The Pentagon
When Ordering Merch Stops Being Someone's Second JobShane Lussier, Senior Account Manager, worked with the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) at the Pentagon to develop their branded merchandise program.
By launching a self-service, online store, we eliminated the manual bottleneck and freed staff to focus on their actual work.
As store sales grew, the OSW team easily submitted merch orders and wore their gear with pride.
Meet Our Client
The Office of the Secretary of War operates at the civilian leadership center of the U.S. military. Brand Fuel's Senior Account Manager, Shane Lussier, partnered with their team for nearly a decade, building a relationship rooted in trust and a shared commitment to getting the details right.
Shane is zoned in on supporting military linked clients because he is a fourth generation U.S. Navy Veteran himself. He served as an Electronic Warfare Technician aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and as a Plankowner on the USS George Washington (CVN-73).
Like many military and government offices, the OSW runs a brand merchandise program with no dedicated staff and no formal budget line. Someone volunteers to take it on as a collateral duty, managing it alongside their actual job.
It works, until it doesn't.
THEIR CHALLENGE
For years, every apparel order ran through one person's inbox. Staff would email their requests, she would track them one by one, and the whole thing moved forward on patience and persistence. There was no system, just a person doing her best to hold it together.
The product selection hadn't grown much either. For most of the relationship's history, staff could choose between a jacket and a vest. The options were limited, so participation was too.
As interest grew and more groups joined the program, the manual process started straining. Between 2023 and 2024, orders nearly tripled. More participants meant more emails, more spreadsheet rows, and more chances for things to slip. Something had to change, but no one had been tasked with fixing it.
OUR SOLUTION
Shane introduced a pop-up online store idea, not as an upsell, but because it was clearly the right fit.
A dedicated storefront meant staff could place orders directly, on their own time, without routing everything through one person's inbox.
That is what a decade of partnership looks like in practice. We looked at how they were operating and brought them a better way to do it.
The store also opened up the catalog in a meaningful way. Instead of two options, staff could choose from a full range of lifestyle and workout apparel, all carrying the official logo.
More variety gave people a real reason to participate, and they did.
THE IMPACT
Return on Investment
- Orders grew 253% in one year. Staff had more choices, which increased participation
- A self-service store eliminated the manual bottleneck and freed staff to focus on their actual work
Return on Emotion
- The OSW team was proud to wear the gear, adding to a sense of belonging and pride
- Our client had a significant amount of time and stress taken off her plate
Return on Community
- The store strengthened internal identity inside the Pentagon and beyond
- Veterans and active service members feel valued and appreciated when seeing the merch out in the world
LESSONS LEARNED
"Seeing the store's growth was incredibly rewarding. But what I value most is the relationship with the team. Not many people get to build partnerships connected to the Pentagon."
— Shane Lussier, Senior Account Manager, Brand Fuel
Military and government offices run lean. Branded merchandise programs often exist because someone cared enough to make them happen, not because there was a system to support them.
Brand Fuel understands that environment. We do not just fulfill orders. We look at how you are operating and find ways to make it work better, whether that means a pop-up store, a streamlined ordering process, or something else entirely.
The right solution depends on your situation. That is exactly why we start by listening.
Interested in turning your brand into wearable merch?
Fill out the form below. We'll be in touch!