Most businesses give out swag.
Very few use it to market.
At Grow Disrupt, we don’t choose swag because it’s cute or because a vendor gave us a deal. We design every single item to show our message to ADHD entrepreneurs instead of just telling them what we’re about.
For our SEEK-themed Grow Retreat, that meant every object in the swag bag had a job:
- reinforce the theme,
- support the ADHD brain, and
- quietly say, “We thought about you” without a single bullet point on a slide.
In this article we’ll uncover the marketing principles involved in giving out swag so your events, client gifts, and brand experiences stop feeling random and start working.
Why Most Swag Fails (Even If It’s “Nice”)
Most swag is ordered like this: “We need something with our logo on it. What’s cheap, fast, and vaguely on-brand?”
The result?
- Generic water bottles
- Pens no one wants
- T-shirts that never leave the drawer
None of that builds loyalty. None of it tells a story. None of it proves you understand the people you serve. Swag fails when it’s:
- About you, not them
- Visually branded, but emotionally empty
- Disconnected from the rest of the experience
If your swag could belong to any company in your industry, it isn’t marketing. It’s clutter.
Principle 1: Design for the Human, Not the Logo
Our audience is primarily ADHD entrepreneurs. That means their brains and their bodies need specific kinds of support to stay engaged, focused, and energized for two full days.
So our snack bag isn’t random:
- High protein, low sugar across the two-day event
- Packed so they don’t have to dig and get overwhelmed
- Framed explicitly as “We’re taking care of your brain, not just your taste buds.”
That’s not “nice hospitality.” That’s strategic marketing. It shows:
- We understand how their brain works.
- We want them resourced, not fried.
- We’re willing to do extra work on the back end so things feel easier on the front end.
When your audience feels physically supported, they’re more open to your message. That’s a better ROI than another stress ball with your logo on it.
Ask yourself:
“If I really believed my audience’s energy, brain, and comfort mattered, what would I change about what I’m giving them?”
Principle 2: Make Every Item a Chapter in the Same Story
Our SEEK retreat wasn’t “an event with a theme.” The theme was the story:
Seek what matters. Seek the root cause. Seek clarity instead of more noise.
So everything in the bag had to reinforce that story on a sensory level.
- The journal wasn’t just a notebook. It included:
- Multiple page formats (lined, grids, mind maps) so ADHD brains could take notes in ways that work for them
- Built-in “Aha & Action” sections and 6 weeks of check-in pages to keep implementation going after the event
- To-do lists broken into Now / Next / Later - because prioritization is half the battle
- The pens weren’t cheap throwaways. We hunted down a gel pen that didn’t smear for left-handed writers and felt smooth to use. That’s not a small thing when half your audience is constantly fighting their tools.
- The mini lanterns literally carried the SEEK message: “When you are actively seeking, you can light the path forward.”
None of these items say, “We care” in text. They prove it in use.
That’s the same principle behind neuroscience-driven marketing that sticks: people remember what they experience, not what they’re told.
Ask yourself:
“If my theme or core message were a story, what objects would naturally belong inside that world?”
If the answer is “a random mug with my logo,” keep digging.
Principle 3: Build Sensory Anchors for Memory and Motivation
One of the most powerful pieces of swag we send home isn’t flashy at all: it’s our custom event scent.
We worked with an aromacologist to create a blend that supports focus and retention. And then we trained the brain to associate that scent with:
- feeling motivated,
- feeling understood,
- and taking action on the business.
We diffuse it in the room, then send guests home with a small bottle. Weeks later, when they’re back at their desk, one deep breath pulls them straight back into the emotional state from the event.
Same thing with our custom coffee blend: dialed-in flavor, balanced caffeine (so it sharpens, not crashes), and just enough heat to become part of the “I’m working on my business now” ritual.
You don’t need your own coffee line or signature scent to apply this.
You do need to think in terms of:
- Touch: How does it feel in their hands? Cheap? Considered?
- Sight: Does it reinforce your colors, shapes, and visual cues?
- Smell: Is there a scent you can consistently associate with focus, calm, or momentum?
- Behavior: When do they use it? Can it become a ritual tied to working on or with you?
This is the same reason I talk so much about clarifying your marketing message: the clearer the story, the easier it is to turn that story into physical anchors people keep coming back to.
Principle 4: Make Your Swag Do Real Work
Good swag doesn’t just look good on Instagram. It pulls weight in your marketing system.
Here’s what some of ours is actually designed to do:
- Journals & pens
- Keep people writing, thinking, and prioritizing during the event
- Give them a tool they’ll reuse, which keeps us top-of-mind long after the retreat
- Fidget toys
- Regulate ADHD nervous systems during sessions
- Signal “your brain is welcome here exactly as it is” without a single slide on neurodiversity
- “Refresh and reset” sleep packs
- Help guests sleep better between event days so day two isn’t a cognitive train wreck
- Reinforce the message: “We care about the whole you, not just what you produce.”
- Snack bags, coffee, and hydration reminders
- Protect their energy and focus
- Quietly prove that we understand what it takes for an ADHD entrepreneur to stay present all day
Every item earns its place. If it doesn’t support the brain, the story, or the transformation we promised, it doesn’t go in the bag.
Ask yourself:
“If this swag disappeared completely, would anything about my customer’s experience or memory of me change?”
If the answer is no, you’re not using swag… you’re handing out clutter with your logo.
Ready to Turn Your Brand Into an Experience?
Swag is not the point.
The point is this: every interaction either proves your message or contradicts it.
When your gifts, environments, and experiences are designed with the brain (and your specific audience) in mind, they become extensions of your marketing. They keep telling your story long after the event is over.
If your current swag feels flat, random, or forgettable, it’s not a failure. It’s an opportunity.
Want Help Designing Marketing People Actually Feel?
This is the work I love most: helping small business owners and ADHD entrepreneurs build marketing that shows what makes them different instead of screaming louder than everyone else.
If you’re ready to turn your brand into a lived experience, check out how I support business owners with strategy, speaking, and done-for-you marketing.