1. Make sure it’s something you would wear
One great way to ensure your company swag is attractive and wearable is to think about whether or not you would wear it. After all, if you wouldn’t wear it, then why should you expect others to?
To design something that people will want to wear, think creatively–rather than just slapping a big logo onto the front of a cheap t-shirt, try to integrate your company branding with a smart, aesthetically pleasing design.
2. Be unique
Just about everyone has some sort of branded company swag sitting at the back of their closet. If you really want people to wear your products, you need to make them stand out.
To do this, ensure you’re creating an attractive design that will catch people’s eyes. It might be that you use some slightly unusual color combinations, a mix of image and text to build a custom design, or some other strategy.
3. Consider collaborating
Collaborating with well-known brands can be a great way to make your freebies more attractive. Consider adding your design to brand-name apparel and leverage their popularity and quality to make people really want to wear them.
For example, you might be considering creating high-end swag for your best customers. By using prestigious brands such as The North Face, Patagonia, or Marmot, you can boost the chances of your swag actually being worn and serving its purpose, thus marketing your company.
4. Go for quality over cheap items
It can be tempting to go for the cheapest company swag possible. After all, your marketing budget will stretch further this way, enabling you to get your name out there much better, right? Wrong.
People are much more likely to wear high-quality items that stand the test of time. For example, a cheap branded t-shirt may fade and begin to look shabby after a few washes, and because of this, it may be thrown out or relegated to the back of the closet. A quality item will retain its appearance and won’t usually suffer the same fate.
5. Everyone loves sustainability
Sustainability and eco-friendly shopping have become huge issues in the modern world, and it could be worth leveraging this when creating your company swag. Rather than going for cheap plastic items that are likely to break quickly, consider something a little tougher.
At the same time, keep the origins and environmental impact of products in mind. In some cases, it could be worth adding a little note so people know your company swag is sustainable, as this may make them more likely to use it.
6. Keep demographics in mind
The demographics of your target audience is a crucial consideration. If you want your branded products to be used, you need to ensure they’re actually useful for your audience. For example, there would be no point in giving items likely to be used by younger people, such as colorful apparel, to an older, more conservative target group. They just wouldn’t be accepted very well.
7. Make sure your brand is clearly identified
While you need to be careful about the way you brand company swag to ensure it’s attractive and wearable, it’s also important to ensure you clearly identify your brand. Otherwise, you’re not going to get your company name out there, even if people do wear it.
Some things to think about here include incorporating your brand’s main colors and artwork into your design. Make sure that your company branding stands out as part of the larger design, and use techniques such as negative space to draw people’s eyes to your logo or name.
8. Don’t be afraid of going small
Although it may seem counterintuitive, small branded items can actually be much more successful than apparel or large items. When designing company swag, consider simple items like pens or coffee mugs. They’re likely to be used multiple times, providing ongoing exposure for your brand.
9. Consider employing a professional
It may be tempting to save a little money by designing your company swag yourself, but this may not be a great idea unless you have a decent level of artistic ability. We’d suggest hiring a designer or professional artist who you can work alongside to ensure you end up with an attractive design that people will actually wear.
10. Make sure people can find you
It’s all well and good creating fun, attractive designs that people will wear, but you also need to ensure your brand name stands out within the design so people can find you.
Let’s say you’ve created an excellent branded apparel range that everyone just seems to love. But you forgot to add your company name, using only a logo. Anyone who doesn’t already recognize your logo won’t know what your company is called, essentially defeating the purpose of branded swag in the first place.
Takeaway
Creating company swag that people will actually wear doesn’t have to be a difficult, stressful process. Ensure your branded products are attractive, usable, and of high quality. Think about whether or not you would wear things yourself, and ensure you’re targeting the right demographics.
Integrate your brand name into your design, consider collaborating with well-known brands, and place an emphasis on sustainability for a branding boost. If you’d like help designing wearable company swag, we’d recommend connecting with an artist or experienced designer to ensure you end up with a design that people actually like.
