What’s Trending in Swag?

That’s a loaded question.  There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when we are suggesting products for your marketing & branding- we look at your industry, your customer’s demographics, where and how you will be giving items away just to name a few.

But, for the sake of this blog,  let’s take a broad overview of all the new swag giveaway ideas out there- what we see that is popular, what people are loving to get as giveaways and what is popular at retail, which is playing a larger and larger roll in the promotional products industry.

S’well bottles have recently become available to add your logo to.  As a widely recognized, and well respected, retail brand S’well has a wide line of products and colors that you can add your logo to.    The S’well logo will still appear on the back of the bottle and your logo can be etched or printed on the opposite side.

Straws are being banned everywhere, by all the big names (not saying it isn’t justified), but it is going to create a branding opportunity for either paper straws (like the fun ones above) or reusable stainless steel straws.  I’ve seen some fun options for collapsible straws as well with the logo on the case.  I can see logo reusable straws being an ideal marketing idea for food or beverage manufacturers, wellness programs or environmental services.

Tech items continue to be a favorite way for companies to brand themselves with employee gifts, trade show giveaways and general swag.  Tech organizers are especially popular for companies with a mobile workforce or for trade show giveaway ideas.  Everyone has an abundance of power cords, adapters and accessories to keep track of and with the variety of style and price ranges available it makes these a cool corporate gift.  We are really loving the Ruckman Tech Roll above for its hip look and feel and the fact that you can order only 1 with your logo if you like.

Bags continue to be one of the most popular overall categories for swag, but the new trend is the rucksack look for backpacks and other bags.  This gives bags a younger vibe with a more retail look.  Imprint options for your logo go beyond screen printing or embroidery as well.  We can do full color patches (like on the backpack above), debossed leather patch or full color transfer depending on the bag style you choose.  Combing a cool bag with a creative decoration gives you a memorable swag bag giveaway item.

Internet security and safety concerns continue to grow on a daily basis, and honestly freak me out when I think about someone watching me through my webcam, phone camera or even my smart TV!!   Webcam covers are an inexpensive giveaway item with a big impact.  Choose from mini sizes for smart phones or full size for desktops, laptops and tablets in bulk or add a custom backer card.  Or do a set to cover both!  With their compact size they make an excellent option for a direct mail promotion or trade show giveaway.

Call or email us today for more information on these items or additional ideas for cool swag to brand with your company logo.

http://www.barefootswag.com          866-247-4320

sales@barefootswag.com

 

 

 

 

 

The Swag I Choose

There are days I am literally tripping over samples in my office.   If I’m honest, I’m going to say that happens most days. Ok, every day.  There are boxes and bags and more boxes filled with samples that I need.  They cover the desk and floor, fill up drawers and hide out in the closet.  But they aren’t just in my office. Oh, no. They spread out over the rest of my world too.  The kitchen, bathroom, car, my purse, laundry room, garage.  They.are.everywhere.  But I do it for you,. I need to test and try out all the swag so I can make recommendations to you. See the sacrifices I make for my clients?

Sometimes these get packed up and shipped of to a client that I think will like them or whose brand could benefit from a particular product.  Often they are added to the closet for future use.  Sometimes they end up in file 13 (that would be the trash if you didn’t already know that).  There are also those “keepers” that I can’t bear to stow or give away. The ones that are useful, functional and have a purpose in my life and I keep around.  But, then there are the ones I love. The ones that are so useful they become my “Chosen Few”.  My go-to’s.

In marketing your business and making the decision of what promotional items are going to work well for your logo and brand, either of these last two categories are where you want your swag to end up- The Keepers or The Chosen Few.  If you can keep your name in front of clients & prospects every day, your ROI is going to be greater.  At Barefoot Swag we help you consider your audience, the needs and what swag ideas will work best.  We don’t want you to just have “something to give away”, we want you to have the “right” item to showcase your brand.   The perfect item for your brand and target audience might not be the perfect item for the next person. We will help you look at the options and make that decision.

Here are some of the swag items that have made it to my Chosen Few list that you might want to consider as well:

1. Scissors with Magnetic Holder– these are heavy duty, well made scissors that are perfect for the office or kitchen (where mine reside).  They hang out on the side of the refrigerator so they are handy to open packages, cut string, snip herbs, cut wrapping paper & tape- pretty much anything.  The handles have a gripper to help with stubborn jar or bottle lids.    And I just pop them in the dishwasher to clean them then they slip right back in the magnetic sheath (which offers a larger full color imprint area) and hang out until I need them again.
2. Backpack. I do love my backpacks.  I have this one that is my carry on when I travel and also works perfect as an overnight bag.  Then this one is packed with all the items for a group I volunteer with so I have everything together and can just grab my bag for meetings and know what I need is already in there.  And then one for the car– dog items, first aid kit, hiking items, etc.  One cannot have too many backpacks.
3. Notebooks. I love notebooks even more than backpacks.  We did this one with our logo and I love it so much it sits on my desk and I’m resisting writing in it.  Or this one is the perfect size for desk, home, travel, trade show handouts.  And this one with stone paper is the smoothest writing paper ever.  It is waterproof, tear proof and smudge resistant.  Notebooks are handy for the home, office or car.  No one is going to throw away a notebook so your branding will be seen.
4. Stainless steel bottle and mug.  I am constantly filling up a bottle with water before I leave the house and this one is my favorite.  It keeps the water cold for hours, even if it sits in the hot car.  And the stainless steel doesn’t leave a funky taste.  And for the desk this is the one I grab first.  Even for hiking I use the the double wall stainless steel bottle- I need my water cold!
5. Sling Grip.  I don’t know what I did before this thing. Other than drop my phone a lot. Seriously one of my favorite new swag ideas to come along in a while.
6. I eat at my desk a lot. Two meals a day and sometimes a snack.  This bowl keeps me from overdoing it with portion control.  Veggies and hummus or chips and salsa are staples and  I don’t have to balance multiple containers with this little guy.
7. I love the tech tacos to keep cords organized when traveling, in  my purse, or in a drawer (how do cords get so tangled just relaxing in a drawer).  And this super cute metallic gold one is my current favorite.
8. Another thing I love is wine.  This wine opener is a great custom gift idea and does a fantastic job of quickly opening a bottle.  Pair it with this wine cooler bag for a corporate or holiday gift or even a closing gift.  And a bottle of wine to make it even more personal.
9. I can’t list my favorite things without at least some apparel. I haven’t bought a t shirt is years.  Next Level and Bella + Canvas are two of my favorite all around brands. I have others that I like specific styles or for specific purposes, but my closet holds a lot of these two brands.
10. And last, but not least, a power bank, a.k.a mobile charger. I carry one when I travel and keep one charged all the time in case of a power outage.  This one came in handy a couple weeks ago when I was trying to work using the mobile hotspot on a phone with a quickly dwindling battery.  2200 mAh is enough to charge a smart phone fully once.  This one will charge a tablet or can charge a smart phone multiple times.  There are so many options when it comes to power banks- there are combos with bluetooth speakers, earbuds, ones that will stick to your phone, have a flashlight or the logo lights up.

    I know I’m forgetting something that I will remember as soon as I hit publish!  Let me know what your favorite swag items are.  We love to hear different perspectives on why you like what you do.

    Need help finding the perfect swag ideas for your brand and your budget?  Give us a call or email us today and we will put some ideas together for you.

    sales@barefootswag.com     866-247-4320

    www.barefootswag.com