WiiCreate is shaping the onboarding culture for African startups

WiiCreate has launched Merch Box, a branded merchandise solution that would help to improve the onboarding culture of African startups.

Branded merchandise is any item that has a company’s logo or other elements of the company’s brand identity. More than just putting a logo on items and sharing these free items, Wii's Merch Box has presented a cost-effective way of building the culture of a company.

Last month, Chidi* received a congratulatory email from Shopify. His interview with the e-commerce solutions provider was successful and he was asked to resume on November 9, 2020. A week to the resumption date, however, Shopify sent Chidi a box containing a laptop, branded t-shirt and sweatshirt, as well as other work equipment and communication material necessary for his productivity. Chidi began to prepare for his first day. He even shared a picture of the box on social media with a caption indicating his preparedness and excitement to join the Company.

That gesture of sending Chidi a box, though simple, not only implies that Shopify has a good onboarding process but also expresses their acceptance of and value for him. Onboarding enables new employees to settle into their role and hit the ground running on their first day. Companies need employees to be productive, and a good onboarding process will help to reduce the time it takes new employees to reach their full potential of productivity.

Did you know that the waiting period between the acceptance of a job offer by an applicant and when they resume, can be used to build good rapport? Sending new employees a Merch Box, ahead of their resumption day like Shopify, is a way to let them know they are valued. The ultimate goal of good onboarding is to reduce workforce turnover and encourage employees to work with the organization for as long as possible.

According to Bersin by Deloitte, 90% of employees decide whether to stay with a company within the first six months of starting a new job. Another study concluded that 23% of new employees who receive a poor onboarding experience leave the company in their first year.

Hence, the best onboarding process begins with the experience of job applicants and ends when they are no longer a part of the organization. Even moments such as their first year anniversary as employees should be commemorated and accommodated within a proper onboarding process. Using merch boxes in the onboarding process is great for communicating corporate identity while building cohesion between old and new employees as they use the items in their merch box.

With the new Merch Box launched by WiiCreate, companies and their employees will not only have access to custom and branded merchandise but will be able to use top-range, consistent and distinguished merchandise to express their brand identity, influence, style, culture and appreciation. With the Merch Box, companies will successfully influence how employees and customers think and feel about them.

When you put your company’s brand identity on high-quality, useful, and attractive items, you’re telling people that your company understands quality, is desirable, and solution-driven

"For years, companies have been known to order bulk merch items like t-shirts and laptop stickers from various sources in bulk. Those merch items are then sorted in-house and distributed", WiiCreate said on its website.

"[But with our Merch Box], you can curate your own boxes with products peculiar to your brand. Once you have selected the items that should go into each box, Wii design, pack and ship your boxes to you — worldwide!"

WiiCreate has also partnered with Smiley Socks to allow users add Smiley Socks products, including socks and briefs, to their Merch Box.

Wii are excited to announce an integration with @smileysocksco_. You can now add Smiley Socks to your Merch Box on https://t.co/c3sEHkKRAy

Building your own Merch Box, just got more exciting! 💙💛#WiiSmile #WiiDeyTogeda pic.twitter.com/GFRXYx560N

— Wii CREATE (@wiicreate) November 25, 2020

Onboarding is one of the many use cases of the Merch Box launched by Wii Create, it can also be used as gifts to customers, investors, members of your community or value chain, subscribers, followers, and even for giveaways or events. Alongside the Merch Box, WiiCreate is also launching its website which will allow customers to order other merchandise in bulk.

Here are 10 Uses and Benefits of A Merch Box:

1. It can be a source of revenue. Shopify and Google not only use branded merch but also have online stores where they sell them. African startups can partner with WiiCreate to start selling their branded merch without having to worry about sourcing, design, and delivery. Benjamindada.com has done this: We are selling cool branded merch. Please order.
2. Branded merch is a cost-effective way to engineer word of mouth marketing. When people use a company’s branded merch, it’s easier for them to talk about that company because branded merch is a natural conversation starter. For instance, when someone sees you wearing a branded wristband or t-shirt, they can ask if that’s where you work or what the company does.
3. Merch Boxes maximize brand exposure and mind share. Because of the different branded items in a Merch box, it is expected that the recipient would give some to other people, or that the Company would enjoy continuous top-of-the-mind-awareness as the recipient uses the branded items.
4. Branded merch turns employees into ambassadors and customers into loyal fans.
5. Merch Boxes boost direct sales. Many studies have shown that people who receive promotional products remember a company’s name better than those that don’t, and new customers who receive Merch, have longer and better life-time value.
6. Branded merch increase brand recognition and provide a competitive advantage.
7. Merch Box is a low-cost, effective promotion strategy.
8. Merch Boxes are appealing and can be used as rewards in a referral programme or to encourage employees for reaching certain milestones.
9. Merch Box allows you to build a priceless emotional connection with customers.
10. Merch Box is also flexible and very customizable. There is a wide range of products to choose from. This allows you to curate a box to your taste and curate an entirely different box for members of your community.

About WiiCreate

WiiCreate is a print-on-demand startup founded in 2017 by Oreoluwa Shonibare and Donald Onwochie. The team has worked with Piggyvest, Cowrywise, Eyowo, Eden, and other startups in Nigeria.

Through its #WiiCare initiative, WiiCreate has supported different businesses and movements. The most recent movement being the End SARS protests.

*not real name

November 25, paragraph 12 and the tweet were added.

Cover image is from Freepik.com