When a person attends an event, concert, conference or tradeshow, the main attraction (obviously) is the reason they bought the ticket. The second reason for attending these functions is to feel and have a memorable experience. As a company or brand who is part of these functions, the question that needs to be asked is, “how can we, as a brand, help make the experience better for the attendees?” One answer to this question can be solved in the kinds of SWAG that your brand offers at these events. Is it loved or hated?
What does SWAG mean? For the intent and purpose of this article, SWAG is being used to describe the free handouts or giveaways that brands use to increase brand awareness and advertising for their companies. SWAG stands for Stuff We All Get. A quick example is when you saw a sticker on the rear window of the car in front of you of a local sports team, or the branded mug with your company logo.
SWAG or promotional products are very powerful tools to create a very positive and powerful connection with consumers. If designed correctly, 92% of consumers will remember the name of the advertiser and the advertising message on the promotional product. With that in mind there are three critical questions brands must ask themselves when it comes to finding or designing promotional products and SWAG for events:
Who is the target audience for this specific event?
What products are trending with that audience?
How do we want people to react to these products and with these products?
By answering these three questions the SWAG brand create will resonate with the people at these events and create a favorable brand impression in the minds of those consumers as well. As mentioned above, event SWAG is either loved or hated. What makes these products one or the other, loved or hated?
The kinds of SWAG products that people love are the kinds of products that add value to their lives and helps to increase their own personal brands. This is why knowing your audience is critical. Consumers today are more willing to share personal data with brands if the SWAG product has a high perceived value. By creating products that consumers will use over and over, brands are not only making a positive impression at the event but many more times after that. You will know if a SWAG product is loved by the reception and reactions of consumers. (The longer the line to get the SWAG product the better)
Hated SWAG, unfortunately, is not hard to spot. These are the products that have no thought behind them. These are the products that add no value to consumers and create a poor impression for the brand giving them away. Hated SWAG is SWAG that has been done a million different times. Hated SWAG is the SWAG that everyone, and their neighbor, already has experienced. By giving out hated products like this to consumers, brand awareness can, in a NEGATIVE light, grow. It is a risk to give out these kinds of promo products to consumers in a time where “Sharing” happens all day long among consumers.
Developing the kind of SWAG that is loved takes research and creativity. The ultimate question that needs to be answered is what kind of impression do brands want to show consumers? Make sure that your SWAG is Loved. Don’t take the risk of negative brand awareness with hated/overused SWAG products.
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