Discover how unforgettable company swag ideas come to life to foster employee engagement and increased morale!
Ready to explore company swag that will have your employees proudly showcasing your brand everywhere they go? Company swag, also known as promotional merchandise, is a fantastic way to boost employee morale, foster a sense of belonging, and create a lasting impression on clients and customers!
Long gone are the days of lackluster promotional items that end up collecting dust in a drawer, or worse a landfill. With these tips and ideas, you’ll discover a range of innovative and exciting swag ideas that are not only functional but stylish too!
Understanding the value of corporate swag
To get the most out of your corporate swag, think about it as a marketing initiative as opposed to just distributing free merchandise with your company logo. Corporate swag is a strategic tool that, when done right, can strengthen your brand, boost engagement, and enhance customer loyalty. In addition, thoughtfully chosen swag items can act as ambassadors for your business, leaving a lasting impression on recipients and increasing brand exposure and in turn, recognition.
Employee Appreciation and Morale
When an employee’s morale is down their attitude is contagious and has the potential to negatively affects the entire team. In fact, according to Gomada in 2023, replacing an individual employee can range anywhere from half to double the employee's annual salary. An estimated $1 trillion is due to turnover costs in U.S. businesses approximately $1 trillion every year.
Although we probably don’t have to stress the magnitude of helping your employees feel appreciated and valued, keeping morale strong and engagement high leads not just to happy employees, but to more productivity and better customer engagement at every touchpoint. While marketing swag isn’t a Band-Aid fix for bad management, inefficient systems, or unfair practices, it does serve as a way to help your employees feel appreciated.
Brand Identity and Company Culture
When employees proudly wear or use company swag, they become walking advertisements, promoting a positive image of your organization to the world. Moreover, the act of receiving swag can foster a sense of appreciation and recognition among team members, leading to an improved sense of collaboration and renewed team spirit. When it comes to your brand, employees can be some of the best ways to market your company—both in person and online.
5 Tips for Implementing Your Swag Ideas for Employees
Your employees want great swag! So when it’s time to deliver, keep in mind that the quality and consistency of your customization is just as important as the products you choose. Add in a timely distribution—see in the business world, we all know timing is everything, and you can create stellar swag that gets noticed!
1. Choosing the Right Swag Products
Consider the preferences and needs of your employees. Custom swag that is relevant to their interests or your industry as a are more likely appreciated and used regularly. In addition, you’ll want to ensure that you invest in quality items that can stand the test of time so you can make the best impact with your brand.
2. Consistent Branding
Speaking of your brand, keeping your creative assets consistent is vital in ensuring your swag ideas for employees go the distance. Whether they are at the ballpark, at a conference or tradeshow, with clients, or anywhere else, you want your brand to be easily identifiable. By ensuring your promotional products and custom merch reflect your company’s logo, brand colors, and overall aesthetic, you can further market your company to others.
3. Timely Distribution
For the biggest impact, don’t give your recipients time to forget about their interaction with your company. Just as corporate gift-giving is done around special occasions, anniversaries, and holidays, event swag should be given at the time of the event. Not only does this make your promotional products more memorable, but your recipient is more likely to share about it, specifically on social media. Miss the time urgency and you risk missing the free exposure too.
4. Personalization
A great gift in and of itself is a way to celebrate your recipient. However, if you really want to make it special, adding personalization to your employee swag gives it the extra attention to detail that your recipient will remember. Whether it’s a handwritten card that sets their gift apart from their coworkers or the addition of your logo embroidered on your hat, these extra touches will help set your swag ideas apart.
5. Monitor Feedback
The best way to know if your swag is working is to monitor your feedback. To do this, set goals and metrics to measure the effectiveness of your custom swag in elevating your brand. Analyze feedback, engagement, and brand reach to gauge the success of your swag campaign. And, when it comes to your swag ideas for employees it’s easy to ask them how they feel about it or even offer surveys for anonymous feedback.
15 Types of Custom Swag Ideas to Elevate Your Brand
Do you have company swag ideas but aren’t sure how to set them apart with customization? Or maybe you could use a little inspiration before settling on a product that’s right for your employees, your company, and your brand. Here we list some of the best categories for helping you achieve your company swag goals to help you get started!
1. Customized Branded Apparel
Employees and branded apparel go together in perfect harmony! Not only is that a great way to build camaraderie within the workplace, but custom merch favorites, like branded tees, act as a marketing vehicle showcasing your logo to everyone who interacts with it.
Tips for creating standout apparel: It’s all in the details! Add in brand elements like patterns, graphics, taglines, or even your website to make your brand shine. Look for extra features like kangaroo pockets, soft fabrics, contrast hems, and other details to make your swag stand out.
2. Branded Tech Accessories
You don’t have to be a tech or gaming company to give innovative, on-brand tech and accessories. And, to that point, you don’t even have to spend a lot to get sustainable swag that your employees will use on repeat. From Popsockets and phone chargers to Bluetooth speakers and more, branded tech and accessories make useful custom gifts your employees will love!
Tips for choosing innovative tech: Just like any corporate promotional product, the item you choose needs to work with your overall budget. So while you may want to save higher-end items for employee milestones or anniversaries, smaller tech accessories (like portable power banks and branded tech organizers) may better accommodate a larger corporate gift distribution. Talk to your Gemnote rep to see about getting a curated collection of items to fit your brand and your budget.
3. Office Supplies and Decor
Promotional products have come a long way since the cheap magnets and pens you may remember from the ‘80s. That said, you shouldn’t underestimate their staying power. From smoothing writing gel pens in brilliant colors to enviable notebooks that continue to trend, office supplies and decor still have their place in custom merch. Want to elevate your swag ideas for employees? Add a leather portfolio with custom leather embossing for the ultimate gift.
Tips for choosing personalized office favorites: Think Quality over Quantity!
No one wants another pen that only works once in a while and you don’t want your swag investment ending up in the trash. So for the best promotional options, zone in on sustainable office supplies that you’ll be happy to add your logo to.
4. Seasonal Favorites
For no sweat summer swag, think fun, functional, and of course, customization! Summer is the time when vacations are nearby, weekends consist of lounging at the pool or enjoying BBQs with friends. And what better way to let your employees enjoy work-life balance than with marketing merch that lets the good times roll!
Tips for summer swag that beats the heat: To create the ultimate summer vibes in your custom merch portfolio, think outside the box. From pool floats, inflatable balls, outdoor games, and custom puzzles to branded umbrellas, towels, picnic totes, and custom slides, there’s something for every brand and every industry! And, summer isn’t the only season worth celebrating with swag. From custom jackets and beanies for winter, umbrellas and slickers for rainy days and more, there’s fun and innovative swag just waiting to be customized and gifted!
5. Fitness Swag
When it comes to swag that gets noticed, custom gym wear and athleisure is still a favorite regardless of one’s athletic ability. That’s because quality custom fitness swag can range from custom duffels and weekend bags to water bottles, polos with all the bells, whistles, and moisture-wicking properties that reign supreme all year round, and more.
Fitness swag suggestions that go the extra mile: When it comes to customization, embrace your brand and let the creativity flow! With so many quality options for duffel bags, athleisure, drinkware, and the like, reflecting your brand through colors, graphics, and design is a breeze.
6. Sustainable and eco-friendly
For the best sustainable swag ideas and corporate gifts look for reputable brands that choose greener manufacturing processes, are working toward zero waste efforts, and use recycled materials to make their products. Talk to your Gemnote Rep for a curated collection of eco-friendly options.
Ideas for promoting custom merch that aligns with your core values: Whether it’s partnering with companies that give back to like-minded causes to investing in products made from recycled materials, there are many ways you can let your swag match your company’s core values.
7. Swag kits
When it comes to creating the best swag kits, leave the details to Gemnote! They can help ensure your swag investment is both on-brand and memorable. In addition, they’ll show you options for customization, and can help you manage all of the logistics, from presentation and kitting to sourcing, production, inventory management and more.
Tips for creating a curated swag kit that fits your budget: Think of all the different ways you can utilize your swag kit. Whether it’s employee onboarding kits, product launch celebrations, conference swag, or the like, many times you can get a bulk discount rate when you order higher quantities. Talk to your Gemnote rep for more ideas.
8. Conference Giveaways
When it comes to trade show giveaway ideas, don’t forget about your hard working teams! Even companies on a tight budget can deliver quality swag that their attendees and employees both will appreciate.
Tips for event giveaways to make your conference or booth shine: When it comes to creating unforgettable trade show merch and giveaways, understanding what your employees like, aligning with your brand and messaging, as well as considering the cost and logistics of your intended merchandise.
9. Customized Food and Beverages
Custom Snacks are always a great idea! While these work wonders in and out of the office, at events, and more, when you mix unforgettable taste with quality brands and professional packaging, you get the best in customized food and beverages.
Tips for choosing tasty consumables that will leave your recipients wanting more: Talk to your Gemnote rep for brand faves that your employees can’t score just anywhere and make customize the packaging to complete the look and make it memorable.
10. Event-Specific Swag
Don’t let your corporate event pass you by without giving Instagram-worthy swag to help it and your company trend! From themes and swag for sales kickoffs to employee networking meetups and more, there are professional products for just about every occasion.
Innovative ideas for sales swag and themes: When it comes to your company swag ideas for employees, why not create a kit that gives them what they need to thrive at your event and long after?
11. Wellness Swag
You don’t have to be in the health and wellness sector to give swag that’s good for your recipient. From teas, heart-healthy snacks, to custom stress balls, earbuds, and more, who better to help offload the stress of everyday life than your hard working team?
What to look for when gifting promotional products that promote wellness:
When it comes to wellness products, you aren’t limited to just one product. From consumables like food and drink to items that promote mindfulness and well being, there are many customizable wellness swag that can market your brand beautifully. Talk to your Gemnote rep for more ideas.
12. Luxury Swag
Sometimes your swag ideas call for an upgrade to really impress, thank, show appreciation, foster corporate relations, and just plain excite your recipient. For these times, luxury corporate gifts are in order.
Tips for luxe gifts that create the biggest impact:
While these luxe and iconic gestures of appreciation are a cut above the rest, companies can still find high-quality, unique items in a variety of price ranges. For the best impact, look for coveted features (like noise cancellation for headphones or extra pockets and laptop sleeves for backpacks) to make your item swag an instant favorite!
13. Activity-Based Swag
Whether you’re investing in swag for your company’s onsite gym or to promote your next meet up, creating an activity focused swag kit is a fun way to kick off your next employee outing. Plus, with sustainable options like reusable drinkware, hats, custom phone chargers, and more, your employees can continue using (and showing off) their gift for years to come.
Tips for capitalizing on your industry and your recipients interests and hobbies: When coming up with swag ideas for employees, knowing how much you will want to spend per person will help you zone in on the best customizable swag that aligns with budget. For a curated collection of options, talk to your Gemnote rep!
14. Backpacks and Travel Swag
Traveling is always a good idea! It’s fun, it’s enlightening, it’s educational, and there’s no end to the new places or things you can see. If you’re looking for custom swag ideas for employees to delight their inner wanderlust and keep the adventures coming, travel swag is always a good idea!
Tips for creating travel-themed merch that’s going places: Don’t overthink it! Travel swag like custom drinkware, travel-themed journals, weatherproof jackets, hats, backpacks, and the like, are just as valuable commuting to the office as they are jet setting to new locals.
15. Headwear Swag
Get ready to turn heads! When it comes to custom hat ideas, you can find styles that accommodate almost any budget and with branded styles to keep your company (and logo) top of mind! Another great thing about choosing hats for your custom merchandise is the different personalization options you have at your disposal. From screen printing and embroidery to patches and labels, there’s a style for every brand and budget!
Tips for topping off your swag portfolio with branded headwear: Consider the season. While baseball caps are perfect year round, beanies are better suited for winter while bucket hats and mesh caps are more tailored for summer.
Create custom company swag from start to finish with Gemnote!
When it comes to choosing a promotional company that helps you make the most of your swag investment, don’t leave important details like quality products and customization to chance. With Gemnote, you can rest assured that your products you choose and the suppliers who make them are reputable. And, when it comes to making your branding shine, they takes extra care of details. From PMS Color matching to digital proofs, samples, and more, you can leave the surprises to your recipient.
Companies trust them to handle the details as well. From design and development, sourcing and production, packaging and sustainability, and kitting and warehousing, they are your one stop-shop for all of your custom swag ideas.
Browse all swag in the Lookbook →
