By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Here’s a quick gut check for your branded merchandise strategy—and it’s one most companies fail. The Logo Swap Test for Custom Merch In your mind, take your latest piece of company swag and swap your logo with another brand’s.Maybe even a competitor, if you’re feeling […]
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Merch in the Wild: Geezer Nails Gen X
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise ExpertIn a world where brands constantly chase trends, there’s something refreshing—almost rebellious—about staying exactly who you are. And when it comes to branded merchandise, Geezer Creative is doing just that… and absolutely nailing it. Why Authentic Branded Merch Wins Every Time A lot of companies make […]
Why One Great Piece of Branded Merch Beats a Table Full of Swag
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert When it comes to branded merchandise, most companies are still operating under one assumption: More = better. So they show up with the full spread: It looks generous. But it’s not memorable. The Problem With “More” Corporate Swag At first glance, a table full of […]
Why Corporate Swag Is Stuck in the Past (And How to Make Branded Merch People Actually Want)
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert The corporate swag starter pack hasn’t changed in 30 years. You know the one: At some point, corporate swag became synonymous with cheap and forgettable branded merchandise. And most companies just… accepted that. The Problem With Traditional Corporate Swag For years, branded merch has been […]
The Logo Swap Test: A Simple Way to See If Your Branded Merch Actually Works
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert If you’re investing in branded merchandise, here’s a quick gut-check that separates memorable merch from forgettable swag: The Logo Swap Test. In your mind, swap your logo with another company’s—ideally a competitor. Now ask yourself:Would this merch still work? If the answer is yes… that’s […]
Why Print-on-Demand Stuffed Animals Might Be Your Most Effective Branded Merch Yet
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Print-on-demand stuffed animals for swag are wildly underrated. 🧸🐰🐯🦄 Seriously—this might be one of the most overlooked opportunities in branded merchandise right now. The Unexpected Power of Plush Branded Merch Here’s the thing about most corporate swag: It looks branded.It feels branded.And people treat it […]
Stop Designing Swag for Everyone: Why Choice Is the Future of Branded Merch
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert When you design the same thing for everyone, you end up with merch no one cares about. It’s a hard truth—but one most brands learn the expensive way. The Biggest Mistake in Branded Merch Strategy Most companies approach branded merchandise by asking one question: “What’s […]
What Early 2000s Reality TV Teaches Us About Branding and Cultural Shifts
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Are you watching the Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model documentary on Netflix? If you’re not, you are dismissed. (You are no longer in the running to be America’s Next Top Model. 👀) But if you watched America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) when it […]
Crinkle-Cut French Fry Skis: When Branded Merch Gets Deliciously Weird
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Crinkle-cut French fry skis. 🎿🍟 Those words have absolutely no business being in the same sentence together—and yet here we are, thanks to Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. and Fischer Sports. Ore-Ida took one of its most iconic products—the crinkle-cut fry—and turned it into actual skis you […]
What Kwik Trip Gets Right About Branded Merch
By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Let’s talk about Kwik Trip. I grew up in New Jersey and live in New York. I have never set foot in a Kwik Trip, Inc. location. But if there’s one thing I trust, it’s the passion of Beth Stowell Reed — and she swears […]
