By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Why Zabar’s Merch Works (Without Even Trying) Zabar’s merch isn’t trying hard.And in this case, that’s exactly why it works. (For my non-NYC friends: Zabar’s is a legendary Upper West Side grocery store where the grannies are fierce, the vibes are intense, and the smoked […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert It’s 2026, and yet somehow a lot of branded merchandise still feels like it was designed, ordered, and distributed in 1994. That’s a problem—because merch hasn’t meaningfully evolved in decades, but the rest of us absolutely have. Today, we can order almost anything we want […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Here’s a rule we stand by when it comes to branded merchandise: If it feels like a uniform, it’s wrong. Great branded merch should feel chosen, not assigned. The moment your swag starts looking like a required outfit instead of a personal favorite, engagement drops. […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert There’s a question I hear all the time when teams are choosing branded merchandise: “Is it useful?” It’s a fair question.But it’s not the right one. When usefulness becomes the main (or only) metric for evaluating branded merch, brands end up playing it safe—and safe […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Order in the court. Today’s case is one we’ve all seen before—lurking in desk drawers, trade show totes, and onboarding kits everywhere. 🚨 The Crime Branded stress balls.Yes. Still. And let’s be precise here. The classic foam stress balls? Absolute trash. The squishy gel ones? […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Yes, this is real. People are wearing a Lowe’s bucket… as jewelry. A chunky silver chain with an enormous acrylic bucket pendant sold out. And honestly, of all the things to sell out, this was the thing. Not because it’s objectively beautiful.Not because it matches […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Most companies think they’re doing swag the right way… and accidentally end up creating the exact kind of branded merch people quietly avoid wearing. Not because the intention is bad.But because the approach is backwards. If your company swag feels like a requirement instead of […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Yes. Syrup shoes exist. Denny’s leaned all the way in with Sticky Kicks—limited-edition sneakers with real maple syrup sealed inside them. Not syrup-inspired. Not syrup-colored. Actual syrup. In the shoe. The drop was tied to National Maple Syrup Day, sold exclusively online, and disappeared fast […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Happie makes plant-based wellness products designed to help people feel genuinely good in real life—no pressure, no perfection, no weird vibes. So when it came time to create branded merchandise for trade shows and team events, we knew the merch had to feel exactly like […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert And yes… I said what I said. When someone tells me they’re “in promotional products,” I instantly picture the stuff that ends up in the bottom of a junk drawer two days later. You know exactly what I mean: That’s why I hate when people […]