By Susan Steingreaber, Executive Vice President
When it comes to branded merchandise, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Some companies thrive with an online company store. Others get everything they need — and more — without one. At Straub Marketing, we’ve worked with organizations of all shapes and sizes, and the honest answer is this: both approaches work beautifully. The key is knowing which one fits where you are right now.
So how do you decide? Let’s break it down.
A company store becomes a game-changer when your organization has real complexity to manage. Think multiple office locations, a remote or distributed workforce, or a team that needs access to branded gear on a consistent, ongoing basis. If you’ve ever found yourself tracking down shirt sizes on a spreadsheet, waiting weeks to place a single bulk order, or fielding the same “where do I get company swag?” question from every new hire — a store solves all of that.
With a Straub Marketing company store, you set the rules. You choose the products, define exactly how your logo can appear on each item, set a per-employee spending budget, and let your team order directly from the store. No more bottlenecks. No more spreadsheets. No more chasing people down. It’s decentralized ordering with centralized brand control — and that combination is hard to beat.
Company stores also shine for businesses that want to use branded merchandise as an ongoing employee reward or incentive program. Hire a new team member and want to get them outfitted right away? Done. Want to recognize a standout performer with some quality company swag? Easy. The right gear is always just a few clicks away, without pulling your marketing team into every individual order.
The bottom line: if you need speed, consistency, and scalability across a growing or dispersed team, a Straub Marketing company store is built for you.
Not every company does — and that’s completely okay. A company store is a tool, not a requirement. If you’re a smaller organization, if your merchandise needs are tied to specific events or seasons, or if you simply don’t have the volume to justify a full store setup, a more direct approach will serve you just as well.
At Straub Marketing, we work with plenty of clients who get exactly what they need through our traditional promotional products process: we consult, we research, we source the right products for your goals, and we deliver. One conversation, the right products, done. No store infrastructure required, no ongoing management overhead — just great branded merchandise that shows up when you need it.
This approach is especially strong for companies planning a product launch, a trade show, a company event, or a seasonal campaign. You know what you need, you know when you need it, and Straub Marketing handles everything in between. Simple, effective, and completely tailored to your goals.
The bottom line: if your needs are event-driven, project-based, or lower in volume, the traditional approach gets you there just as effectively — without any unnecessary complexity.
Whether you’re outfitting five employees or five hundred, managing a national workforce or a single location, Straub Marketing will help you figure out the approach that actually makes sense for your business — and then execute it with the same level of care and attention either way.
No cookie-cutter solutions. No pressure to buy more than you need. Just honest advice and quality branded merchandise, built around you.
Ready to figure out your right fit? Let’s start a conversation.
Phone: 515-282-5283 | info@straub-marketing.com