If you walk the floor of any major iGaming conference, you are usually drowning in a sea of cheap black polyester. Sandra Bondare, Co-Founder of Swag42, argues that this isn't just a fashion crime; it is a strategic business error.
Bondare is on a mission to "disrupt corporate swag with fashion," moving the industry away from generic giveaways toward retail-quality garments that people actually want to wear. Her philosophy is rooted in a simple but uncomfortable truth: in an industry often battling perception issues, the tactile quality of your merchandise is a direct subconscious signal of your company's solvency and reliability.
We sat down with Bondare to discuss the death of the "shouty logo," how she used Tamagotchis to disrupt the cognitive autopilot of delegates, and the "SaaS-ification" of global merchandise management.
iGaming Times: You have explicitly positioned Swag42 to 'Disrupt Corporate SWAG with Fashion'. In an industry like iGaming that battles perception issues, how does the tactile quality of a premium fabric signal reliability to a potential partner?
Sandra Bondare: Imagine you choose between two subcontractors or partners. One of them gives you a plain notebook and a pen at your first meeting, and the other one brings a Moleskine smart writing notebook. Who will you pay attention to first?
Similarly, when you walk by affiliates’ booths at a conference, one of the exhibitors gives away basic black sweatshirts with a logo. At that time, their neighbour offers a denim jacket painted by artists in real-time, just in front of you. Which booth will you approach first?
Just as people judge others by appearance, partners often judge by swag. I would say that high-end swag signals the partner’s respect and dedication, their investment and contribution to this partnership. And of course, it shows the opportunities.
iGaming Times: You have argued that modern audiences expect "minimalist or unique branding, not shouty logos." How do you convince C-level executives that downsizing the logo actually increases marketing value?
Sandra Bondare: We take an individual approach for every client. Some executives believe only numbers and facts. In those cases, we rely on reports from authoritative industry leaders and our own order history. Others focus on trends and social activity, so here we highlight social proof, such as Reddit threads or social media posts where people explicitly say they don’t want to be an advertisement for your brand.
Finally, the majority of global fashion brands, from Gucci to Zara, embrace this minimalistic vibe, and we can reference them whenever it’s relevant. But in reality, minimalistic branding doesn’t always fit. It depends on the merchandise goals, the items themselves, and the brand’s identity. Our role is to find the best merchandise solution for each specific client, along with the right words to present it.
iGaming Times: For the JoinAff campaign, you utilised Tamagotchis as a "nostalgia trigger." How do specific tactile objects disrupt the cognitive autopilot of a delegate walking through a saturated expo hall?
Sandra Bondare: Creativity and unique ideas always grab attention and make people stop in noisy expo halls. That’s why we dedicate time and effort to creating this kind of merch. Our Fashion Department researches market trends, social and economic context, and adds the Swag42’s signature style.
In fact, people don’t buy objects. They buy emotions and stories. Thus, gifts like Tamagotchi resonate with millennials because they evoke childhood memories. When you trigger emotion, you create connection, engagement, and lasting impact.
iGaming Times: You developed the Swag42 Platform to allow teams to manage inventory globally. How does centralising merchandise management transform swag from an administrative burden into a scalable asset?
Sandra Bondare: In most companies, swag tasks are fragmented across teams, tools, and vendors, which makes it hard to control or scale. The merchandising process becomes even more challenging for distributed companies, where HR or marketing personnel must handle complex logistics and manually track every gift.
A centralised dashboard brings everything into one system: swag designs, inventory, orders, costs, and deliveries. That visibility enables teams to plan once, reuse assets, track swag stock in real time, and ship on demand. As a result, instead of a chaotic process, swag becomes a manageable asset that can be deployed across distributed teams and regions without operational overhead.
iGaming Times: You manage global warehousing and navigate complex customs environments. For remote-first iGaming companies, how does decentralised fulfilment transform the process?
Sandra Bondare: Merch logistics is especially challenging for distributed mid- and large-sized companies. Let’s take Wargaming, with 4,000+ employees scattered across Asia to the Americas. Just imagine how much time and effort it takes to validate actual clothing sizes and delivery data, order deliveries with different logistics services, and control that the gifts have reached their owners.
With the corporate gifting platform, marketing and HR specialists can plan and order merchandise in advance, storing it in our warehouse in the centre of Europe. Whenever needed, they send corporate gifts from stock worldwide with just a few clicks and track orders in real time. All the rest is handled by the fulfilment team, from packing and quality assurance to shipment and customs clearance. Easy-breezy, isn’t it?
iGaming Times: In a digital-first relationship, how heavily does the physical "unboxing experience" weigh in establishing the initial emotional contract with a VIP affiliate or new employee?
Sandra Bondare: In digital-first and remote relationships, the unboxing experience is often the first physical touch someone has with your brand. That moment creates anticipation and emotion in a way digital touchpoints can’t. The act of opening the box and discovering layers builds a sense of care and intention.
That’s why we pay so much attention to unboxing. One of our offerings focused on the unboxing experience, is an Advent calendar. For the 2025-2026 winter holidays, it was a silver parent box with seven mini boxes inside, one gift per day. Instead of a single moment, people got seven unboxing moments! Seven emotional touches, seven reminders of the brand. In a remote setting, it’s incredibly powerful.
iGaming Times: Your profile lists "NFC and AR integration" as customisation options. How do you foresee the convergence of physical apparel and digital attribution?
Sandra Bondare: In most cases, swag is passive; you gift a hoodie and hope it will make your brand recall when needed. NFC and AR turn passive swag into an engaging, interactive, and, what is more important, trackable marketing tool.
When a hoodie has an embedded NFC or AR trigger, a tap or scan unlocks digital content, such as personalised messages, VIP content, discounts, feedback forms, or event competitions. Behind the scenes, every scan and click is logged, allowing marketers to monitor and evaluate their campaigns. We saw this in action with the limited Blossom AR T-shirts at a conference where a T-shirt scan made flowers bloom on the screen, creating a viral wow effect.
iGaming Times: With iGaming companies increasingly under scrutiny for ESG compliance, are you seeing a shift where sustainable merchandise is becoming a procurement requirement?
Sandra Bondare: Absolutely. Sustainability has evolved beyond being a trend and is becoming a fundamental requirement for companies. We see this in practice; the number of requests for eco-friendly merchandise has increased noticeably over the last two years.
For iGaming companies in particular, this shift is driven by ESG requirements and reputational risk. Tier-1 operators are highly visible, regulated, and closely watched by partners and investors. Merchandise may seem like a small detail, but it’s a tangible expression of a company’s values. Using non-sustainable swag with plenty of plastic packaging can easily contradict public ESG commitments, while sustainable choices help reinforce them.
iGaming Times: As we look toward 2026, where "retail quality" is fast becoming the baseline, how do you predict the definition of "premium" will change?
Sandra Bondare: The meaning of 'premium' is expanding beyond minimalist logos or innovative customisation. What’s defining premium now is emotional resonance and values alignment. Contemporary consumers are increasingly spending on experiences and meaningful engagement rather than material possessions.
People don’t buy a hoodie; they buy a story behind it, a community, or a memorable interaction. Premium merch in 2026 has to feel relevant on several levels: tactile quality, cultural or emotional match, and the ability to create memorable personal moments. The quality of materials is a matter of course; what comes to the forefront is whether swag creates meaning.
