Not to add more salt to the wound but in case you hadn’t heard, big events and conferences that marketers rely on to create connections and drive pipeline, have been cancelled.
Cue the chaos.
Marketers are scrambling to make up for the pipeline they were forecasting to come from those events. But there’s another elephant in the room.
The swag.
The reason you’re reading this blog is because you have a stack of swag you were going to ship to a trade show that you have no idea what to do with anymore.
And you’re not alone. There are hundreds of field marketers out there scratching their heads, trying to figure out what to do with 10,000 branded pens, phone chargers, and stress balls.
That’s because the traditional swag model is all about companies slapping their logo on products and getting them in as many hands as possible.
Which explains why marketers would rather spend their swag budget on cheap items like chapstick, pens, and stuffed animals than on more desirable items. Because they’re looking for reach and need to get their brand in front of as many people as possible.
That’s the whole reason for swag right? To increase your brand awareness.
Which works, in theory, if you have the opportunity to hand out as much of that swag as possible in a contained environment like trade shows.
But does it really?
Even so, with the recent event cancellations field marketers are literally, ok figuratively but maybe literally, drowning in swag.
In a world where everyone is tuning out sales pitches and self promotion, slapping your logo on cheap swag and sending it to your top prospects is not going to drive the kind of action marketers and sales reps are looking for.
Because what REALLY sticks out to the customers at those big conferences is the conversations they have with your team that are relatable, relevant, and respectful.
And then the swag is used to remind those customers about the personal interactions they’ve had with your brand.
A better piece of swag just adds more icing to the cake because people are more likely to keep high-quality swag – like something they actually want to use.
What if you were able to create those personal interactions at scale without having face-to-face conversations with your prospects, while also being able to offer higher valued pieces of swag that your prospects will actually care about?
Oh, and without the up-front cost that breaks the bank.
That’s why we built Swag Select.
Using Alyce’s custom gift invitation model, you can send swag invitations digitally as well as physically. That means that if you’re holding or sponsoring virtual conferences, you can still give out swag to participants!
We connect with the swag supplier you already use so you can feature the branded products you want to feature while allowing your prospects to choose the item that appeals to them most.
With Swag Select, you don’t have to focus on the logistics or inventory burden, we only send your gift recipient swag once they accept and choose the gift they want.
No more warehousing. We take care of the logistics while you create lasting relationships with customers and future customers.
Want to learn more about Swag Select? Create a corporate swag store or request a demo to see it in action!
Mary Matton
Mary Matton is the Growth Marketing Manager for Alyce, and is obsessed with all things inbound and demand gen. Outside of work, her #5to9 interests include perfecting her mobile photography, the quest for the perfect iced coffee, and spending time with the people most important to her.