Branded merchandise, yes SWAG, is a great way to promote your brand and create a community. There are lots of branded items you can offer — including t-shirts, caps, jackets, coffee mugs, pens, notebooks, etc. Whether you’re distributing branded merchandise in person or online, there are plenty of ways for you to get creative! Here are 5 different methods that have been successful — they might work for you!
Fan Giveaways & Contests
One effective way to reward fans is through giveaways so that not only will they receive branded merch but also talk about on social media and expose your brand to new prospects. There’s nothing like rewarding your community of followers with branded merchandise, and the more creative you get, the more enthusiastic they’ll be.
💡 How about this? Try running a contest for your fans and followers: have them post using a special hashtag for entry, and choose winners from those posts.
Employee Appreciation
Another branded merch idea is to offer swag as a reward for employees. This can be done through company-wide contests, or even just by gifting individual items. Employees are often the best brand ambassadors and team players because they’re invested in you and your success – why not show them some appreciation?
Build an online store
If you’re looking to use your branded swag as a profit center, then you can set up an online store. If you already have an e-commerce business, it’s easy to add your branded swag as ‘new products’ so that when your customers are already ordering from you, they can toss in an extra branded can cooler, notebook, or hat. OR, you can provide a promo code that entitles the customer so a free item if they purchase XX dollars worth of product.
Donate Branded Merchandise to Charities
One of the most popular branded-merch techniques is actually donating branded products. This can be a great idea for any company that does philanthropic work, or has corporate sponsorships in place with charities; it’s also a good way to get your employees on board and invested. And the recipients of the goods will surely appreciate receiving helpful, useful items.
Sponsor Local Events
The world is opening back up, and in-person events are starting to happen everywhere. Now is a great time to get out there! Think outside the box, too: community festivals, neighborhood fairs and gatherings of all kinds are good places to put your branded items front-and-center in a public space.
However you do it, it’s important that all branded material matches so when you distribute these products people will instantly associate them with your business. For instance, if you have an specific logo or message associated with your organization, then that should also be present on all of your branded materials. Consistency is key. You don’t want to appear to be ‘all over the place’
And of course, if you need any help with anything, we’re here for you.
