Summer swag and giveaway gifts

Our office manager, Rachel, has always been efficient and dedicated, ensuring smooth operations in our workplace and lending a helping hand to anyone who needed it. However, something was amiss with Rachel, and we all noticed. As we returned from a long remote-only office hiatus, Rachel (and the rest of our staff) realized that her once spacious and organized office had become a chaotic storage space for a surplus of unwanted company swag.

Over the years, our company has enthusiastically embraced the idea of swag giveaways, including summer swag. The company would order all sorts of branded items, from pens and notepads to t-shirts and water bottles. These promotional items were intended to be distributed to clients and employees to bring camaraderie and brand loyalty. 

Here are the top 10 summer-themed swag and giveaway ideas perfect for your next event, customer appreciation, or employee engagement initiative:

1. Customized Sunglasses: Stylish and practical, sunglasses with your logo on the arms can be a fun summer swag item.
2. Beach Towels: High-quality, branded beach towels are perfect for summer trips to the beach or pool.
3. Reusable Water Bottles: Keep customers hydrated with branded, reusable water bottles. Choose eco-friendly materials to promote sustainability.
4. Insulated Tumblers: These keep cold drinks chilled for longer, making them perfect for the summer. Having your logo on them can remind users of your brand each time they take a sip.
5. Branded Cooler Bags: Cooler bags with your logo can keep food and beverages cool for beach trips, picnics, or barbecues.
6. Custom Flip Flops: Flip flops are essential for the summer. They can be customized with your brand's colors and logo.
7. Sunscreen Bottles: Miniature sunscreen bottles with your logo can remind customers to protect their skin while providing brand visibility.
8. Beach Balls or Inflatables: These can provide fun for all ages, whether it's a beach ball, inflatable pool float, or even inflatable drink holders.
9. Branded BBQ Kits: For those who enjoy grilling, a branded BBQ kit could be a great giveaway. It could include essentials like a spatula, tongs, and grill brush.
10. Personalized Picnic Blankets: A high-quality, soft picnic blanket can be a perfect companion for outdoor summer activities. Adding your logo can make it a memorable branded item.

Unfortunately, the strategy had backfired due to lack of attention, and Rachel's office was now overflowing with boxes of swag, gathering dust and occupying valuable real estate. Rachel was confident it would soon be time to order summer swag as corporate gifts, but she finally reached her breaking point. She yearned to return to her office sanctuary, but boxes took up every inch of space. It was time to take action. Determined to create a functional workspace, Rachel devised a plan to tackle the swag avalanche head-on.

She got together with the marketing team, calling a meeting (virtual, because she couldn’t fit in her office) to discuss what could be done with the pile of swag invading her space. She expressed her concern about our CEO wanting to order more for the change of seasons, primarily since there wasn’t any place to store it, and the unused swag felt like such a waste. 

Marketing Manager, Joe came up with a fantastic idea. Our company would use leftover swag to give away in social media posts and new client orders! Not only would we be thanking our customers, but we’d be getting rid of the old swag as well! They worked on their plan for hours, coming up with new aspects and streamlining how it would work. 

With everyone fully aware that the CEO was eager to order new summer swag for clients and upcoming corporate events, Rachel saw an opportunity to solve two problems simultaneously. She and Joe would present their plan to the CEO, highlighting the need to offload the surplus swag before introducing new business swag ideas into the mix. 

Rachel and Joe prepared a detailed presentation outlining their Swag Makeover Strategy. She proposed three key steps to free up office space and streamline the swag distribution process. This would create plenty of room to bring in new summer swag ideas for businesses and allow our CEO to implement all of his merchandise ideas for small businesses. 

Here are 05 summer swag ideas that could be ideal for businesses to give away to their employees, customers, or clients:

1. Customized Caps or Hats: Branded caps or sun hats are not only practical for protecting wearers from the sun, but they also offer excellent brand visibility during outdoor summer activities.
2. Branded Umbrellas: A high-quality, compact umbrella with your company's logo can be a lifesaver during sudden summer showers, providing visibility for your brand.
3. Portable Fans: Personal, portable fans with your company logo can be a refreshing gift during the hot summer months, whether at an outdoor event or on a hot commute.
4. Customized Tote Bags: A durable tote bag, especially one made from eco-friendly materials, is perfect for summer outings or shopping trips. When branded, they serve as mobile advertisements for your business.
5. Logo-imprinted Beach Towels or Mats: A vibrant, high-quality beach towel or mat with your company logo is a great summer swag idea. They provide a large canvas for your brand and are likely to be used frequently throughout the season.

Rachel and Joe sat in front of our CEO, ready to present him with a way to get rid of old swag via swag giveaways and other avenues. They walked him through the following steps.

1. Swag Assessment: They would begin by cataloging the existing swag inventory, identifying the most popular items and in demand, as well as those that were rarely chosen or outdated. This assessment would serve as a basis for what happened next.
2. Donation Drive and Employee Raffle: Rachel and Joe organized a company-wide donation drive, encouraging employees to bring in items they no longer wanted or needed. We would combine these items with the surplus swag to create a massive giveaway. To incentivize participation, Rachel suggested a raffle where employees could earn tickets based on the number of things they donated. The raffle prizes would include the remaining popular swag items and other fun promotional items. 
3. Swag Clearance Sale: The duo arranged a one-day swag clearance sale within the office with the donated items and surplus swag combined. Employees could browse the collection and purchase items at heavily discounted prices, ensuring they found a new home and the office reclaimed some much-needed space (and a little cash too!)

As Rachel and Joe looked on, our CEO smiled with approval.

Needless to say, Joe and Rachel's plan was met with enthusiasm by both the CEO and the rest of our employees. The donation drive and employee raffle became a hit, promoting a sense of community and shared responsibility within the company. On the swag clearance sale day, the office buzzed with excitement as employees eagerly perused the merchandise, and it had everyone looking forward to summer promotional items!

Rachel and Joe could order the best summer promotional items from SwagMagic without worrying about storage. They could officially come up with summer swag ideas for employees without indefinitely kicking Rachel out of her office. It was a freeing feeling, and even better that the CEO approved. 

Rachel would be able to do her job directly from her office, and as items cleared out, she was thrilled to have her home away from home up and running once again!

Here are five summer promotional items that businesses can use to boost brand visibility and engagement:

1. Branded Water Bottles: Hydration is essential during the hot summer months, making reusable water bottles a practical promotional item. Choose eco-friendly materials and make sure your brand logo is prominently displayed.
2. Customized Sunglasses: Sunglasses are a summer essential. Offer high-quality sunglasses with your brand logo on them as a cool promotional item that recipients can use throughout the season.
3. Personalized Beach Balls: These are perfect for any summer event, from beach outings to picnics. A beach ball with your brand's logo or colors can promote your brand in a fun and playful way.
4. Logo-imprinted Frisbees: Frisbees are a popular outdoor game item. You can get these imprinted with your logo for wide brand visibility at parks, beaches, or backyards.
5. Branded Sunscreen: Offer miniature sunscreen bottles or packets with your brand logo. It's a practical item that reminds recipients of your brand while helping them protect their skin from sun damage.

The Swag Makeover Strategy was a resounding success. The surplus swag had found new homes, and Rachel reclaimed her lost territory. With a revitalized workspace, Rachel was able to actively plan summer swag for corporate event and conference, corporate giveaway items, and order promo items with logo, all printed and stored by SwagMagic.

The surplus swag crisis was resolved, and Rachel could focus on the next big challenge: selecting summer swag ideas for clients. She researched and compiled a list of innovative and practical items, including:

1. Personalized beach towels
2. Insulated water bottles
3. Portable phone chargers
4. Workout gear
5. Baseball hats
6. Beach bags
7. SPF lip balm

Rachel collaborated with the CEO and Joe to ensure the summer swag aligned with the company's branding and resonated with the target audience. She was completely moved back into her office, we all loved seeing her every day, and she was more productive than ever. It was safe to say that a great plan for unloading all our old swag and SwagMagic saved the day!

As the sun shone brighter and the days grew longer, our office again embraced the swag spirit. This time, however, our CEO and Rachel had learned from the past, ensuring that the swag remained purposeful, well-received, and never overwhelmed the workspace. 

SwagMagic worked diligently to store the items we needed, allowing Rachel to order summer swag that already had a home, and shipping quickly when she discovered that she would need additional items. We’ve since made SwagMagic a permanent part of our office, relying on them to help us pull off everything from office parties to major corporate events. 

In the end, determination and strategic thinking prevailed, bringing harmony back to the workplace, one swag item at a time.