Funny something like this recently popped into my LI feed: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz-swag/
Buzz Swag - esg corp gear eval.
Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
31–40 of 81 posts
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#32I think companies should produce swag that people could be proud of in 20 years if the company succeeds. A mug will last for years if you don't drop it, a plastic bag will not. One t-shirt I own is non-startup swag but "swag" from a powerboat race, and it's almost as old as me bar a few months.
> A mug will last for years if you don't drop it
Depends. If the mug is cold and you pour a hot liquid into it fast enough, it'll crack.
That's happened to me a couple times, but I've learned my lesson since then—pour slowly.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#33I think part of the problem is actually the shift away from shirts. Swag is advertising but at least a shirt served a purpose and if you didn’t want it you could donate it. Many company shirts ended up at Goodwill or shipped off the 3rd world countries. But shirts are expensive so no one gives them anymore. They’ve shifted to the cheapest items they can find. I usually turn down swag now and when I’m in charge of swa…
The stuff has become so cheap and junky that it's basically useless. Like they hand out bluetooth speakers which sound worse than laptop speakers. And then the company gets stuck with box loads of this ewaste junk when branding changes. I think the least wasteful idea I saw was the company branding on a packet of mints. At least thats something almost everyone wants and isn't any more wasteful than store mints.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#34I am so grateful for my Windows 11 sweatshirt. I'm proud of what I did for Windows 11 and am proud wearing the hoody.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#35I would tolerate swag more if it were actually quality. Like you mention, so much of it is junk. But I also hate logos on things I use, so it's only half the problem.
There are only two pieces of swag that I've ever bothered using, both were from the same event, and I only ever used them as evidence that I was around during the early days of Linux. My main reason is a dislike of logos, but utility is another big factor.
I understand this stuff is shelled out to promote companies, but it's not very useful if it goes straight into the trash. I will keep a business card since it is small and they're easy to organize. A decent quality pen may be kept, but I've only ever seen them offered by local businesses. I only see a use for the first two mugs: one for coffee/tea and one for quality pens that are never given out. The bags are not durable enough, I would never use them outside of work, and I don't have a use for them at work. Anything else will be very dependent upon the person.
As for the people who do like that sort of thing, just leave the stuff on the table. Don't force it in a person's hand and don't make them feel obligated to take it.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#36Pre-pandemic I was thinking the same thing, but at conferences. Since t-shirts and hoodies were a hot commodity, many companies resorted to giving away what is essentially trash. The cheapest items you could possibly imagine. Little toys, and trinkets, and things that were bought from china that will never make it out of the bottom of your conference bag. Sitting there for years waiting to be discovered in your closet and subsequently thrown out.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#37That was a nice thing about working at Ghostery. Our swag was LEGIT. Too bad we didn't have a viable business model to go with it
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#38I think part of the problem is actually the shift away from shirts. Swag is advertising but at least a shirt served a purpose and if you didn’t want it you could donate it. Many company shirts ended up at Goodwill or shipped off the 3rd world countries. But shirts are expensive so no one gives them anymore. They’ve shifted to the cheapest items they can find. I usually turn down swag now and when I’m in charge of swa…
Bulk order single color silkscreen on a cheap tee is around $5. Totes are about the same. Dye sublimation mugs are ~$3. Not sure about nalgene-type bottles but I'm guessing in the $3-$5 range.
Is it the cost? $3-$5 per item seems about what I would expect.
I'd guess the biggest problem with tees is sizing. It's not one uniform product to hand out, so you have the added complexity of multiple inventory and people asking to swap their size.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#39I am so grateful for my Windows 11 sweatshirt. I'm proud of what I did for Windows 11 and am proud wearing the hoody.
no one is talking about clothes, it's OK.
Re: Ask HN: Can we have a conversation on startup swag waste?
#40I think part of the problem is actually the shift away from shirts. Swag is advertising but at least a shirt served a purpose and if you didn’t want it you could donate it. Many company shirts ended up at Goodwill or shipped off the 3rd world countries. But shirts are expensive so no one gives them anymore. They’ve shifted to the cheapest items they can find. I usually turn down swag now and when I’m in charge of swa…
The stuff has become so cheap and junky that it's basically useless. Like they hand out bluetooth speakers which sound worse than laptop speakers. And then the company gets stuck with box loads of this ewaste junk when branding changes. I think the least wasteful idea I saw was the company branding on a packet of mints. At least thats something almost everyone wants and isn't any more wasteful than store mints.
There was someone at a trade show I went to a few years ago (like all the rest) selling a product called (in industry) a "lunchbox" who was giving away branded snack-sized boxes of raisins.