subject: The Joys of Schwag [print this page] The many types of promotional merchandise and gifts that fall under the collective heading of "Schwag" seem to just keep expanding each year. If you took a walk through any trade show you might be astonished at the large number of items that business owners regularly give to their employees, current clients, and potential customers too. They even have promotional pieces given out to fellow practitioners in the same field or industry as well.
What is the purpose of Schwag? As already mentioned, it is promotional in nature. This is one of the reasons that the best varieties will have something like a logo or contact information imprinted on the surface. Just consider one of the current trends in promotional materials totes and shopping bags.
These are converted into walking billboards each time the recipient uses them, and it is incredibly likely that they will employ such items on a weekly, if not even more frequent basis. They are also something that falls under the heading of the "green movement" too because most are made from recycled materials and they prevent further plastic and paper bags from being necessary. This is something often handed out at a trade show, but it is a frequent gift given to a new client or during some sort of promotional or charitable event too.
Of course there is also a somewhat luxurious connotation for the term as well, and this is the reason that one of the most popular styles of Schwag happens to be in the form of high-tech items. There are USB memory drives, small MP3 players, and super-accurate pedometers available in styles ideally suited to marketing purposes.
In the end, any promotional or marketing piece should reflect the kind of quality present in the business or its products. Fortunately, there are many excellent choices for those who want to use this form of savvy advertising.
