Helping a Local Norfolk Publishing Company Monetise Their Audience with Custom Merchandise
Monetising an audience doesn’t always mean launching a single product—it can be about creating a range of offerings that resonate with your community. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a local publishing company to do just that, helping them turn their readership across multiple titles into a source of sustainable revenue through custom merchandise.
The Challenge
The publishing company had a loyal readership across multiple publications but wasn’t fully leveraging this audience to generate additional revenue. I identified an opportunity for custom merchandise as a way to engage readers and build a new revenue stream—but they lacked the expertise to manage the process efficiently online.
The Solution: Custom Merchandise Across Multiple Publications
I worked closely with the team to identify opportunities across their portfolio of publications. We focused on creating merchandise that would appeal to different segments of their audience:
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Branded and custom personalised gifts.
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Collectible items tied to specific publications
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Limited edition merchandise to coincide with special issues and events
The goal was to offer products that felt authentic to each publication’s audience while maintaining a cohesive brand identity for the company as a whole.
Developing an Online Ordering System
To make the process scalable, I implemented a Shopify-based online ordering system. This allowed the company to:
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Display products by publication for easy navigation
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Ability to customise product range
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Manage inventory and fulfill orders without manual tracking
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Offer promotions, discounts, and limited-time releases efficiently
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Track sales and audience preferences to inform future product development
The Shopify platform provided a flexible, user-friendly solution that could grow with the company as demand increased.
Results and Impact
Within the first few months:
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The company successfully launched merchandise across three publications
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Reader engagement increased, with many loyal customers purchasing multiple items
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Online ordering streamlined operations, reducing administrative overhead and improving fulfillment times
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Data from sales provided insights into audience preferences, helping guide future product launches
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced a few key principles for monetising an audience effectively:
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Know your audience: Tailor merchandise to the interests and identities of different segments.
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Start with manageable systems: A scalable online platform like Shopify makes a big difference.
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Create authentic products: Merchandise should feel like a natural extension of the brand, not just a cash grab.
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Iterate based on data: Use insights from sales and engagement to refine offerings.
Conclusion
Helping this publishing company monetise their audience with custom merchandise wasn’t just about selling products - it was about creating meaningful touchpoints between readers and the brand. By combining strategic merchandising with a streamlined online ordering system, the company was able to turn engagement into revenue, strengthen brand loyalty, and unlock new growth opportunities.
If you’re looking to replicate this approach, whether for a publishing brand or another type of business, the key is understanding your audience and implementing systems that make merchandising simple, scalable, and impactful.
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