Branded water bottles. Company hoodies. Carefully curated Instagram stories showing off office perks and team outings. You’ve seen it. Maybe you’ve even done it. But does any of it actually move the needle? Is it just fluff, or does it play a real role in how people decide where to work and whether they stay?
What Is Employer Branding?
Think of employer branding as your company’s reputation. Not with customers, but with current and future employees. It’s how your company feels from the inside out. What values do you actually live by? What’s the day-to-day experience like? Do employees feel proud to work there?
It’s not just perks and ping-pong tables. It’s identity, culture, and connection. Today’s employees are smart. They know when something is performative versus when it’s meaningful. Employer branding is about the identity you project and how well that matches the lived experience of your team.
And when done right, it attracts top talent, keeps people engaged, and turns employees into advocates.
So…Does It Really Make a Difference?
The short answer? Yes. Employer branding can be easy to dismiss as surface-level. But today’s workforce is paying closer attention than ever. Job seekers are looking beyond titles and compensation. They care about how a company makes them feel. They want to feel aligned with the mission, the team, and the values. They want to feel proud of where they work, not just appreciated for what they do. When employees feel that connection, that branded hoodie isn’t just swag; it’s a badge of pride.
What Does That Actually Look Like?
If you want to stand out, employer branding needs to feel intentional, not obligatory. Here are a few ways to bring it to life:
- Limited-edition employee drops with high-quality apparel or gear that employees actually want to wear
- Celebrating internal wins with team gear for big projects, milestone gifts, or subtle, well-designed merch that reinforces company pride
- Practical, everyday items like thoughtfully designed workspace essentials, travel accessories, or tech employees will use
- Prioritize culture over corporate by ensuring branded merch reflects what makes your company unique, whether that’s sustainability, creativity, or a fun, collaborative culture
What Today’s Workforce Wants
Today’s employees want to belong and that doesn’t happen with recognition alone. While recognition will always be needed. It just isn’t enough on its own. Companies that want to build loyalty and advocacy need to go beyond the simple thank you’s and create a culture that employees are proud to be a part of.
Want to create branded experiences your employees actually care about? Let’s talk culture-first merch and employer branding strategies that move the needle.