How To Make Swag Eco-Friendly?

Now that tourism is taking off again, travel marketers have new marketing realities to consider in 2023.

One of the big changes we have seen in recent times is how travelers have become more eco-conscious. Issues like reducing carbon footprints, a term rarely spoken of in previous years, now considered a hot conversation topic.

Further, travel companies are making time to commit this issue to their busy agenda. Many have even set carbon-neutral goals. It’s safe to say that the subject has now become an industry standard.

According to a new report, ‘69 percent of travelers are actively seeking sustainable travel options for 2023’.

With eco-conscious travelers becoming a new trend, travel marketers must adapt and take the opportunity to assess how they offer customers a truly eco-friendly experience. From the planes that jet around the world, to the luxury swag distributed to each and every customer, designed on enriching their travel experience.

There are 4 primary ways to make your swag eco-friendly:

1. Make high-quality swag
2. Make custom-made swag
3. Use certified eco-friendly materials
4. Minimize plastic packaging

Let’s address these 4 ideas one at a time.

#1 High-Quality Swag

60% of customers keep promotional swag for at least 2 years. That’s a very eco-friendly statistic, but only if the product actually lasts 2 or more years. Cheap swag will not last this long and will succumb to wear out and tear and/ or be thrown away sooner.

High-quality swag equals longevity. The longer your swag lasts, the longer it remains in the hand of your customer.

#2 Custom-Made Swag

In our previous article, we wrote about the differences between ‘off-the-shelf’ swag and truly ‘customizable swag’. Customizable swag made correctly means your customers are getting something that’s designed with real purpose and is useful. It won’t be thrown away.

One of D&S’s customers once commented that true luxury swag literally ‘lasts forever’.

You can’t buy a better advert for your brand!

If it’s unique and has a purpose, you will want it forever.

#3 Eco-Friendly Materials

Some manufacturers are dishonest about the materials they use.  We have seen many manufacturers stretch the truth about whether their materials are truly eco-friendly.

All the materials D&S uses in the production of swag are certified.

Another common problem is the variety of stock a factory will hold in eco-friendly materials. What happens if the eco-friendly materials you require are not available? Will you sacrifice your brand’s reputation for the sake of it being eco-friendly?

Sadly, not every factory is certified or honorable. All of D&S’s factories are fully certified. Our work with them dates back more than five decades.

#4 Minimize Plastic Packaging

Whilst this point may be obvious to some, this is rarely on the agenda of many factories, especially those offering a truly personalized service. Most factories will do what’s easiest and best for them. Rarely will they offer plastic-free packaging unless you ask for it, nor will they find a solution in place of plastic packaging.

A service like D&S is hard to match.