By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Nostalgia has absolutely no standards for taste. How else do you explain people collecting Viagra ties? If you think branded merchandise only matters while a campaign is active, consider this: people are currently spending real money collecting vintage pharmaceutical swag from the 1990s. The New […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert When companies think about branded merchandise, they often focus on one thing: whether they’ll make money selling it. But the truth is, the profit margin on your hoodie is probably the least interesting thing about it. The real value of branded merch isn’t what happens […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Some company merch still has serious “my cousin was my first customer” energy. You know the look. The logo hasn’t been updated in years. The design feels disconnected from the current brand. The apparel looks like it came from a trade show booth in 2014 […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert NJ Transit recently had what probably felt like a great branded merchandise idea: “What if we sold soccer-themed hoodies?” The internet responded with: “What if you sold us a functioning train?” And just like that, a merch launch became an emergency public feedback session. The […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Lately, Crocs collaborations have quietly become one of the smartest moves in branded merch. And honestly? Microsoft just proved why. The company originally created custom Microsoft Crocs for employees only — a nostalgia-loaded internal merch drop that immediately made everyone outside the company want them. […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Think of branded merch as your company’s dating profile. The best swag works like instant chemistry. You see it and immediately think: “Okay, these people get it.” That’s the magic of great promotional merchandise. It communicates personality before anyone says a word. Unfortunately, most companies […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert The New York Knicks recently made the front page of The New York Times for something merch people immediately understood: Fans wouldn’t wear the free playoff shirts. As someone who lives and breathes branded merchandise, this is my Roman Empire. Thousands of pristine playoff tees […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Someone recently asked me: “Do you use AI to make your merch designs?” My answer? Absolutely not. Now, before the internet comes for me, let me clarify: AI-generated design can be useful for brainstorming ideas or exploring creative directions. But when it comes to creating […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Podcast audiences are strangely invisible for how deeply obsessed people are with them. And honestly? That’s a marketing problem. Because podcast listening is private. You could have a million people in your city listening to the exact same show every week and never know it. […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert There, I said it: Most branded tech accessories are bad merch for non-tech companies. Yes, even the branded chargers.Yes, even the phone stands.And yes, definitely the random cables. Before you come for me, hear me out. When companies think about corporate swag or promotional products, […]