What is SWAG worth to you?

What is SWAG worth to you?

Posted by admin on Feb 25, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. As I write this, the City of New Orleans is cleaning up from Mardi Gras, the days-long bacchanalian celebration that precedes the Lenten season. I’ve always been fascinated by Mardi Gras and how wild things get – especially when it comes to the SWAG that is thrown from the Mardi Gras floats during parades.

Most if not all of you are familiar with the famous Mardi Gras beads. They are essentially cheap plastic necklaces in a variety of colors that Mardi Gras krewes (the Carnival organizations that organize Mardi Gras parades and balls) throw to spectators during the parades. In any other environment, the beads – which probably cost around 10 cents a string – would barely warrant a second look. But during Mardi Gras, people do crazy things (including taking off their clothes in very public places) to get them and the other “throws” (as Mardi Gras SWAG is called) during parades.

So what is it about Mardi Gras beads that drives people into such a frenzy? I would argue that it has nothing to do with the beads themselves, but what the beads represent. After all, anyone could walk down the street and buy a bag of their own beads for a couple of dollars without having to expose themselves in public – but in New Orleans, given the option, most revelers would rather get them the hard way.

It’s all about good marketing and branding. The Mardi Gras “brand” is about letting loose, losing your inhibitions, and partying like it is the last night of your life – and the beads are “street cred” – the proof that you did it.

This is just another example of something that we’ve blogged about before. Whether it is beads at Mardi Gras, the t-shirt that a finisher gets after the New York marathon, or – here in our hometown of Annapolis – the red baseball hats that Mount Gay Rum gives to participants in sailing regattas, the best marketing and branding programs produce SWAG that has a significantly higher perceived value than actual value. The result is a lasting and tangible memory that people will carry with them for months or even years, and that will provide a constant reminder of your brand. That is what I consider great value for money!