In a retail landscape where consumers have access to more products, brands and inspiration than ever before, simply adding a logo is no longer enough to make merchandise stand out.
For Innovative Product Partners (IPP), successful branded merchandise starts somewhere else: with understanding what makes a brand, destination or experience distinctive — and translating that identity into products people genuinely want to own.
Working across luxury hotels, resorts, private clubs, museums and lifestyle retail, IPP develops custom products and carefully curated merchandise collections designed to capture everything from architecture and local traditions to colours, stories and unexpected details.
For this edition of Boothside – Beyond The Booth, we explore what makes branded merchandise memorable, how rising consumer expectations are changing product development, why retailers sometimes need fewer rather than more products, and the role trade shows continue to play in an increasingly digital sourcing landscape.
About Innovative Product Partners
Innovative Product Partners is a creative branded merchandise company specialising in custom retail collections for luxury hotels, resorts, private clubs, museums and lifestyle retailers.
Its founder brings decades of experience across sourcing, product development and merchandising, helping clients translate their brands, destinations and stories into distinctive products and collections.
Through its Custom Creations approach, IPP also develops completely bespoke products from the ground up, combining creative product development with the commercial realities of retail.
Website: http://innovativeproductpartners.com/
Instagram: @innovativeswag
You describe your approach as "Custom Creations" rather than simply product development. What separates truly memorable branded merchandise from something that just has a logo printed on it?
"Custom Creations" is the part of our business devoted to completely custom projects, where we develop a product from the ground up specifically for a client. But when it comes to what makes any branded merchandise memorable, I believe the product itself has to be something people genuinely want.
A logo alone doesn't make a product special. Memorable branded merchandise feels thoughtful and relevant to the brand or destination it represents. It might be the design, the colours, a clever detail, original artwork or simply an unexpected product that makes someone smile. It should feel like something you would choose even if the logo weren't there.
For me, that's the difference. When someone picks up a product because they love it first — and the branding then connects it to a place or experience they want to remember — you've created something much more meaningful than a product with a logo on it.
"It should feel like something you would choose even if the logo weren't there."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
You've spent decades working across sourcing, product development and merchandising. What has changed most in what customers and retail buyers expect from branded products today?
The biggest change is exposure. Consumers have access to more products, brands and ideas than ever before, so their expectations are much higher. Everyone already owns a tumbler, a tote bag and probably several of each. Simply putting a logo on another one isn't enough to make someone want to buy it.
The product has to give them a reason to choose it. That might mean an unexpected shape or material, original artwork, a great colour combination or simply finding something they haven't seen everywhere else.
Retail buyers are looking for merchandise that feels fresh and distinctive because their customers are too. I've always loved finding products before they become mainstream, and I think that ability is even more important today.
"The product has to give them a reason to choose it."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
IPP works with hotels, resorts, museums, private clubs and other destination businesses. How do you translate the identity of a place or brand into products that customers genuinely want to take home and keep?
I look for the details that make a place instantly recognisable to the people who know and love it. Sometimes it's an architectural element, a local tradition, a phrase, an iconic view or even something quirky that has become part of the experience. Those details are often where the best product ideas come from.
The goal is to capture a sense of place without being overly literal. I want someone to see a product and have it bring them right back to that experience.
When we get it right, the merchandise becomes more than a souvenir — it becomes a reminder of a place they have a real connection to.
"The goal is to capture a sense of place without being overly literal."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
When developing a merchandise collection, how do you balance creativity with commercial considerations such as price point, margins, minimum quantities and what will actually sell?
Creativity only works if the product sells. I approach every collection with both my creative and merchandising hats on. A beautiful product at the wrong price point, with an unrealistic minimum or without enough margin for the retailer, isn't a successful product.
I think about how different products work together within a collection — where you need accessible price points, where there's room for something more special, and which items have the potential to become strong volume sellers.
Sometimes the most creative idea isn't the most commercially viable one, and knowing when to adjust or walk away from it is just as important as coming up with the idea in the first place.
"Creativity only works if the product sells."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
With so many products and suppliers available online today, what role do trade shows still play in discovering new ideas, materials and manufacturing partners or connecting with potential clients?
The internet is an incredible resource when you know what you're looking for, but one of the things I still love about trade shows is discovering what I wasn't looking for.
You can walk an aisle and spot a new material, product or technique that sparks an idea you might never have found through an online search.
There's also real value in seeing and touching a product in person. Quality, weight, construction and colour don't always translate on a screen.
And despite how connected we all are digitally, this is still a relationship business. Meeting suppliers face-to-face, understanding what they do well and having those conversations can lead to ideas and opportunities you wouldn't necessarily find online.
"One of the things I still love about trade shows is discovering what I wasn't looking for."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
You talk about building a collection rather than simply adding more products. What do you think retailers often get wrong when deciding what merchandise to put on their shelves?
One mistake I see is trying to do too much. Buyers can be tempted to try a little of everything in small quantities, but the result can be an assortment that feels scattered rather than distinctive.
A smaller, well-edited collection with a clear point of view can be much more impactful.
It's not about having more products — it's about having the right products working together. Every product should earn its place on the shelf.
"Every product should earn its place on the shelf."
hilary, Innovative Product Partners
For a brand or destination looking to create its own merchandise for the first time, what's the one thing you think they should understand before they start?
Start with the right partner.
Creating successful merchandise is about much more than choosing products and adding a logo. Work with someone who understands how to build a cohesive collection, can bring you ideas you wouldn't necessarily find on your own, and knows how to make your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace.
The goal should be to create merchandise that feels distinctive to your brand and gives customers a reason to choose it.
When you start with that mindset, rather than simply asking, "What can we put our logo on?", you're already headed in the right direction.
Key Takeaways
Great branded merchandise starts with a product people genuinely want, not simply a logo.
Greater exposure to products and trends has raised consumer and retail buyer expectations.
The strongest destination merchandise captures a sense of place without becoming overly literal.
Creativity has to work alongside price point, margins, minimum quantities and sales potential.
Trade shows continue to offer valuable discovery, particularly for products and ideas buyers may not know to search for online.
A focused, well-curated collection can be more powerful than a large but disconnected assortment.
Every product should have a clear reason for being part of the collection.
More choice has not necessarily made merchandising easier. As Innovative Product Partners explains, consumers who are constantly exposed to new products and ideas have increasingly high expectations — making differentiation, curation and commercial discipline more important than simply expanding an assortment.
Whether developing a completely custom product or discovering something unexpected on a trade show floor, the same principle applies: the strongest merchandise gives customers a reason to choose it. For retailers and brands, that can mean resisting the temptation to offer more and instead focusing on products that tell a coherent story, feel relevant and genuinely earn their place on the shelf.
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