By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Some tourist merch is so delightfully dumb, it loops back around to being perfect. Case in point: these socks. White crew. Red type. All they say is: 🍕 PIZZA ITALIANA 🇮🇹 That’s it. No clever twist. No overthinking. Tourist merch isn’t trying to be cool. […]

By Amanda Hofman, Founder of Go To Market On my recent trip to Sicily, I saw the same tourist merch again and again—pieces that could have been memorable but instead felt tired. When it comes to branded merch, originality matters. Here are three examples that were everywhere… and totally missed the mark. 🖤 I ❤️ […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert The stars have aligned, and your branded merch horoscope is here! ✨ Welcome to this month’s Merch-o-scope—your celestial guide to what swag the cosmos says you’re destined to rock. Whether you’re a fire sign with flair or an earth sign who values function, there’s a […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert In the world of digital saturation and fleeting attention spans, one form of marketing continues to thrive quietly—but powerfully—in everyday life: branded merchandise. Here’s the hill I’ll die on: Merch lives where ads can’t go. We’re talking about: These aren’t just passive moments—they’re golden moments […]

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 […]

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🛫 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]