success of a project is determined not only by the product, but also by the entire process of implementation.

What I appreciate most about MerchUp is the initiative. On many occasions I have looked for product X, and after discussion and advice, ordered a much better product Y. Taking responsibility for any ‘slip-ups’ is also key for me – if something needs improvement, MerchUp always offers a solution. And the quality? It is simply recognizable at a glance.
Pawel Lasota, Senior Employer Branding and Communications Specialist & Internal Trainer
Craftware
Craftware x MerchUp

A comprehensive approach to merchandising

At MerchUp, we look at merch more broadly than just through a product lens. From one place, we coordinate the entire process – from conception and production to warehousing, logistics and individual shipments. In practice, this means that merch gets exactly where it needs to go, and the collection can grow with the company, without a proliferation of suppliers, without operational chaos and the need to “reinvent everything” each time.

Want to create merch that works? Schedule a free consultation with MerchUp!

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