D – Information and inspiration related to haptic advertising and merchandising – whether for print, live or digital formats: That is what the Haptica brand of the publishing company, WA Media (also publishers of eppi), which targets end users in the DACH region, stands for. While in the past individual products existed side-by-side, each with its own branding, all components of the Haptica platform are now united under one shared umbrella brand. This strengthens the brand and its high recognition factor, while at the same time reflecting modern media consumption habits.
A newly developed, distinctive logo that represents both the umbrella brand as a whole and each of the individual Haptica products, while embodying the concept of “haptic” itself, forms a key element of the relaunch: The slightly offset positioning of the letters “pt” creates a three-dimensional effect.
A new tagline for the entire Haptica family accompanies the new logo: “Merch & Marketing.” It is evident that the term “Merch” is becoming increasingly widespread, particularly among younger target audiences. Merch is cool. It represents modern, sustainable and useful products that generate desire and enhance brand value. “Marketing,” meanwhile, provides the overarching context. After all, merch and haptic advertising are part of the marketing world and contents across all Haptica media and the Haptica Live event consistently focuses on integrating haptic brand ambassadors into a broader marketing strategy. The new brand encompasses all Haptica communication platforms, all of which share a common purpose: To inform, inspire and connect end users, suppliers and fans of merchandise and haptic advertising.
The magazine
The German-language Haptica print magazine enables a deep dive every two months. The “Campaigns & Concepts” rubric examines marketing practices in the form of interviews with well-known brands, stories and examples of best practice. “Products & Ideas” offers concrete product suggestions, whilst the “Knowledge & Facts” section provides information on topics like marketing, design, sustainability, industry studies and customising technologies.
The online portal
This is the online touchpoint for even more content and the complete archive of Haptica issues. In addition to daily news, a new “Product Special” – featuring product recommendations curated by the editorial team – is published every two weeks. Suppliers and distributors present themselves in “Company Profiles” and can be contacted with a single click, while experts from well-known companies share how they implement merchandise in the “Brand Stories”.
Haptica live
Since 2013, Haptica live has brought merchandise fans together annually to discover new products, collect ideas and discuss how haptic communication can strengthen brands. The 15th edition of the trade fair will take place on March 17, 2027, at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), as usual.
Visitors from the Marketing, HR and Procurement Departments of companies that use promotional products, as well as from advertising agencies and the promotional products trade will find the products they need for their projects here, along with a wealth of ideas and innovations they may not have encountered before. This is guaranteed by the over 100 exhibitors, who represent every product category on the market. In addition to this, the Newcomer Area will once again unite exciting start-ups.
As always, the lecture forum will feature well-known companies, organisations and experts, who will all share valuable insights into the world of haptic brand ambassadors. A tour of the trade fair wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Best Practice Show, which showcases outstanding new campaign ideas every year.
The newsletter
As a digital enhancement to the Haptica universe, the Haptica Newsletter (formerly Haptica Mail) provides monthly updates featuring news, ideas and inspiration regarding haptic communications. Anyone, who would like to have the Haptica Newsletter sent to their inbox every four weeks can subscribe free of charge at haptica.online/news.
Social media
The Haptica LinkedIn channel posts news and interesting finds from the world of merchandise, as well as updates from the Haptica world. The aim is to foster a community that focuses on merchandise and haptic advertising. A community that connects and meets both online and offline, for example at the Haptica live.
