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what is the point of swag anyway, why do companies waste money on these useless items?
what is the point of swag anyway, why do companies waste money on these useless items?
Because it takes advantage of a well-known human tendency to think more kindly of people who have given you a gift. It's a variation of the truth that your customers will tend to think better of your products if they get something unexpected and free along with the product, even if that thing is of low or no actual value.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it takes advantage of a well-known human tendency to think more kindly of people who have given you a gift. It's a variation of the truth that your customers will tend to think better of your products if they get something unexpected and free along with the product, even if that thing is of low or no actual value.
people who don't enjoy clutter and waste must be still outliers then
what is the point of swag anyway, why do companies waste money on these useless items?
Because it takes advantage of a well-known human tendency to think more kindly of people who have given you a gift. It's a variation of the truth that your customers will tend to think better of your products if they get something unexpected and free along with the product, even if that thing is of low or no actual value.
I mean, we kinda all know that anyway, but somehow it reinforced it enough that I know find it actively distasteful.
Even the classic sales approach of buying coffee or a meal feels creepy know, but I've had to relearn to accept it because it's just so hard to fight every time.
When I tell people, the normal response is encredulous "but it's free?". It's really really not, the costs just aren't immediately financial.
(Gifts outside corporate life are generally fine, an actual human wanting to "manipulate" me into liking them more is generally expressing some level of affection. A corporation cannot do that)
Every know and again I get something funny enough that it gets me anyway.. I'm very fond of my all blue Rubic's cube from ibm for example, and I've got a few unbranded water bottles around the place.
Anything else I can't politely refuse just gets binned as soon as I can do so without a fuss.
Swag is waste anyway. If you give it away, the only difference is that somebody else will throw it away (and you may feel better).