Promo Pro: Tommy Gomez, Account Director, Brilliant (asi/146116); Counselor’s Distributor Salesperson Up-and-Comer-of-the-Year 2023

End-Client: Cash App, a mobile payment service app company

Job: Create a new and effective way to distribute branded merchandise to employees living around the world

Order Value: $250,000 – and climbing

STEP 1: STRIVE TO BE A PARTNER

The simple sometimes sets the stage for the monumental.

Just ask Tommy Gomez. The promo sales pro and his colleagues at Brilliant (asi/146116) aced what he described as a fairly straightforward gifting order for Cash App in 2022 after the mobile payment service company approached the distributorship for help.

“We serve as trusted advisers – extensions of our clients’ teams,” says Gomez. “With that approach, we executed on this order and it was really well-received. That opened the door to a strong partnership with Cash App.”

STEP 2: UNDERSTAND THE CLIENT’S GOALS

So it was that when Cash App needed help on a much more ambitious project, it turned to Gomez and the talented team at Brilliant for help.

The company wanted to create an engaging and effective means for distributing swag to employees in the U.S. and abroad. There were particular objectives to meet.

“The client desired a universally exciting experience for employees to celebrate the Cash App brand, and to ensure consistency across global markets in which employees are located,” explains Gomez. “It was also important to prevent stored inventory from becoming stagnant and, pivotally, to drive engagement and create discourse and connection among employees.”

Tommy Gomez and Brilliant created this longsleeve shirt for Cash App. It features the Cash App name “sandwiched” in subtly on a fun design.

STEP 3: LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO CRAFT A SOLUTION

Gomez shares that Brilliant has placed a sharp focus on having the technology, warehousing and fulfillment capabilities to provide clients with top-notch web stores.

He felt just such an online store would be the perfect fit for Cash App. Still, mindful of keeping things fresh, Gomez spearheaded the concept of making the store seasonal.

“The idea was for a branded web-based pop-up store that would be available once a quarter through our Brilliant-powered Storefront solution,” Gomez shares.

The client loved the idea, and Gomez and the Brilliant crew got to work.

STEP 4: GENERATE A LITTLE HEALTHY ‘FOMO’

As part of the build, Gomez arranged it so that the tailor-made company store would open for just two weeks at a time, every few months. That would create a timely, “act now” feel that would help drive Cash App team members to redeem their quarterly swag allowance quickly. (Employees are able to select up to five pieces at no cost.)

“This keeps the engagement with the program high, while ensuring excitement surrounding new products,” Gomez explains.

The “FOMO” angle was no doubt a savvy strategy, but it would fall flat if the products weren’t up to snuff. To populate the pop-up store with items Cash App employees would love, Gomez approached the project from the perspective of a traditional retailer, asking himself questions like: “Who is my audience? Where do they live? What do they like?”

This tie-dye crystal wash T-shirt by Tie-Dye USA was part of a Cash App pop-up store collection that Brilliant’s Tommy Gomez developed.

Those questions weren’t exactly easy. Employees were located worldwide across different regions and climates. Gomez and the Brilliant team had to create a collection that felt intentional and resonated with all of them, everywhere.

“Our approach was to lead with universal staples like hoodies, socks and hats, but then garnish the assortment with a few fun unique items at lower quantities,” says Gomez, adding that core pieces were dubbed “The Vintage Line.”

As for special products, each new collection features seasonal items and also has exclusive, limited-quantity pieces to create an element of surprise and panache for employees.

“The Fall collection, for instance, featured a beautiful triangle handbag by luxury French brand, Talel Paris,” Gomez shares. “By including at least one ultra high-end fashion piece, it elevates the perceived value of just about everything else alongside it.”

This neon green triangle bag from French fashion brand Talel Paris was part of the Cash App line.

STEP 5: CREATE A ‘BESPOKE, ONE-OF-A-KIND RETAIL FEEL’

Other standout products in the collections have included a tie-dye crystal wash T-shirt by Tie-Dye USA, a unisex sponge fleece pullover sweatshirt by Bella +Canvas (asi/39590), a nylon field trip hat by Weld MFG, a custom crewneck sweater by Knitwise (asi/65456), and a puffy tote bag from Powered by People.

While all great products, Gomez says, there’s the potential to considerably curtail their appeal if they’re branded/decorated improperly. Gomez put a lot of thought into getting such elements correct, and came away with a key conclusion that helped spur attractive designs.

“Loud branding featuring one’s logo mark front and center isn’t always warranted, especially when gifting to an audience already deeply connected to your brand,” says Gomez. “For this project, Cash App’s fluid identity system allowed us ample runway to lead with a variety of patterns, illustrations and designs, rather than their logo. This gave nearly every item a truly bespoke, one-of-a-kind retail feel.”

“Employees flooded the store the minute it launched, placing 500 orders within the first two days. The entire collection sold out by the end of the week.”– Tommy Gomez, Brilliant

STEP 6: LAUNCH & BUILD

The first Brilliant-made pop-up store for Cash App debuted in August. It was a resounding success.

“Employees flooded the store the minute it launched, placing 500 orders within the first two days,” says Gomez. “The entire collection sold out by the end of the week. So many employees began sharing photos of their gear that we decided to add a carousel to the store, showcasing this content. We labeled it ‘Swag in the Wild’ and promised early access to future drops to all those who submit images.”

A second pop-up store launched in the fourth quarter of 2023. As of this writing, collective sales were north of $250,000. The next seasonal store is scheduled to go live in Q1 of 2024.

“It’s been an exciting project to work on,” says Gomez. “We continue to collaborate with Cash App on various projects as more and more employees learn about Brilliant.”

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