Understanding On Demand swag
On Demand swag is a type of swag which only requires a 1-unit order minimum. Yup, you read that right. You can order whatever swag you want—from an oversized T-shirt to a fancy-looking cap—even if you only need one.
That’s what happens when swag production only begins when orders come in. Think of it this way: you have an employee who’s worked with your company for twenty years, and they’re about to retire. To show your appreciation for their loyalty in the past two decades, you decide to give them something to remember you and your company by. You thought of giving them a gift basket but it’ll probably only last a week or so. A thank you note, while personal, may not seem to match the dedication they’ve put in for twenty years.
And then… lightbulb moment! A company swag! Customized, personalized, and will definitely remind them of the years they’ve spent in your company. It’s the perfect solution!
But you only have one employee to gift a company swag to. Ordering in bulk seems like a waste, and you’d rather avoid the stress that comes with inventory management and warehousing. That’s where On Demand swag comes in!
Since On Demand swag only requires a minimum of 1 unit order, you can give your loyal employee the swag that best suits their needs/preferences and your requirements. With such a special type of production process, On Demand swag is also sometimes referred to as “made to order” because, again, swag items only undergo design and manufacturing when you order.
How does On Demand swag work?
But how exactly does it work? What makes On Demand swag On Demand?
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Platform selection
Once you’ve decided to go for On Demand swag, the next thing you need to do is to select a swag gifting platform.
This is important as creating a swag item from scratch (or when you have no idea what you’re doing) can be challenging. So, finding the swag platform that best suits your needs and budget can help ease your stress.
One thing you may want to consider in a swag platform is their website’s ease of use. Is their process simple and clear? Is their website easy to navigate? If the answer to both questions is yes, then proceed to check their features.
For features, you may want to check the variety of swag items they offer and their customization options. After all, it’s important to have many available choices for your custom swag. Remember that On Demand swag is unique due to its flexibility, allowing you to create personalized items in small quantities and ship them directly to individual recipients. This needs to be reflected in the features of your swag platform options.
If the platform has checked these two aspects so far, then great! The last thing you want to consider would be their integrations. Does the swag platform work seamlessly with your existing systems, like your HR software or e-commerce tools?
Design
So, what’s next? The answer is design.
When gifting a swag item to a loyal employee or even a customer, partner, or investor, customization is a big factor. However, this step is also about creating swag that reflects your company’s identity and aligns with your brand. Remember that your swag and gifts are as much a representation of your company as they are for your recipients.
Under the design portion of On Demand swag production, brand identity and logo placement are at the forefront.
For starters, brand identity refers to the elements of your brand that your consumers can easily identify. Color, design, and logo are some of the visual aspects of a brand identity. Including brand identity in your swag item is important as it allows your brand to be easily recognizable by old and new customers alike. Plus, an identifiable brand identity also strengthens your company’s popularity and market presence. In the age of social media, a strong brand identity on your swag can be valuable.
On the other hand, logo placement refers to, as the name implies, where you place your logo. This is as important as your brand identity because no matter how beautiful your logo is, if no one can see it, then it serves no real purpose.
Now how do these two tie together when coming up with the design for your On Demand swag?
During the design phase of creating On Demand swag, you get to customize and include your brand logo/identity on your swag items. This way, not only will your recipients remember your company, but they can also advertise who you are whenever they use or wear your swag.
With this in mind, it’s thus important to ensure that your brand design can be easily traced back to your company. Similarly, you must place your brand logo where it’s easily visible to others. You may not want to put your logo on the back of a swag item like a T-shirt, as people may not be able to immediately see or recognize it.
Manufacturing
Okay. So we’ve covered the first few steps. The next one on our list is the actual manufacturing process of your On Demand swag. For this, there are actually two sub-steps: choosing vendors and swag quality check.
Swag vendors are businesses that will manufacture your custom swag items. However, managing vendors directly can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you’re juggling multiple orders or tight deadlines.
That’s where swag platforms come in! These platforms, like PerkUp, can help simplify the entire swag management process by being in charge of the entire process while also working directly with vendors to ensure that your swag is produced and distributed seamlessly! This all-in-one solution saves you time and reduces hassle.
Now, if you wish to do the process yourself instead of relying on gifting platforms, then the next step for you is to choose the vendors based on their reliability. This means that they must have good reviews indicating the effectiveness of their production process and turnaround time.
Just like any other product, your On Demand swag also undergoes quality checks with swag mockups. For this, your swag vendor (or chosen swag platform) will send over a sample of your swag item so you can check if the design—from the brand and logo placement to the colors—follows your requirements.
Once you’ve approved the swag mockups, then the manufacturing process for the swag items will begin! This will involve sourcing the materials and producing each swag item with precision, from the design down to the brand placement. Depending on your swag order’s complexity, this step may take a few days to weeks. But don’t fret! Just stay in touch with your swag platform or vendor to ensure everything is on track.
Order fulfillment and shipping
The last—but certainly not least—is the fulfillment and shipping of swag orders.
Under this step, the major things you need to remember are shipping logistics and costs and tracking information. On Demand swag doesn’t stop at design and quality checks. You’re also responsible for ensuring that your On Demand swag items are delivered to your recipient. That’s why you must oversee where your swag items are and the estimated date of their arrival and delivery.
This involves coordinating with your vendor about shipping routes to avoid delays and minimize costs, as well as choosing the most reliable carriers. Tracking deliveries is equally essential. Once you’ve got everything organized, make sure to regularly monitor the tracking system provided by your chosen swag platform or shipping service. This way, you can check your order’s status in real time and anticipate delivery challenges even before they occur!
Whether it’s local or international, effective management of the fulfillment process ensures the timely delivery of your swag items!
What are the primary benefits of On Demand swag?
Definition, check. Process, check. We’ve practically covered everything but why you should choose On Demand swag. Yes, On Demand swag is personalized, and you only need to order at least 1 swag item. But there’s more!
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For one, On Demand swag is very sustainable. Since swag items are manufactured only when an order is placed, you can rest assured that there will be no unnecessary waste and no overstocking. And since there’s no overflowing stock, you also don’t have to worry about storage. On Demand swag eliminates the need for warehousing, which helps you cut down on storage costs and space.
Now, let’s talk about shipping. On Demand swag items can be routed to multiple locations worldwide. Your employee hailing from Brazil just handed in their retirement letter? Personalized farewell kit delivered on time. Want to gift your Filipino employee of 10 years a customized swag item and gift basket? No problem! On Demand swag is the solution for these.
And, of course, we can’t forget customization. With options like embroidery, DTF, DTG, screen printing, laser engraving, foil printing, debossing, and even custom packaging or printed notes, the design possibilities are nearly endless!
From color and design selection to flexible choice, On Demand swag combines convenience, automation, and cost-efficiency in your swag gifting!
How do On Demand swag and bulk swag differ? What are their pros and cons?
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So, On Demand swag is a wonderful solution for your personalized employee recognition/appreciation gift. But what if you want to have swag items readily available whenever you need them? Is On Demand swag still the best option if you plan to hand out onboarding kits to every new employee? Well, you can answer these questions by first learning the difference between On Demand swag and bulk swag.
While On Demand and bulk swag items can both be found in swag stores, they have distinctions that make them suitable for different occasions. Let's break them down in this section!
On Demand swag
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As established, On Demand swag is perfect for buying only the swag items that you need when you need them.
You can buy one swag item or maybe ten for a one-time event or an employee’s birthday, and you don’t even have to think about inventory or where you’ll put your extra swag items.
On Demand is also a great opportunity for you to test our new sag ideas before placing large orders!
Bulk swag
Now, let’s talk about bulk swag.
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Bulk swag is basically buying swag items in large quantities, typically with a huge discount. The more swag items you order, the lower the per-item cost will be.
Are you planning a massive event or gifting an entire department with 50 employees? Bulk swag can be your go-to! Not only do you enjoy huge discounts, but you also have swag items you can distribute to your recipients anytime.
Plus, bulk swag can give you access to a broader range of products. Say, for example, you want to use Stanley Cups as your next swag giveaway. However, your chosen swag vendor or platform informed you that this drinkware isn’t feasible to manufacture on demand as it’s too expensive to do so. But they also mentioned that they can have it produced in bulk. This is just an example where items that can’t be created on demand can be manufactured if you order them in bulk.
Consistent branding across hundreds or even thousands of items is also easy with bulk swag. Since bulk swag undergoes one production run, you can rest assured that each and every one of your swag items has the exact same logo at the exact same place.
When to use On Demand swag?
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Now that you know the difference between On Demand swag and bulk swag, it’s time for you to learn about the different scenarios when it’s best to use which one.
Earlier, you wanted to give your loyal and retiring employee a parting swag gift. In this section, we’ll focus more on the many other scenarios you may find yourself in.
Let’s get into each one, shall we?
Scenario 1: Holiday Gifting
In this very first scenario, imagine that it’s the holiday gifting season and you’re a start-up business owner. How can you show gratitude to your employees while sticking strictly to your budget and not stressing over excess stocks?
Through On Demand swag, of course! Budget-friendly, more personal, and has no need for inventory management. It’s got everything you need!
Scenario 2: Excessive Swag Items
Next one. Picture this: you’re a director of a big company that loves to give away swag items. Except, lately, you’ve been noticing that there’s an excessive amount of swag items in your warehouses, and it’s getting challenging to manage your inventory and cut costs.
On Demand swag may just be the answer you’re looking for, as it eliminates the need for warehousing and inventory management altogether! And, with no warehouse costs, you can even use your budget elsewhere.
Scenario 3: Winter Campaign
Now, let’s say you’re spearheading a winter-themed campaign for your company. You want to integrate the concept of snow in every swag item you have. And while you already have bulk swag items stored in a warehouse, you don’t have any winter-related swag.
With On Demand swag, you can order limited-edition swag items that can help you reduce waste and attract new customers with your seasonal swags!
Scenario 4: Remote Employee Engagement
So far, you’ve been a small business owner, a company director, and a campaign manager. In this next scenario, you’re now an HR manager who wants to keep your remote employees engaged and appreciated wherever they are in the world. You think it can’t be easy to do that, especially with all the international logistics involved.
But it’s actually quite simple with On Demand swag. By working with global swag platforms or vendors, thoughtful swag gifts can be shipped directly to your employees’ doorsteps. They can even choose their preferred items from a swag store!
Scenario 5: Company’s 20th Anniversary
In this last scenario, your business is celebrating its 20th year anniversary! You want to commemorate this occasion and believe that curated swag is the way to go. But considering a 20th anniversary only happens once in a business, you don’t want any excess items that might just go to waste.
Well, On Demand swag is just the perfect answer to this! With On Demand swag, you can design anniversary swag items like custom T-shirts without worrying about leftover inventory.
Bear in mind that these scenarios are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using On Demand swag. There are many other circumstances in which you can choose the On Demand option for your swag needs—whether you’re surprising a model employee or personalizing gifts for VIP clients, the possibilities are endless. After all, the power of On Demand swag lies in its versatility.
That said, apparel definitely takes center stage in delivering that adaptability. Whether you’re sending cozy hoodies for your team in Canada or sending out branded T-shirts for a seasonal campaign, On Demand swag apparel fits every scenario perfectly. Customizable, practical, and suitable for everyone!
Conclusion
On Demand swag is perfect for any business that wants a big impact without a big commitment. It’s sustainable, it’s made-to-order, and it’s super cost-effective. With a wide range of customization options, no inventory headaches, and international shipping, On Demand swag isn’t just a smart choice; it’s a great way to connect and appreciate your employees, clients, partners, and even investors.
See how you can stand out with On Demand swag with PerkUp.
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