Episode 194 - Gift and Swag Giving Experiences with Ben Greenock
I guess now that it is autumn and nearly October, it’s time to start preparing for the upcoming holiday. And by that I mean of course Christmas, and not Halloween. Tis the season! That is, if the season ever really ends. Honestly, if we mark the Christmas season as starting when stores bring the decorations out and Mariah Carey belts out over the store speakers, the Christmas season has already started. Sure, we do fit Halloween and Thanksgiving in the mix, but those only feel like afterthoughts. It is all Christmas all the time.
I don’t think our devotion to Christmas is because of the level of religious observance in the United States. I do recognize that it is an important day for many because of their religious beliefs, and I don’t want to take anything away from that. But our extended Christmas season is more about society’s devotion to stuff. The buying of stuff, the giving of stuff, the getting of stuff. It is all about the stuff. If you don’t believe me, just remember that today’s rendition of Santa Claus was borne out of a Coca-Cola ad campaign.
I have a different relationship today with stuff. I’ve hit that point in the aging cycle where I am looking to shed stuff rather than acquire more stuff. You start to look around at the stuff you have accumulated, and wonder what it is for and do I need it? Or did I ever need it? If I haven’t used it yet, odds are I won’t. So, I am all about trying to get rid of the things I don’t use and really don’t need.
When you start down that road, you do start to wonder, “What exactly do I need?” “What kinds of things would I really value?” I think that way when my kids ask me what I want for my birthday, Father’s Day, or a holiday. I don’t really need anything. So what then can they get me? It can be a hard decision to arrive at.
Now, imagine doing this on a much larger scale, such as for employees or as give-aways at a conference or corporate event. All the stuff that is given to us, handed out, gifted as tokens of appreciation, and the like.
Ben Greenock has thought exactly about these issues. Ben is Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of the company Go Swag. As Ben describes, Go Swag isn’t your typical swag company. Ben tells about how they turned down business with one client because they wanted to order something that Ben knew was just going to be discarded as more “stuff.” Rather than just providing stuff, Go Swag does research to figure out what will be useful to the audiences you are trying to provide for.
We discuss how Go Swag tries to create branded gift experiences using high quality, sustainable gifts which can be distributed globally with unique boxing. Ben also describes how they draw on their UX know-how to develop intuitive and seamless customer journeys. Additionally, they don’t go with gimmicks, but things that the recipients will value.
Ben also talks about going to the Glasgow School of Art and Product Design, especially as a person who grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia. However, these challenges of getting through school allowed him to develop resilience and a unique way of problem solving which he still uses today. Thus, he is wired to find a better way. We also talk about the importance of gift-giving and reciprocity in building relationships with others, and that gifts should be well thought out and intentional to be valued.
LEARN MORE:
Ben Greenock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengreenock/
Go Swag Website: https://www.goswag.com
