Since the 1960s, companies have given away single promotional items as swag. It started with pens. Now, the promotional item market has reached a $17.8 billion market share. At conventions, events, and large scale gatherings, giving away promotional pens remains an effective strategy. Baseball caps, t-shirts, and reusable totes are other common give away merchandise.
However, when you aim to make a longer lasting impression, put together a swag kit and fill it with more than one promotional item. A customized swag box for customers from reputable swag box companies shows that your team put more effort into the gifts. Swag kits for sale require an investment. Therefore, sometimes you will need to make some choices about who receives them. Nonetheless, the investment will net a return.
If you haven’t heard about swag kits yet, we’re here to help. We will provide seven examples of swag box ideas for different situations such as swag kits for employees and custom swag kits for new hires.
1. Swag Kits for Employees
The trick to putting together the perfect swag kits for employees is to understand them. Your company’s culture doubles as a great starting point for assembling the contents of the kit. For example, if your company values fitness, the environment, or charity work, fill the kit with items that relate to those values.
If your company participates in charity work more than once a year, give employees items that they can use during their participation. Reusable water bottles, popSockets, and backpacks help them carry and keep essentials in one place.
Employees represent your company. Thus, when they attend conventions, conferences, and events, ensure that they wear your brand. Fill their kits with branded comfy hoodies, reusable totes, and high-end water bottles.
Some swag kits for employees should focus on the marketing aspect of the contents. People enjoy receiving customized baseball hats and jackets. If they understand that you expect them to promote your brand at industry events, they will enjoy wearing the swag, especially if it’s high-end. Another way to approach swag kits for employees is to consider their positions. The sales team is the most visible department. Give them items that help them do their jobs such as custom notebooks, keychains, and high-quality vests.
2. Swag Box for Customers
When you assemble a swag box for customers, take into account what they value. Add another layer by determining their importance to your company. For VIP customers, spare no expense. Fill their boxes with high-tech, travel friendly gadgets, luxury throws, and high-end scented candles.
Swag serves several purposes. Before the year-end and Holiday season begins, compile your sales report. You’ll see the customers that complete the most business with your company on the report. Send the customized swag kits as a thank-you for another wonderful year. For others, use the gift to entice a renewed partnership. The B2B partnership between retailers and suppliers, among others, remains important.
Some customers will appreciate customized high-end coasters, hoodies, t-shirts, and coffee mugs. Loyal customers will enjoy marketing your brand and appreciate the free gifts.
3. Swag Boxes for Virtual Events
In 2020 and 2021, virtual events provided the only method for carrying out meetings, gatherings, and completing business transactions. Moreover, inviting attendees to attend the annual conference, congress, or meeting over a virtual platform became the only option. In 2022, organizations have started holding in-person gatherings again. To help members who aren’t ready to attend large gatherings in-person, they continue offering online options too.
Thus, swag boxes for virtual events still have a place in the swag giveaway market.
Data shows that attending industry events provides several benefits. For marketing purposes, it’s the easiest way to distribute luxury company swag. If you opt to hold a virtual event, gather the items you would give away and put them inside swag boxes for virtual events. Then, ensure that attendees receive them beforehand.
The public anticipates the arrival of their online orders. The only thing that could top that feeling is receiving a swag at home for free.
In addition, you want to make virtual attendees feel a part of the event. By sending them swag such as high-quality hoodies, joggers, and baseball caps, they can wear them when they log in. Then, the items serve as mementos after the event. More importantly, the swag will not lose its marketing power.
Branded swag items for events have marketing power every time recipients wear or use them in public. When they post selfies of themselves in the gear, the items have the same effect online.
4. Remote Employee Swag Kits
Employers gained confidence in remote working from 2020 to 2021. They saw that technology had progressed enough to make completing business and transactions in this manner seamless. Keep in mind that independent contractors, freelancers, and entrepreneurs had already worked remotely since 2008 when the tech first took off. Some entrepreneurs make a living as digital nomads. If your company hires entrepreneurs whom you will never meet in-person, you can still make them feel like part of the team. Consider welcoming them with remote employee swag kits.
Your company can make work from home swag kits tech-focused or comfort related. Digital nomads will enjoy branded chargers, cables, and protective gear for their laptops. You can also send them branded hoodies, t-shirts, and coffee mugs in a high-quality backpack.
Whether you put together remote employee swag kits for hires you have met in-person or those you will only meet online, consider their needs. Then, send them swag for essentials that they would buy too.
5. New Hire Swag Kits
For new employees that will work in your offices, welcome them with new hire swag kits. These will differ a bit from remote employee swag kits. Instead of filling it with items for the home, fill it with items that new hires can enjoy in the office.
The first day on a new job is the same as the first day of school. Most people feel nerves as they attempt to learn the ropes, fit in, and make a good impression. Help them relax by offering them a welcome kit.
For example, scented candles, reusable travel coffee mugs, and a luxurious throw remain items that can survive the commute and come in handy at the office. Some office building managers keep the temperature on the chillier side. Therefore, employees keep an extra sweater at their desk. If you gift them a cozy throw, it shows them that you put their comfort
6. Company Logo Swag Ideas
Companies purchase and distribute swag as part of their marketing plans. The goal is to increase brand awareness. When you order your swag, ensure that it features your company logo. Some high-end brands discreetly feature their logos. Since they have a loyal customer base, their style, quality, and materials speak for themselves. Other brands make their revenues by splashing the company logos across the products.
How your company brands itself depends on several factors. Some company logo swag ideas include:
Placing it on the chest of apparel items
Placing it on the legs of apparel items
Centering the logo on reusable water bottles and travel mugs
Placing the logo on the right-hand bottom corner of totes, backpacks, and duffel bags
Customizing the swag box is another personalized touch your company can add. Building brand recognition starts with using a specific color scheme, font, and logo on all materials that the company distributes.
7. Luxury Company Swag Boxes
All companies try to woo someone. When you seek to close a business transaction, recruit a valuable executive, or win new business partnerships, it’s time to take swag box ideas up to a luxury level. The point of this swag box is to send a message. Consider inserting a pair of high-quality, comfy socks, custom notebook, high-end coffee travel mug, and durable tote.
What are Swag Kits?
Swag kits take promotional items up a notch. It’s a box, kit, or package that contains more than one. If you pick a theme such as fitness, you can fill it with a t-shirt, hoodie, jogger, wipes, and protein bars. Then, instead of picking separate packaging, use a backpack, tote, or duffel bag. The last step makes the swag kit more versatile. Every time the recipient takes the bag to the gym, park, or outdoors, someone will see it and your logo.
Other swag kits double as literal kits or gift baskets with a customized twist. Instead of giving the recipient a basket full of brands from other companies, the kits contain merchandise from your company.
If you do not produce merchandise to give away, you’ll want to work with the best swag companies for ordering quality products. Companies like Aliant Brands help you customize your merchandise by adding your logo, message, or image for a gift that doubles as a marketing tool.
What are the Most Popular Swag Items 2022?
In 2020 and 2021, hand sanitizer and face masks ranked among the most popular swag items. For 2022, things have changed a bit. In some ways, they have started to return to their pre-2020 state.
Swag items that continue holding traction in 2022 include:
Branded drinkware
Custom tote bags
Essentials for weekend warriors
Branded backpacks
Productivity essentials
Tech accessories for gadgets
Outerwear
The most popular swag items have a lifespan longer than one year. Plus, they offer the recipient versatility and usefulness. In addition, the most popular swag items have environmentally friendly features. Durable drinkware that travels well doesn’t need constant replacing. Recipients can refill them at water stations or fill them with their daily cup of Joe. The large 40 ounce metal drinkware options have caught on and people carry them everywhere, not just the gym. Individuals can hydrate throughout the day and they enjoy traveling with it.
What is Swag Used For?
As part of a marketing plan, swag is used to promote a brand. Customizing merchandise with a company logo, color scheme, and font turns it into a marketing tool. Purchasing pens in bulk and customizing them remains a cost-effective advertising strategy. Companies give away swag to promote their brands.
What Kind of Company Swag do Employees Like?
Employees understand that companies will ask them to wear branded gear. They will accept and willingly wear comfortable t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and polos. However, employees prefer to receive company swag separately from gifts. If you distribute branded apparel for events, employees understand that the apparel becomes the event’s uniform.
Therefore, consider gifting employees items that they can use outside of work such as yoga mats, charger cables, plants, and reusable drinkware.
Good company giveaways focus on items that provide value to the recipient. Most professionals can always use an extra set of headphones, charger cables, coffee travel mugs, and bags. If you gift these basics to employees, customers, and event attendees, chances are high that they will appreciate them, even though they have your company’s branding on them.
Promotional items have evolved since the 1960s. In 2022, companies think outside the box before they fill it with customized swag. Pens, calendars, and keychains still have their place in the promotional item market. These items remain cost-effective. Even though you personalize them, it’s easy to order the items in bulk and save.
It’s also important to practice corporate responsibility by giving away versatile items that have several uses. Your recipients will appreciate receiving items they can use or wear regularly as well.