Promotional merchandise was once pens and totes. Today, branded products encompass almost any marketing gear you can imagine. The best corporate swag vendors offer thousands of customization items. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) use corporate-branded merchandise to improve recognition and remind customers of their products or services.

Why Should You Pass out Corporate Swag?

The benefits of passing out branded merchandise are multiple. Giving items to employees can boost engagement and allow them to tell others about their workplace. Strengthen relationships with regular clients by providing them with gifts. At the same time, you’ll reach potential new clients every time they use the item.

Items like bags, shirts, jackets and umbrellas are walking billboards, advertising your company when you aren’t around. Giving buyers something to engage them goes beyond the simple psychology of “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Instead, it ties into studies showing 56% of consumers are loyal to businesses that give them a positive and personalized experience. Whatever branded merchandise you provide should make sense for the type of business you run.

Methodology for Top-Rated Suppliers for Corporate-Branded Merchandise

Once a business owner decides to create and hand out branded items, they must determine what item ties to their industry and where to get the best price for quality items. To figure out the best corporate swag vendors, we looked at several elements and narrowed the selection to those with the most check boxes.

Elements Considered

9 Best Corporate Swag Vendors

Here are nine of the top-rated branded merchandise suppliers providing companies with swag that grabs attention.

1. Inkwell Global Marketing

Inkwell Global Marketing is one of the most recognizable and trusted names in branded merchandise. It offers turnkey swag alongside customized options to meet the needs and budgets of businesses of different sizes.

The company started in 1983, working with clients like Thomson Reuters, Chase, Instagram, Marriott and Amazon. Their process includes access to experts to ensure everything runs smoothly. Customers point to their excellent customer service. The company offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Some industries it regularly serves include beverage makers, hospitality, healthcare, retail, finance and academics. They made the list thanks to their experience, huge catalog, fair pricing and positive customer reviews. Because they make items on demand, you’ll avoid overstocking on swag.

2. Zazzle

If you need smaller quantities of promotional gear, Zazzle is a great place to start. For example, if you’re a musician needing tee shirts for your street team, you can order in smaller quantities without spending a fortune. Zazzle is known more for its business-to-consumer (B2C) model because of its smaller print runs.

Anyone can set up an account and start creating promotional products. Individuals can generate swag for a one-time event, to launch a new brand or in bigger quantities to give to clients. The brand makes the list because of its extensive catalog, including apparel, office supplies and tech accessories. They also create items at lightning speed and ship them to the customer.

Zazzle’s software is intuitive and easy for creators to pick up without much design knowledge. Their name recognition and consistency put them on the list of top places to get corporate swag.

3. Lands’ End Outfitters

If you’re looking for high-quality gear to give out, Lands’ End Outfitters offers promotional items for businesses. Items include totes, beach towels, baseball caps, computer bags, tumblers and apparel. The company is known for creating durable merchandise. Customize it with embroidery or screen printing.

Although the items are a bit more costly than a cheap giveaway, they have a variety to meet different budgets. You can also buy a few nice items for your best customers or as employee awards. This option made the list because the name is recognizable in most circles.

4. SwagUp

SwagUp does things differently, sending customized products wherever you’d like, which can help you skip paying postage twice. Create a welcome kit for new clients or employees with several items, or order promotional pieces in bulk for a better price. Bulk pricing is good for merchandise for trade shows and other events.

SwagUp opened in 2017 and wanted to find easier ways for companies to deliver swag. The company has worked with Walmart, TED, Notion, Duolingo and Ramp. The process is as easy as selecting a few elements. Link up with a swag expert for inspiration. Use automations and skip a trip to the post office. Distribute your creations anywhere around the world.

SwagUp made the list because of its unique delivery approach, simplifying the process for busy business owners.

5. 4AllPromos

4AllPromos has a huge catalog of products that fit any budget. Did you mean to order something for an event this weekend and completely forget? They offer one-day rush shipping to get the items to you in a hurry. Some of the more unique swag they offer includes pet food bowls, fuzzy robes, stadium blankets and gifts and food swag.

The company offers a low price guarantee to ensure you get the best deal possible. They also guarantee timely shipping. You can print as few as one item at a time, although the best prices are for higher quantities. It offers a selection of promotional products made in the USA.

They made the list because of their excellent prices, extensive selection and reputation for stellar customer service.

6. VistaPrint

The one-stop shop aspect of VistaPrint makes it a natural selection on a list of top places to get corporate swag. In 1995, Bonne Impression opened its doors with desktop publishing and specialty papers. By 1999, it became VistaPrint and started offering graphic design software and online ordering.

Company owners can order business cards, posters, stickers, and swag like shirts, tumblers, hats and notepads. The ability to create everything on one site makes this company stand out because everything can match almost perfectly.

Transparent pricing allows shoppers to see the total before finalizing the order. The company regularly offers discounts and bulk pricing. They made the list for the quality of their products, cost and reputation in the industry.

7. Gemnote

Gemnote is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to create upscale swag for luxury clients. You can add your logo for some of the leading brand products, including Moleskine and Herschel.

Gemnote’s designers work with each client to create a unique, customized look. Industries they commonly work with include tech, beauty and wellness, media, entertainment, legal, finance, travel and healthcare. A few of their success stories on their website include products created for Sephora, OpenAI, Google, Strava, Uber and DocuSign.

Gemnote made the list mainly for the extensive luxury brand product catalogue. Its customized approach to working with each client to ensure the branding is on point adds to the attractiveness of ordering from this company.

8. Swag.com

Swag.com is another brand that allows clients to build a box of goodies to send to clients or new employees for onboarding. Branded boxes include custom packaging and personalized notes. The company will hold several swag boxes for you and ship them when needed, even one at a time.

Swag.com has worked with Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Bravo, McDonald’s, Stripe, Target and Disney. They carry swag like apparel, drinkware, tech accessories, bags, wellness and home and garden. They made the list because of their unique approach of storing swag boxes and sending when needed, saving companies time and effort.

Some of their more unique offerings, like the jewel garden or the linen spray, make them stand out.

9. AnyPromo

AnyPromo is known for offering value bulk products for companies that need to give out a lot of swag. Among the thousands of options, they have sunglasses, notebooks, pens, rubber ducks, golf balls, tumblers, can coolers and magnetic power clips. They showcase categories like new, eco-friendly and made in the USA items.

Some of the brands AnyPromo works with include Adidas, eBay, Fox Sports, The Ritz-Carlton, Google and Suzuki School of Elgin. Why did they make this list of top corporate swag providers? Out of more than 47,000 reviews, they have around 4.9 out of 5 stars.

How to Choose the Right Promotional Merchandise Supplier

Now that you have a few ideas of where to get the type of swag you’d like, it’s time to narrow your options. Some of the reasons you must consider when choosing a promotional merchandise supplier include:

• Purpose: Why do you need swag? The type you choose to onboard an employee may differ from that used to impress a new client.
• Personality: Ensure the supplier understands your company culture and can deliver a product that reflects your brand personality.
• Guarantee: If something goes wrong, will the company make things right?
• Pricing: The supplier must align with your budget.
• Delivery: If you need items almost immediately, you may be limited in choosing promotional suppliers.

If you’re looking for a reliable place to get swag, consider the specialty areas of each supplier and select the one that best fits your needs.

Build Customer Loyalty With Freebies

The lifetime value of a new customer may be thousands of dollars, depending on what type of company you run. Spending a few dollars on swag may be all it takes to show appreciation and develop a loyal fan.

Consumers are harder to impress than ever, so you have to think past a typical T-shirt giveaway and select items that speak to the heart of your company. If you’re ready to make a strong first impression, the nine suppliers are a great place to start for all your swag needs.