feat(web): flatten frontmatter — drop slug, flat tags/cats, auto-bump updatedDate [skip ci]
diff --git a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md index a71df41..9cfd517 100644 --- a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md +++ b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md @@ -1,17 +1,16 @@ --- title: "Merch as revenue bridge" -slug: merch-as-revenue-bridge pubDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z updatedDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z draft: false excerpt: "Most event promoters treat merch as an afterthought. A box of leftover t-shirts under the DJ booth, sold between sets by whoever happens to be standing nearby. We treated it … Read more" categories: - - { name: Guides, slug: guides } + - Guides tags: - - { name: financial, slug: financial } - - { name: format-guide, slug: format-guide } - - { name: merch, slug: merch } - - { name: tone-instructional, slug: tone-instructional } + - financial + - format-guide + - merch + - tone-instructional featured: src: https://cdn.slist.net/posts/merch-as-revenue-bridge/cover.png alt: "Dark merchandise display with premium hoodies and t-shirts"content: rewrite image URLs from slist.net/wp-content to cdn.slist.net/posts/<slug>/
diff --git a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md index 300cd29..a71df41 100644 --- a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md +++ b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags: - { name: merch, slug: merch } - { name: tone-instructional, slug: tone-instructional } featured: - src: https://slist.net/wp-content/uploads/ai_69d2a452a7bf35.63128985.png + src: https://cdn.slist.net/posts/merch-as-revenue-bridge/cover.png alt: "Dark merchandise display with premium hoodies and t-shirts" legacy_wp_id: 16064 ---fix(web): point upload URLs at slist.net (cdn.slist.net not wired up yet)
diff --git a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md index 164d8be..300cd29 100644 --- a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md +++ b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags: - { name: merch, slug: merch } - { name: tone-instructional, slug: tone-instructional } featured: - src: https://cdn.slist.net/ai_69d2a452a7bf35.63128985.png + src: https://slist.net/wp-content/uploads/ai_69d2a452a7bf35.63128985.png alt: "Dark merchandise display with premium hoodies and t-shirts" legacy_wp_id: 16064 ---feat(web): visually mirror slist.net blog (index + single post)
diff --git a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md index 9905406..164d8be 100644 --- a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md +++ b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md @@ -4,6 +4,17 @@ slug: merch-as-revenue-bridge pubDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z updatedDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z draft: false +excerpt: "Most event promoters treat merch as an afterthought. A box of leftover t-shirts under the DJ booth, sold between sets by whoever happens to be standing nearby. We treated it … Read more" +categories: + - { name: Guides, slug: guides } +tags: + - { name: financial, slug: financial } + - { name: format-guide, slug: format-guide } + - { name: merch, slug: merch } + - { name: tone-instructional, slug: tone-instructional } +featured: + src: https://cdn.slist.net/ai_69d2a452a7bf35.63128985.png + alt: "Dark merchandise display with premium hoodies and t-shirts" legacy_wp_id: 16064 --- Most event promoters treat merch as an afterthought. A box of leftover t-shirts under the DJ booth, sold between sets by whoever happens to be standing nearby. We treated it as the bridge between survival and sustainability.feat(web): full posts+pages sync, browseable UI, curated pages allowlist
diff --git a/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9905406 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2026/merch-as-revenue-bridge/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +--- +title: "Merch as revenue bridge" +slug: merch-as-revenue-bridge +pubDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z +updatedDate: 2026-04-05T20:04:45.000Z +draft: false +legacy_wp_id: 16064 +--- +Most event promoters treat merch as an afterthought. A box of leftover t-shirts under the DJ booth, sold between sets by whoever happens to be standing nearby. We treated it as the bridge between survival and sustainability. + +Here is the reality we faced: during the free-entry growth phase, ticket revenue drops to zero. Bar splits help, but you are sharing that with the venue. Merch became the only revenue stream we fully controlled at every single event. + +## The math that changed the model + +When we shifted to free entry events, we needed a replacement for door revenue. The first merch run was a $1,000 investment for roughly 100 premium shirts. Heavyweight organic cotton, oversized fit, stitched logo on the front, printed back. Price point: $60-100 per piece. + +At that margin, selling 15-20 shirts at a single event covers the ad spend for the next one. The merch profit funds the marketing that brings the next crowd that buys the next batch of merch. It is a flywheel, not a side hustle. + +## Why premium pricing works for underground brands + +We set the floor at $60. That sounds steep for a rave t-shirt. It is not. Premium pricing does three things simultaneously. + +First, it filters for invested community members. Someone spending $60-100 on a hoodie is not a tourist. They are making a statement about identity. They will wear it to the next event, to the coffee shop, to the gym. Every wear is a walking advertisement. +Diff truncated (54 lines total). View full commit on GitHub →
