15 Creative Swag Bag Ideas to Give Away Promotional Products & Increase Brand Awareness

Welcome to the world of swag bags, where creative branding meets practicality!

Did you know that promotional products have a lasting impact on customers?

In fact, a recent survey found that 89% of consumers can recall the advertiser on a promotional product they received in the last two years. That’s why swag bags have become a staple in the world of marketing.

One perfect example of a swag bag that helped a company promote its brand is the one created by Glossier, a skincare and beauty brand.

Their swag bag included their signature pink hoodie, tote bag, and a set of their best-selling products. Glossier’s swag bag not only served as a thank-you to their loyal customers, but it also became a social media sensation as customers shared photos of themselves with the bag, showcasing their love for the brand.

With that said, let’s dive into 15 creative swag bag ideas that will help you increase your brand awareness and leave a lasting impression on your customers. 

What are Swag Bags & How Do They Help with Promotions?

But first, let’s explain what swag bags are…

Also known as goodie bags or gift bags, swag bags are a popular marketing tool used by businesses to promote their brand and leave a lasting impression on their customers.

Swag bags typically include a variety of promotional products, such as branded giveaways, that are distributed to customers, clients, or employees.

Swag bags can take many forms, from simple branded tote bags filled with promotional products to more elaborate corporate swag bags designed to impress and delight recipients.

Swag bag ideas can range from practical items like pens and water bottles to more unique items like custom socks or branded headphones.

So how do swag bags help with promotions?

Swag bags can help businesses increase brand awareness and engagement by creating a tangible and memorable experience for customers.

By providing useful and interesting promotional products, businesses can create a positive association with their brand that can lead to increased loyalty and sales.

Additionally, swag bags can be a great way to incentivize customers to attend events or purchase products.

For example, a clothing company might offer a swag bag with a purchase of a certain dollar amount to encourage customers to make a larger purchase.

Overall, swag bags are a powerful marketing tool that can help businesses promote their brand and engage with customers in a meaningful way.

By creating a thoughtful and well-designed swag bag, businesses can leave a lasting impression on their customers and increase brand awareness and loyalty.

In the next section, we’ll explore some unique and creative swag bag ideas to help you show off your brand.

7 Types of Promotional Products That Make Great Swag Bag Fillers

When it comes to creating swag bags for events or giveaways, choosing the right promotional products to include can make all the difference.

Here are seven types of promotional products that make great swag bag fillers:

1. Tech Accessories – In today’s digital age, tech accessories like phone stands, phone wallets, and earbuds are practical and popular promotional products that attendees are sure to appreciate.
2. Drinkware – Branded water bottles, tumblers, and coffee mugs are always a hit and can be used long after the event is over.
3. Apparel – Custom t-shirts, hats, and socks with your company logo are a great way to create a sense of team spirit and show off your brand.
4. Office Supplies – Practical and functional office supplies like notebooks, pens, and sticky notes with your brand’s logo are great swag bag fillers that will get plenty of use.
5. Bags and Totes – Branded bags and totes are a useful and stylish way to promote your brand while also providing attendees with a convenient way to carry around their swag.
6. Health and Wellness Products – Promote healthy living by including items like fitness trackers, hand sanitizers, or custom lip balms in your swag bag.
7. Unique Items – Stand out from the crowd by including unique and unexpected items in your swag bag, such as custom puzzles, branded playing cards, or even personalized hot sauce bottles.

When selecting promotional products for your swag bag, it’s important to consider your target audience and choose items that will resonate with them.

By providing practical and useful items that attendees will appreciate, you can create a positive association with your brand and leave a lasting impression.

In the next section, we’ll share tips on how to choose the right promotional products for your swag bags.

3 Tips on Choosing the Right Promotional Products for Your Swag Bags

Choosing the right promotional products for your swag bag can be a daunting task, but with a little planning and creativity, you can create a swag bag that is both effective and budget-friendly.

Here are three tips on how to choose the right promotional products for your swag bags:

1. Consider Your Audience – The first step in selecting the right promotional products is to consider your target audience. What are their interests, needs, and preferences? What kind of items are they likely to use and appreciate? By understanding your audience, you can select promotional products that are relevant and appealing to them.
2. Choose Practical and Useful Items – When selecting promotional products, it’s important to choose items that are practical and useful. Cheap promotional items in bulk like pens, notebooks, and tote bags are great swag bag fillers that attendees are likely to use and appreciate. Consider items that can be used long after the event is over, such as drinkware or tech accessories.
3. Be Creative and Unique – While practical and useful items are important, don’t be afraid to get creative and include unique corporate gifts that will make your swag bag stand out. Consider including items that are related to your brand or industry, such as custom-shaped stress balls or branded USB drives. Unique and unexpected items can create a memorable and positive impression of your brand.

When deciding what to put in a goody bag, it’s important to keep your budget in mind. Consider purchasing items in bulk to save on costs and to ensure that you have enough items for all attendees.

Additionally, consider partnering with other companies or sponsors to provide additional items or to offset costs.

Overall, choosing the right promotional products for your swag bags requires careful consideration of your audience, practicality, and creativity. By following these tips, you can create a swag bag that is both effective and memorable.

In the next section, we’ll explore how to maximize the effectiveness of your swag bags as a marketing tool.

How to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Swag Bags as a Marketing Tool

Swag bags can be a powerful marketing tool, but simply handing them out at events or conferences may not be enough to maximize their effectiveness.

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your swag bags:

1. Be Strategic with Swag Bag Distribution – Rather than simply handing out swag bags to anyone who passes by your booth, be strategic with your distribution. Consider targeting specific attendees or offering swag bags as part of a promotion or contest. By creating a sense of exclusivity, you can increase the perceived value of your swag bags.
2. Promote Your Brand with Swag Bag Design – Use the design of your swag bag to promote your brand and create a lasting impression. Consider using bold colors, eye-catching graphics, and your company logo prominently displayed on the bag. This will not only help attendees remember your brand, but it will also make your swag bag stand out from the rest.
3. Include a Call-to-Action – Encourage attendees to engage with your brand beyond the event by including a call-to-action in your swag bag. This could be a coupon or discount code for your products or services, an invitation to follow your company on social media, or a request to sign up for your email newsletter. By providing a clear next step, you can turn swag bag recipients into potential customers.
4. Measure the ROI of Your Swag Bags – To determine the effectiveness of your swag bags, track metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and sales leads generated from swag bag recipients. This will help you assess the ROI of your swag bag marketing efforts and make adjustments for future events.

To give you a deeper look at how these swag bags can change your marketing approach, let’s take a look at an example our experts thought up:

Let’s say a tech company is attending a conference and wants to use swag bags to promote its brand. They could follow the tips from the article and create a swag bag that reflects their brand’s values and personality.

For example, they could choose a sleek and modern design for their swag bag that reflects their brand’s innovative and cutting-edge technology.

For the swag bag fillers, they could include promotional products that are both practical and relate to their brand’s products or services. For instance, they could include a portable phone charger, a branded USB drive, and a pen with a stylus tip for use on touch screens.

To make the swag bag more unique and memorable, they could include a themed item related to the conference or location, such as a local food item or a branded water bottle with the conference logo.

To maximize the effectiveness of their swag bags as a marketing tool, they could include a call-to-action on the swag bag, such as a QR code that leads to a landing page with more information about their products and services.

They could also use social media to promote the swag bag giveaway and encourage attendees to share photos of themselves with the swag bag on their social media accounts.