‘Tis the season! Well, not quite, but for event and brand marketers, the time to think about holiday merch is upon us.

I am delighted to share our 2024 Holiday Lookbook to inspire and guide you in choosing the top trending swag and promo items to dazzle your customers, prospects, and employees.

How We Identified Top Trends: Our Methodology 

My team reviewed hundreds of recent orders from top brands, particularly in our specialty industries: cybersecurity, entertainment, healthcare, tech, and wineries. We collected and featured the most popular items, plus a few hand-selected favorites we’re seeing this year that we’re super excited to share. While any promo items may be customized or expanded, these are the favorites we’re seeing companies use to activate their brands for the 2024 holiday season.

Holiday Branded Merch Ideas and Inspo

Leverage the 2024 Holiday Lookbook as a visual and conceptual guide to spark ideas and deliver tangible solutions to fulfill your merch and promo needs.

DRINKWARE
When it’s cold outside, everyone loves to cozy up with a warm beverage, but we’re often on the go, especially around the holidays.

This year’s colorful Hibear All-Day Adventure Flasks are just the thing for winter-time adventurers. Nicknamed the “Swiss Army Knife of insulated bottles,” these flasks can craft cocktails and coffee and ensure your drink stays warm all day, whether shopping, hiking, or building snow people.

And then there’s the Asobu Bestie and Orbit Bottles – we recommend grabbing custom reindeer, Santa, or snowman caps!

Inspo to leverage drinkware:

• Customize it. Adding your company logo always works, but consider going a step further with images, quotes, or company values. Personalize the bottle tops with your mascot.
• Gift it. Custom drinkware is an easy and timeless employee or customer gift. Bonus: these on-the-go merch items provide an excellent brand awareness lift.
• Create a branded Hydration Station. Invite your event attendees to refill their bottles, promoting both your brand and sustainability.

Pro Drinkware Tips: Exemplify your company’s commitment to sustainability by gifting drinkware as stylish and durable reusable water bottles.

SUSTAINABLE MERCH
Sustainability is a core value for many organizations and their teams. Showing up with sustainable promo gifting ideas demonstrates thoughtfulness and builds trust. Seed Bombs are a great idea because they support the experience of planting and delighting in growth.

Inspo to leverage Sustainable Merch:

• Write custom messages. Consider coupling your seeds with messages about business growth, blossoming, and thriving.
• Align your brand. What kind of seeds resonate with your brand? Think colors, flowers, and vegetables. Always customize where you can.

FOOD AND TREATS
It’s hard to think about holiday gifting without considering chocolate, candy, and other goodies. This year, consider Stonewall Kitchen Holiday Breakfast Kit Set – a great idea as a parting post-holiday party gift.

Inspo to leverage Food and Treats:

• Send office gift bags. Send your top customers branded chocolate and candy canes. These are always ideal for offices and treats at home.
• Activate account-based marketing.  Or, better yet, send your top prospects some holiday sweets to find your way into their hearts.
• Remember leadership teams and board members. They’re working hard, and a little appreciation goes a long way.

BLANKETS
The cozier the better!

Inspo to leverage Blankets:

• Give event welcome gifts. Why are these event venues always freezing? Encourage your guests to stay warm and flash your logo around town.
• Encourage wellness & relaxation. Support your team, customers, and prospects by suggesting they get some well-deserved rest over the holidays.

TECHNOLOGY
You can’t go wrong with the gift of music. Tune out the holiday stress and turn up the fun. Check out our recommended fashion-forward Cleer Enduro 100 BT Headphones, bluetooth speakers, and more.

Inpso to leverage Technology:

• Build VIP kits. Tech swag can be featured in VIP kits, used as prizes for contests, or offered as exclusive gifts for early event registrants.
• Send customer appreciation packages. Ensure that MRR keeps rolling in by showing some extra love during the holidays to your hard-working customer points-of-contact and their teams.

Pro tips for Technology: This is not an area to cut corners. If tech items are cheap, everyone will know it. If you need to stay on a tight budget, opt for charging cables, webcam covers, or small accessories. If you can spend more, use tech swag in VIP kits or as highly public contest prizes. Ensure the technology used is certified and up to standard.

BAGS & TOTES
Get these mobile brand billboards out and about at your next event and beyond. Bags and totes are practical and necessary for event attendees, travelers, and holiday shoppers.

Inspo to leverage Bags & Totes:

• Host a Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Have fun at the office or at your next event, encouraging guests to find and store items in their swanky new branded bag.
• Give at event registration. Distribute swag bags at registration filled with fun and useful event materials.
• Onboard new employees. Share office supplies, paperwork, and swag in a new highly functional and branded bag.

Pro tips for Bags & Totes: Ensure the bag’s design is eye-catching and prominently shares your company brand.

FASHION & APPAREL
Stay warm this holiday season with brands like Eddie Bauer and Outdoor Research. Deliver lasting value (and brand awareness) with clothing options.

Inspo to leverage Fashion & Apparel:

• Gift it. Give apparel away to top employee performers or to your entire team for appreciation of a successful year.
• Sell it. If you choose smart brands, employees and the general public just may be interested in purchasing your unique apparel. You can sell swag through your own custom company store.

Pro tips for Fashion & Apparel: If you’re handing out apparel as a giveaway item, opt for rolling it up for easier transport and then applying size labels. It’s a minimal added cost for much easier distribution and higher perceived value.

HEALTH & WELLNESS
From sound machines and candles to cozy comforts and yoga kits, there are plenty of opportunities to promote health and wellness to all of your brand supporters.

Inspo to leverage Health & Wellness:

• Support work-life balance. Give your employees ways to treat and pamper themselves around the holidays.
• Thank your customers and prospects. Say thanks with a wellness gift to recent webinar or event attendees.
• Provide an incentive. Encourage customers to provide you with a testimonial in exchange for a well-deserved pampering sesh.

KITS, PACKAGING, MERCH BOXES
Bundle up all of the branded items mentioned above in a custom box with your logo, brand colors, and messaging. Have fun with the shape and texture of the box – use what’s best for your brand. You can have extra fun around the holidays by including gifts from Santa.

Inspo to leverage Kits, Packaging, and Merch Boxes:

• Create welcome gift packages. Set the tone for new employees or your event by making everyone feel appreciated the moment they arrive.
• Build VIP (or Account-Based Marketing) gift packages. Include premium wellness, technology, or apparel merch. Send to your top 10 to 100 account targets.
• Send packages to event attendees. Get ahead of your competition by sending personalized merch boxes to solidify appointments.

Pro tips for Branded Kits: Include a personalized note. No matter the occasion (or season), a personalized note in a merch box demonstrates extra care and thoughtfulness. You’ve taken care to customize all of the items and packaging, don’t forget the most important part – the person receiving the package.

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Explore all of these and other items in the 2024 Holiday Lookbook and discover how these products can transform your events, company culture, and brand reputation.

We’d love to hear your favorite picks and how you plan to use them in your next event — share your thoughts with us here and let us know if you have questions.

Meanwhile, happy holidays!