Brands with Great Swag Items Do These 3 Things
Gifting swag to customers can amplify your brand awareness if executed well.
Many brands win the battle but lose the war with their swag. They create items that display their brand messaging prominently, but no one actually wants to use those items out in the world.
These are the three things that brands with great swag always make sure to do.
1. They Choose a Daily-Use Item
Swag items that would be used daily by your customers are more successful than ‘cool’ items. That’s why water bottles and tote bags reign supreme. Branded beach towels and corkscrews are nice, but they won’t see the light of day too often.
What constitutes a daily-use item changes depending on your customer. If your customers are parents, diaper bags and bibs are daily-use items. If they are pet owners, water bowls and leashes are the most useful.
2. They Keep the Copy Simple
I own the above Catbird tote and use it to death. I like that it has minimal copy on it so it’s not overly promotional. The back has their location and URL, but it doesn’t feel obtrusive.
No one wants to feel like a walking billboard for your brand. You can get away with your brand name, but anything more needs a very good reason to be there.
You may want to include your URL, your location, or your brand tagline/service line. If you do, these should not overwhelm the design. Generally, any CTA or language beyond “Go to ourwebsite.com” is overkill.
3. They Put Beautiful Design First
While trying to shoehorn a tagline, brand colors, logo, and lines of copy on one swag item, many brands forget about the overall attractiveness of the design.
With swag, beautiful design wins every time. People actually want to use things they find attractive.
Color plays a big role in this. People are more likely to use a beige tote bag with a simple graphic than a bright orange one with a huge logo slapped on it. If your brand colors are bright orange or neon green, bend the rules of your design guidelines and use muted, neutral colors instead.
Final Thoughts
Swag items are fun. At conferences and events, everyone makes a beeline for the best swag. They can be a great way to drive hype around your brand and increase brand recognition.
Remember that the only goal of a swag item is to be used. They are useless to you (and a waste of money to boot) if they end up stuffed in the back of someone’s closet.
