7 Smart Company Swag Ideas Remote Workers Will Actually Appreciate

If you’re looking for company swag ideas, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Before the pandemic, many companies used swag as a way to welcome new hires to the office. They would load up the desk of a new employee with coffee mugs, pens, and ball caps as a way to say “Welcome to the family!” But times have changed. More offices have gone virtual and those desks are now inside homes around the country and across the globe. It’s become a challenge to find new ways to welcome employees, support your existing staff, and cultivate your company’s culture from a distance. That’s why it’s time to think smarter about company swag. Ever since the work-from-home shift, companies of all sizes have searched for new ways to help their remote workers feel less… remote. And while it’s still important to remind people they’re part of a team, more businesses have found that the best company swag ideas are the ones that also help remote employees work smarter. If you’re looking for company swag ideas that will both help and inspire your remote team, you’ve come to the right post.

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7 Company Swag Ideas That Remote Workers Will Actually Appreciate

1. Work-Appropriate Backdrops For Virtual Calls

Plenty of companies provide remote workers with monitors, laptops, and other essential hardware. But smart companies go one step beyond to provide team members with the best tools for tackling virtual meetings. One way to start is by setting the scene and providing a backdrop so employees never have to worry about cleaning up a cluttered office, making the bed, or arranging their bookshelves in an effort to make a good impression. Anyvoo customizable backdrops help virtual attendees project a professional video image no matter where they work. Built to exactly the right size, they take up the minimum amount of space and set up quickly. They give your remote team an easy way to stay visually consistent, which makes for more productive meetings and fewer distractions. People can focus on what’s being said, instead of wondering why the head of sales has so much taxidermy in his living room.

2. Professional Lighting Setup

Nobody likes joining a virtual meeting when most of the attendees look like they’re in the witness protection program. Typical home lighting wasn’t designed for prime time and can leave your face lost in the shadows or blown out by harsh glare and reflections. Proper lighting is important and projects a professional image to clients, prospects, and co-workers. It doesn’t take a full rig of studio lights to give remote workers an even glow. You can make sure everyone who logs in is well-lit with these simple, branded ring lights that clip onto any computer or laptop.

3. Branded Headphones

Like lighting, poor audio can tank a call, too—how you sound and what you hear is just as important as how you look. Echoes, feedback, static, and background noise create unnecessary distractions that can derail a meeting or stop a presentation in its tracks. Make sure everyone has the tools they need to sound their best by providing your team with proper audio equipment, which could include these customizable wireless headphones.

4. Workout-worthy Wearables

There’s a reason t-shirts are the reigning kings of company swag—they’re affordable to make and everybody wears them. But just because everybody is doing it doesn’t mean you can’t do it better. Why not level-up the traditional short-sleeved tee with some choices that go beyond small, medium, and large? Reinforce the importance of healthy living for remote employees with branded, high-performance fitness apparel made especially for working out. Bonus: Nothing promotes a healthy work/life balance like a pair of branded sneakers!

5. Custom Drinkware

When it comes to practicality and utility, nothing beats coffee mugs and water bottles. Employees have been using company mugs since the coffee break was invented. And thanks to brands like Hydro Flask, S’well and Yeti, the quality of these custom drink bottles today is better than ever. For most companies, these two swag items are no-brainers.

6. Bespoke Beverages

Why not take the drink idea a step further and consider what goes inside? You can motivate, stimulate and hydrate remote team members with your company’s own custom coffee blend, custom energy drinks and shots, or branded bottled water. You can even help employees celebrate milestones after hours with custom-labeled beer, liquor, wine or champagne.

7. Fitness Gear

Some of my favorite swag ideas are the ones that encourage people to get up and get moving. Studies show that regular exercise can improve memory, energy, and reduce stress. Fitness swag can be as simple as a branded yoga mat or as complicated as a custom fitness tracker or smartwatch. You can think outside the gym with these cool branded basketballs, footballs and soccer balls. And finally, here’s the most important word to remember in relation to company swag… Moderation. Even though it feels like you’re giving out gifts, sharing swag still boils down to asking remote workers to bring more of their job into their home. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm people with corporate identity. Giving worthwhile items in moderation sends exactly the right message to new hires: Thanks for being a valuable part of the team—we’re here to help you succeed!