THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SWAG

By Dean Schwartz: Hard to believe that there’s an official 10 Commandments in the custom promotional products biz? Well, it’s true. In fact, SOBO Concepts is proud to be the leaders behind this powerful list, which is aptly named ‘The 10 Commandments of SWAG.’ Ready to find out what they are? Dive in – but not head first. (We care about your safety).

The 10 Commandments of SWAG

1. Start Early –As soon as you confirm the dates for your next event or promotion, get on the horn with your SWAGman or SWAGlady, or better yet, connect with SOBO Concepts to have us start working on ideas. The more time we have, the more creative and cost effective we can be.
2. Request Samples – Pictures can be deceiving so make you to request a sample (another good reason to plan in advance). It’s so much better to decide you don’t like something after you received the sample, than after you’ve ordered and paid for 1,000 units covered with your logo.
3. Don’t Spend Money on Crap – Think about the types of things that you would like to receive and that you would actually use. If that’s not what you’re working on, step away from the project and start over. Why? Because slapping your logo on something for the sake of having a premium to give away just flat out doesn’t work.
4. Keep it Real – Be true to your brand. Make sure the premium you’re giving away reflects your brand’s personality – right down to the exact colors. Thankfully, we can help with that.
5. Be Creative (or Let Us Be Creative for You) – Be funny. Be irreverent. Give away something completely unexpected. If you do, people will actually remember you. Funny, thought-provoking or controversial sayings, cool graphics, multi-colored designs, and even artist collaborations can go a long way toward making something memorable.
6. Buy More, Save More – No, this isn’t just a tired sales tactic to line our pockets. The truth is, you’ll save a lot of money by unlocking bulk pricing if you order a lot all at once. Have a few events coming up? This is for you. All orders of custom promotional products offer price breaks at higher volumes, but for companies like us, we can order overseas to deliver a more affordable rate per product and also be more creative without increasing price.
7. Pay Attention – Details matter. Seriously. Are you paying attention? Make sure you understand how large your logo is going to be, where it’s going to be located, how it’s going to be printed, will it match your PMS color(s), etc. Things look very different on your computer screen than they do in real life. If you’re worried about how something may look, make sure to ask and don’t ASSUME.
8. Get SWAG Security – Does your SWAG supplier stand behind their work? It’s important to find out. Mistakes happen, sure, but if the product is defective or if they made a mistake, make sure they’re willing to do whatever’s necessary to make you happy.
9. SWAG + Marketing = SWAGeting – Okay, so maybe the name isn’t ideal, but you get the point. If you can, integrate your SWAG into your marketing campaign. In today’s world, it’s all about creating a 360 degree message. What does that mean? It’s crucial to be seen everywhere. Promote your SWAG through social media, in ads, on banners at events, etc. The caveat? You can only do this if your SWAG is actually cool. And tying SWAG to marketing is a great test.
10. Take a Chance – No one ever got fired for mindlessly slapping their logo on a product – at least not that we know of – but is that really how you really want to define yourself? Make a statement and give your customers something they’ll remember.

Questions for the SOBO Concepts team? Ready to take the plunge and put the 10 SWAG Commandments into action for your business? Call us at 888.752.0432 today!