From SWAG to Branded Merchandise: 10 Ways to Elevate Your Company Swag
Editorial Written By: August Wittenberg, COO
Branded merchandise is a valuable marketing tool and should be part of every marketing strategy. In recent years, companies have increased their spending on branded merchandise, with some even opening stores for fans to purchase their products. When fans buy your merchandise, they effectively pay to advertise for you. On the other hand, giving away unwanted promotional items wastes your budget and can harm your brand’s reputation while contributing to environmental waste.
To help you make the most of your branded merchandise, we’ve compiled a guide with 10 essential steps to ensure your promotional products are effective and appreciated. Our Account Executives can work with you through this process.
In today’s competitive business landscape, the quality and relevance of your branded merchandise significantly impact your brand’s perception. Avoid generic, lowquality products that fail to resonate with your audience. Instead, focus on creating thoughtful and purposeful merchandise that reflects your brand’s values, engages your target market, and delivers a memorable brand experience.
1. Plan Ahead with a Timeline and Objective: Careful planning and strategic execution are crucial. Establish a clear timeline and set specific objectives for your campaign to ensure alignment with your marketing goals. While some
factories can produce merchandise in as little as 24 hours, we recommend finalizing decisions 3 weeks to 6 months in advance, depending on customization.
2. Identify Your Target Market: Conduct thorough market research to understand your audience’s preferences, demographics, and behaviors. Tailor your products to meet their needs and interests for maximum engagement and brand recall.
3. Choose Quality Over Quantity: Invest in high-quality merchandise that reflects your brand’s values. Quality products are more likely to be retained and used by recipients, increasing brand visibility and positive associations.
4. Color Matching for Brand Consistency: Merchandise can be color-matched to your brand’s palette to create a cohesive and recognizable identity.
5. Maximize Impressions: Select items that offer maximum visibility for your logo and messaging, like bags, water bottles, and pens, which are frequently used and seen by others.
6. Create a Retail Look: Design your merchandise to emulate retail products by incorporating trendy designs, premium materials, and attractive packaging. This enhances the perceived value and desirability of your products.
7. Prioritize Sustainability: Choose eco-friendly materials, recyclable packaging, and products that support social causes to align with consumer preferences and demonstrate environmental responsibility.
8. Opt for Subtle Branding: Use tonal branding or discreet imprinting to create stylish and sophisticated products that appeal to your audience without being overly promotional.
9. Enhance Packaging: Invest in highquality, visually appealing packaging to enhance the unboxing experience, which can lead to positive impressions and social media shares.
10. Add Value with Hang Tags and Inserts: Include elements like hang tags, inserts, or stickers to provide more information about your brand and drive engagement through QR codes or additional marketing pieces.
By following these 10 steps and prioritizing quality, relevance, and sustainability, you can create a lasting impact on your target audience and differentiate your brand in a competitive marketplace. Remember, every promotional product is an opportunity to showcase your brand’s values and make a positive impression—make it count!
If you would like one of our reps to help you elevate your branded merchandise, please click on this link to START A PROJECT.
SayNoMore! Promotions Fall Gift Guide
Enjoy our curated selection of sustainability products for Fall. From eco-friendly alternatives to everyday essentials for reducing waste, our collection empowers you to make conscious choices without compromising on quality or style. Whether it’s ethically sourced fashion, recycled materials, or planet-friendly products we use daily, each item is thoughtfully crafted to minimize environmental impact and inspire positive change. Make a difference one product at a time!
This icon signifies that the product is environmentally friendly or sustainable.
CORKCICLE® Series A Crossbody Belt Bag
Recycled Sport Fanny Pack
Renew rPET Waist Pack
elleven™ Luminous 15” Recycled Laptop Backpack
Samsonite Mobile Solution Convertible Backpack
Suburbia Metro District RPET Backpack
Vila Recycled Executive Duffle Bag
American Tourister® Embark Utility Tote
Thule Recycled Chasm 40L Duffle Bag
Perka Guji 15oz Recycled Steel and Coffee Grounds
Doppio Stackable Recycled Mug Set 6oz
Elite Geometry Recycled Stainless Tumbler 16oz
MiiR® Everywhere Water Bottle
DUO 26oz Recycled Aluminum Sports Bottle
h2go Glint Water Bottle
Aviana™ Rowan Recycled Water Bottle
Perka Axton 20oz Water Bottle
Larq Swig Top 23oz Water Bottle
DRINKWARE
RovR RollR 45qt Wheeled Hard Cooler
Cuisinart® Venture Portable Gas Grill
iCOOL® Twin Peaks Camping Chair With 18-Can Cooler
Cuisinart Outdoors® Smokeless Tabletop Fire Pit
Tiki Speaki™ Wireless Speaker Lantern
Heritage Supply™ Campfire Sticks
iLive™ Cinema Home Theater Kit
iLive™ Cooler Pro Wireless Cooler Speaker
iLive™ Indoor and Outdoor Bluetooth Solar Speakers
Eddie Bauer® Woodland Shirt Jacket
Russell Outdoors™ Basin Snap Pullover
Port Authority® Women’s Plaid Flannel Tunic
Brooks Brothers® Quilted Vest
Eddie Bauer® Packable Quilted Vest
Women’s Roots73 Lightweight Down Puffer Vest
Nike Women’s Tech Fleece Full-Zip Hoodie
Carhartt® Textured Full-Zip Fleece Jacket
Men’s Roots73 Eco Microfleece Pullover
APPAREL
Seasonal Color Inspiration
Photo Credit: Emily Bonfoey, Fulfillment Manager, SayNoMore! Promotions
FEED Organic Cotton Shopper Tote
Slowtide® Fleece Blanket
OGIO® Women’s Transcend 1/4-Zip Shirt
Parker Recycled 17” Laptop Backpack
Merrimack Hat Co.™ Austin Vintage Trucker
Bottle Buddy Water Bottle Pouch
Osprey Daylite® Plus Backpack
Cleer Enduro 100 Bluetooth Headphones
Wolverine Knit Watch Cap
