T-shirt printing company Spreadshop is partnering with YouTube to enable merchants, brands and ‘creators’ to promote their T-shirts and other merch using YouTube’s oft-overlooked merch shelf, store tab and more – and the European Space Agency (ESA) is one of the early adopters.
YouTube and Spreadshop pride themselves on promoting self-expression and, With the merch features, YouTube creators can connect their channel to their Spreadshop. The products are displayed across the creators’ channel, including the digital merch shelf directly below their videos and in a store tab on their channel page. This seamless integration allows creators to reach their target group exactly where the interest and attention is greatest – in the context of their videos.
The ESA is pioneering the service, allowing space fans to find merch from the ESA collection such as “There is no Planet B” or “Extra Terrestrial” among the European Space Agency’s videos and can select their favourite products directly on YouTube.
Spreadshop offers YouTube creators the opportunity to produce their merchandise on the industry’s largest assortment of 130+ products. Additionally, they can offer their fans merch worldwide in 11 languages and 10 currencies.
For example, a creator from the USA. can stream from their home country while offering their fanbase in Germany or France products, which are then produced in Europe. The creator decides which items are shown below their YouTube videos, which allows them to feature promotions and special editions in a targeted way.
The integration means a shopping experience without interruption. Key product information, like product images and names, are displayed in the merch features, so fans don’t have to ask for merchandise in comments or search for it on the internet anymore. For production, shipping, and customer service, creators can rely on Spread Group’s existing infrastructure and 18 years of print-on-demand experience.
Erik Aanderaa and Anita Girlietainment are among the few selected partners who were able to integrate merch shelf parallel to the launch. Erik Aanderaa and his channel ’No Bullshit Just Sailing’ is the perfect fit for sailing enthusiasts, with more than 100,000 subscribers already. But you will search in vain for turquoise blue seas and secret bays. Instead you will find breathtaking pictures of the Norwegian coast and the Atlantic Ocean. “I added some pictures and a link to my Shop on my videos. And the sales went crazy, I actually couldn’t believe it. I wear the T-shirts and hats in my videos, it’s remarkable what it does for my sales.”
Anita Girlietainment has been active on YouTube since 2015 and has almost 400,000 subscribers. Her channel is all about horses and her adventures with them. Anita says about her work and her Spreadshop: “As a YouTuber, I benefit from all of Spreadshop’s services. While I stay busy with my videos and community, Spreadshop takes care of the rest— giving me an excellent platform and great customer service. My subscribers have said that Spreadshop takes care of them whenever they have questions.”
Spread Group CEO, Philip Rooke adds: “Our integration with YouTube is a milestone for creators monetising their content. We have been working with influencers selling merch for years and this brings them closer to YouTube. We also definitely see that the YouTube audience loves merch from Influencers and brands.”
