Wow. Just wow. Heard a swag horror story, I’m still in shock. Look, I’m always focused on results, best case, ideal outcomes. NOT worst case. But damn, have I ever heard a worst case. A coupla good old boys went to this trade show, see…
#goodoldboys
Rugged individualists. Rough and ready. Tough guys in trucks. Mans man. Not the effete, manicured, metrosexual. Hardy, flannel wearing, tough guys.
They took their swag and their display into this show for guys like them. Tough, manly, guys who fish and hunt kinda space.
Not many man bags and satchels, no three piece Italian suits, or hair product. Men in hats, wooly socks, and carheart jackets, likely with knives and tools on their belts. Guy who wear rugged belts.

And they finally opened up the spiffy little hand sanitizers they slapped a logo on.

Look, hand sanitizers are perfectly acceptable for an infinity of applications. Unless they smell of flowers, or worse. And the intended recipient is a manly man.
Rumour has it the product smelled so strong, and flowery, and bad, that our heroes threw everything remaining away. Dunno if the sanitizer went bad or what, I didn’t sell the project so I don’t know how it was described. But I know this- they may have done more harm than good with that tribe.
That one moment that each prospect opens that smelly goo, and is repulsed? A great opportunity to make a friend. Or lose one.

This is a fiddly kinda business, and there are an infinity of variables to consider. But the swag doctor in me has now adopted a new baseline rule- first, do no harm.

Who are you trying to reach and why?
What does your swag say about your business?
What does success look like?
And what can go wrong?
Dunno WHAT they are gonna do this year, but if it’s up to me, it’s gonna smell like bacon.