HALO Branded Solutions Overview

HALO Branded Solutions, or simply Halo, is a company founded in 1952 by Lee Wayne in Sterling, Illinois. Specializing in branded swag, uniforms, and employee recognition programs, the platform provides end-to-end services from product selection to logistics.

Main Features

What are Halo’s main offerings and features?

Branded swag and uniforms

HALO’s main offering centers on branded swag and uniform programs. Particularly, the platform helps you create high-quality branded swag ranging from apparel and drinkware to tech accessories, supporting one-off projects and company stores. Its uniform and workwear programs are also tailored for large teams, retail operations, and corporate organizations. 

Creative services

HALO’s creative services turn swag projects into branded experiences. With over 30 dedicated designers, the platform handles every step of the creative process from concept development and campaign messaging to product design, packaging, and visual merchandising. This service is ideal if you don’t just want to place logos on products but want your swag to tell a cohesive brand story. 

Recognition and incentive programs

In addition to swag and creative services, HALO also runs recognition and incentive programs that help you celebrate work milestones and achievements. The platform, for instance, enables you to leverage branded swag and custom packaging and send them out for work anniversaries or onboarding. Additionally, HALO can also build programs tailored to day-to-day recognition, sales incentives, peer-to-peer, wellbeing, and more. This provides you with additional options and opportunities to celebrate your teams.

Pricing

HALO has a custom-quote pricing model. What this means for you is that the cost or subscription fee for using the platform will vary depending on your needs, swag selection, and/or employee recognition program requirements.

On the website, it’s also stated that setup charges apply to most items, which covers the process of preparing machines with custom artwork. Final quotes are provided by your dedicated account executive and will be provided once the full project scope has been defined.

Overall, HALO’s pricing model is designed for tailored service but lacks immediate transparency. If you prefer quick self-service or instant checkout, then this model can feel a lot slower and less predictable. At the same time, if you’re an enterprise managing highly customized projects, then the platform’s quote process helps ensure that design, sourcing, and logistics are all considered.

Pros and Cons

In this section, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of HALO.

Pros

✅ Swag store: HALO offers digital swag stores where your employees and clients can browse pre-selected branded swag.

✅ Procurement and SSO integrations: The platform’s technology specifically supports procurement integrations, such as Oracle, which is ideal if you already have ordering and inventory management systems and wish to connect them with HALO.

✅ Low MOQ: For bulk swag, HALO only requires a minimum order quantity as low as five (5) units.

✅ Good quality of products offered: Reviewers from G2 talk about the high quality of swag products and items that HALO offers to its clients. 

✅ Sustainability commitments: HALO has various efforts to ensure sustainability in its approach to swag. For instance, it has gone through third-party audits by EcoVadis and offers carbon-neutral shipping. 

✅ Security compliance: The platform meets various data security standards, such as GDPR, ensuring its compliance with secure data handling.

Cons

❌ Pricing isn’t upfront and transparent: HALO requires you to sign up for a demo to obtain a quote. Prices will vary depending on your needs, and may cause delays when it comes to purchasing decisions.

❌ Lack of clear information on warehousing and inventory management: While HALO does mention its fulfillment locations in the US, UK, and EU, actual details on its inventory management and global warehousing capabilities are vague.

❌ Absence of HRIS and CRM integrations: HALO can only be integrated with SSO and procurement systems and can’t support integrations with HRIS and CRM tools.

❌ No automation: Without HRIS and CRM integrations, HALO also can’t support automated milestone gifting for employees or clients.

❌ All items come from the US: According to HALO’s website, all their items are shipped from the US. Because of this, there have been some reviews that report shipping delays and higher shipping costs.

❌ Difficult navigation of the website: According to some reviews, the website and platform of HALO can be challenging to navigate, often requiring assistance from account executives or support.

HALO Branded Solutions is best for…

… US companies requiring swag and employee recognition programs 👍

HALO can be a good choice for you if you wish to build employee recognition platforms and tie them to branded swag. The platform’s incentive and other recognition program solutions, as well as its custom swag and kits, will enable you to design your program and select the product you deem best for your employees. However, since HALO only has fulfillment centers in the US, EU, and UK, it’s more suitable for companies with recipients in the same region.

… organizations that need creative support for swag setups 👍

When you want to offer branded swag with a custom logo and end-to-end support, then HALO is an option. This is because the platform’s in-house creative team will assist you in shaping concepts, refining artwork, and ensuring that your swag items align with your goals. This way, you won’t have to worry about coming up with your own design ideas and executing them on your swag.

… businesses looking for platforms with a sustainable swag approach 👍

Sustainability is an important aspect to consider when choosing your swag management partner. As such, if this is one of your main considerations, then HALO is a contender, with its audited practices and climate reporting. Its EcoVadis audit, CDP participation, and carbon-neutral shipping options also demonstrate its documented processes for responsible sourcing and emissions disclosure.

HALO Branded Solutions may not be a good fit for…

… global teams with international recipients 👎

If your workforce or customer base is spread across many countries and you need fast, local fulfillment in APAC, India, or South America, then HALO isn’t for you. This is because the platform only has fulfillment centers in the US, UK, and Europe, which limits its reach in the regions mentioned above. Additionally, this can cause higher shipping costs and customs delays, adding more challenges to global swag shipments.

… companies that need to integrate their existing workflows 👎

HALO doesn’t support HRIS, CRM, or marketing integrations. What this means is that, to automatically trigger gifting, sync employee data, or track engagement through your existing tools, you’ll need to coordinate with your account representative or handle processes manually. 

… busy leaders looking to automate swag sending and milestone gifting 👎

HALO’s swag model centers on account-managed programs rather than plug-and-play automation. If you want HRIS-triggered swag sends or automatic milestone fulfillment without manual approval steps, then the platform won’t be suitable for you due to its lack of HRIS and CRM integration and automation.

… businesses seeking self-serve ordering 👎

If you prefer to see real-time pricing, add items to your cart, and check out immediately, then you’ll find HALO’s quote-driven approach slower. Orders are routed through account executives for final pricing and setup, which can add time to one-off purchases or last-minute needs.

… organizations that want transparent pricing 👎

Since HALO users will have to rely on their account executives to receive a quote for their orders, the pricing transparency on HALO orders isn’t immediate or consistent. Final costs vary depending on decoration, setup fees, and shipping, which are only confirmed once a formal quote is issued. This makes it difficult if you wish to compare options or make quick purchasing decisions without going through multiple approval steps.

HALO Branded Solutions combines history and creativity to deliver branded swag and employee recognition programs for organizations. Its strengths lie in its full-service capabilities, such as design, sourcing, and fulfillment, supported by sustainability and compliance. However, HALO operates on a more traditional agency model that may not align with your needs, especially if you’re expecting self-service dashboards, transparent pricing, and real-time automation.

Looking for global swag solutions? Explore the best HALO Branded Solutions alternatives

If your company needs more flexibility, automation, or a far wider global reach, there are alternative platforms that have a technology-first approach to swag management. These modern companies provide transparent pricing, instant ordering, and integration with HR, CRM, and marketing tools to simplify automated workflows. If you wish to see what other swag platforms can offer, be sure to check out our article on HALO’s top competitors and alternatives.

HALO Branded Solutions vs PerkUp, the #1 platform for global and automated swag

When comparing HALO Branded Solutions and PerkUp, the biggest differences come down to automation, transparency, and global reach. HALO is built around a traditional, full-service model, offering creative merchandising, swag stores, employee recognition programs, and support from dedicated account executives.

PerkUp, on the other hand, offers everything HALO provides and more. It includes both bulk and On Demand swag, along with event swag, digital gift cards, and custom swag stores. Where HALO relies on manual coordination, PerkUp automates much of the process, allowing you to trigger swag sends automatically based on HRIS data, work anniversaries, or new hire dates. Another key differentiator is global reach. PerkUp operates through an global warehousing network that covers the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, the EU, India, Hong Kong, and Australia, ensuring faster delivery, localized inventory, and duties-prepaid (DDP) shipping whenever possible. PerkUp also stands out for pricing transparency, wherein all costs, including decoration, storage, and shipping, are clearly displayed upfront within the platform.

All of these are discussed in depth in our HALO vs PerkUp side-by-side comparison. Check it out to further understand why companies like Hiro and Cornerstone choose PerkUp for their global swag needs.