The Benefits of SWAG Gifts
SWAG, which stands for “Stuff We All Get,” has become one of the most popular acronyms used in marketing. Marketers use SWAG gifts as promotional items for marketing and sales purposes. These items range from hoodies to coffee mugs that you give away free of charge to support a promotional strategy.
SWAG gifts can have a positive impact on a business both internally and externally. Filling your office with branded gifts will help create unity amongst the staff and be a reminder of company goals. The items can sort of work in the same light as a country’s flag. Your staff will also enjoy receiving the items in general as some can help improve their office space while the clothing items can help take the thought out of their outfit for the day. SWAG overall can help increase your company’s employee satisfaction, and according to Inkwell, companies with a positive work environment see about 35% less employee turnover than their counterparts.
Externally, SWAG gifts are great for any client or customer based work. They can help set you apart from your peers in any scenario. The items will serve as a reminder of your company and brand long after the meeting has passed. According to research, 89% of consumers remember the company that gave them a certain SWAG gift years after they received it. A physical item is much more memorable than things said in a meeting.
A SWAG gift’s value spans beyond the individual and acts as a constant piece of advertising for your firm when the item is worn or used. Investing in quality gifts increases the likelihood recipients discuss the gift in different circles and increase your brand awareness.
There are so many benefits to adding custom branded gifts to your businesses’ marketing tools. This blog will discuss what to consider when using SWAG gifting, the best types of gifts to get, other useful tips on how to go about the process, and how Giftsenda’s SWAG service can help improve your firm’s marketing efforts.
Factors To Consider When Sending SWAG Gifts Internationally
Prior to looking at the specific items you plan to produce for your firm, it is important to first look at all the logistics that go into a SWAG campaign, especially if you plan to do so on an international level. Creating an international gifting campaign comes with many shipping regulations and restrictions. You have to look beyond the standards of your home country and look at the different global standards that exist. While this isn’t a issue with most SWAG items, its important to make sure they comply with the destinations laws. It is also key to fill out all necessary paperwork like customs forms to make sure items are not delayed. If you do not have time for this admin, you can use a gifting platform like Giftsenda to not have to worry about sourcing and shipping.
It is also important to use your firm’s budget in the most efficient way. If your business is in early development stages you must be realistic with your financial limitations and only produce SWAG items that will have a good ROI. Limit your gifts to the popular staple items that will create the most brand awareness and save the more niche items for when your business has more financial flexibility. With that said, no matter your firm’s budget, SWAG should always be a part of your marketing toolbox.
Following the logistical and financial aspects of a SWAG campaign, businesses must next study their target audience’s culture. SWAG gifts are not a one size fits all tool and must cater to certain recipients to create the highest ROI. Certain items will be valued more than others in certain cultures, while some may be absolutely useless. Take the baseball cap for instance, a very popular item in the United States that is worn by nearly everyone. However in Europe, it is considered impolite to wear a cap while indoors, making it a less desirable item.
Similarly to the cultural considerations, it is key to acknowledge the language barriers that exist when shipping SWAG gifts overseas. This is where the branding on your items becomes important. Gifts with heavy wording are much less special internationally as recipients don’t understand the writing on their gift. Selecting branding that is more visual will make the gifts appeal to a wider range of prospects. If you need any advice on gifting standards, our gifting experts can assist you to ensure that your campaign makes a lasting impression internationally.
Top SWAG Gifts to Send Internationally
Now that we are past the less glamorous aspects of SWAG gifting, we will look at the best items to send. The limit to what gifts you want to produce is the limit of your imagination. This section will discuss what we believe to be the best SWAG items in terms of a successful marketing campaign.
- Branded Merchandise: This is by far the most popular form of SWAG gifts that you will see. These gifts come in the form of a t-shirt, ball cap, sweatshirt, or water bottle – popular items everywhere in the world. This genre of branded gifts are great in terms of acting as mobile advertisements for your business. Recipients will use these in their daily lives, increasing the chance that people will inquire about your business.
- Tech Gadgets: Tech items are gifts that someone doesn’t realize they need until they finally have one, then they become a daily essential. This includes things like power banks, wireless chargers, headphones, and wireless speakers. You can have a hand in giving someone their favorite gadget. Getting a unique SWAG item like a tech gadget will help them remember you and your company for a while.
- Workspace Items: Since these gifts are being given in the context of business, why not choose items that are useful for a prospects occupation. Branded notebooks, pens, folders, or anything else that could be useful in an office space make a great SWAG gift. These are effective for brand awareness as the items will be used whenever they sit at their desk. These are also great for internal use especially for remote workers who could use these items to improve their workspace.
- Food & Drink: While these items likely won’t be in their possession very long, they can often most memorable gifts. Even though we all speak different languages, we all still enjoy a delicious treat. Boxes of chocolates, fresh fruit, or a warm cup of coffee are all loved across the world and. The experience of eating something that tastes really good can last a lifetime and help your company stand out.
- Custom Gift Boxes: After going through this list you may have a hard time picking just one SWAG gift option. Thankfully, Giftsenda offers custom corporate gift boxes that allow you to combine a variety of gifts without multiple purchases. All you have to do is select the items, and we will source them, put together your special gifts, and deliver them to your recipients.
Tips for Successful SWAG Gifting
There are always small details you can add to your corporate gifting process when sending SWAG gifts. One of the big things you can do is personalize your gifts and make the whole process feel a lot more human. To get the desired outcome of this process, you should aim to send a gift that aligns with your recipients personal taste. To further show that the gift is not just a business tool but a kind gesture, a handwritten note is a sign that the sender did it themselves and made the effort.
Your timing on the gift is also very important. It is good practice to plan ahead to account for the shipping time needed to get the gift to its destination.
Your job continues even when the gift arrives. It is always a nice touch to follow up with the client to see how they liked the gift. It shows that you care whether they liked it or not and can help grow the relationship with the recipient.
SWAG Gifting Services
To ensure that this process goes smoothly, use a SWAG gifting service to take the pressure out of your hands. Giftsenda allows you to create a wide range of SWAG gifts with your branding and send them internationally.
If you need warehousing and inventory management, Giftsenda’s platform can produce and store the items for you until the time comes to ship them. You can store items in warehouses to make shipping cheaper and faster based on where the recipient lives. Giftsenda makes the process simple and more efficient.
Conclusion
Sending SWAG gifts can improve your business’ marketing efforts by increasing your brand awareness and ROI. These gifts work exceptionally well for business done overseas as they help break down language barriers and improve international relationships. To begin your gifting campaign, sign up for a demo with Giftsenda today!
