Swag Packs Guide for 2022: Best Practices, Examples & Case Studies

Kits of branded promotional items – aka swag packs – have become a popular way for brands to connect with customers. Swag packs also make effective employee incentives. The prevalence of remote work and virtual/hybrid meetings and events has driven this trend, in addition to the mass appeal of product unboxing videos on social media channels like YouTube and Instagram. We expect companies will continue to utilize gift bundles like swag packs in marketing campaigns in 2022 and the years to come.

Based on your audience, event type, and marketing objectives, Metron Branding – a full service promotional marketing agency – can design, assemble, and ship custom swag packs for any price point that will surprise and delight.

What is a Swag Pack?

A swag pack is a bundle of branded promotional products for customers, sales prospects, clients, and/or employees. This bundle, kit, or gift set often includes branded apparel and accessories like hats, t-shirts, and socks – as well as notebooks, drinkware, and stickers displaying a company’s logo – though they can be customized to include virtually anything.

Swag packs are also known as swag boxes since packaging is typically a box customized with your company logo and brand colors though other packaging options are available. Swag packs are frequently distributed to:

• employees during work events like company retreats or annual meetings
• sales prospects attending virtual trade shows and conferences
• loyal customers and brand enthusiasts via direct mailing campaigns or social media contests

Swag Pack Benefits

Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.

– William Cowper (1731–1800)

A swag pack is essentially an updated version of a swag bag or corporate gift basket. Completely customizable, a swag pack can help your company:

• create a unique gifting experience utilizing novelty and variety (the spice of life) to excite your customers, sales prospects, or employees
• build trust and reinforce your brand image with aesthetically pleasing branded packaging and useful, high-quality promotional products
• deliver a delightful unboxing experience that your customers and employees will truly appreciate

What Should Be Included in a Swag Pack?

Swag packs can feature a random selection of popular promotional products or follow a theme (tech swag, outdoor apparel and accessories, desk accessories, wintertime, et cetera). Our Happy Camper and Glamping Kits are examples of themed swag packs – useful for outdoor-themed promotions, they also make fun summer gifts for employees.

The most effective swag packs contain universally appealing, practical promotional products with low cost-per-impressions such as:

Branded apparel and accessories: t-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, tote bags, socks, blankets, and pins

Custom drinkware and accessories: insulated tumblers, eco-friendly water bottles, drink Koozies, beverage chilling stones

Personalized office supplies: notebooks, sticky notes, pens, padfolios

Branded tech products: Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones, USB flash drives, power banks

Other classic swag items: stickers, refrigerator magnets, mints, hand sanitizer, lip balm, bento lunch boxes, travel umbrellas, luggage tags, phone wallets, candy & snacks

Trending promotional products: desk vacuums, backpack coolers, blue light blocking glasses, UV sanitizers for phones, fanny packs, health & wellness promotional products like face masks, yoga mats, and aromatherapy kits.

What to Include in a Swag Pack for a New Employee?

Swag packs to welcome new employees should contain wearable items like shirts, hats, hoodie jackets, socks, and tote bags to help them feel connected to the company culture. Candy and snacks are a great addition to swag packs for employees as well as branded office supplies (notebooks, sticky notes), drinkware (water bottles, tumblers) and tech products/accessories like wireless chargers and laptop computer sleeves.

A swag pack for remote employee onboarding will typically features items to help equip a home office, such as desktop dry erase boards, webcam covers, portable video lights, mini memo boards, mouse pads, and desk organizers.

Swag Packs and Swag Boxes – 4 Great Examples to Emulate

One of the benefits of incorporating swag packs into your brand’s marketing campaigns is free publicity. Elated customers and contest winners often share unboxing videos featuring the swag packs gifted to them on social media. Some inspirational swag packs recently shared on social media channels like Twitter and TikTok include:

Swag Pack Example 1

discovery+ recently sent home barista kits to some of their lucky customers. The coffee-themed swag box included a Discovery+ branded insulated tumbler, French press coffee maker, and gourmet coffee as well as a branded baseball cap:

Swag Pack Example 2

Another streaming network, G4tv, recently used custom swag boxes to promote their official relaunch. Including unique logoed items like scented candle tins and sleek bath robes in the package was memorable, shareworthy, and on-brand for the network, which produces content about video games and gaming culture.

Swag Pack Example 3

Variety is an important component of the best swag packs and swag boxes for employees. TikTok Creators received a delightful swag box full of variety from TikTok’s corporate office this summer – including a S’mores kit, clear tote bag, retro disposable camera, drinkware, and apparel.

Swag Pack Example 4

This simple swag pack sent to members of the Pixel Superfans community from Google – consisting of a thank you note, branded socks, and a sticker featuring the Google Tensor chipset – demonstrates the effectiveness of a small gift. Superfans shared photos of the swag on Twitter and numerous tech news sites also discussed the promotion, which publicizes the recent Google Pixel 6 Pro phone launch.

Swag Pack Case Studies

Swag packs can help you company accomplish many different marketing and HR goals – from increasing brand loyalty to boosting employee morale.

Precisely SKO 2021

We recently helped Precisely – a global software company – create custom swag packs for an annual sales meeting, which was held virtually in 2021. Their dedicated Metron Branding account representative managed the entire process from design to assembly to distribution in nearly 20 countries, ensuring the Precisely sales teams received great custom swag that promoted team identity and inspired employee motivation. Click here for a swag packs case study detailing our gift box building process – including sourcing, packaging design, and international distribution – that Metron Branding deployed to provide Precisely’s employees with a memorable, personalized gift experience.

FORG IPO

We also helped ForgeRock^® – another global software company – create custom swag packs to celebrate their Initial Public Offering in 2021. Once again, their dedicated account manager ensured a smooth process as they sought to express their appreciation for a workforce that made the IPO possible. Click here for a swag packs case study that shows how we can incorporate BrandHub Online Company Stores into our gift box building process to gather sizing information without letting the cat out of the bag on what to expect. With all employees able to enjoy their personalized swag right out of the box, on the day of the IPO, they were even able to make a virtual mosaic to commemorate the event!

Ready to build your own unforgettable custom swag packs? Contact our customer service team or fill out the form below to set up a consultation.