Understanding How Meme Coins Are Emerging as the Next Merch Frontier

The loyal communities formed around meme coins are akin to those around influencers on social media. Can meme coin communities leverage the knowledge from influencers such as selling collectibles, merch, etc. to build a brand and enhance how the community engages with the coins?

In this digital age, consumers are more likely to be loyal to influencers than any brand.  In the past, brands relied heavily on traditional advertising to build loyalty and an identity. However, consumers are not solely drawn to brands due to the products or services they offer and their perceived quality, but rather are drawn in by the pull influencers. 

According to a report by Charle Agency, a marketing agency, marketers are increasingly selecting influencer marketing over traditional advertising, with the market currently standing at $21.1 billion. According to Hubspot, 25% of marketers work with influencers to promote products, demonstrating its growing popularity and entrance into mainstream marketing channels. Additionally, 69% of consumers trust recommendations offered by influencers when making purchases, especially on new products and services. 

‘Influencer-brand loyalty’ is revolutionizing brands’ marketing strategies and in turn is changing how consumers perceive brands. Consumers are increasingly seeking brands that align with their values, beliefs and ambitions. Influencers are well positioned to promote products in this way through meticulously curated content and personas, which drives consumers to follow them. Influencers in this sense have become brands themselves, driving consumers to buy or try products that are endorsed by their favorite influencers. 

Notwithstanding, influencer marketing is also impacting the culture of collectables and  virtual communities. The rise of social media has seen the world shift from physical collectibles, to the digitization of collectibles becoming more common. Today, influencers around the world often release limited-edition merchandise, such as clothing, accessories, or digital assets, which their followers eagerly collect.  Consumers rush to purchase these collectibles, which provide a sense of belonging amongst followers as they buy into the persona and branding of the influencers who promote their products.

Meme coins emerge as the next merch frontier

Similar to influencer branding and merchandising, meme coins are also adopting this trend, building off similarities between influencer/follower relationship[s and meme coin communities. Meme coins offer a unique blend of internet culture and community building, but add an element of financial speculation. Meme coins can tap into these ingrained attributes to take advantage of the rise in digital merchandising, supported by the community and hype surrounding them. As most meme coins are purely driven by their respective communities, merchandise could be the key to strengthening these communities even further. 

This type of branding makes for a very fun community-building merch opportunity for the platforms and fans alike. Similar to influencers, meme coins can use merch to drive the values and beliefs of a particular community.  By offering merch, meme coin platforms can tap into their community’s loyalty and provide fans with a tangible way to express their support.

Case study: LADYS meme coin launches merchandising page

One such meme coin, LADYS, a meme coin nodding to a popular NFT collection, plans to optimize a merchandising strategy, offering users a collection of t-shirts, caps, hoodies and other items. 

“LADYS is not another meme coin. LADYS is a self-organised meme coin. LADYS is the drip currency. LADYS is the points for karma, charm and beauty. LADYS is the accumulation of clout.”

LADYS will launch its official merchandise page offering its community the opportunity to show their love for the meme coin, specifically targeting KOLs to boost the presence of LADYS as a brand that the crypto community if in-tune with. The merchandise allows LADYS holders to express their support for the token and foster a sense of connection across the community. 

This entrance into more traditional merchandising is expected to strengthen the sense of community among LADYS holders, and increase engagement across different platforms. Merchandise can also boost the authenticity of the meme coin, bringing more people into the community, whereby the merchandise serves as the entry point into the LADYS community. 

Final words

Merchandising is rapidly growing alongside the rise in influencer marketing. Implementing similar strategies, meme coins can tap into the power of communities and community-building culture to create a deeper connection with potential and current holders of their token. Merchandise could enhance the authenticity of the token and drive brand loyalty and long-term success.

Leveraging the power of influencer merchandising culture, meme coin communities can create a deeper connection with their fans and market themselves to new audiences, enhancing adoption.