Printing has come a long way. It used to be a marvel to get two-sided and color printing. Now three digital printing and improved technology has made it so that you can print a chocolate bar in your logo or put your company logo on everything from clothing to tech gadgets to cosmetics to household items.
Swag offers a unique promotional opportunity if done correctly because everyone likes free stuff. It can also be done on a grand scale or on a (fairly) low budget.
Awards shows tend to do fancy baskets with giveaways of sponsored items. The 2022 Oscars swag bag was valued at a whopping $140,000 with offerings such as a three night stay at a Scottish Castle, a spa getaway at Escondido’s famous Golden Door Resort, Botox services, and smaller fare such as detangling hair brushes and CBD-based skin care products.
On the other side of the spectrum are the ubiquitous offerings of canvas totes, pens, hats, and t-shirts. Individual companies sometimes offer ways to customize their products with your logo. M&Ms, for instance, have a Design Your Own portal on their website where you get to do just that, choosing your color palette and your printed image. Also popular now are tech offerings from earbuds to phone chargers to power banks to bluetooth speakers and phone soap. Snacknation website has a detailed blog on all the different options and why you might choose what products for your company’s swag. If you want to go the sustainable route, check out Ethical Swag’s site where they provide alternatives to plastic and disposable items with bamboo, canvas, and zero waste options.
So how do you choose what to print? The most important question is: who is your swag for and where are you giving it out? Is it something they might use a lot and therefore be exposed to your logo on a constant basis, or is it going to end up in the trash or donated or tucked away in a drawer? Printing options are many but pricing is still expensive. So choose wisely and well. For women, lip balms might get more use than a nerf ball. For most, pens are always useful, but at a trade show, bottled water and chocolate, while ephemeral, can draw patrons to your booth. If you’re at a beach event, towels and inflatable balls go with the territory, but at a fancy gala or awards show, you might not want to pull out the custom Post-It notes.
Swag is an important part of any corporate event or branding activation, and so is professional cleaning. PopUP CleanUP offers professional cleaning services and porters for your pre, live and post event needs.
