Ballard Way Resources
In the spirit of sharing best practices, we are publicly sharing some of our helpful processes and systems that we have developed to Do Good. Better. at the Ballard Center.
Feel free to download and use the ideas or documents as templates/inspiration for the work at your organization.
Questions? Contact us at ballardcenter@byu.edu.
Ballard Center Physical Products Strategy
Guidelines for creating and ordering physical swag and merchandise items.
Purpose
Our physical products (branded swag and merch) exist to advance the mission of the Ballard Center by enhancing connection and visibility. These products serve as tools for education, celebration, outreach, and identity-association for our community. They provide opportunities for word-of-mouth advertising and act as conversation-starters that give others a chance to chat about the Ballard Center and what it means to Do Good. Better.
Guiding Principles
Every item we produce should:
- Be excellent and desirable: designed to spark joy and pride in ownership.
- Be mission-aligned and reinforce our Do Good. Better. values and curriculum.
- Be strategically selected based on purpose, audience, and cost.
- Be sustainable: prioritize eco-friendly, fair trade, and ethically sourced options.
- Be strategically distributed: used for relationship-building, outreach, or incentives.
- Be audience-tested by at least 5 target users before bulk ordering.
- Be legally and brand compliant: meet BYU and Ballard Center trademark and licensing standards
Instructions
All Ballard Center branded physical products must be approved by the head of Marketing and Communications. Proposals for physical products must be submitted by completing the proposal form and emailing the proposal to ballarddesign@byu.edu.
Use Cases and Audiences
| Use Case | Audience | Description |
| Promotional Giveaways | General student body | <$5 items like stickers, pens, small plants to raise awareness at booths/fairs. |
| Event-specific Merchandise | Conference attendees, students, speakers | $5–$10 items distributed at events like the Do Good. Better. Conference. |
| Swag Store Incentives | Ballard Center student employees | >$10 items purchased with Ballard Bucks (which are given for birthdays, anniversaries, or performance recognition.) |
| Volunteer & Speaker Gifts | Guest speakers, partners, collaborators | High-quality branded thank-you items that reflect Ballard Center values. |
| BYU Store Products | Broader BYU and Do Good. Better. community | Branded merchandise sold online/in-store via BYU Custom Products. |
Notes on Inventory Management:
The welcome desk team maintains a central inventory log to track existing items, quantities on hand, usage frequency, and restock triggers. This helps reduce waste and ensures availability for priority events.