When Patagonia announced would no longer put corporate logos on her clothing, she sparked a larger discussion about corporate sustainability promotional products (often referred to as “swag”), as well as how much meaning and utility these products provide. Today, traditional promotional items—often dismissed as trivial and easily forgotten and then quickly trashed—are undergoing a transformation led by forward-thinking entrepreneurs.

The focus is shifting from generic swag to unique, story-driven objects that do more than just promote. The right tchotchke tells a story, summarizing a company's values ​​and sparking meaningful conversations. But to do that, they have to be done right.

If you've ever wondered, “Are promotional articles worth it?” then this article is for you. We'll explore the reasons behind this shift and how entrepreneurs are strategically using creative permission to make a lasting impression.

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The swag landscape: A $21.2 billion market

The market of promotional products reached a dizzying level 21.2 billion dollars in the US in 2023, according to IBISWorld. These items, ranging from trinkets to throwaways, serve as essential tools in the marketing department's arsenal. Examples of using swag can include gifts for new hires to foster a positive relationship and make them feel part of the team or thank you gifts to express appreciation to customers and vendors.

The main goal is to generate interest, foster new relationships and create connections beyond the boundaries of email. It's worth noting that, in this article, we refer to tchotchkes as trinkets sent to “cold” prospects, while we refer to “leave-behinds” as items left for “warm” leads after an introduction or first meeting .

When it comes to cold-sending tchotchkes, the challenge is to instill wonder in a single object, compelling the recipient to prioritize a call. The market is flooded with these promotional products, so it is absolutely critical for entrepreneurs to understand how to make their business stand out and make a meaningful impression.

Success in product promotion campaigns is measured by engagement. For cold contact, whether via email, phone, direct mail or tchotchkes, the key performance indicator is a higher than average potential engagement rate. Traditional cold calling boasts a 2% success rate.while direct mailers and emails show approx 3% AND 2% on average, respectively. In contrast, text messages lead with a success rate of about 15%.

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Which promotional items work best?

Entrepreneurs are redefining promotional products by imbuing them with narratives that resonate with their target audience. When it comes to figuring out which promotional items work best, it comes down to those items that authentically tell your company's story in a way that resonates with your target audience.

Follow this three-step process on how to make your business stand out by sharing creative checks that accurately represent your company's core values ​​and mission:

1. Create an informed budget

Understanding the frequency and occasions for giving out swag is an important first step in devising the right tchotchke strategy. Companies often allocate a portion of their marketing budgets to promotional products, with approx 20% of the budget dedicated to events, trade shows or external brands. Additionally, organizations may have specific budgets for acquiring, retaining, and engaging employees.

Determine the return on investment for the past promotional campaign to allocate your budget more effectively. Next, do a detailed analysis of past campaigns to understand which items delivered the highest engagement relative to their costs. It's important to set specific, measurable goals for each campaign, such as a 5% increase in lead engagement or a 10% increase in social media mentions, to guide your budget decisions. Searching for cost-effective, high-impact articles—where the emphasis is on creativity and relevance over cost—can help accomplish these goals. You can even take advantage of bulk purchases to save costs; however, ensure that each item remains personalized to maintain its unique appeal.

A great example of this was the approach we worked on with our portfolio company, tree, to engage with airline and airport executives using Admiral FitzRoy barometers. This article summarizes the history of the origins of weather insurance and the risk forecasting innovations that followed. By devising a carefully tailored design, Arbol strategically linked its history and brand with technological advances in parametric weather assurance. This creative yet cost-effective tactic significantly engaged one of the company's key audiences, demonstrating how impactful results can be achieved with minimal financial investment.

2. Identify your ideal outcome

Then, imagine the ideal outcome, in which the recipient keeps the item in a prominent place, sparking conversation. Answer key questions through research: What a story to tell? Who is the target audience? What action drives the story? What object triggers that action?

Customer persona research can help you tailor promotional items that resonate on a personal level with the recipient. For example, if you are targeting a tech-savvy audience, consider articles that integrate with the digital lifestyle. Implement tracking mechanisms, such as QR codes or unique URLs, to measure interaction with the promotional item. This allows for a direct link between the article and desired actions, such as website visits or social media engagement.

Spotify's “Wrapped up” The campaign is a good example of this. Every year, Spotify creates personalized year-end playlists and review statistics for its users, featuring their most played songs, artists and genres. These summaries are presented in a format visually appealing and shareable, encouraging users to share their musical tastes on social media. This approach transforms users' listening habits into a unique, personal item – a digital tchotchke. It capitalizes on trends in personalization and social sharing. As users share their completed compilations, they not only engage more with Spotify, but also promote the brand to others. This campaign shows how a digital item, just like a traditional physical tchotchke, can effectively improve engagement of the brand and foster broad cultural resonance.

For digital campaigns like Wrapped, you can encourage sharing including incentives, such as contests or exclusive content for participants, which can amplify reach. Ultimately, you want to make sure that the story your article tells aligns with the core values ​​of your brand and your target audience, thus increasing the likelihood that the article will be retained and discussed.

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3. Iterate creatively

Brainstorm, eliminate, test and refine your chosen tchotchke to make sure it sparks conversations and drives returns. Engage in A/B testing with small segments of your target audience to gauge the impact of different promotional items. This might involve sending out two variations of a product to see which one generates more engagement or feedback. Then, ask recipients for feedback directly on what they liked or didn't like about the article, using surveys or follow-up calls. Maintain a database of responses and engagement metrics to improve future campaigns, focusing on creativity and emotional or practical value provided by the tchotchke.

We have worked with another portfolio company, StoryFit, a story intelligence technology company, sending complete DeLorean models to narrative decision makers, highlighting the ability of the right story to bring a script to life. When recipients place the completed model on their office desks, it sparks conversations with colleagues about predictive audience insights. It also left a lasting impression on future collaborations: Our manager received direct feedback from the prospect, saying he appreciated the approach our team took.

The era of pointless promotional items is giving way to a new era of purposeful, narrative-driven thotchkes. Entrepreneurs who invest time and creativity in selecting and crafting these tokens are not only making a lasting impression, but also building meaningful connections that go beyond the transaction. Success is measured by engagement, and when it comes to promotional products, that means starting with a well-thought-out experience and an authentic story to match.