Do’s and Don’ts for Using Swag to Market Your Company

RyCOM CreativeBlog

In today’s day and age, there are a lot of ways that companies are trying to revolutionize the way they market and get the word out there about their business. And one of the major new ways that companies are marketing to younger people is by using “swag”. “swag” is the term used for any free handouts that bear a company logo or other marketing message that are handed out to loyal customers. Swag can be anything from clothing to stickers, water bottles, food, or anything else. Here are three topics to keep in mind when using swag to market your company, and swag dos and don’ts

Handing It Out

The first topic to discuss when using swag to market your company is handing it out. The most important aspect of swag is that it is not purchased, but rather given out – that is what separates swag from merchandise. When handing out swag, make sure that you are spreading the company name, and talking about the company. You should also be handing out swag in an area that will be full of your target audience, giving swag to people who have no interest in your company will not have the marketing effect that you want. In general, keep swag handouts positive, fun, and friendly.

Managing Your Swag Inventory

Another thing to keep in mind when you are using swag for marketing purposes is how to manage your swag inventory. While you may be giving away swag for free, you should still be keeping track of how much you have and how much you are giving away, it will still cost you money to produce and hold inventory. Keeping too much inventory on hand can waste valuable space, which is why a lot of businesses will use the “just in time” production principle. The just in time production principle says that you should only have exactly as much as you need at any given time, and only get new shipments “just in time” to use them. This will help to eliminate excess inventory which can cost you tons of money in the long run.

 

Designing Swag

The final consideration to keep in mind when utilizing swag as a marketing technique is your swag design. This includes both the appearance and aesthetics of any swag items, but also what items you use as swag. Depending on your target audience you may change what swag you use. If you are targeting working professionals, perhaps leather folders or nice pens may make a good swag give away. If you are targeting teenagers, then stickers or hoodies may be smarter. Make sure that your swag design is targeted towards your audience.

There are a lot of ways to market your company, but swag may be one of the more effective options. But using swag effectively is not as easy as it may seem. Make sure that you are taking these three things in consideration to ensure that your swag giveaways are as effective as possible.

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