If you've been even slightly online in the past decade you've undoubtedly come across Facebook groups, Instagram pages, and TikTok accounts proclaiming hatred for coriander (aka: cilantro). While some people truly love the popular garnish, it has a very active group of online haters who often disparagingly compare its flavour to soap. US fast food chain Chipotle, which uses a lot of cilantro/coriander in its Mexican dishes, decided to put a fun marketing spin on the concept with a new sold-out promo product: cilantro soap!

1. Know your audience, be original.
2. Keep it simple, stay on-brand.
3. Use high-quality materials, customise.

Fun Promotional Product Idea

It would be easy for a restaurant that serves a lot of coriander to get on the defensive about the internet's widespread hatred of the ingredient, but Chipotle smartly turned this negative into a positive for its business by embracing the absurdity of the meme. Enter the quirky promotional items dubbed "Cilantro Soap" which Chipotle has said that any fan of the brand can appreciate, no matter where they stand on "the cilantro debate."

The soap is custom made with authentic coriander so it really does have the distinctive aroma that people love or love to hate, and because of the soap's association with the popular meme Chipotle managed to sell out the limited edition bar within hours!

Branded Soap as a Custom Gift

While Chipotle has the kind of social media presence that can get away with a meme-based custom product, smaller businesses can benefit from promotional bath and shower items like bars of soap too. Everyone needs to keep clean and by providing soap in branded packaging you can get your message noticed by recipients in a unique and memorable way.

While here at Cubic Promote we've never had to make coriander soap, we are used to providing Aussie-made promo soap featuring natural plant oils and natural moisturising agents (no petro-chemicals or phosphates in our locally produced soaps!).

Meme-to-Merch: Guidelines

Memes are a popular way to engage with customers, and turning them into merchandise can be a great way to build brand awareness and drive sales. Here are some guidelines to follow when turning memes into company merchandise:

• Know your audience: Before creating any merchandise, it's important to understand your audience and what they find humorous or entertaining. This will help ensure that your merchandise is well-received and has the potential to go viral.
• Be original: While it's tempting to jump on the bandwagon of a popular meme, creating original content can help set your merchandise apart and make it more memorable.
• Keep it simple: Memes are often simple and easy to understand, so keeping your merchandise simple and to the point can help ensure that it's easily recognizable and shareable.
• Stay on brand: While memes can be humorous and irreverent, it's important to stay true to your brand's values and messaging. This will help ensure that your merchandise is consistent with your overall marketing strategy.
• Use high-quality materials: When creating merchandise, it's important to use high-quality materials that will stand up to regular use. This will help ensure that your merchandise is well-received and has the potential to become a long-term marketing asset.

Custom Bath and Shower Item Benefits

Promotional bath and shower items like promotional soaps can be a unique and memorable way to promote your brand. Here are some benefits of using promotional bath and shower items in your marketing strategy:

• High visibility: Bath and shower items are used regularly, which means that your branding will be seen on a daily basis. This can help increase brand awareness and drive sales over time.
• Customisable: These can be customised with your branding or messaging, which means that you can create a unique and memorable marketing asset that reflects your brand's values and messaging.
• Cost-effective: Bath and shower products are often cost-effective, which means that you can create a high-impact marketing campaign without breaking the bank.
• Wide range of options: There are many different types of bath and shower items to choose from, including soap, body wash, and bath salts. This means that you can choose the item that best fits your brand and marketing goals.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, turning memes into company merchandise and using promotional bath and shower items can be a great way to promote your brand and engage with customers. By following the guidelines outlined above and choosing high-quality products, you can create a memorable marketing campaign that drives sales and builds brand awareness over time.

Images and info from https://newsroom.chipotle.com/2021-12-02-Chipotle-Brings-Popular-Meme-To-Life,-Introduces-Cilantro-Soap and https://chipotlegoods.com/