I do strive every year to decrease my footprint: less disposable, more reusable. In a way, that’s been a resolution of mine for years, and increasingly our society is pushing in that direction.
Ok, so I said no resolution talk – instead let’s talk about branding and SWAG.
What is SWAG? In the olden days, swag referred to a thief’s loot or stolen goods. But there is also the verb: he swaggers through the hall (cool, confident, composed), and let’s not forget the tie for holding a curtain back. In a quick google search, someone claims it stands for “Stuff We All Get.” So, let’s merge that all together and make our own definition, how about: Really cool stuff, that I will use, that also shows off a brand or business I like. (Did you see that; I got a little piece of my resolution in there!)
Why spend our hard-earned money on swag? Well, like everything we do at S3, it totally depends on your business and your audience(s).
SWAG for Employees:
I’m a big fan of branding our employees. When I walk into a business, I want to be able to quickly identify if you are an employee or customer. From a simple t-shirt or apron to a nice button up or puffy vest with logo embroidered, it reinforces who you are.
My daughter is spending this year as a wrangler, taking people on horseback rides in Colorado and now Arizona. She’s 19, 5’2.5, and 115 pounds. So, she’s the youngest and the smallest at the ranch. Within a week, she knew she needed logo’d shirts, so she would be identified as a team member. The ranch didn’t brand their employees. So, being the kid she is, she bought herself enough t-shirts and sweatshirts to be able to be branded everyday she worked. It made a big difference. Are your team members identifiable?
I’ll never forget, years ago, watching a local news show and the entire staff was drinking from disposable coffee cups. It was so tacky! Needless to say, they got an email calling them out, and the next time I watched, guess what? Branded coffee cups. Is there something that can be better not only for the environment, but for your office?
We’re not saying, spend needlessly, we are saying, are you branding your team appropriately?
SWAG for Clients/Customers:
So many possibilities, but before we order anything, we look at our goals: build brand awareness, stay top of mind with our clients, bring new clients in.
Where are we giving this out? Holiday gifts, trade shows, consumer shows. We want something that isn’t going in the trash, something people are going to not only hang on to, but actually-use. There are so many ideas, but what is appropriate for your business and is it even necessary?
Retail SWAG:
Coffee shops are notorious for this! But, so are ski areas, vacation spots, etc. Who doesn’t have a favorite t-shirt with the memories to go with it?. Retail SWAG is a little different, because not only are you finding the right thing, you have to factor in pricing. Are you selling it to make a profit? Or is it just to get your name out there? Regardless there’s a discussion around goals and intentions for this as well.
As always, we are here to support you. This includes making sure that your branding on any SWAG is up to your standards. We can also help determine what’s appropriate and come up with fresh ideas.
TJ Powers, owner of Printix Printing is now sharing our office space. He has been a great resource for us for years, but now we feel additional connection, because he is easier than ever to reach out to – we can talk across the desk! TJ can be reached directly at tjpowers@printixprinting.com or 253.208.7103.
Have a wonderful Holiday Season!
