Cheap swag looks like savings on a spreadsheet.
In real life, it becomes reprints, complaints, and brand damage—especially when your logo is on it. Because once your logo is printed, it’s not just a product anymore. It’s a walking brand review.
Where “cheap” becomes expensive
-
Reprints and replacements
Low-quality items fail faster. Then you’re paying twice:
once for the order and again to fix the embarrassment -
Low adoption (aka: the Trash Can Test)
If people don’t use it, you didn’t buy swag. You bought clutter. -
Support time + coordination cost
Chasing sizes, fixing print issues, handling “my bottle leaks” messages—your internal time has a cost too. -
Brand damage (the silent one)
A bad hoodie isn’t just a bad hoodie.
It’s “your brand doesn’t care about details.”
What to do instead (without blowing the budget)
- Choose fewer items, better quality.
- A small kit that gets used beats a big kit that gets ignored.
- Spend where it shows.
If budget is tight, prioritize:
- Fabric comfort (for apparel).
- Print durability.
- Packaging basics (so it doesn’t arrive looking sad).
Match quality to use case.
- Event giveaway? Go practical and simple.
- Onboarding kit? Go re-wearable and durable.
- Leadership gifting? Go premium and minimal.
The best procurement question.
Instead of “what’s the cheapest option?”, ask: “What’s the lowest cost option that still protects our brand?”
In a nutshell.
Cheap stuff is expensive—because your logo makes it permanent.
