Cambium scaled swag with a self-serve store
How a fast-growing defense tech company turned swag from a manual process into a scalable, employee-driven system
About Cambium
Cambium specializes in advanced materials, composites, and optics. After closing its Series B and growing to roughly 300 employees, including a recent acquisition, the company found its swag approach could not keep up. With a mission-driven workforce and strong internal pride, demand for high-quality branded gear was high, but the way swag was sourced, ordered, and distributed created more friction than value. So Cambium rethought the whole approach, starting with its online store.
Replacing bulk ordering with employee choice
Cambium used to rely on bulk swag orders, guessing sizes, styles, and quantities in advance. The result was mixed satisfaction and excess inventory that often went unused. Instead, the team launched a centralized online store where employees browse a curated catalog of approved items, order their preferred sizes and styles, and use company-funded credits to buy items at cost.
“It can be hard to make everyone happy with bulk items, and the store solved that instantly,” says Rachel O’Leary, marketing coordinator and head of branding. Within weeks of launch a large portion of the team had used the store, with strong demand across apparel and lifestyle items.
Turning swag into a self-serve system for teams
The store changed how swag operates across the business. Instead of routing every request through marketing, teams send client and partner gifts, use team budgets for rewards and recognition, and support onboarding and internal initiatives on their own.
“Now people can just go in, use their budget, and send what they need. It takes me out of the middle,” Rachel says. The decentralized model removes bottlenecks and lets swag scale alongside the organization.
Watch Rachel’s video testimonial
Premium products that reflect the brand
With a workforce of engineers and scientists, the expectation is clear: branded gear should feel as premium as the work. Rather than defaulting to low-cost giveaways, the team worked with Swag Pro to curate a catalog of high-quality apparel employees wear regularly, thoughtful accessories aligned to lifestyle and role, and items that hold their fit, durability, and brand presentation.
“You don’t want to give your people junk. You want them to feel proud to wear it,” Rachel says. The focus has led to higher adoption and more consistent brand visibility across the team.
Less waste with a demand-driven model
Moving away from bulk inventory was one of the biggest operational improvements. Unused items, especially in less common sizes, used to sit in storage. With the store, orders reflect real demand: the team tracks what employees actually order, restocks based on behavior rather than assumptions, and avoids over-purchasing unpopular items.
“I’m no longer guessing what people want, and the store has been no trouble at all,” Rachel says. “It’s well-designed—I can control everything from the name of products to prices.”
A guided process that reduces internal lift
The store connects to Cambium’s broader swag strategy: the team also ships items straight to global events, including Paris and Hawaii, and sends swag to employees, partners, and offices worldwide. With a lean marketing function, Cambium relies on a dedicated merch manager and account manager to source and vet products, create mockups and lookbooks, troubleshoot logistics, and execute last-minute requests.
“What used to take half a day now takes a quick email,” Rachel says. “The team is very responsive, and they coordinate shipping for me so everything shows up on time.” And on the design side: “I’m a one-woman shop right now, so to have a designer who can help me do mockups and find good options is key. I throw an idea at her and she runs with it.”
The business impact
For Cambium, swag is no longer a series of one-off orders. It is an integrated system powered by a self-serve store that reduced operational overhead, improved satisfaction, and scales with continued growth.
- Stronger employee engagement. Early adoption of the store has been high, with employees actively ordering and requesting new items.
- Reduced waste and smarter inventory. On-demand ordering minimizes excess stock and improves purchasing decisions.
- Operational time savings. Manual sourcing, ordering, and distribution have been cut back, freeing time for strategic work.
- Scalable swag infrastructure. Teams manage their own swag needs without a central gatekeeper.
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