We researched the top 5 most-requested swag items in 2021
Cool swag is a core element of any modern brand. And, it’s a great way to involve all your employees, customers, and prospective clients in the building of your brand. Wearing the company colors creates a feeling of unity and a sense of team. Showing off a cool gift you received at work shows friends or colleagues you’re appreciated and reflects well on your company culture. Having your logo out in the world creates brand awareness. Pairing your logo with high-quality, useful products can elevate the feeling of value that is unconsciously associated with your brand, and in particular for tech, can give you that real-world tactile brand touchpoint that is missing.
The key to success here, and the challenge, is creating swag that people actually want. Low-quality or just plain off-market swag is a contributor of noise. And, in the worst case scenario, your brand becomes associated with “useless crap”, “wasteful”, or “trash”.
With high-risk stakes like those, we did our research. We surveyed, we polled, we tallied, we eavesdropped. And now, we’re here to share our winning swag recipe with you.
Note: The research done to create this list was primarily focused on B2B SaaS, however we believe you’ll find it useful for any modern company.
Without further ado, here’s a list of top-requested swag items that are sure to get your team excited and maybe even help close that deal.
1. Socks & Scarves!
Top Requested Swag you ask? Drumroll please……
Socks!
That’s right. Not just for Christmas gifts or emancipating house-elves anymore.
Lately, socks have become THE apparel item to express our unique personality. So it’s no wonder we want to express our love for our favorite brand through socks, too. Silly socks have become appropriate for any occasion, so don’t worry about being the less formal option compared to the taco-saurus socks your VP of Sales wears to every board meeting.
2. Water Bottles/Mugs
A nice water bottle is easy to love, and even easier to lose. That’s why they’re still the second-most requested swag item no matter how many we get!
Water bottles and mugs are the ultimate “useful” swag item. Even if we don’t use them right away, we have a drawer full of them tucked away for back-ups (running late for yoga class?).
Branded liquid receptacles are also a top item for re-gifting! It’s like tupperware for your unfinished cocktails during these unprecedented times with 90-minute Covid-19 lockdown lingering laws.
Plus, in a workplace that is becoming more environmentally conscious everyday bringing your own mugs and receptacles is now commonplace. Providing these for your team shows them you are as committed as they are to making the world a better place and that should be on brand for every company.
3. Hats/Hoodies
Not a lot of climates allow those branded tees to be flaunted all the time, and that office air conditioner?! Brrrrr. Sure, we know we’re sporting our brand, but it’s a well-kept secret most of the time. Hoodies and hats to the rescue!
Plus, just because your team is off for the weekend doesn’t mean they stop being brand ambassadors. A comfy hoody or a nice ball cap are perfect for relaxing with friends or catching up on the grocery shopping while still showing off that brand love. These items are also quick to become “go-to” items that they can grab whenever leaving the house meaning your logo will get traction in more places and be seen by different groups of people. You might just see your company represented at little league games, the hardware store or the dentist’s office.
4. Backpacks/Bags
When marketing splurges on sweet company swag for the whole team, they were probably hoping it would be seen by people outside of the office… A tech-friendly backpack is sure to make it out to the world at large. With more and more people commuting to work via transit or bicycle, a laptop carrying case is essential, and the company logo splashed on the pocket is sure to catch people’s eye. That’s why bags and backpacks are the 4th most-requested swag item this year, and we only expect them to gain in popularity as the world returns to in-person office days, events, and offsites — and travel swag-envy will be on the rise!
5. Portable/Wireless Chargers
A little backup goes a long way. Forgot to charge your phone last night? Didn’t expect to be scrolling through Tik-Tok during the whole 3-hour stand-up? These days we do more work than ever from our phones and we all get that panicky feeling seeing our battery in the red and it’s only mid-afternoon. A portable powerpack can give you a quick boost without tying you to the wall. Portable chargers are a fun and sometimes day-saving way to em-power your team and customers.
