Elephant SwagSwag people never forget

Elephants never forget. Neither does good swag.

Swag people actually keep.

What makes a giveaway worth hanging onto, how to build a swag bag on a real budget, and a Hall of Fame for the stuff that earned a permanent spot in someone's life.

Take the Keeper Test Build a swag bag

The only question that matters

Will someone still be using it a year from now?

If yes, your name is on their desk every day. If no, you paid to put your logo in a landfill.

Every piece of swag ends up in one of three places

  • Keeper

    Still in use a year later. It earned a spot on the desk, in the gym bag, or by the door.

  • Junk drawer

    Not bad enough to throw out, not good enough to use. It lives with the takeout menus and the dead batteries.

  • Donation bin

    Out of the house within a month. The logo went with it, and so did the money that paid for it.

How that plays out

These are types of swag, not anyone's actual order. The pattern is what matters.

  • Keeper

    A really good water bottle

    People carry it every day. It keeps drinks cold, it fits a cup holder, and the logo is small enough that nobody minds.

  • Junk drawer

    A stress ball with a giant logo

    Fun for one meeting. After that it's a squishy business card with nowhere to go.

  • Donation bin

    A flimsy branded pen

    It runs out, it snaps, or it gets left at the bank. Nobody has ever been sad to lose one.

Got swag you still use years later?

Tell us what it was, who gave it out, and why it stuck around. The best ones go in the Hall of Fame.

Nominate something

The occasional keeper, in your inbox

When there's a new Hall of Fame pick or a guide worth reading. No weekly filler.

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