A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump launched several shirts and caps with the motto «Trump 2028» in allusion to a possible third candidacy, something forbidden in the United States Constitution, but that the president has dropped into recent interviews. The concise and direct message behind these products will multiply thanks to the voters who buy that merchandising, giving wings and notoriety to a controversy Idea. Possession on January 20, the presidential transition period monetized to the maximum, launching 168 merchandinsing products in the Trump Store online store (from blankets to glasses, stuffed animals or books, among other items), whose benefits affect directly in the republican pocketsDonald Trump distributes caps with the motto «Make America Great Again», in New Jersey.seth Wenig (Lapresse / AP) While Trump has exploded as few, you have to go back several centuries ago to track the first example of merchandising linked to politics. This is explained by Eline de Vries, a professor of Marketing at the Carlos III University of Madrid: «It is said that George Washington, the first president of the United States, already used merchandising at the end of the 18th century (badges and coins) to consolidate as an iconic figure and reinforce the feeling of national identity.» Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have also marketed their own products, even launched a joint collection on the occasion of the Biden presidency that monopolized the attention of the fashion press. And we must not forget when, in August 2023, the PSOE website collapsed after announcing the sale of t -shirts and pins with the slogan Sanxe dog and dog Sanxe, in allusion to the nickname with which some detractors of the Spanish president refer to his person in the world of the Internet.
The business business
If you think about the concept of traditional merchandising, it is possible that the first thing that relates to this format is the children's products of television franchises, emblematic brands such as Disney (the company introduced it “after World War II in the entertainment industry, giving rise to the concept as we know it,” says VRies) or the shirts and other items sold in concerts. 
Several followers of Taylor Swif buy in a 'merchandising' post before a concert of the 'The Eras Tour' tour, in the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (Australia), in February 2024.Asanka Ratnayake (Getty images) specifically in the musical field, this form of advertising has gained renewed strength, and Taylor Swift has had a lot What to see. The successful tour The Eras Tour reported to the singer more than 2,000 million euros in tickets sold, but to that amount of record is added another astronomical figure corresponding to the sale of merchandising: more than 391 million euros, not counting the purchases made outside the concert days. According to Time, those attending their shows spent an average of $ 40 per person (about 35.50 euros) on merchandising in the first 60 concerts. Among the most popular products, the t -shirts stamped with the singer's face in each of its eras, exhausted at each tour of the tour. His success was such that Trump, a declared enemy of the artist, plagued the designs during the electoral campaign. «Merchandising has become an incredibly attractive strategy for brands and public figures, since it expands its presence in the daily life of consumers,» says De Vries, and also adds how «in today's society, it is much more than a complementary marketing tactics; represents a strategic and powerful tool to deepen the relationship between the consumer and the brand Durable loyalty. ” The brand concept is also flexible and extends to celebrities and personalities that have made their name their own business, as well as any format that seeks to cement a solid relationship with the consumer, whether it is an listener of a podcast, the spectator of a television program or a client of a sports center, a bar or a cafeteria. Yes, today, merchandising is the business business and displays its charms in all areas, also on a small scale.
Fabric bags or t -shirts of your 'podcast' or favorite bar
Some of the most recognized podcasts in Spain, from stretching the gum to weekly deformed or ruin, have launched their own product line with winks to their particular universe, through phrases or clicks printed in cups, fabric bags or t -shirts. And many new businesses offer their own clothing for customers converted into fans. An example is Barrelatte, a sweep study – sports discipline that combines ballet, yoga and pilates – in the heart of Madrid. Its founder, Paula Tabuyo, soon detected the potential to launch a small selection of products linked to her center and razed. He says that the first time they chose to offer a limited collection of t -shirts and fabric bags, an initiative with “incredible reception” among the clients. “Now that we have been with the study for almost nine months, we have launched a second drop [colección] With caps and a limited edition of sweatshirts … and the sweatshirts have been exhausted in just one week! ”, says Tabuyo. Give If the sale of merchandising is anecdotal. Design beyond stamping the company's name or logo. It serves to differentiate itself from the rest and show social status, ”says María Jesús Santiago Segura, professor of the Department of Sociology at the University of Granada and an expert in sociology of consumption. Overexposure in social networks leads many users to share aspects of their private life with strangers, but this is also replicated in the streets: when embraceing a certain type of merchandising, personal aspects that reflect a certain lifestyle are allowed to glimpse. The musical group that obsesses us or the place where we do sports, all this talks about us with eloquence.
