Custom Giveaways Done Right: Practical Tips for Every Brand

Why Strategic Giveaways Are a Game-Changer

Custom giveaways are promotional products businesses use to attract new customers, increase brand awareness, and strengthen relationships with clients and employees. When chosen well, they become a simple, human way to start conversations and keep your brand front of mind.

To create effective custom giveaways with Mercha, focus on three core principles:

1. Know your audience and choose functional items they will use often.
2. Go for high impact by matching the design and product to your brand personality.
3. Prioritise quality and sustainability so your merch is something people treasure, not trash.

Whether you need ideas for conference merchandise, are exploring sustainable bamboo promotional items, or want to see the best types of company branding merchandise, these principles will guide you to a better outcome.

According to research from the Promotional Products Association International, 73% of people are more likely to do business with a brand after receiving a promotional product, and 79% are likely to research a brand online after getting a branded item. These figures show that giveaways are not just freebies. They are tangible reminders that extend your brand well beyond a single touchpoint.

Further supporting this, an ASI survey reports that 57% of consumers keep promotional products for more than 5 years, and most use them at least once a week. Each time someone reaches for a branded bottle, hoodie, or notebook, your logo quietly does the work of another ad impression, without extra media spend.

The opportunity cost of getting this wrong is real. Cheap plastic trinkets that break or feel flimsy can suggest your brand cuts corners, and they usually end up in landfill. High quality, useful, and eco-conscious giveaways build trust and goodwill. They signal that you care about the details, about your people, and about the planet.

Mercha is 100% Australian owned and operated, and our whole platform is built to make this process easy as. You can jump online, find products that fit your brief, upload your logo, and check out in a few clicks. Our humans check every order before it goes to print, and we deliver 99.9% ON time for businesses across Sydney, Adelaide, and the rest of Australia.

We are here to make merch better for you and the world. Across this guide, you will see how to use custom giveaways strategically, how to avoid waste, and how to work with Mercha to get high quality, sustainable merch that actually gets used.

A Practical How-To Guide for Selecting and Designing Custom Giveaways

Choosing the right custom giveaways is not guesswork. It is a strategic choice that should line up with your goals as a brand or employer and the brief you are working to. Mercha exists to make that process simple, fast, and reliable for Australian organisations.

This guide walks through how to:

• understand your audience,
• select functional, high impact, and eco-conscious items, and
• use Mercha's easy as online ordering process to bring it all together.

Throughout, keep one question in mind. Does this product fit our brief and reflect how we want people to feel about our brand?

1. Know Your Audience And Match The Giveaway To Their World

The first step in any effective custom giveaways programme is to be crystal clear about who will receive your merch. Different groups need different things, and getting that right is where the real impact happens.

Ask yourself:

• Are they new hires starting in your Sydney office, or remote team members across Australia?
• Are they clients you want to retain, or prospects you are trying to convert at an event?
• Are they students, community volunteers, or high value partners?

According to Gallup, employees who strongly agree that their organisation cares about their wellbeing are three times more likely to be engaged at work. Giving relevant, considered merch at key moments is a simple way to show care.

A few audience and use case examples:

• Tech savvy teams or clients: items that support hybrid work, like useful tech accessories.
• Health, fitness, or wellbeing brands: drink bottles, sweat towels, and wellness items can reinforce your story.
• Schools and community groups: apparel that builds belonging and pride will often be worn for years.

Whether you are an HR team building a new hire welcome kit, a marketing manager planning trade show giveaways in Sydney, or a small business owner saying thank you to loyal clients, Mercha helps you quickly narrow the options to products that actually fit your brief.

2. Choose Functional Items People Will Actually Use

If a giveaway is not useful, it will not be used. That means wasted budget and a missed opportunity to build connection.

Functional merch solves real, everyday problems. It earns a spot on someone's desk, in their bag, or in their home, which quietly multiplies your brand impressions. PPAI's research shows that promotional products can deliver a lower cost per impression than most other media because of this repeated use.

Practical categories that consistently perform well for Mercha customers include:

• Reusable drinkware such as coffee cups and water bottles. These are used at the office, in the car, at the gym, and at home.
• Tote bags and carry gear that help people haul laptops, groceries, or event materials. Bags often generate thousands of impressions per year.
• Notebooks and pens for meetings, workshops, and planning. Even in digital workplaces, high quality stationery is still heavily used.
• Tech accessories such as portable chargers and wireless chargers that keep devices powered.

For employers, this is also about what you are missing out on. If your team does not have useful, branded items they are proud to take home, you lose daily touchpoints that could reinforce culture and appreciation.

With Mercha's online platform, you can filter by function, audience, and budget, then customise in a few clicks.

3. Go For High Impact With Design That Reflects Your Brand

Function gets your merch used. Impact is what makes it memorable. High impact custom giveaways stand out without feeling loud or tacky.

To get that balance right, focus on:

• Logo placement: keep your logo clearly visible but not overpowering. Subtle placement can often feel more modern and wearable.
• Colour choices: lean into your brand palette in a way that suits the product.
• Message and tone: short, punchy lines that match your brand voice work best.
• Print method: embroidery, engraving, and high quality screen or digital printing all signal care.

A study from the British Promotional Merchandise Association found that 50% of people can recall the name of a brand on a promotional product they received, compared with just 35% for TV and 28% for online ads.

Mercha's artwork checks help here. You can upload your logo and brand assets during checkout, and our team will flag if a different print method, colour choice, or file type will give you a sharper result.

4. Consider Eco Friendly Options To Support Your Brand Values

Choosing eco conscious merch is no longer a nice to have. It is a reputational signal.

This aligns with broader trends, as a 2024 PwC global consumer survey found that over 70% of shoppers say they are willing to pay more for products from companies that are environmentally responsible.

For brands and employers, ignoring this shift means:

• missing out on loyalty from eco minded customers,
• sending mixed messages if your marketing talks sustainability but your giveaways are cheap plastic, and
• generating unnecessary waste and disposal costs.

Eco conscious options that work well across Australian businesses include:

• Bamboo and other renewable materials for stationery and accessories.
• Items made from recycled content, such as recycled PET or recycled cotton.
• Reusable coffee cups and drink bottles that directly reduce single use waste.

Mercha curates eco friendly products with care. If it is on our site, it is made to last and made fairly. We want your giveaways to be things people treasure, not trash.

5. Focus On Quality, Not Just Quantity

A smaller run of high quality, well targeted items will almost always outperform a large batch of flimsy products. Cheap giveaways can make your brand feel low quality, break quickly, and undermine sustainability goals.

High quality giveaways are kept longer, feel like a genuine thank you, and help your brand look professional.

As research cited by Forbes highlights, employees who feel recognised are more productive and more likely to stay.

Mercha's range is curated around durability and wearability. Before you place a big order, you can request samples to test the feel, fit, and finish.

6. Time Your Giveaways And Present Them Well

When and how you give merch matters as much as what you choose.

Consider opportunities like:

• Onboarding: a new hire welcome kit on day one sends a strong signal.
• Events and trade shows: useful items that solve a real problem on the day.
• Client milestones: end of project or end of financial year gifts.

Presentation tips:

• Add a short, personal note explaining why they are receiving the item.
• Use simple branded packaging so the unboxing experience feels intentional.
• Keep bulk handouts tidy and accessible at events.

If you are planning for a large conference or campaign in Sydney or elsewhere in Australia, Mercha's rush order options can help you meet tight deadlines. We offer a 3 day rush production option (20% surcharge) and a 24 hour rush production option (50% surcharge) on selected products. You can explore rush friendly products here.

7. Bonus Tips For Giveaway Success

Smart add ons:

• QR codes linking to a landing page or event content.
• Tied in campaigns, such as a launch slogan or hashtag printed on the product.
• Simple calls to action, like "Book a demo" where appropriate.

Measuring impact:

• Ask how people heard about you in lead forms and track how many mention your merch.
• Run short staff or client surveys about which items they use most.
• Watch for organic social posts when kits are delivered.

8. How To Order Custom Giveaways With Mercha's Easy As Process

Mercha is built to take the friction out of custom giveaways for Australian businesses. Our process is simple.

1. Choose your products

   • Browse by category, use case, or sustainability filters.
   • Shortlist items that fit your audience, budget, and campaign goals.

2. Customise online

   • Upload your logo and brand assets during checkout.
   • Select colours, print methods, and quantities.
   • Our humans check every order and artwork file.

3. Approve and relax

   • You receive artwork proofs for sign off.
   • Once paid and approved, we move to production.
   • We deliver 99.9% ON time across Australia.

Mercha is 100% Australian owned and operated, with a strong focus on sustainability, quality, and fast turnaround.

FAQs: Custom Giveaways, Cost, And Strategy

How can I tell if my giveaways are actually working?

Track simple indicators such as repeat orders from existing clients, new enquiries that mention your merch, and internal feedback from staff. For events, look at booth traffic and lead volume. Compare results across different types of giveaways to see what performs best.

What budget should I allow per person for custom giveaways?

For most corporate or event campaigns in Australia, budgets range from a few dollars per person for high volume trade show pieces up to $50 or more per person for curated gift sets. It is usually better to choose a smaller audience and invest slightly more per head. Mercha's filters help you find suitable options at different price points.

What are the biggest mistakes brands and employers make with giveaways?

Common pitfalls include choosing items that do not match the audience, over branding products, and cutting quality to hit a low unit price. Another frequent mistake is leaving ordering too late. Working with Mercha early in your planning cycle helps you avoid these issues.

Find Products That Fit Your Brief!

Choosing the right custom giveaways is a strategic decision that can significantly impact your brand visibility, client loyalty, and employee engagement. It is also one of the simplest ways to show people you value them. By focusing on functionality, impact, sustainability, and timing, you turn merchandise into a practical tool for culture and growth.

Mercha is 100% Australian owned and operated, and we are here to make merch better for you and the world. Our easy as online platform, human artwork checks, and fast, reliable delivery make it simple to create high quality branded items that people will actually use.

UTS, Adobe, Yotpo, Wiise, Woolworths, and TikTok already trust us to handle their branded merch needs, and we deliver 99.9% ON time across Australia.

Branded merch made easy for you. Shop the highest quality merch for your business with just a click of a button.

• Explore our most popular collections
• Browse our eco friendly merch
• Design your own custom merch kits