Fighting the Backlash

Lindsey Reid remembers when her parents, who opened a printing company in the 1990s, would come home from conferences with plastic bags full of swag. “I have very vivid memories of my sister and I in the living room dumping it out like trick-or-treat candy,” she says.

When she bought her parents’ Eliot, ME-based business in 2020 and rebranded to emblm (asi/181062), she knew she wanted to steer clear of the goodie bag mentality. “We’re creating things that are going to leave a lasting impression. … I’m on LinkedIn all the time, and I’ll see people say that they hate conference swag, and all of the reasons they give, I agree with,” Reid says. “I also hate throwaway swag. I don’t want to create that type of stuff.”

Over the last few years, there’s been a small – but vocal – contingent of people decrying promo products. Some of their complaints? Cheap swag is often made of virgin, likely nonrecyclable plastic, and it’s manufactured overseas and shipped to the U.S. – all of which contribute to climate change. Plus, they say, many of the items given out at shows and events never make it out of the hotel room, landfill-bound rather than packed up to be used and appreciated at home.

“The younger generation that’s coming into the corporate world right now is very much concerned with the environment, climate change and overconsumption,” says Tessa DeMuth, strategic account executive at Meridian Promotions (asi/259660) in Loves Park, IL. “There’s a whole TikTok push toward ‘underconsumption core’ and using up what you have before you buy more.”

Such critiques have not gone unheard by the promo industry. In this year’s SOI survey, 31% of distributors said they’re concerned about clients developing negative attitudes toward promo, up from 23% last year. Those concerns are even more pronounced among larger firms, with 39% of distributors with more than $5 million in annual sales expressing worry about anti-swag sentiment among clients. Those worries are being further stoked by tariffs, which have led to client hesitancy and prompted some end-buyers to explore alternatives to promotional products.

But, says Kate Alavez, president of Counselor Top 40 distributor PromoShop (asi/300446), the “pushback against what’s traditionally perceived as promo” doesn’t have to be viewed as a crisis. “I really think this is the SWOT analysis moment,” explains Alavez, a member of the Counselor Power 50 list of the most influential people in the industry. “It’s not a pushback we should take so personally. It’s this brilliant, shiny opportunity to take a moment and lean into what our industry does best.”

One winning strategy is to move away from being an order-taker and instead adopt a consultative approach to selling. “People in our industry are working really hard to define ourselves as more of an agency partner,” Reid says. “We have an eye for creating something that’s truly going to elevate your brand.”

When clients request items that are likely to become “brandfill,” it’s a chance to spark a conversation and share your expertise, says Brenda Speirs, CEO of Bend, OR-based Buzztag (asi/186668). “We’re not salesy or pitchy or anything; we don’t try to push people outside their budget,” she adds. “But we really try to get them to think about not giving one of something to everyone at the conference. Limit your numbers and choose a nicer item, so it’s the same spend, but you’re giving them something they’re going to hang on to and value.”

Don’t discount the power of creativity, says Rob Einhorn, owner of Promotions & Unicorns Too (asi/301189) in North Middletown, NJ. Einhorn, who works mainly with clients in the higher education market, has had many conversations with potential clients hesitant to give out promo. “You want to go bang for your buck? Fine, go to Starbucks and buy $5 gift cards,” he says. “They’re going to remember for 15 minutes at best that they got it from your company.”

Or, he adds, you can give out lower-impact products made with recycled or recyclable materials, and take extra steps to get creative with the messaging. “Make it better and more impactful,” he says. “Do something with your swag.” Perhaps that means working with a Chamber of Commerce and adding a QR code to conference merch so that attendees get a meal discount from local restaurants within a certain radius, he says, or reach out to the downtown district and ask for a map that can be used as artwork to wrap around a water bottle.

“Being creative is the answer to so many problems,” Einhorn says. “Look at things from a different perspective. Be collaborative. Brainstorm. Don’t go for the same old thing.”