The Origin and Meaning of the Word “Swag”

In the world of promotional products and branded merchandise, the term “swag” is commonly used to refer to free items given away by companies for promotional purposes. It has become a popular term in the industry and is often associated with marketing campaigns and corporate events. But have you ever wondered where the word “swag” actually comes from? In this article, we will delve into the origin and meaning of the word “swag,” exploring its etymology and tracing its evolution over time.

Etymology of the Word “Swag”

The word “swag” has a fascinating history and has undergone several transformations in its usage. Its origin can be traced back to the early 18th century when it first appeared in the English language. The term initially emerged as a slang word used by thieves and criminals in England. In their subculture, “swag” referred to stolen goods or the act of stealing itself.

Over time, the meaning of “swag” expanded beyond criminal circles and began to be used more broadly. In the early 19th century, it started to be associated with the concept of free or extra items that were acquired through unconventional means, such as gifts, rewards, or unearned benefits. This connotation of “swag” as something given away or obtained as a bonus eventually led to its adoption in the realm of promotional products and corporate giveaways.

Evolution of “Swag” in the Promotional Products Industry

In the context of promotional products, “swag” has come to represent the various items that companies distribute to their target audience as part of their marketing efforts. These items typically bear the company’s logo or branding and serve as tangible reminders of the brand. By giving away promotional swag, businesses aim to enhance brand visibility, create positive associations, and foster customer loyalty.

Promotional swag can encompass a wide range of items, including custom apparel, drinkware, tech gadgets, stationery, bags, and more. These items are often customized with the company’s logo, slogan, or message, making them valuable tools for brand recognition and recall. When recipients use or display these branded products, they inadvertently become walking advertisements, spreading awareness of the company to a wider audience.

The Impact of Promotional Swag on Brand Recognition

One might wonder why companies invest in promotional swag and whether it truly has an impact on brand recognition. The answer lies in the psychology of human behavior and the power of tangible, personalized items. Numerous studies have shown that receiving a physical gift, even a small one, can create a sense of reciprocity and goodwill in the recipient. By providing promotional swag, businesses tap into this psychological principle, establishing a positive association with their brand in the minds of the recipients.

Moreover, promotional swag serves as a constant reminder of the brand, as it often finds its way into the recipient’s daily life. Whether it’s a branded pen on their desk, a tote bag they use for groceries, or a water bottle they carry to the gym, these items create repeated exposure to the brand’s visual identity. This repeated exposure strengthens brand recall and familiarity, ultimately contributing to increased brand recognition and customer loyalty.

The word “swag” has come a long way from its origins as criminal slang. Today, it has become an integral part of the promotional products industry, representing the various items that businesses distribute to promote their brand. The evolution of “swag” reflects the power of tangible marketing tools and the effectiveness of promotional products in creating brand visibility, recall, and loyalty.

Top 10 Promotional Products

If you want people to remember your company, useful promotional products are one of the best ways to make sure that your name and logo stick in people’s minds. Choosing the right promotional product is a fun challenge– you need to pick something memorable, useful, and affordable. You want people to keep the product because it brings value to their daily lives– which means that picking something popular is often the best way to go. Here are the top 10 promotional products that people use again and again.

1. Ultima Softex Luster Stylus Gel Pen

The Ultima Softex Luster Stylus Gel Pen serves two functions. The soft end can be used as a tablet stylus, while the writing end is a gel ink pen. Gel pens are more reliable and have a more luxurious feel than ballpoint pens, which makes the people who receive them feel like they’ve gotten something high quality.

This pen comes in several colors with a choice of blue or black smudge-proof ink and has room for three lines of text and a logo. The screen-printed ink stands out against the rich color of the pen barrel, and there’s even a metallic option for printing. This is a pen that your customers, clients, or other recipients will find themselves reaching for time after time.

2. Colossal Grocery Tote Bag

Reusable bags are hot right now, and the Colossal Grocery Tote Bag is something that anybody would be happy to receive as a promotional product. This bag is thoughtfully designed to carry up to 33 pounds of groceries or other items. The bag’s hanger loop and double-reinforced handles make it even sturdier. It is collapsible, reusable, and a great alternative to plastic shopping bags. There’s a huge imprint area for your logo and message– it’s very easy to rack up those impressions with every trip to the store. This bag is a great option for delivering meals, sending supplies home with patients, or even stuffing with other promotional material and ad material like fliers to hand out at events or at work.

These are also great to hand out if you are in California, New York, Illinois, or any other state that charges a fee to use plastic bags at the grocery store. Not only are you giving your recipients something that holds value for them, but you’re solving a problem. When your promotional product can solve a problem for the recipient, that only makes it more valuable for your business.

3. Screen Printed 100% Cotton Colored T-Shirt

Promotional shirts are truly classic, promotional items that never leave lose appeal. A Screen Printed 100% Cotton Colored T-Shirt is an excellent way to get your logo and message out there. Because this shirt is 100% cotton, it is soft and lightweight, yet still durable. It comes in more than 25 different colors, making it easy to match your branding.

Colored t-shirts stand out more than white t-shirts, and screen printing comes in numerous colors as well. You can even opt for metallic ink to make a shirt that truly stands out. These shirts are great for employee appreciation and promotional giveaways. They are durable enough and comfortable enough for daily wear; no thin, easily abraded material here!

4. Full-Color Ceramic Color Accent Mug 11 oz

Did you know that 66% of Americans drink coffee each day? More Americans consume coffee than any other beverage, including tap water, according to data from the National Coffee Association’s Spring 2022 National Coffee Data Trends report. With a full ⅔ of Americans drinking coffee (and that’s not even counting the tea drinkers), putting your brand on a custom coffee mug just makes perfect sense.

A Full-Color Ceramic Color Accent Mug is a great way to display your company logo in full color. The bright interior colors make these mugs stand out. These mugs are BPA-free and microwave safe, making them the perfect product to go with a hot cup of coffee.

5. Full Color Spiral Notebook

Notebooks are the type of product that everybody needs but rarely does anybody actually think to go out and buy. When you use full color notebooks as promotional items, you’re not just giving your customers something– you’re potentially solving a problem for them. You’re providing something they might not have at the moment, but might actually really need.

A Full-Color Spiral Notebook has a huge printable area and both the front and back covers can be customized. This notebook has hard covers and is perfectly sized so that it fits easily in a bag; the stiff covers mean that it won’t get folded or rumpled and the papers inside will be nicely protected. You could even pair it with a promotional pen for a complete memo set to make your customers’ lives just a little easier.

6. Cafe-To-Go Stainless Steel Coffee Mug 12 oz

Remember how 66% of Americans drink coffee? Well, they’re not always drinking that coffee at home. Many of those coffee drinkers are drinking on their commute– and they need a travel mug for that coffee. (Or tea! Or hot chocolate. This mug doesn’t judge.) The Cafe-To-Go Stainless Steel Coffee Mug keeps your drink hot or cold for hours. It features stainless steel vacuum-insulated double-wall construction and laser engraving to ensure that your logo never wears off.

7. Luxe Gallery Motivations Spiral Wall Calendar

A calendar is the perfect end-of-the-year appreciation gift for customers and employees alike. The Luxe Gallery Motivations Spiral Wall Calendar features calming images of beautiful vistas that fit in with any decor style. The spiral binding and large date blocks make it easy to write notes. This series includes a foil imprint, so you can really make your company’s branding information stand out! There is room on the bottom for your logo and several lines of text, so you can convey a lot of information with one simple product.

8. Litewell Keychain

This is a promotional product that your recipient probably doesn’t even think they need… until they do! Flashlights are extremely useful in emergency situations, but thanks to the ubiquity of cell phones, many people don’t think to have one on hand. However, when something goes wrong and their phone battery is dead, your recipients will be very glad that you provided this Litewell Keychain flashlight!

This flashlight keychain uses LEDs for bright, long-lasting light. The barrel has textured silver accents and an on/off button that is easy to feel in the dark. This keychain is durable and lightweight, making it easy to add to your keys. For the business aspect, there is a large imprint area for your laser-engraved message or logo. This is a great product for a number of businesses, including anything dealing with security or safety.

9. Planet Mug 13 oz

What makes the Planet Mug stand out? For starters, it’s a little bigger than a standard 11-ounce coffee mug, making it easier to get in a little more of your favorite drink. It’s also very cute and trendy; the top has a charming speckled satin-finish glaze, while the unglazed bottom portion gives this mug an artisan feel. It comes in four different glaze colors with 28 different imprint colors, including a few metallic options like gold, silver, rose gold, and bronze. (There’s also a microwave-safe gold, just in case.)

These mugs are an attractive option for the breakroom or for giveaways. They would also be a great choice for a café owner or business that wants to have signature mugs for customers. When all is said and done, this is a very fun, versatile promotional product that would be a great choice for your business’s promotional needs.

10. Saratoga Cork Journal 5.5 x 8.25

Taking notes is an important part of conferences, trade shows, seminars, and other types of professional meetings. Your attendees need something to write on, which is a golden opportunity to promote your business. If you want something a touch more professional-looking than a spiral-bound notebook, you can’t go wrong with the Saratoga Cork Journal. This 80-page notebook features a cover made of cork and polycanvas that looks very attractive and professional. It features a ribbon bookmark, elastic closure, and elastic pen loops.

The inside back cover has a built-in portfolio-style pocket folder to hold important papers and business cards, and the front cover can be printed with your logo and message. The Saratoga Cork Journal comes in four and 23 imprint colors, including metallic silver and gold. It can match virtually any branding and looks fantastic.

While these are our top 10 promotional products, it is only a brief look at the vast array of products that Amsterdam Printing has to offer. Our wide product range includes everything from writing implements and mugs to power banks and teddy bears, and we’re confident that we have just the right promotional product for your business. We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee and competitive pricing; give us a call at  800-833-6231 to set up your promotional products today!

How Promotional Products Help Your Business

The world of marketing is always evolving to adapt to shifting consumer behavior. Promotional products are a special kind of product that has been around for a long time. This staple marketing strategy of handing out high-quality promotional products can provide your business with plenty of benefits.

Let us dive into how your business can use promotional products to increase sales, brand awareness, and return on investment (ROI).

What is a promotional product?

A promotional product is essentially a free or low-cost product that companies give out in order to garner the interest of their target market. These products are typically branded with an identification (e.g., brand name, logo, slogan, or tagline) of your company. They are then distributed with the ideal of brand promotion in mind. Marketing and sales teams often give out promotional products at events so that the company gains additional exposure over time.

Now, you may be wondering how promotional products help your business when they are distributed for free. Surely that is a budget sink? The answer is that as long as the marketing efforts are carefully carried out, giving out promotional products will not be in vain. How companies promote their products goes a long way in terms of consumer interest and demand.

What are examples of promotional products?

Promotional products are also called freebies, free swag, promo products, merch, and tchotchkes. You may have noticed the trend: these items are free for the recipients. Since businesses want to make a reasonable return on their investment in creating and distributing promotional products, these products are often small and easy to make.

Common promotional products include plastic pens, tumblers, and other small items. The key to making a successful promotional product is to distribute items that have high usability and visibility so that they are not tossed immediately into the trash or hidden away to collect dust. If you can take advantage of trends, such as what people want to be gifted or regifted during the holiday season, that can make your promotional products even more effective.

Why do companies use promotional products?

Generate buzz

Why use promotional products to promote your business? Well, the main purpose of promotional products is to generate hype or awareness around a product. People love to get free items, especially free merch that appears to be useful or appealing. The fact that you are willing to give things out for free will make your target market interested in your brand. At the very least, they will become aware of your brand, and brand awareness always goes a long way!

Impress consumers with the tangibles

There is a value to tangible branded products that digital and display ads simply cannot achieve. People will be going around and physically holding the promotional pens and mugs and shirts that you give out as free merch. It is easier for your brand to remain acknowledged in the back of people’s minds, which means you gain a prolonged generation of impressions for months, if not years.

They complement other marketing efforts

Promotional products are often given away at business events, whether that is to other businesses or consumers who attend the events. If you give someone a tangible object that they end up keeping, they are more likely to remember who you are. Being remembered by your potential customers can be an invaluable thing, especially for smaller businesses that are just getting their brand name out there.

Gifting leads to reciprocation

Much like free gift campaigns, giving out free promotional products is a proven effective sales strategy. Studies have shown that if people receive something for free, they are more likely to be invested and want to reciprocate. That reciprocity may involve either sharing the awareness of the product with other people or making a deal with your business somewhere down the line.

Boost customer loyalty

Giving away free promotional products is a fantastic way to connect better with your customers or at least start a sense of connection. Customers who feel that they are worth spending money and resources on are more likely to give you their attention and interest. Since customer loyalty can lead to increased word-of-mouth marketing and brand success, boosting it is just another potential benefit that promotional product marketing can bring you.

What to consider when creating promotional products?

There are many things to consider when choosing a promotional product for your business. Since you will be gaining plenty of long-term impressions, these are essential questions to pose when devising a promotional product campaign.

Quality

Because these little promo items will be representing your brand, it also means that there should be a certain standard of quality when your company chooses to give out free merchandise. If a pen you give out looks unappealing and runs out of ink very quickly, the user is unlikely to be impressed. Meanwhile, if the pen is fairly sturdy and useful across its reasonable lifetime, the consumer will at least be subconsciously impressed.

Budget

Business-to-consumer (B2C) companies typically allocate up to 10% of their revenue to marketing efforts. Promotional products are usually slotted into this marketing budget. However, your marketing team also has to consider other marketing strategies that they budget for, such as limited-time sales, other giveaways and raffles, search engine optimization, Google Ads, pay-per-click (PPC), and more. Pick a budget maximum to spend on promotional products so that your team is comfortable with the amount.

Define your target audience

Market research is your best friend since it lets you know what kind of consumer will be your business’s best friend. Know the age and interests of your target market so that you can give them appropriate, useful items. If your target market is unlikely to benefit from writing utensils, it would probably be best to avoid giving out pens.

Figure out distribution channels

There are many ways to get your promotional products out there. One great way to pique your audience’s interest is to give out free promo products during events, such as trade shows and even holiday parties. Free promotional products are a fantastic way to garner attention at these events, which is an added benefit.

Is it worth it to hand out promotional products?

Generally, the brand visibility and awareness that come with handing out free promotional products are worth the potential hassle.

There is a psychological appeal to receiving free promotional gifts that are relatively high quality for their purpose. Customers may experience an improved sense of loyalty and appreciation toward your business. Positive feelings directed towards your business can go a long way, which makes many businesses find promotional product marketing a worthwhile investment.

How to pick the right promotional product

If you have decided to try out a promotional product marketing strategy for your business, you will inevitably reach the question of “what promotional product should I hand out?”

The answer will depend greatly on your brand, your target audience, as well as your distribution options. It can be challenging to decide what type of promotional product is best for your brand.

It may be a good idea to choose a type of promo product that is associated with your brand or what your business wants to achieve. There is generally no perfect product that is one size fits all in terms of what every business should offer. However, plastic pens are definitely one of the most popular types of promotional products since pens are commonly used.

If you offer products and services that are related to lowering stress and increasing success, you may want to consider pens and stress balls. If you are in the entertainment industry, you may want to give out T-shirts or posters. The possibilities for promoting your business are endless.

Research what your competitors are doing

Competitor research can help give you an idea of what other companies are doing in your field in terms of promotion. Are they giving out free swag at business events? If so, what kind? Keeping an eye out for what other businesses are doing in terms of promotional products can help your own business decide whether you should be inspired to make similar products or try to contrast them and choose new types of items.

Take advantage of holiday trends

No matter the holiday, people often appreciate gaining gifts that are branded and designed specifically for that holiday season. For example, personalized chocolate, tumblers, and ornaments are popular during the winter months. Teddy bears and candles with also help bring the cheer of festivities that a simple pen may not be able to do.

Simplify your strategy with Amsterdam Printing

Amsterdam Printing is a trusted leader in promotional products. We carefully craft customizable promotional products that fit your budget so you can reap the benefits of promo products without hassle!

We offer a wide array of corporate gifts and promo items, including pens, drinkware, and calendars. Pick the perfect promo item that fits your budget and brand today!

What the Plastic Bag Ban Means for You

 

NYS-bag-ban-logoThe New York State Bag Waste Reduction Law

Sunday, March 1st brings the Bag Waste Reduction Law, more commonly known as the plastic bag ban, to those of us here in New York State. With all of the (sometimes conflicting) information out there about the law, it can be a little confusing as to what the ban really means to you as a consumer or as someone whose industry will be affected by the change.
Let’s dig in a little bit to clear it up.

Continue reading “What the Plastic Bag Ban Means for You” →

10 Tried-and-True Promo Ideas for Banks and Financial Services

piggy bank

As a small community bank, credit union, or financial services organization, competing with large national enterprises can seem like an uphill battle. Fortunately, you have an advantage the big players try hard to replicate: the personal attention you give to your clients. And there’s no better reminder of that personal relationship than a promotional gift that they’ll use on a regular basis — one that keeps your brand at the top of their minds, and one that others will see and ask about.

Continue reading “10 Tried-and-True Promo Ideas for Banks and Financial Services” →

Celebrate National Flashlight Day with these 3 Fun Solstice Facts!

national-flashlight-day

December 21st is the shortest day of the year and also, and not coincidently, National Flashlight Day!
It’s cold and dark here in the great Northeast but we’re happy to lighten the mood by sharing these 3 fun facts about the Winter Solstice (along with some engraved flashlights that will dazzle your customers). Continue reading “Celebrate National Flashlight Day with these 3 Fun Solstice Facts!” →

4 Spooktacular Halloween Festivities to Get Your Office in the Spirit

cake pops

Orange and red leaves blanket the ground, the temperatures are falling and football is back in full force which means that fall here and Halloween is on the horizon. This week we’re helping you and your team get into the spirit of the season with four ways to celebrate the day at your workplace. Continue reading “4 Spooktacular Halloween Festivities to Get Your Office in the Spirit” →