21 Company Swag Ideas Your Employees Will Love

Find the perfect branded company merchandise to show appreciation, boost employee engagement, and promote your company's values.

July 20, 2023
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Company swag sounds cool.😎

But that's only until you start brainstorming the best swag items for employees.

Finding the right cool swag to give away can feel overwhelming. How do you give your physical and remote employees branded merchandise to show appreciation, and communicate your values?

The best corporate gifts to give your employees depend on your budget and brand. But if you're struggling with ideas, we've got you covered.

What Is Swag for a Company?

Company swag refers to branded promotional items that businesses give to employees, customers, or potential clients. These items typically feature the company's logo, colors, or slogan and are meant to boost brand recognition, employee engagement, or client loyalty. Swag can range from practical office items to fun or stylish merchandise. Common examples include:

  • Apparel: T-shirts, hoodies, hats, or socks
  • Office Supplies: Notebooks, pens, or mousepads
  • Tech Gadgets: USB drives, headphones, or power banks
  • Drinkware: Mugs, water bottles, or tumblers
  • Bags: Backpacks, tote bags, or drawstring bags

Why Give New Employees Swag?

The idea is to cultivate a sense of employee pride, improve brand recognition, or boost sales — depending on who the swag is for.

You can convert almost anything into a branded business swag item to add to the online company swag store. Most businesses like to use objects of regular use. Regularly used items have a long shelf life, which helps accomplish the swag's goal.

21 Company Swag Ideas Employees Will Love

Company swag items should be things employees can use regularly. But you're probably wondering — does your team really need another coffee mug or more branded apparel? And you're right. Almost nobody needs another coffee mug.

So, what should your company swag include?

Below are 21 of the best swag giveaway ideas that will delight your employees and promote the organization.

1. A Welcome Box

Welcome gifts create excitement around joining your company. Gifting a new hire some useful swag is an excellent way to start an employee-employer relationship.

Here is what your welcome box can include:

  • Water bottle
  • Stickers
  • Laptop cover
  • Journal
  • T-shirt
  • Coffee/ Tea mug
  • Umbrella

2. Self-Care Items

Another good company swag idea that never goes out of trend is to focus on employee self-care and what the company can do to help with it. Show employees that you care about them with self-care and wellness company swag.

Here are wellness and self-care swag items you can give employees:

  • Yoga mat
  • Dumbbells
  • Skincare products
  • Soap set
  • A plant for their desk
  • Bookmarks
  • Headphones

3. Tote bags

Employees will carry your branded tote bag around for months or even years. But gift your employees stylish tote bags they will want to carry to the grocery store or when running errands.

Translation? Don’t give them a plain vanilla tote bag with your logo on it.

Find well-designed bags. Add variation in the design and embroidery of the tote bags you give to each employee to make them unique — the best company swag is personalized, not mass-produced.

4. Hybrid Work Kit

With companies adopting hybrid or remote models, employees may no longer need pen stands or a spiral notebook with your logo. They’d rather have a wireless charging mouse pad and webcam cover — things they can use daily.

Companies with the best company swag giveaway ideas tend to include these in a hybrid work kit:

  • Popsocket
  • Desk organizers
  • Ring light
  • Cord organizer
  • Wireless charger

5. Travel Essentials

For employees that like to travel, brand products they can use while on the go for work or for leisure.

Here are travel essentials you might consider:

  • Duffle bag
  • Tech organizer
  • Power bank
  • Passport cover
  • Worldwide travel plugs
  • Kindle

6. Winter Wear

Other fun corporate swag ideas include season-themed items. Gift your employees some cozy knitted wholesomeness, so they think of your company whenever they feel the warm hug of your branded winter wear.

There is room for creativity when selecting winter-wear custom swag boxes.  You can gift other winter wear items along with sweaters and other promotional products, such as:

  • Sweaters, jackets, coats
  • Gloves
  • Hat
  • Scarf
  • Lip balm
  • Moisturizer
  • Electric blanket

7. Eco-Friendly Swag

If being eco-friendly is one of your core values as a company, you might want to solidify your company culture among employees with eco-friendly company swags. It also strengthens a culture where employees think about the environment's health before making decisions, both at and outside of work.

Here are examples of eco-friendly swag:

  • Cotton tote bags and recycled drawstring bags
  • Reusable straws (available on Axomo)
  • Recycled laces (available on Axomo)

8. Custom Sound Accessories

Sound accessories are perfect business swag ideas people can use for work and funsies. For example, your employees can use earbuds for work calls or get through a train ride listening to some jazz.

Here are more examples of sound accessories:

  • Frequency Bluetooth speaker
  • PowerBuds
  • Headphones
  • Portable music player

9. Custom Footwear

A branded pair of premium sneakers make a good impression on your employees, especially if they’re into sneakers.

Sneakers are also useful for everyone, even if they already have a pair, which means employees can use them regularly.

You might also throw in a pair of branded socks, but make sure they’re unique. Nobody wants a dull, blue-colored pair of socks.

10. Food and Beverage

You want to earn some visibility for the brand, but focusing more on employee appreciation can pay rich dividends. Send a couple of snack tins to get a team party started. If you must give employees something with a longer shelf life, here are more options:

  • Single-serve blender
  • Coffee kit
  • Cocktail kit

11. Gifts for a Rainy Day

Got team members that live in states that rain a lot? Help get them through the rainy-days with company swag. For example, a branded umbrella is an excellent pick.

Other items you can offer to help your team get through the monsoon are:

  • Raincoat
  • Galoshes
  • Waterproof phone cover

12. Eco-Friendly Planters

Give your employees eco-friendly planters made from recycled materials, with a packet of seeds, and personalized with the company logo. This promotes sustainability and adds a touch of greenery to their workspace with a side of branded swag.

13. Virtual Team Building Kits

For remote employees, look no further than this company swag idea - create virtual team building kits that include fun online games, puzzles, and challenges. Add company's branding to the accessories like mousepads, t-shirts, headphones, and webcam covers to enhance their virtual experience.

14. Customized Comic Books

Develop a custom comic book featuring your team members as superheroes, highlighting their strengths and contributions. This unique and personalized gift will surely make your employees feel appreciated and special.

15. Swag-Enhanced Coffee Shop Gift Card

Collaborate with a local coffee shop and offer gift cards with additional swag, such as branded travel mugs, coffee sleeves, or reusable straws. This allows employees to enjoy their favorite beverages with a touch of company pride.

16. Personalized Adventure Journals

Encourage your team to explore the outdoors and create memories by gifting them adventure journals customized with their names and the company logo. Include space for notes, sketches, and photographs to document their travels.

17. Tech-Savvy Game Controllers

For employees who enjoy gaming, surprise them with custom-branded game controllers compatible with popular gaming platforms. It's a fun way to engage employees during their leisure time.

18. DIY Candle Making Kits

Provide employees with DIY candle making kits that come with different scents and colors. Personalize the candle containers with the company logo for a unique touch. This unique company swag idea can help stand out amongst the sea of swag ideas.

19. Mindfulness and Relaxation Kits

Help your employees de-stress and unwind by offering mindfulness and relaxation kits. Include items like essential oils, stress balls, meditation guides, and personalized mindfulness journals.

20. Interactive Puzzle Sets

Create branded puzzle sets that interlock to form a larger image showcasing your company's mission or vision. This interactive swag item can be used as a team-building activity during office gatherings.

21. Customized Board Games

Design custom board games with a company theme, incorporating inside jokes and memorable moments. Employees can enjoy friendly competitions during break times or team events.

Why Is Swag Important for a Company?

According to a study by PPAI, 7 out of 10 people wish they received promotional products and great company swag more often. There are many reasons why companies should give out employee swag. We'll share our top three.

First, it's an opportunity to brand yourself and your company.

Second, it can help with employee retention.

Third, it's a great way to show employee appreciation.

The right branded swag can turn a new employee into a brand advocate, and make your current employees feel appreciated and proud to be part of your team.

Great company swag is a tangible and inexpensive way to build brand loyalty, and help employees feel more connected to the brand. Plus, you can never have too many swag ideas (beyond t-shirts and coffee mugs).

How to Get Company Swag Right

Company swag is an excellent way to express employee appreciation.

But there's a caveat: what if you give an employee a portable music player, but they already had a better one?

Your employee might not use it too often (or at all), which means your brand won't gain much visibility.

How Do I Promote my Company Swag?

The best way is to let your employees choose their own swag.

Assembly integrates with Axomo, allowing your employees to redeem rewards for company swag.

For example, say an employee has earned 2,000 points. They can redeem these points in exchange for Axomo company swag of equivalent value.

You can set the point values yourself. If the value is $0.10 per point, an employee with 2,000 points can buy company swag worth $200. Here are more details about setting up and using Axomo swag:

Do Employees Want Swag? 

Yes, employees love company swag.

However, most employees already have generic items like coffee mugs and speakers so naturally, you always need company swag ideas. So, the best way to address this problem is to personalize the items by letting employees pick swag themselves with a platform like Axomo employee swag.

Combining Axomo with Assembly lets you tie swag into employee performance and gives you plenty of best company swag ideas.

Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

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