Victoria Kellam | April 23, 2021
As April comes to an end, we wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted in the First Annual Brandito Swag Bracket. The bracket started with a field of 32 promotional items, then after 2 weeks and 700 votes later, we found a winner. Your new favorite hoodie!
Here’s what we learned about the types of promotional items people want to receive:
1. People love giving back as much as we do
An item with a charity giveback made it all the way to the championship round and just barely got beaten by the hoodie. More and more brands are including a give-back component with their products. This is a great way to make recipients feel good about the item they’re receiving and the company that gave it to them. Partnered with Brandito’s own give-back mission, purchasing these items provides twice the impact. Here are a few of our favorite promotional brands with a give-back mission and the organizations they support.
Miir: Each individual item includes a Give Code that can be registered on the Miir site. Recipients can follow along and receive project updates and information on the projects promoting clean water, healthy environments and strong communities.
Basecamp: A portion of all Basecamp proceeds is donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization dedicated to veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001.
Soapbox: Every Soapbox item purchased results in a soap bar donation that keeps someone in need a little safer. Soapbox items are thoughtfully crafted in the USA and are all vegan, paragon-free, cruelty-free, EDTA-free, silicone-free and artificial colorant-free. Recipients can register their Hope Code to track the impact their soapbox product has made around the world. Soap = Hope.
2. Apparel still reigns supreme
Apparel has always been the largest category in the promotional products industry but it’s important to spend your money on apparel that people WANT to wear to get the most return on your investment. Branded apparel that is soft, comfortable and can be worn on the weekends is not only received well by employees but will have more brand impressions as your employees become your walking ambassadors out in the community. Spending a little more on a nicer t-shirt or softer hoodie will ensure your promotional spend is not ending up at the bottom of the dresser drawer. Concerned about collecting sizes for your employees? Our account teams can share tools to take this off your plate. Contact us to learn more.
3. Be a pragmatist
Everyone loves swag but they really love swag they can use. Items with a clear purpose were more popular than items that may be more decorative or single-use. A backpack cooler can be used by individuals and families on the weekends, after work and on vacation. A wireless docking station cleans up your desk, bedside table or kitchen counter allowing for multiple devices to be charged in one location.
We appreciate everyone who participated. If you want to learn more about any of these categories reach out to us here.
