What Does Company Swag Mean?

When you have an executive role at a company, whether it is C-Suite, managerial, or the head of a department, your job is to do what it takes to propel the company forward. This is true of any employee at an organization. Accountants, salespeople, marketers, board members, CEOs, interns, and everyone in between are responsible for their particular roles, all intending to improve the company.

One crucial department in every organization is the marketing sector. A solopreneur may be responsible for this aspect themselves, but no matter who is responsible for marketing at the company, the goal is to inform audiences about the product or service that the company offers and convince them to make a purchase.

But how can you effectively communicate your message to your target audience? You may focus on social media campaigns, improving website SEO, television advertising, paid online advertising, or even a print initiative. Whatever method your brand pursues, the goal is to increase awareness, recognition, and sales.

What is Swag?

The original definition of the word "swag" has little to do with the modern slang term and what it means in the business world. The acronym "swag" stands for "stuff we all get." In other words, it represents promotional products that companies give away to increase brand recognition, target new audiences, and drive sales.

When people use these promotional products in public, they are displaying a logo or company name to potential customers that may want to take a deeper look at the organization behind the swag item. For this reason, company swag is a great way for marketers to promote the organization to the masses.

How to Use Company Swag Effectively

Promotional items that contain brand imaging for the organization can be used in a multitude of ways to market the product or service and get people excited about the company.

Rewarding Clients or Customers

Your loyal customers can become key brand ambassadors when you gift them with company swag items. Research shows that a customer who has personal buy-in with a brand is excited to spread the word about what they offer. The first person that sees one of your customers using promotional products in public could become a client themselves once they notice the items.

Valuing Employees

From interns to managers, your employees want to feel valued (opens in a new window) for their contributions and who they are as people. Promotional products make great gift ideas that you can give them for their hard work or special occasions like holidays. Businesses are learning that a positive culture can create more productive workers, and swag gifts for employees are a great method for building this environment. If you're hoping to hire new employees, we have recruitment swag that's sure to help.

Public Giveaways/Prizes

Hitting new target markets is always an important task for marketing teams, and sometimes new ideas can help accomplish this goal. By advertising your services with swag giveaways, you can gain access to a whole new audience if you are strategic about where to distribute these promotional items.

Sponsoring local charity events, getting involved in community festivals, and partnering with other local businesses can lead to a broader reach and increased sales. Plus, these avenues provide more ways to giveaway swag either through contests, raffles or for free.

What Makes a Great Piece of Swag?

Having a multitude of products that you can give away with your branding is useless if they are not going to see the light of day once an individual owns them. Your investment, of course, needs to accomplish its goals. Otherwise, why waste money?

Eye-Catching Design

If you have a boring logo or a lame design on your company swag items, then people are not going to want to use them, or if they do, no one else is going to look twice. Let the creative personalities on your team take a crack at making eye-catching designs that will force people to notice these swag items in public.

Quality and Useful Items

If you order cheaply made swag to give away, you will see very few positive returns. If you invest in quality items that are actually useful, then you could see your brand acquire new clients through this mode of advertising. An example of a quality piece of company swag is a water bottle made from recycled materials. It encourages hydration while also being eco-friendly, a trend that gets many people excited.

Swag that Stands on its Own

If your promotional item loses its value the second it leaves your booth or storefront, then it may not be a very good investment. The item must stand on its own and make the individual want to use it in public or around their friends and families. A great example of this would be a custom tote bag. This is extremely useful for athletes, students, and other individuals who regularly have to carry extra items with them during the day. An item that is used more results in more impressions for your brand.

Informational Branding

Along with an eye-catching design, your company swag item should contain helpful information about your brand. at the very least, the company name should be on the item. Contact details could work in some circumstances, but keeping it simple like a short website URL or just a phone number will prevent clutter in the design. If your company swag contains helpful information and contact details that don't ruin the design element, then people are closer to connecting with your brand.

Who to Target?

Where you give away your company swag matters. There's no use shipping promotional products out to people in Kentucky if you are a local store based in Idaho. Your brand should always focus on your target audiences for all marketing efforts, and promotional products are no exception.

If you want to generate more sales, then, of course, you need to give away company swag in markets that include your ideal customers. Craft a strategy to increase your reach with the right people using promotional products and propel your organization forward with swag. Need help getting started? Contact us today!