Many startups send T-Shirts to their supporters – it’s an easy and relatively inexpensive way to build brand awareness, thank friends, and to say “thank you” for trying our a product that’s in the process of achieving product-market fit. In my experience, the act of sending out a t-shirt (or anything at all) also speaks words about the team’s ability to execute tasks. If they can send out a beautiful swag pack, they are able to think about and deliver experiences beyond the web page.
I love this package from the Vizify team (a 2011 Techstars grad, which is how I met them.) There was something unusual about this package – a custom designed hang tag attached to the t-shirt – and I haven’t seen this level of detail completed by a startup in the past. Take a look at it. It’s stylish, clever, and emotionally powerful.
This tag speaks a thousand words about the pride the Vizify team have in their product and in the design language they are building to create amazing web experiences. The package the team sent me stood out immediately because it was carefully packaged, had a hand-written note, and featured this well-designed tag attached to the t-shirt. And there’s one more thing – the team also sent some locally made tea from Portland – reminding me that this is a Pacific Northwest startup that takes pride in its location and roots.
Sending out a T-Shirt may seem like a thankless task or a “checkbox”, but it’s one of the best ways to prove that you care about the customer and can extend the experience beyond a web application. So thanks to the Vizify team – I loved the swag pack and especially the way that you delivered it. And if you haven’t tried out their product, please do so – it’s a winner.
Information Maven 
Agree totally with the attention to detail but after reading your whole post and looking at the SWAG, I have no idea what Vizify do. The tag would have been a great place to reinforce their message. (Assuming t-shirts isn’t their business.)
Anne – Great point!
Anne, Arrs of Vizify here. Appreciate the comment. You make a great point.
For these particular swag packs, we purposely didn’t include any marketing messages since they’re actually thank you gift we put together for awesome friends like Greg! If I had known photos of our swag would be posted online, I would have modified the tag! 🙂
If we ever distribute shirts to Vizify newbies e.g. at a tradeshow, we do plan to include a tag with more info regarding our service, with a call to action, or perhaps offer or incentive.