Put your own luggage on the table. What is in there? The same small group of people who follow most people around. Keys. Bottle of water. Headphones are half-tangled. A notebook with a folded page that marks some thoughts from last week. Now keep track of one normal day from the time the first alarm goes off till the lamp in the bedroom goes out. Where do the problems show up? Coffee gets cold after an hour. The phone’s battery died at three. Not having a charging wire when you need it. If you fix these actual difficulties, your branded gear will be wherever your customer goes. More bonuses!
Instead of breaking them down by their roles, break them down by their habits and lifestyle. People who commute require cups that don’t leak and bags that can store more than just receipts. People who work from home want a comfortable tee for Zoom and a webcam cover for when they mess up. Field techs pick up cable kits and power banks that really work. College students desire notebooks and stickers that are engaging and can be opened flat on a small desk. Instead of speculating, ask five real users what they retained last year and why. Their replies are your guide.
Don’t use the same promotion every time. Welcome packets for new employees should be friendly, not businesslike. Handouts for events should function straight away. Loyalty awards should feel like a modest thank you. Put the names of the people who will get the journals on the covers when you can. Leave a note with one line detailing what the item is made of and how to take care of it. Put a QR code on the site to make it pop up. Don’t have everyone go through registration hoops and ask a lot of questions.
Your reputation speaks for itself in terms of quality. Before you print anything, test the samples. Pull zippers, snap lids, and twist for leaks. Use your thumb to rub the ink. To inspect the print, hold everything up to the sun and then to the office lights. Use recyclable fabric or strong metal where you can. Throw away cheap plastic. Choose simple shipping boxes, paper tape, and no foam. Put basic recycling icons where they will be seen. People want help, not more work.
Don’t just count pieces when you make a budget. Think about what you want people to remember. Send everyone a basic item, but save the finer ones for people who do things like sign up or watch a demo. Put a minor wild card in the mix to get people’s attention. Put a code on each piece to find out what truly gets picked up. A brief text or email later—Still using it? Which one?—will show what landed. Winners keep winning, but losers quit quickly.
Get better and go quickly. Three items. Three groups. Trials that last two weeks. Ask them, “Do you use?” The answer tells you everything you need to know. Do you love the bottle because it’s easy to hold? That information goes to the following order. Change the message. Engineers want straight lines. Creative people go after crazy colors. Finance wants to hear about savings. A few small changes and adjustments, and all of a sudden your swag lasts longer than most budgets and is more useful than a last-minute banner ad.