By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert 👩🏻⚖️ Amanda’s Swag Court is now in session.Today’s case? A serious offense against modern merch. 🚨 Crime: Branded Mouse Pads in 2025 🔪 Evidence:895 flat rectangles of foam with a logo nobody asked for. ⚖️ Verdict:Absolutely nobody is clicking for joy here. 💰 Sentence:You must […]
Author: Amanda Hofman
What Delta’s Luggage Tags Teach Us About Elite Branded Merch
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Delta Just Dropped the Most Elite Swag in the Sky And no, it’s not another toiletry kit or sleep mask. We’re talking personalized metal luggage tags —Chic, free, and absolutely dripping with status. ✨ Exclusively for Medallion Members, these tags come with: 🛫 Your name🛫 […]
Your Logo Isn’t the Star — Your People Are
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Hot Take: Most Branded Merch Feels Like Advertising And let’s be honest — no one’s lining up to become a walking billboard. That crewneck with your oversized logo splashed across the chest?It might mean something to you, but to your customers, it’s just… noise. Because […]
No, Merch Isn’t “Passive Income.” But It Is a Power Tool.
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Let’s Clear Something Up About Branded Merch There’s a common misconception I hear all the time: I’ll sell merch for passive income. Hard truth?Merch is not passive income for most businesses. 🙅🏻♀️ And honestly? Most things in life aren’t really passive income.(That Etsy shop, that […]
I Usually Hate Branded Pens — But This One Changed My Mind
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Let’s Get One Thing Straight: I Normally Hate Branded Pens. They’re forgettable.They’re generic.And nine times out of ten, they do absolutely nothing for your brand. But last week?A single photo in my inbox made me pause and — dare I say — smile. “Saw This […]
T-Shirt Gun Energy: Why Swag Creates Brand Hype
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert I’ve Seen Grown Adults Lose It Over a T-Shirt Not because it was the perfect fit.Not because it was sustainably sourced or printed with glow-in-the-dark ink.Not even because they picked it out themselves. But because it was launched from a cannon. 💣 Let that sink […]
When Swag Tells a Story: Why This Plushy Pal Belongs in Every Backpack
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Not All Merch Deserves a Spot in Your Bag But this little guy?He’s definitely coming on the road trip. Last weekend, I stumbled into a Rivian showroom at the mall — and was instantly pulled in like a moth to a headlamp. Not by a […]
Conference Swag Is a Landfill in Waiting – Let’s Fix That
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Conferences: Where Sustainability Goals Go to Die ☠️ Let’s talk about the dark side of branded merch.A Reddit thread recently lit up with complaints about conference giveaways — and if you’ve ever walked out of an expo with a tote bag full of junk, you […]
From Merch Maker to Superfan: Why Branded Swag Starts with Belief
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert I’m not just in the business of designing custom swag.I’m in the business of becoming a full-blown fangirl for my clients. Not out of obligation.Out of obsession.Because when I believe in a founder’s mission, I really believe. Not performatively — passionately. When Branded Merch Sparks […]
What a Love Poem to Smoked Fish Teaches Us About Great Branded Merch
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert What does a love poem to smoked fish 🐟 have to do with swag? Everything – if you’re Zabar’s. To celebrate their 75th anniversary, the iconic Manhattan grocery store dropped a limited-edition branded tee. And it didn’t just feature a logo—it came with a perfect […]