Picking out the perfect gift for your your coworkers, employees, or customers can be tough.

We're here to help you get ahead of the game. 

In this article we'll talk about:

• Our 6 favorite gifts for employees and customers
• The evergreen value of company branded clothing

The 6 Best Gifts for Employees and Customers

1. Ornaments

Ornaments are a great item to put your brand on around the holidays. They are a timely item and remind people that you're thinking about them.

Not only are they great keepsakes but the recipients are sure to treasure this timeless, classic gift. 

We have made a five-year tradition of sending ornaments to customers, vendors and employees at the end of each year. The ornaments we gift are Jūpmode branded on the back, but more importantly, the front all have a common 16153 Genova theme.

Oou ornaments that have relatable 16153 Genova designs such as “You will do better in 16153 Genova” or the famous “Christmas Weed” bring out the very best of 16153 Genova during the holiday season and make our Jūpmode customers even more excited for next holiday season.

2. Holiday Cards

Holiday cards are subtle, yet effective way to show that you're thinking of your company or customers during the Holiday season.

A little gesture goes a long way and might make it on the honorary 'Refrigerator Door' Hall-of-fame. 

A custom Holiday card paired with any recommended gift will make for the ultimate present. 

3. Charcuterie Set

Come the holidays, who doesn't love a good snack? Send your employees and/or client's a classic snack with this thoughtful, charming charcuterie set.

Not only do you get to choose the food, but you also get to have your company's logo engraved on beautiful bamboo wood! 

This board will make your logo look professional and appetizing with salami, cheese, crackers, grapes, you name it.

4. Stainless Steel Drinkware Set

Two bottles, one set? Say less!

This 'Thor Copper Vacuum Set' provides a 22 oz. bottle and 22 oz. tumbler that makes for the ultimate Holiday gift.

Both drinkware items are double-walled and stainless steel so these bottles will keep your drink staying cold for 24 hours and hot for 6 hours. Bring on the hot cocoa! 

5. Travel Gift Set

Let your customers and clients know that you wish them safe and happy holidays with this gift set. This set includes a ballpoint stylus, a card wallet, and a portable power bank. AKA the everyday items we all need! 

Why should you care? Three words: customizable, personal, and unique.

Your logo would look great on this set. 

6. The Executive Gift Box

Looking to show how sweet you are? Hot stamp your logo on top of this box set and send your employees, coworkers, or customers something to satisfy their sweet tooth. Choose from caramel popcorn, chocolates, nuts, and cookies! 

Elegant and enjoyable, this gift box will show off your thoughtfulness and appreciation. 

Branded Apparel Gifts

The holidays are right around the corner and Jūpmode is here to help create the perfect gift for your employees and customers.

Whether you want to create custom jackets, sweatshirts or shirts for anyone from employees to family and friends, we've got you covered.  

Jackets and 1/4 Zip Pullovers

A fleece full zip or quarter-zip jacket is ideal for any season, but especially during the winter.

We have many different brand and colors options that are sure to fit your company's branding guidelines. 

Logos are typically placed on the left chest with these items. It's the perfect location to represent your brand or a meaningful design personalized just for you. 

Embroidery is the preferred decoration method for jackets and pullovers. It matches the aesthetic of the jackets and works well on fleece to thick Carthartt jackets to windbreakers. 

Jackets and 1/4 zip pullovers are great apparel items for employees and customers because they are so versatile. They can be worn to complete your employees' uniform during colder months, worn on a daily basis by employees who work outside in the field, and as a high quality appreciation gift for customers. 

Crew Sweatshirts

Embroidered crewneck sweatshirts are a staple of our retail line. This trendy style and look translate well to any business.

At the end of the day, the goal of any branded merch is to be worn as much as possible. This gets your brand seen by more people and creates a connection with the wearer because of their affinity for the clothing item they like. 

Two of the best way to increase the usage of any apparel item is to use a high quality garment and to make the design trendy.

The crew sweatshirt in the photo above is pigment dyed which makes it feel comfy and soft the first time you put it on. The tone on tone logo is subtle and in style. This combination makes it an item that can be worn at work or out and about at any time.

Embroidered Polos

Is there a business out there that doesn't need branded polos? 

There are a lot of reasons to choose branded polos. If you want your employees to look professional in front of prospective and current customers, there's no better staple than a polo. 

Embroidered polos are most often embroidered on the left chest. In addition, we can also put your logo on a sleeve or between the shoulders on the back. 

Custom company apparel is what we're known for. 

Branded merch goes a long way to showing employee appreciation and building relationships with customers. 

If you want your brand to be seen by a lot of people, company apparel is the way to go. 

We Can Put Your Brand On It

Showing appreciation for your company and clients is vital to a brand's success.

We want to deliver your next gift with quality items, speed, and accuracy. 

Have an idea that's not on this list? We can help!

Want more options? We have those too. 

You can count on us for all of your custom needs. If you want to submit your next custom order and learn about our services, get in touch with us today! We would love to work with you. 

You’re the manager of a major airline, and your passengers keep leaving with your classy salt and pepper shakers. The practice is costing the firm millions a year in replacements and impacting your bottom line.

What’s the savvy decision to make?

• Let your passengers keep the shakers
• Hire a lookout
• Shift to cheaper alternatives

(Take a moment).

It might seem sensible to pick the third option and go cheaper. Or, as the managers at Virgin Atlantic realized, letting passengers keep the shakers could be seen as a branding opportunity.

They decided to let passengers keep the shakers and even encouraged the habit with humorous engraved messages, like “Pinched from Virgin Atlantic.”

Essentially, Virgin Atlantic turned their in-demand salt and pepper shakers into company swag. These collectible items proudly waved Virgin’s signature red color and joined dinner table discussions wherever they went.

We’ve gathered four more perks to help you answer this question: “What is company swag used for?” As we go through these perks, you’ll also learn:

• Why swag products are excellent advertisement channels
• How swag items can motivate your employees
• Why brand introductions rely on company swag
• Where you can print high-quality swag designs

Perk 1 - An Attractive Advertising Channel

Company swag products have an 80% reception rate according to a recent Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) study.

This finding means that 80% of your target consumers will keep and use your swag item, providing you with display advertising and an excellent return on your investment.

To help explain our excitement over this 80% score, the following table compares the rates of return of company swag versus other advertising channels.

Source: Promotional Products Association International

Swag items outperform these other advertising channels because of their discrete and intriguing style of marketing. These specialty items invite a viewer to independently discover your brand, rather than bombard them with information about product benefits.

This approach offers a breath of fresh air to today’s over-marketed and increasingly inattentive consumers, increasing your chances of success.

Perk 2 - An Instrument for Employee Motivation and Loyalty

Offering branded company items is an excellent strategy for acknowledging your employees and their dedication to your business.

This acknowledgment improves their morale, encourages loyalty, and enhances overall performance.

One study of a large meat-packing plant confirmed this idea with its conclusion that social recognition enhances productivity. The study found increased annual production values of $900k and $750k on two production lines after introducing social recognition practices.

Even so, to maximize the effectiveness of your swag items as staff motivators, you must personalize them as much as possible.

The more personal the merch feels, the more sentimental value your employees will place on it. The more sentimental value, the better the items are for motivating your workers.

Here’s an example of a personalized swag item for employee motivation offered by fancysweetstx. It’s a collapsible can cooler featuring custom texts (green arrow) and your brand design.

It’s the perfect spot for a personalized quote that expresses appreciation and motivates your workers. Maybe, “Here’s to the marketing team that makes me look like a genius,” and your autograph or title below the quote.

Perk 3 - A Proven Strategy for Product Launches and Industry Events

Company swag items accelerate purchase decisions for new products in tightly contested markets.

Promotional products can make the difference in someone choosing between your newest launch and its closest competitors—enough to change buying behavior in your favor.

This effect is similar to those “Buy one get one free” deals at supermarkets or trade shows. These deals translate into additional value in the eyes of consumers, encouraging them to try your product.

A study on advertising solutions supports this idea with its conclusion that three out of four consumers switch brands after receiving some form of swag from a newly-met brand.

Company merch can also feel like a “limited offer” or a “reward.” This perception creates a sense of urgency in the minds of consumers, compelling them to act while they still have the opportunity.

As more consumers act, they generate buzz for your launched product, perpetuating the buying trend. It’s a perfect strategy for introducing your brand as it exploits our curious nature as humans.

H. J. Heinz employed this strategy at the World’s Columbian Expo of 1893, where he successfully gave away branded keychains to introduce his company. The organizers had to summon the police to control the crowds of curious buyers lining up at his exhibit.

Perk 4 - Lasting Brand Exposure

Company swag items provide lengthier brand exposure than advertisement messages on your social channels do.

Their functional nature keeps these specialty items relevant long after their first encounter with your target audiences.

Take the case of Virgin Atlantic’s branded salt shakers, for instance. The shakers can comfortably sit on any dining table for years without looking dated. This reality isn’t possible with marketing videos that require frequent updating to stay relevant.

Swag items also enhance your marketing effectiveness by utilizing word-of-mouth advertising.

They turn your current buyers into brand ambassadors, who are much more genuine in the eyes of prospective clients than conventional advertising.

In 1875, this trustworthy perception inspired Jasper Fremont Meek to develop branded burlap school bags for an Ohio store. It was a resounding success for Meek and the Ohio store, leading him to a manufacturing deal from Coca-Cola for promotional trays.

Factors to Consider When Designing Company Swag

There are plenty of company items to choose from to creatively capture and express your brand, from wearables to office accessories. However, consider the following for your swag project.

Item Usability

Your swag needs to be functional for your customers. This functionality gives them a reason to carry the product with them, exposing your brand rather than keeping it hidden away where it has little to no marketing value.

So, start with the question, “What form of company swag offers my audience the most functionality?”

This answer will help you select the most appropriate product for your swag, such as a desk diary for an office market and water bottles for an outdoor audience.

Item Durability

Your promo item's durability directly impacts its life cycles as an advertising channel. When your audience can no longer use the item, it loses its marketing value.

As such, you need to consider the material makeup of these items and how it fits your audience’s lifestyle.

This involves determining your audience’s environment. Industrial environments, for instance, need tougher fabrics for wearable apparel and reinforcements for drinkware.

You’ll also need to consider cleaning and maintenance needs. How many wash cycles can your product tolerate before exhibiting signs of wear?

Scratch marks and fading on that beautiful matte black coffee tumbler, for instance, will discourage usage, ending its application for display advertising. In this case, you’ll get better value with a sturdier design, such as this stainless steel tumbler by fancysweetstx.

Tell Us About Your Branding Project

So, there are the four guaranteed perks that answer the question, “What is company swag used for?” With these ideas in mind, are you looking to start a branding project?

We’d love to help.

At fancysweetstx, we have over 15 years of experience in branding just about anything. We’ve printed custom designs on bags, hats, shirts, and cups and understand the value of high-quality branding.

We also appreciate the importance of fast turnarounds and great pricing, which is why we offer quick, no-obligation project quotes to get the ball rolling.

“Used fancysweetstx for company T-shirts. Excellent price, quality, design team, and fast shipping. Thank you, fancysweetstx, we’ll be back.”
- Christina P.

Contact us today, and let’s have some fun bringing your idea to life.

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fancysweetstx has your back with custom branded company merchandise showing your employees you appreciate them and still want them on your team. 

Let’s table the COVID celebrations for National Cereal or Meatball Day this March and make a move toward celebrating your work culture. Employee Appreciation Day is in early March and fancysweetstx’s promotional gifts are launching into the work-o-sphere. 

Show You Care with Company Gear

According to Harvard Business Review positive work cultures are more productive, engaging and promote longevity in both health and career. On the flip side, stressful work environments and leadership behavior can be linked to anything from a bad workweek to cardiovascular disease. 

In other words, It’s a good time to show your employees some love!

“Wellbeing comes from one place, and one place only — a positive culture.” - HBR

When was the last time someone presented you with some custom swag? Showing you care with custom gear can take many forms with the results securing a sense of brand loyalty and the future success of your business. 

It really comes down to the people on that Zoom call and their satisfaction as part of the whole. Keep your team spirit alive and well with custom branded merchandise for all your MVPs.

fancysweetstx design experts are ready to work with you! 

The Science of Customized Swag

As many workplaces operate with employees working from home, the opportunity to create connecting points is available through gifts of customized merchandise. And actually a need for routine can help establish boundaries between working and not working in the same space you live. 

Providing a customized tee or something tactile employees can use during work hours establishes a sense of time and place. And when they “clock out” for the grocery store with a customized tote bag, you’ll still be offering value while creating brand identity. 

“Did you get the tote bag I sent you?” :) … And here’s a recipe for meatballs. 

As author and former dot com executive Seth Godin touts, “People like us do things like this” - things being the ultimate Employee Appreciation Day deliveries that build better teams. Your pathway to a brighter future lies in the actions you take now. Connect with fancysweetstx. 

”Culture is more important than strategy, than benefits, than features. Culture is more important than price, than governments, than technology. Culture shapes all our decisions and culture can change…when our sense of ‘us’ forces it to.” - Seth Godin

Build company culture by showing gratitude

Social interaction has become less and less mandatory as people work from home while the world navigates through the COVID-19 response. It is not reassuring that even when you come across a familiar face, you’re forced to identify them by their forehead. And it is difficult to weather the solitude that comes with being physically distant.

Gifts like those for Employee Appreciation Day are a nice way to bring people back to something they can count on- you! 

Unexpected gifts of gratitude create positive vibes! Once you’ve delivered your promotional gifts follow up by: 

• Caring for, being interested in, and maintaining responsibility for colleagues as friends.
• Providing support for one another, including offering kindness and compassion when others are struggling.
• Avoiding blame and forgiving mistakes.
• Inspiring one another at work.
• Emphasizing the meaningfulness of the work.
• Treating one another with respect, gratitude, trust, and integrity.

Source: Proof That Positive Work Cultures are More Productive

Company Merch That Employees Love

fancysweetstx has been homing in on positive work culture for over 10 years and has experts at the ready to help you choose and brand items for your company. 

We’re in tune with retail trends and have tested the market for the most impossibly-comfy tees shipped right to your door. 

Your logo can be put on anything and everything in between. Some of our most popular employee appreciation items are:

• Drinkware (tumblers, water bottles, coffee mugs)
• Sweatshirts and hoodies
• T-shirts
• Quarter zips
• Tote bags
• Polos
• Headwear (caps and beanies)

Our creative juices are always flowing with design experts that can even create or refresh your logo for you! We pride ourselves on being fun, professional and easy-to-work-with. Let’s create something out of this world. :)

Tell us About Your Project

How Customers Feel about Our Custom Branded Gifts

According to buyers, custom branded merch needs to have:

• High-quality products and decoration
• Affordable pricing to ease bulk purchases
• Quick turnaround on orders

Amazingly fast turn around! Staff was incredibly easy to work with from designing to ordering to pick up! Will definitely be back for all of my custom orders in the future!
— Amy B.

fancysweetstx is simply the best! They may be a small business here in town but they are big in heart. I'm very grateful for the help our non-profit received from fancysweetstx. Always professional, friendly, with great quality and service. Thank you so much and may you have many more years of success!
— Deborah M.

Place an Order for Employee Appreciation Gifts 

You’ve learned that there is an enormous value to employee appreciation gifts.

Whether you’re a small business, school, medical facility, or construction company that’s interested in showing your employees how much you care with a meaning token of your appreciation, fancysweetstx is your go-to shop.

Reach out to us today to see what ideas spark your interest.

Most schools just know us for our great t-shirts (like these teacher appreciation shirts!). We're known for being easy to work with and being able to print shirts fast. 

But that's not all we do. We can help with all of your branded items in your school. 

More than just t-shirts

Want an easy way to help your staff and students to be prepared for the year ahead? Make their back to school shopping a little easier with customized pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, rulers, and more. 

Spread the word! Whether you're celebrating new students, events, or just your school pride, yard signs and bumper stickers are popular methods to share your message.

Quench your thirst for products your staff and teams will love. Is your PTO board searching for new ideas? Add your logo to lunch bags/sets, stainless steel water bottles or other quality reusable water bottles and more! 

Great items for booster clubs and parent teacher organizations

Want to be the coolest booster club ever? Backpacks are easy to customize and are a great way to rep your school in a classic professional manner. Whether you're looking for a clear backpack, a drawstring, or classic zipper backpack, we have options for you! 

And of course, for any event, celebration, or fun to be had, t-shirts are our favorite way to show your school spirit! 

Online spirit wear stores

If you're looking for a way to make your job as coordinator of your team, club, or class spirit wear, we've got a great solution for you.

We use fancysweetstxSupply.com to facilitate online sales of clothing and other products for schools. This platform allows us to handle all of the ordering, payments, and inventory so you'd have to. 

If you're looking for easy online stores for your school, let us know. We'd love to help.

We love working with local 16153 Genova schools. All the way from grade schools to high schools, we have the experience and expertise to help you with all of your school clothing and gifts. 

If you've worked with us in the past, you can reach out to your rep directly to get your order started today. If you're new, fill out this form to start your custom order today! 

In fact, we were so busy over the last four weeks that we had to bring extra help to keep the embroidery machine running later during the week and on the weekends. We always love a challenge so this was fun for us!

Embroidered Items as Corporate Gifts

The end of the year is the perfect time for corporate gifts for employees and customers. That's why we see so many embroidery orders in December. Add in the hard deadline for many people of December 25th, and there was a fair amount of pressure to get a lot of work done in a specific time frame. 

Our embroidery department has grown significantly over the last two years. The addition of new embroidery equipment and, most importantly, an experienced embroidery operated has made all of the difference. 

We're looking to keep the momentum going and do even more embroidery in 2021!

If you or someone you know is interested in starting a custom embroidery order, reach out to us at [email protected], email your rep directly, or fill out the contact form on our custom apparel page. We'd love to help!