19 Meaningful Company Swag Ideas For Employees In 2024

Are you looking for ways to improve your employer brand and team unity? Investing in good company swag can be an easy way to do both. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to understand which swag items to purchase and which to avoid. Each member of your team has a different preference, but there are some universal loves here. Let's dive into everything you need to know about company swag (as well as the 19 items your team wants to receive.)

What Is Company Swag?

The term "swag" was coined by American advertising executive David Ogilvy in 1946. He defined swag as any gift, prize or other item that is distributed to members of a group such as employees, clients or prospects. It is often packaged in attractive boxes or bags and comes in many different forms including pens, mugs, T-shirts, key chains, umbrellas, mouse pads, hats, notebooks, calendars, clocks, watches, stickers, necklaces, bracelets, wallets, posters, magnets, pins, buttons, postcards, coasters, golf balls, pencils, erasers, and even condoms! 

Companies give out swag because it helps them create positive associations with their brands, increase employee morale, provide incentives to generate more business, and encourage repeat purchases. A company swag item is an individually packaged gift, typically something you give out to your staff members or clients. These gifts could include anything from pens to t-shirts to coffee mugs to key chains.

In general, though, they're things that make your business stand out. Swag should be chosen carefully and thoughtfully. Companies must choose whether to spend money on swag that will help them achieve business goals or simply give away free stuff. Let's look at what makes a great company swag strategy.

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Benefits Of Company Swag

Company swag plays many roles at work, even if you have remote employees. For example, if you're looking to create a fun office environment, consider handing out branded t-shirts or other apparel as part of your employee recognition program. Or, perhaps you want to encourage employees to get involved in volunteer activities. In either case, you'll be showing off your brand while helping to foster a sense of community among your team members. Here are a few additional benefits of company swag:

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Promotes Recognition And Appreciation

Company swag is a great way to recognize employees for their work, and show them that they are appreciated. The best way to do this is through gift cards, which are inexpensive, easy to give out, and provide a lasting impression.

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Boosts Your Employer Brand

Good company swag is a proven method for boosting employee morale and improving the overall workplace experience. People respond positively to branded swag, especially if it’s of high quality. So order some high-end swag items for yourself and your team members, and you'll be sure to get the recognition you deserve.

Your corporate swag should be designed to make recruits feel comfortable about working there. Whether you hand them out at events or send them out via email, your company swag needs to convey a sense of warmth and friendliness.

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Builds Unity 

Your employees need to feel proud of what they're doing and be excited about working there. Culture is something that should be built into every employee's DNA, and you can't force them to care about it. To get started, begin by looking at how you treat your customers. Do you give them the respect they deserve? Are you willing to go above and beyond to help them? Or do you take shortcuts and cut corners? These are questions you need to ask yourself as a leader. Once you've figured out how you want to conduct business, make sure everyone knows what those expectations are. Make sure your employees know exactly what kind of environment they'll be working in. And most importantly, make sure they actually believe in the culture you're trying to create.

In order to maintain a strong sense of community within the company, many employers give out t-shirts to employees based on their locations. These shirts serve as a visual reminder of the culture of the office and help promote camaraderie among co-workers.

In order to make sure that everyone feels included and appreciated, creating shirts on a larger scale helps create a feeling of community among employees.

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Improves The Onboarding Experience

Your new employee needs to know right away if you're a place he or she wants to work. A warm welcome goes a long way towards creating a positive impression. Company gear helps remind your employees that you care enough to start them off with something extra.

There should be something fun included in the gift bag as well! Maybe you want to do something different than a generic notebook? Or maybe you're looking for a fun new tool to use in your business? Whatever you decide, make sure there is something fun in the bag!

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19 Meaningful Company Swag Examples & Ideas

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1. Custom Swag Boxes

While many businesses offer some form of flex time or remote work policy, most still require you to come into the office every day. With the rise of technology, more companies are offering better ways to stay connected from anywhere. Companies are also looking for new ways to engage their teams by giving them something extra, such as custom swag boxes. Employees love receiving gifts and being surprised by what’s inside. This could include things like a T-shirt, hat and a laptop sticker. Great option for new hires.

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2. T-Shirts

Company branded T-shirts are the most popular of all swag options. They are pretty cheap ($12-20/each) and work for everyone. Your employees will wear them frequently, so you need to think about what kind of fabrics and designs work best for them. You want to make sure that your swag items are high quality, durable and versatile enough to last long-term which is why we recommend Next Level Apparel for shirts because they balance great quality with low cost. Most swag providers use Next Level shirts for this reason. 

Shirts should be given out by your company as employee rewards. You could also give them away at your next event, such as your annual Christmas party.

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3. Hoodies & Jackets

From a pure looks perspective, it's hard to beat a branded hoodie or sweatshirt when it comes to swag. Slap a nice looking logo on there and your people will love repping their swag in the colder winter months. 

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4. Hats

Hats are another great item that is cost effective. There is also such an extensive selection of different types of hats that you could customize and hand out to your team members, so both parties have choices here. It would also prove beneficial to have different styles of headgear, including caps and beanies, to suit every situation and season. These items should be kept within the office space and accessible to everyone, regardless of what the weather may be.

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5. Tumbler/Water Bottle

A great swag idea is to provide your employees with a branded reusable water bottle. It will help keep things organized and make their life easier.

A tumbler is a tall glass bottle used to hold liquids such as juice, soda, beer, wine, etc. It has an opening at the top which allows you to pour liquid out. Water bottles are similar but smaller. Both can be reused many times over by washing them thoroughly after each use.

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6. Work Essentials Swag Bag

With a creative swag bag, your employees will feel appreciated and valued. As long as you're careful about what goes into it, you'll have something useful and attractive to give out. In this case, we recommend including a pen, some post-it notes, a notebook, and a few other items.

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7. Self-care Items

Swag items such as mugs, tumblers, pens, keychains, etc. are great ways to make sure your company cares about their wellbeing. You should always consider what kind of swag would be most useful for your staff. For example, some people prefer different types of coffee mugs than others. Some people may want a pen that matches their work attire better than another person might. Your goal here is to create something that your staff members will enjoy using and use regularly.

You could make products such as hand sanitizer, nail clipper, tweezer, and dental floss. These items could be given out in a swag bag or pouch. Your customers could wear your logo on their clothing. This makes it easier for your employees to carry around and use.

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8. Winter Swag Ideas

Your company could supply your staff with winter swag products such as hats, scarves, gloves and beanies. These items will be useful to your workers because they will enjoy wearing them during cold weather. You may also consider sending out seasonal cards or e-mails to remind your staff about your appreciation for them.

You should always make sure you check out what kind of gloves, scarves, or umbrellas are available. These are things that are going to help your employees, and they're also things that they won't need to purchase for themselves, making them feel happier about receiving them as gifts.

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9. Planners

In today’s world, most businesses need to ensure that they are always up to date with what’s going on around them. With branded pen sets being such a useful tool, you can make sure that your staff knows exactly how to do this by making sure they are given some pens with your brand printed on them. This is a great way to encourage your team members to use their pens as much as possible, ensuring that everything gets done properly.

Desk planners can also prove to be useful, they are easy to use and helps individuals to see how much time they spend on things. Each page can be embossed with a specific logo and the company's name printed on the outer back of each page.

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10. Notebooks

Employees need a good notebook to write down notes, track tasks, or just draw pictures. These customized swag items are great because they're useful, practical and fun! We love our notebooks! There are several different types to consider including the classic hard cover, soft cover, spiral bound and more. You can also choose from various printing methods including screen print, debossing, foil stamping, embossing, and much more. They're also great gifts because they come in a variety of colors and styles. 

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11. Branded Headphones

Creative ideas come easier when you listen to music while working. Give your workers personalized headphones to help them concentrate better. If you go full send on Airpods, it can get a bit pricey but there are always other options here.

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12. Backpacks

One of the highest demanded swag items we see by employees are backpacks. Everybody loves a good backpack, especially when it's got a cool company logo on it. This is a very practical gift option that will get used all the time and constantly remind people of the awesome company they work for.

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13. Fitness Gear

A home exercise equipment set includes dumbbells, kettle bells, jump ropes, hand weights, medicine balls, stability ball, and more. These items are essential for any home fitness routine. With them, you'll be able to get fit without having to go to the gym or spend money on personal training sessions.

A branded workout equipment package includes everything you need to get started right away. You'll be ready to help motivate and inspire others to stay fit!

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14. Coffee Mug

People love to drink coffee, but they also love to show off their favorite cups. Create a unique design or pattern that makes you stand out among other brands. Make sure your logo is prominent enough to attract attention.

We love it because it accompanies our favorite teas and coffees. It’s ideal for employee swag or corporate swag.

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15. Bluetooth Speaker

You should consider giving out some Bluetooth Speakers as a promotional item if you're looking to increase employee engagement and improve loyalty. These devices allow users to play music wirelessly without having to plug anything into any device. In addition, bluetooth speakers are easy to use and can be customized to match your business logo or branding colors.

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16. Snack/Food Bags

Food and snack bags are a great way to give away items that your employees might enjoy while working. The contents of the bag should be low cost, easy to prepare, and tasty!

We love the idea of giving away boxes full of goodies as part of your company’s culture. For instance, you could give away a box of cookies or other snacks each week to employees during lunchtime. Or maybe you could send out a monthly calendar filled with recipes and tips for cooking healthy meals. Either way, it’s a great way to promote employee wellness and morale!

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17. Wireless Chargers

Charging stations show that you're aware of what your employees need, and you care about them enough to make sure they're well taken care of. Portable charging devices allow workers to charge their phones anywhere without having to worry about being charged up. And because they're cheap, they'll save money in the long run by not buying new ones.

A wall charger and wireless charger are both very simple pieces of technology that make life easier for many people. For instance, you could give out a wall charger as a gift to your employees to ensure that everyone has something that works with their gadgets. These items are also fairly inexpensive to purchase online.

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18. Desk Accessories

Another great swag idea to improve office morale by providing personalized desk accessories. You can give out items such as pens, pencils, stickers, etc., branded with your company name or logo.

You could do something as simple as giving out pens or pencils with the logo on them. Or you could give out stickers or key rings with the same thing written on them.

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19. Socks

Give your employees something fun and different to wear on any occasion. Customized socks are great because you can get creative with what kind of design you want. You could even give them each a pair of socks as a gift! Your company socks should always be comfy and durable but also stylish enough to wear every day.

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Conclusion

Company swag is a great way to show appreciation to your team members. It also helps build a positive work environment where everyone feels appreciated and valued. I hope you were able to get some great ideas from the list above.

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Can We Help?

At Nectar, we help companies create on-demand swag as an employee reward option. Employees earn points for living core values and then are able to redeem those points for your company swag, gift cards or even Amazon products. Nectar is great for remote teams because everything is created and shipped on-demand (even internationally) so your team doesn't have to take on the burden of buying swag in bulk and then shipping or delivering them to employees all over the place. Request a demo today to see our software in action.