What is Brand Swag?
Brand swag is the stuff your followers rep to support your brand–its campaigns, gear, good causes & HUGE pushes forward. Anything that broadcasts your message AND helps your brand pulse throughout your people–that’s swag!
- Instagram post? SWAG.
- Ballcap? SWAG.
- T-shirt? SWAG.
To get a good idea of what it means to have swagger…let’s scout some of the Sultans of SWAG…
Grant Cardone.
10x. Who’s Got My Money? Young Hustlers. Cardone Zone.
Just choose one…Cardone’s SWAG is awesome in message, useful in gear, and inspiring in spirit. And the quality…is INSANE.
You could break someone’s face with his planner or their heart with his quotebook. The Who’s Got My Money shirt–oh THIS shirt–you’ll want to buy 7 for the week ‘cause that’s how often you’ll want to wear the damn thing. It’s my softest shirt…and I’ve washed it like 26 times. Not a fade, wrinkle, or uncomfortable memory about it.
The Swag he sells–it’s an expression of who he is as a person, a ballin-out businessman, & what his personal brand stands for: OVER-DELIVERY & SUPER-TOP QUALITY.
- Bumper Stickers.
- Hats.
- Bands.
- Books.
- Planners.
- Notebooks.
- Shirts.
- Trainings.
- Courses.
- MP3s.
- Videos.
- TV Channel.
Not to mention–his customer service department overnighted me my gear when I needed it ready for a business getaway. They do things the right way, from the inner-workings of everyday business and entrepreneurial fellowship, to the stitching of his ballcaps–Cardone knows whaddup.
*Thanks, Grant. Your shirts are so ridiculously wearable–for ANY kind of adventure.
Austin, Texas.
One of the most classic examples of Swag… KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD. Coined in support of local business owners, this brand’s swag has the size and heart of an entire city. Repped on hats, mug, stickers, social posts–and SO much more, it’s unites the city (and makes them stand OUT, too).
All in just three charmingly simple words…and you immediately think about the place, the people, and what makes them so awesomely weird.
If you’ve ever been there, you already know how fitting this SWAG is… & you probably brought home something WEIRD to prove it!
Gabby Bernstein.
Another fantastic example of well-crafted (super tasteful) SWAG…Gabby Bernstein’s SPIRIT JUNKIE.
Her personal brand releases Spirit Junkie t-shirts from time to time–& people instantly snatch them up. These two words FIT Gabby’s message so well. She’s one of the most inspiring people on the planet right now–and she’s not afraid to share it!
That’s where SWAG comes in…
What makes Gabby’s swag SO cool–aside from the enchanting words–there’s a limit on the swag sold. It’s kinda–sorta exclusive! Every so often she rolls out a new design, an updated version of her Spirit Junkie swag.
Her swag freaking evolves…and her followers LOVE it (and buy it always)–trust me, I rocked the newest Spirit Junkie shirt just the other day. It puts me in a different kind of mood, impassioned.
How Do I Make SWAG?
Let’s take a glance how how to make swag in your personal brand (and what it should do)…
- MAKE A STATEMENT. When your people wear OR share your swag, they aren’t showing anyone anything…they’re TELLING the world what they believe–what they think is cool. They’re saying THIS swag represents MY WAY.
- Make it Like a Party. It should create an Instant Connection Point for the members of your tribe. Consider it a magical location and insta-stage for your next MINIATURIZED…
- …Burning Man.
- …Coachella.
- …SXSW.
- …Comic-Con.
- …Farmer’s Market Roundup.
- Make it for The People. When you see someone on the street wearing Swag from somewhere or something you support (…or plan to), it feels like being a member of a Secret Society–The Legion of Swagger. You feed kind of giddy about it…why? Because this time, secrets totally DO help you MAKE friends.
- Make it Earn. Swag is probably not THE WAY to takeover the coffee mug business, but swag can help fuel your ecosystem and grow your cause. It’s a tiny little trickle of revenue that keeps your brand scaling–upward and onward. The greatest value of swag: loyal followers and return customers. If it creates a few SMILES, gives people a moment of HOPE, and it helps keep your business running–you’ve made a VERY well-rounded profit.
What are the Elements of Swag?
If you have a cause–it better be a good one (like saving the Birds & the Bees, and Elephants…obviously)…AND your swag must be all-around PHENOMENALLY GOOD, too…
You know…like NASA? From their shuttle designs to their mission launches to the morality of their ways (…and their logo)–they simply do not cut ANY corners.
Phenomenally Good (like NASA)
Swag must be easily (and quickly) recognizable in order for it to grow. KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD…doesn’t even have a logo–it’s just text! Instantly Recognizable Text. After all, what’s swag if only one person knows about it?
Instantly Recognizable (like KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD)
You want your swag to move like a vine–up, down, all-around town, social media–wherever the heck you host your secret society’s meetings. If it isn’t Super Shareable like #SpiritJunkie–you’ve gotta keep working on it.
Shareable (like Spirit Junkie)
Your swag needs to be cool–at the very least. If it doesn’t catch some eyes (and make more people want in on the swagger), you’re not going going to reach very many people. Swag is bigger than any market or industry–it’s the daily stuff people wear, use, and stick to their laptops and car windows. Before you debut any SWAG…ask yourself this timeless question…but would Usher think this is cool?
Super Smooth (like USHER)
Swag…is NOT a freebie, giveaway, or promotional item. It’s bigger than that–and it needs these elements to really be considered SWAG:
Look, the main point of swag is to give your tribe something to rep, to show-off, and to promote! If you already have campaign running–it’s okay to make sales and gain something from it, but–I can’t stress this enough–it better do some good. I mean, you’re already reaching people…so you might as well try to make the world a little bit better while you’re at it. And you don’t want to be associated with something bad…unless it’s like…BAD to the BONE. Then it’s okay.
Whatever your brand’s up to–remember that it must also be of good craftsmanship. C’mon, this is SWAG. From the spacing of the letters to the POP of the colors (and the thread-count of the shirt), do it well!
Is MY brand Swaggable?
Call me, send an email, buy a billboard…& I’ll answer you with an honest Swag Survey.
Just reach out to me–and I’ll answer with stuff like what YOUR SWAG could be about & what you could put it on…