By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert
I’m going to tell you something you probably don’t want to hear:
Your employees, team members, and fans do not want the same branded merchandise in 2026 that they got from you in 2025.
Or 2024.
And definitely not 2023.
If your swag strategy is on autopilot, your audience can feel it.
And here’s the truth:
Merch boredom is real. And it’s self-inflicted.
The Problem With Repeating the Same Swag Every Year
Too many companies treat branded merchandise like a checklist:
- Reorder the same mugs
- Reprint the same tote bags
- Restock the same logo tees
- Swap the year and call it “new”
But branded merch isn’t office supplies.
It’s a brand experience.
When your audience keeps receiving copies of the same promo items year after year, your swag stops feeling thoughtful — and starts feeling forgettable.
2025 swag is already last year.
If your corporate swag program hasn’t evolved, neither has your brand presence.
The Fastest Way to Fix Swag Boredom
Here’s the fastest way out of stale branded merchandise:
1. Stop Just Putting Logos on Stuff
Putting your logo on a product is not a strategy.
It’s the bare minimum.
Logo-only swag is predictable. It’s been done. Everyone already has it.
If your entire branded merchandise strategy is:
“Take item. Add logo.”
You’re going to keep producing items that end up in drawers, donation bins, or the back of someone’s closet.
Modern swag requires more than a logo stamp.
It requires intention.
2. Design Merch the Way You Design Everything Else
You wouldn’t launch:
- A website without a designer
- A campaign without brand guidelines
- A product without thoughtful UX
So why treat your branded merchandise differently?
Swag should reflect your:
- Brand personality
- Voice and tone
- Visual identity
- Cultural relevance
- Community
Design your merch the same way you design the rest of your business — with care, creativity, and a real designer involved.
The best branded merchandise feels like a brand extension, not a giveaway.
3. Don’t Print Anything You Wouldn’t Wear Yourself
This is the simplest rule in swag strategy:
If you wouldn’t be genuinely excited to wear it, don’t make it.
If you’d leave it in a drawer…
So will they.
Great swag creates demand. It sparks conversations. It gets posted on social media organically.
It doesn’t feel like “free stuff.” It feels like something you scored.
Your Branded Merchandise Should Evolve Every Year
Your brand evolves.
Your audience evolves.
Design trends evolve.
Your branded merchandise and swag should evolve too.
That doesn’t mean chasing trends blindly. It means refreshing:
- Silhouettes
- Materials
- Color palettes
- Graphics
- Messaging
- Product categories
The brands that win with swag treat it like a seasonal drop — not a warehouse reorder.
Give Your People Something They’d Actually Fight Over
The goal isn’t to distribute more items.
It’s to create branded merchandise people would actually bang down the door to wear.
That’s how you turn:
- Employees into ambassadors
- Customers into fans
- Fans into community
And that’s how swag becomes one of your most powerful brand-building tools.
So let me ask you:
How many times have you received repeat swag from the same company?
Another mug.
Another tote.
Another hat.
Did you keep it? Or did it quietly join the pile?
If that’s happening to you, it’s happening to your audience too.
It might be time to rethink your branded merchandise strategy.