The forgotten one

Are swing tags a forgotten source of branding? Samantha Docherty asks what opportunities labels are missing out on by not making them more of a feature?

Standard on many fashion products, generally the swing tags purpose is to inform the customer of brand name, size and price along with manufacturer details such as style number and colour code.
But as more and more brands understand that swing tags are a key customer touch point, the once basic cardboard variety is becoming a small space to capture the look and feel of a label.
Anouk Darling, general manager of Sydney branding consultancy Moon Design, says swing ticketing offers another way to express the brand.
"Brands that don't think of the swing tag as anything other than a way to display a 'logo' and price are missing out on engaging with their customer. The more engagement and emotional connection [they have], the greater the relationship and potential chance of purchase.
"Swing tags allow the brand to break a few rules, play with product/brand stories, colour palettes and fabrications such as material, plastic and rubber. Sportsgirl Denim does a great job with fabric swing tickets and super-cute copy that suits its target audience. [Swing tags] are definitely important and can create a 'feel good factor' to a purchase - it's all part of the wrapping."
With a growing trend of more directional brands adding a novelty factor to their swing tags with trinkets, etc, Darling feels swing tickets are becoming multi-purpose.
"You see many examples of multi-purpose swing tags that could be used as trinkets to hang from handbags or belts, and some can be used as bookmarks. Others work as mini catalogues showing a more extensive range of product for consideration - all of which extend the branding opportunity. The brand transcends the purchase cycle and gets to be prevalent in other every day scenarios."
Due to launch a 1960s swimwear range in early November, Australian designer Tienna Paisley feels traditionally swing tags have been more functional than funky. When designing her eye catching swing tags, Paisley kept in mind the established look of the range.
"They had to be simple as there wasn't [a lot of] technology in the 1960s and '70s and as Paisley is a retro brand I chose to be simple but fun. I think it's really important for customers to feel the whole theme to your clothes. My label is in synch with the whole retro feel and I hope the customers appreciate and enjoy it."
Attaching miniature mirror balls to her swing tags, Paisley wanted to add a point of difference to the label, distinguishing it from other collections on the shop floor.
"The novelty factor is definitely something to consider in standing out in a very competitive market. I decided to do something a bit different and thought how cool it would be to offer a small mirror ball with each bikini. From a marketing perspective it's eye catching. I like the idea of the light shining off the mirror balls in the store and drawing customers to them. Again it's also in theme with the whole retro branding and fits well with my philosophy of fun and sparkles. The silver in the mirror ball also compliments the silver in the swing tags."
Originally sourcing the production of holographic and plastic swing tags, Paisley found price became an issue with innovative options.
"Price wise they were too expensive and considering they would be thrown away, environmentally they were no good. I chose the mirror balls as they have an end use which I think is very important. The bonus with the holographic tags that I initially liked was it engaged the customer's curiosity. [Customers may] take longer to look at the product than if it had a boring swing tag - which they [may] walk past. It also associates originality with the brand, but I feel I've achieved these with the mirror balls."
Producing retail packaging solutions for companies all over Australia for the past 20 years, New Directions Packaging creates swing tags for some of Australia's top name brands including sass & bide, Tarocash, Lisa Ho, Oroton, David Lawrence, Sports Craft and Versace in Australia.
With numerous enquiries to add trinkets or novelty elements to swing tags, the company's general manager, Mohan Nair, says when it comes down to the extra cost, customers decide against it.
"With swing tags it's more the design element along with shape that customers may look at changing. There is only so much you can do with them before costs are really affected. We are working on a swing tag made of sandpaper at the moment for a workwear brand."