Creating Swag ...

It was an absolutely beautiful day here today with temps climbing into the 80 range and the sun shining brightly. Unfortunately, I had a lot to do and ended up staying inside and just looking out from time to time. Isn't that the way things always seem to go?

Yes, I was stuck inside straining my creative brain! I had some work to do preparing some promotional materials. I have the opportunity to provide merchandise for swag bags for a number of events in the next few weeks. I always try to tie my promo item to the event's theme and three of those events will center on the same theme. The only variation being location. There will be some overlap of attendees at those events so I'd really like to do something different for each.

Each swag bag contains about 15 items from various types of businesses and civic groups and it is really hard to come up with something that will stand out. I've done bookmarks, magnets, Christmas ornaments (at Fall events) and small stuffed animals. I want them to convey my general style with bright, colorful painting and a whimsical design. This is easier said than done! Again, I need to keep time and cost in mind.

I spent several hours simply sketching and designing. Once I came up with what I thought were a couple of workable ideas, I had to paint some prototypes to determine if the idea worked, if it can be done quickly enough and if it will actually be worth the cost. (Two of these events need about 100 pieces and the other about 75.)

I definitely think one of my ideas is a keeper. I'm still not sure about the other two. I need to let them sit and stare back at me for a day or two before making a final decision or tweeking them some more. One just seems to take too long to make and I need to rethink it and find a way to streamline it a bit. This can be quite frustrating when you need to rework it so much to cut the time and cost.

Ultimately, I have found these promo pieces do bring in some business and it spreads my identity throughout a larger part of the country, so I do believe they are worthwhile. If you get the chance, give it a shot. Some organizations I have worked with include sororities, college alumni groups and the Eastern Star. The latter two usually bring me lots of "buying Grandmas" (an ideal target market.) The three I worked on today are for a baby-boomer crowd with more men than women. I always find it harder to create give-aways for the men.

I have two other events that are unrelated and I still need to come up with designs for those. As I've said before, tomorrow is another day!

Y'all have a good weekend!