The holiday season is a time for celebration, reflection, and gratitude. For many organizations, that gratitude is expressed through holiday gifts for employees, customers, and partners alike.
One of the most popular approaches is corporate holiday swag such as branded apparel, backpacks, drinkware, hats, and other useful items. These holiday gifts not only say “thank you” but also keep your brand top of mind throughout the season and beyond.
Done well, holiday swag can spark pride and loyalty. Done poorly, it risks being seen as cheap clutter.
So how can companies make their holiday swag ideas feel thoughtful, valuable, and universally appreciated?
Choosing the right holiday gifts is about more than following trends.
Offer variety. No single item will delight everyone, so build in choice where possible.
Align with your organization’s values. Whether it’s sustainability, inclusion, or wellness, pick gifts that reflect what your company stands for.
Shared identity
Branded items create a sense of belonging, reinforcing team spirit and organizational pride. When an employee puts on a company jacket or uses a branded mug at home, they’re reminded of being part of something bigger.
Practical appreciation
When swag is useful, like a high-quality jacket, backpack, or a travel mug, it’s a tangible and daily reminder of your company’s gratitude.
Visibility
Good swag doesn’t just sit in a drawer. It gets worn or used, keeping your brand in circulation in a positive way. Holiday swag has the chance to carry goodwill well into the new year.
Swag can delight or disappoint, depending on how it’s done. Let’s talk about how to make sure yours lands well.
Custom holiday designs are a fun and unique way to share swag with employees because they blend seasonal spirit with company pride in a truly memorable way.
Branded holiday-themed apparel, cozy accessories, or playful desk items feel both practical and joyful, while also showcasing your team’s personality.
These exclusive designs give employees something to talk about, and the limited-edition aspect creates excitement and collectability. More than just gifts, custom holiday swag is a creative way to show appreciation, strengthen culture, and spread cheer, all while reinforcing your company’s identity during a season built around connection and celebration.
Holiday swag can be a powerful way to show appreciation, strengthen company culture, and leave employees, customers, or partners with something memorable. But not all swag is created equal.
When done well swag can feel thoughtful and valued. But done poorly, it risks coming across as self-serving, wasteful or impersonal. To make sure your holiday swag makes the right impression, here are some best practices to keep in mind.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Instead of handing out a bag of trinkets, invest in one or two high-quality items. A durable backpack or a premium hoodie beats five plastic keychains every time. Quality shows you care.
Make It Personal
Give employees and clients a choice of items. Incentive automation makes it easy to provide selections; a “holiday swag store” where your recipients can pick from a few options like apparel, accessories, or tech items. A rich set of choices ensures that folks get to choose items that they will actually use.
Personalization adds an extra touch: embroidered names, custom colors, or items tailored to different lifestyle needs.
Feel Free to Be Seasonal (but Inclusive)
Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Avoid overly holiday-specific items and focus on themes like gratitude, winter warmth, or year-end appreciation. Think cozy blankets, insulated mugs, or wellness kits. A thoughtful message of thanks resonates with everyone.
Digital Delivery
Presentation matters. A thoughtful, company branded digital delivery makes a strong impression. Choose a curated gift selections from a vast catalog featuring branded and personalized swag – as well as national and international gift cards, local gift cards, payment options including deposit to debit card, Venmo, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX, as well as a wide array of merchandise. This variety ensures you get the best selection for recognizing and appreciating your stakeholders.
Combine Swag with Experiences
Swag doesn’t have to stand alone. Pair it with something experiential, like a digital gift card, a donation to a charity of choice, or access to funds. The branded item then becomes part of a bigger gesture of appreciation.
Full Value
Make sure to offer recipients the full value of their delivery. Don’t leave recipients with the feeling they are getting shortchanged when they select a less-costly item. Recipients can select items with a fixed value – like swag – that do not consume the delivery’s full value and then add variable value options to maximize their reward, gift, incentive, or payment. Whether it’s two, three, four, or more items, recipients have complete choice and flexibility.
Isn’t this a bit soon?
Plan early! Time to get budgets and approvals in place. Shipping timelines begin to stretch thin closer to the holidays. Getting setup now prevents costly rush fees.
The “Junk” Factor
Cheap, flimsy swag communicates the opposite of appreciation. If it breaks easily, stains quickly, or feels disposable, it will be remembered, but probably not in a good way.
Sizing and Fit Issues
Apparel is tricky. Ill-fitting shirts or jackets often go unused. If you go the apparel route, offer flexible sizing or unisex options.
Better yet, let employees select their size in advance through an online portal.
Ignoring Logistics
Shipping timelines stretch thin in November and December. Order early to avoid delays or expensive rush fees. Factor in ordering time, production time and direct-to-home shipping to ensure timely delivery.
Branding Overload
Nobody wants to be a walking billboard. Keep logos subtle and stylish so recipients feel proud to use the item outside of work. Sometimes a small tag or embroidery is enough.
Forgetting That People Have Personal Preferences
Not everyone loves branded apparel. Some prefer tech gadgets, others practical household items, and still others wellness-related gifts. Offering variety is the best way to make sure everyone feels included.
There will always be a few people who roll their eyes at corporate swag. To win them over try these tactics:
A selection of choices reduces waste and ensures that people receive items they actually value.
Mix in items without logos, like name-brand jackets, wireless earbuds, or travel gear in your gift selections.
Including a note of appreciation from company leadership can transform a simple gift into something more meaningful.
A durable item that may be used every day can change the way people view swag. A high-quality insulated water bottle or other personal item can become a daily essential.
The days of cookie-cutter swag bags are behind us. Today’s workforce values choice above all, as well as thoughtfulness, flexibility, and gifts that align with their lifestyle and values.
Here are some trending holiday swag ideas to inspire your corporate gifting strategy:
One-size-fits-all gifts often end up unused or forgotten. Employees appreciate when a gift reflects who they are. Personalized touches such as engraved water bottles or monogrammed backpacks are popular. With incentive automation many companies provide digital “gift-of-choice” platforms, letting recipients select what they’ll actually enjoy. This ensures everyone receives something meaningful, from cozy apparel to tech gadgets.
More than ever, employees want their company’s values reflected in corporate gifting. Eco-friendly and ethically sourced products are in demand, from reusable drinkware and organic snacks to gifts that support local businesses.
Sustainable packaging also makes a difference—compostable wrapping or reusable totes elevate the experience while reinforcing environmental responsibility.
Employee well-being continues to be a top priority, and gifting trends mirror this shift. Wellness gifts filled with herbal teas, journals, and aromatherapy kits are a hit. Some companies go a step further, offering subscriptions to meditation or fitness apps. Gifts that encourage rest, mindfulness, and healthy routines send a powerful message: we value you as a whole person, not just as an employee.
Practical technology gifts are especially popular. Items like wireless charging stations, Bluetooth speakers, smart water bottles, or noise-canceling headphones are both useful and stylish. The best gifts are those that blend form and function—tech that integrates seamlessly into daily life while feeling like a treat.
Sometimes, the best gift isn’t a “thing” at all. Experiences create memories that last. Cooking classes, local wine or coffee tastings, concert tickets, or even wellness retreats are all cherished. For distributed teams, virtual experiences such as online workshops or guided tastings make it possible to connect employees across locations.
There’s a growing emphasis on sourcing gifts from local vendors and local business owners. Whether it’s gourmet treats from a nearby bakery or artisan crafts from minority-owned suppliers, these gifts carry meaning beyond the item itself. They reinforce inclusivity and community support and support values that resonate strongly with employees today.
As a seasonal offering and great gift choice, cozy comforts never go out of style. Think plush throw blankets, luxury candles, festive mugs paired with hot cocoa, or loungewear employees can actually use during the winter months. These simple gifts add warmth and relaxation to the season and are often cherished well beyond the holidays.
Here is a Reddit discussion on trends in corporate gifting.
Try it! Send sample incentives to yourself or colleagues in minutes. No credit card is required to design and send stunning samples to yourself to see how simple incentive automation can be.
Holiday swag can be a powerful tool for building goodwill, reinforcing culture, and celebrating the close of another year. The key is to treat it as a holiday employee gift, loyal customer or cherished partner gift and not just a promotional tactic.
Choose quality over quantity, keep inclusivity in mind, and remember that a thoughtfully prepared holiday gift offer is half the impact.
The most memorable gifts are those that show thoughtfulness, care, and respect for the recipient.
Whether it’s a personalized tech gadget, an eco-friendly wellness kit, or an unforgettable experience, holiday gifting is an opportunity to reinforce company culture while making employees and stakeholders feel genuinely valued.
When you give with intention, you give more than a gift—you give appreciation that lasts well beyond the holiday season.
Do it right, and your holiday swag ideas won’t just sit on a shelf. Great selections will make employees and clients feel valued, connected, and ready to head into the new year with pride.
A design session is the perfect way to show you how TruCentive can help you realize your rewards, gifts, or payout goals in a real-world scenario, building a complete project with everything from your logo, design options, and messaging to incentive selection, deliveries, and reminders.
When we’re done, you’ll:
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