Top 10 Branded Swag Ideas for Events
As you plan an event, it’s important to leave a positive lasting impression. Demonstrate your commitment to the planet and people by giving away eco-friendly custom swag. It’s a powerful way to prove that your company actively supports environmental conservation.
Additionally, branded swag plays a crucial role in creating a memorable brand experience, acting as a tangible representation of your company's identity and values. Unique customization of environmentally friendly products makes for the perfect brand experience along with a high return on your investment.
Showcase your creativity through unique swag ideas and ensure that every item distributed is both practical, purposeful, and memorable. In this post, we will share some of the top ideas for your next event.
Wearable Ideas
1. Custom T-Shirts, Polos and Shirts
Custom t-shirts are a classic choice when it comes to custom swag for corporate or any other events for that matter. They’re not just a piece of clothing but a walking billboard that continues to promote your brand long after the event is over.
However, while most standard swag t-shirts are likely to end up in the trash, our high-quality, comfortable custom swag t-shirts are items that will be used and cherished for a long time.
According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute, t-shirts are the most popular custom swag products, with 80% of consumers owning promotional shirts. This means that custom swag in the form of branded t-shirts is likely to be worn and seen by many people.
Custom t-shirts are a cost-effective way to promote your brand. They create a sense of unity among attendees during the event and serve as a lasting reminder of the experience.
By the way, great company swag makes employees proud to wear their branded uniforms. Sustainable polos and button-down shirts in inclusive sizes and styles happily worn are the highest form of compliment to your brand!
2. Branded Lanyards
Branded recycled lanyards are another excellent custom swag idea for corporate events, especially those that require ID badges or access cards. They’re practical, cost-effective, and offer a great way to keep your brand visible throughout the event and after the event.
According to the British Promotional Merchandise Association, 66% of people remember the name of the advertiser on a promotional product they received in the last 12 months. This means that a branded lanyard can have a lasting impact on your attendees, keeping your brand relevant long after the event.
As far as swag items go, branded eco-friendly lanyards serve a practical purpose at your event and are a constant reminder of your brand, both during and after the event.
Plus, they’re often reused for keys, badges at other events, or even as a fashion accessory, providing ongoing brand exposure.
| IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VISUALS: Branding statistics show that 55% of first impressions of any brand are visual. That’s why leaving your name or logo on swag items is still an effective way of promoting your brand. Make sure your custom swag products are printed to the highest quality so you can make a great first impression. |
Practical Branded Swag Kits
Practical branded swag items go beyond mere aesthetics to offer real utility, making a lasting impression on recipients.
Unique company swag, such as tech organizer bags, fosters a deeper connection with your audience as they associate your brand with usefulness and reliability.
Furthermore, custom swag kits containing a curated selection of sustainably minded gifts can be particularly effective, especially when tailored to the needs and interests of the recipients.
3. Branded Water Bottles
By now, we all have reusable water bottles in our cabinets, but what makes you grab the ones you like to use best? Not all reusable branded water bottles are created equally.
We are here to make sure you select a sustainable, quality, branded swag bottle for all occasions - college events, fundraisers, trade shows, and more. These promote sustainability, which is a value that many eco-minded modern companies and consumers hold dear, and are easy to customize.
Did you know? 481.6 billion plastic bottles are used (and discarded) worldwide every year. Despite this huge amount of plastic waste, only 9% is recycled.
By providing highly sought-after reusable water bottles as part of your company swag, you can help reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills.
Additionally, plastics not sourced responsibly with health and safety in mind may have detrimental health effects, as they often contain harmful chemicals that can leach into food and drinks. Give your valued clients, employees, community members, and event guests healthier options through your custom swag, and they will remember you for it.
Eco Promotional Products gives you a wide variety of healthy, planet-friendly water bottles to choose from. These include stainless steel, glass, and BPA-free plastic. You can also choose from a variety of sizes, colors, lid styles, and styles to match your brand’s aesthetic.
The goal is to provide useful custom swag items that attendees will want to use long after the event, keeping your brand front and center in their daily lives.
4. Reusable Utensils
Reusable utensils are timeless and practical custom swag items for all events. They offer a great alternative to plastic, making them perfect for a waste-free lunch.
Our bamboo and stainless steel sets are compact and convenient. They fit easily into a purse, work bag, or desk drawer, and they can be cleaned and reused easily.
The Bamboo Utensil set showcases sustainability at the forefront. Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource, and the reusable cotton pouch is biodegradable at the end of its life.
Each unique piece, with its own wood grain patterns, adds a touch of individuality. Customizing the pouch with your logo and brand colors turns this eco-friendly swag into a powerful brand statement.
Highlighting your brand’s eco-conscious values, the stainless steel set can be customized with your logo on the neoprene pouch, reinforcing your company’s aesthetic. With every use, attendees will be reminded of your brand’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Moreover, Eco Promotional Products, Inc. plants a tree seedling on behalf of your organization for every order, further emphasizing your dedication to green initiatives.
By providing our sustainable and reusable utensil swag items as a gift, you offer a practical item that keeps your brand visible and associated with eco-friendly practices.
5. Custom Refillable Journals
Personalized notebooks are timeless and effective custom swag items for all events. Despite living in a digital age, many people still prefer to jot down notes, ideas, or to-do lists on paper.
According to a survey by the Paper and Packaging Board, 76% of respondents believe they can better remember or understand information when they write it down. This shows that notebooks are still a valuable tool and can be a thoughtful addition to your event swag. With this in mind, be sure it is sourced with sustainability at the forefront.
Our custom eco-responsible swag journals offer a great opportunity to showcase your brand. These reusable journals, made using paper and vegan leather, can be customized with your logo, brand colors, and your company’s mission or values.
What’s more, the inner paper notebook can be replaced in your padfolio by those found in your local office supply store. The journals come packaged in a recyclable gift box.
Every time an attendee uses the notebook, they’ll be reminded of your brand. For a long-lasting option, select a refillable journal notebook.
By providing custom notebooks as attendee gifts, you’re giving everyone practical and useful custom swag items they can use daily, keeping your brand front and center.
6. Branded Pens
Branded pens are classic and effective swag items for all budgets and all kinds of occasions. They’re a staple in every office, home, and bag, making them a practical and useful custom swag item for event attendees.
According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute, pens are one of the most popular custom swag products, with 89% of consumers owning promotional writing instruments. This shows that pens are a well-received and widely used promotional item so why not make it an environmentally responsible pen?
Branded eco pens offer a great opportunity to keep your brand in front of attendees. Every time they use the pen, they’ll see your logo and be reminded of your company.
Our Prop. 65-compliant Recycled Liquid Gel Ink Click Pen is manufactured with 84% pre & post-consumer recycled materials. It's reusable and refillable, and we’ve partnered with The Arbor Day Foundation so each order placed contributes to planting 100,000 trees by 2024.
By providing sustainably sourced logoed branded pens and refillable pens as part of your swag items, you’re giving attendees a practical tool that they can use in their daily lives, keeping your brand front and center.
7. Tote Bags
Tote bags made from sustainable materials are a versatile and eco-friendly swag idea for all event types. They’re practical, reusable, and offer a large canvas for showcasing your brand.
According to a study by the Advertising Specialty Institute, promotional bags generate as much as 3,300 impressions throughout their lifetime. This means that every time an attendee uses your branded tote bag, they’re advertising your brand to others.
Tote bags are also a great way to promote sustainability. Our budget-friendly Custom AWARE™ Shopper Tote Bag is made using recycled cotton, which diverts textiles from landfills and helps decrease the waste burden.
By providing reusable tote bags made from environmentally responsible materials, your company can help reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.
Custom swag bags can never go wrong, especially if they are sourced with safe and sustainable materials. Give attendees a practical and eco-friendly item that they can use in their daily lives, keeping your brand front and center.
| YEAR-LONG IMPACT: Did you know that 69% of people who get promotional merchandise can remember the brand for another 12 months? This makes quality custom swag a worthwhile investment with a high ROI, whether it’s clothing, custom drinkware, or tech accessories. |
Tech Items: Great Company Swag Ideas
8. Phone Chargers or Power Banks
In today’s digital age, we’re all too familiar with the panic that sets in when our phone battery dips below 20%.
That’s why branded sustainably sourced safe phone chargers or power banks are a fantastic custom swag idea. Not only are they incredibly practical, but they also offer a unique opportunity for brand exposure.
There are a variety of options available when it comes to branded chargers and power banks. Here are a few popular choices when it comes to eco-tech custom swag:
1. Standard wall chargers: These are the chargers that plug directly into a wall outlet. They’re compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around. You can customize them with your company logo or event theme.
2. 8-in-1 chargers: These are perfect for anyone who travels a lot for work or is simply on the go with multiple device needs. Think sustainable with certifications for product safety and standards.
3. Wireless chargers: These are a more modern option. Available in recycled materials and safety certifications. They allow attendees and recipients to charge their phones simply by placing them on top of the charger. They’re sleek, stylish, and can be customized with your company logo.
4. Power banks & Speakers: Practical, fun, and sustainably unique, these portable power bank batteries and wireless charging speakers are sure to be a favorite. Unique tech for corporate events, gifts and more.
Bamboo accents make it a modern design that can charge a phone or other electronic device on the go. They are incredibly useful, for charging and playing music wherever, whenever.
Your goal is not just to give away free stuff, but to provide something of useful value that will remind attendees of your brand long after the event is over.
Branded phone chargers or power banks are a practical, useful item that recipients, whether they are employees, customers, or attendees, are likely to use regularly. That way, you help contribute to environmental sustainability while keeping your brand front and center in their daily lives.
Home and Office Custom Swag
9. Coffee Mugs
Who doesn’t love a good coffee mug? They’re a staple in most homes and offices, making them a perfect choice for branded company swag. Michelle Sheldon, president of Eco Promotional Products, Inc., polled an audience to find out some of the longest-lasting promotional items that event attendees owned. Branded coffee mugs were a winner.
When choosing a coffee mug to brand, consider the quality of the mug. A cheap, poorly made mug may not get used or might reflect poorly on your brand. On the other hand, a high-quality, well-designed mug can enhance your brand image and make a positive impression on your employees, guests, donors, and event attendees.
10. Stress Reliever Balls
A Stress ball is intended to relieve stress and tension and serve an extremely practical purpose. Our stress ball is not intended to be a novelty toy. In today’s high-stress world, having a small, portable stress ball or stress reliever can be a powerful useful aid for mental health, stress relief and physical hand relief making this an ideal swag bag item.
When choosing a stress ball to brand, consider the sustainability of the material and the impact on the person, your brand, and the environment.
A safe, high-quality, well-made stress ball can enhance your brand image and provide a positive, stress-relieving experience for your swag bags.
| A $25B MARKET: The corporate swag industry earns over $25 billion every year. This proves that countless companies continue to see results from their branded campaigns. |
Conclusion
So there you have it, folks! These are some of the top ideas for your next event.
Remember, the best swag is not only cool and fun, but also practical and useful. Choose items that reflect your brand and will be appreciated by your attendees. Happy planning!