It is awards season, and talk of the pricey gift bags or gift baskets (better known as Swag) that celebrities will receive has some gift basket retailers salivating. The truth is that those gift bags/baskets are full of upscale gift items donated by companies hoping to get priceless publicity if the star shows favor and perhaps wears or uses the product in public.

Gift basket designers who have pursued celebrities as clients have sometimes discovered that celebrities have gotten spoiled by these free expensive gifts and may be reluctant to spend their own money.

Instead of making huge profits from affiliating with the awards gifting programs or celebrity giveaways some designers have donated their services in the hope that their companies will receive media attention.

With the economy suffering a downturn, celebrity swag is not plentiful as past years, and some celebrities are disinclined to accept these gifts. Add to that the fact that the government began taxing these gifts, and celebrity gifts are on the decline.

That doesn’t mean that they’ve gone away however. Gifting suites will still offer upscale gifts to celebrities and opportunities for vendors to be photographed with celebrities.  Just not as many as previous years. Some gifting suites partner with charities, others offer gift cards rather than products.

 Giving swag to celebrities is also a gamble since there is no guarantee that the exposure of your product will result in sales. Gift basket designers who hope to part of this process, however, must partner with a gifting company that sets up a suite and plan at least one year ahead.

Learn more here.