SWARM: Answering the Call
Strategy
Market research
Vendor selection & Communications
Sourcing and pricing
Design
I helmed merch design and layout for this charity fanzine, created by and for fans of the band My Chemical Romance. A massive commerical success, the zine grossed over $45,000 in sales and netted over $10,000 in charity revenue.
Part of our overall strategy: zine merch that feels high-quality, thematically coherent, and unique. Key items and process notes can be explored below.
Market research & brainstorming
With thin margins on all products and charity earnings our priority, I led the zine moderation team on a rigorous multi-day vision exercise for merch items, reviewing existing merch and fan merch from the band and similar artists, comparing themes and suppliers, and identifying scalable motifs and colors.
In addition, we leveraged our contributor base for a 10-question market research survey in order to gauge price points and quantities for our initial pre-order period.
“Summoning circle” Bandana
Specs: 22 x 22”/ 56cm x 56cm 100% cotton screen-printed bandana. Summoning tools not included.
Playing on existing fanlore related to “summoning” the band’s elusive fifth album, this bandana proved a big seller in the pre-order period. Functional as both apparel or a cloth mat/miniature tapestry.
Stadium Bag
Specs: 8.75” x 13” / 22cm x 33cm clear vinyl backpack with SWARM logo
Produced with budget and perceived value in mind, this item was targeted towards music fans who need a clear bag to pass security entry for large venues, tying into the fanzines tour-related theme. Bundled with a guitar pick keychain.
