What Makes Custom Pins and Coins Great Employee Recognition Gifts?

Custom Pins and Coins
November 4, 2025
What Makes Custom Pins and Coins Great Employee Recognition Gifts?

When it comes to showing employees you care, not all gifts are created equal. Sure, you could hand out $5 gift cards for the local convenience store, but would that really matter to your team? A week later, the money is gone, and there’s nothing left to remind employees of your gift. Good employee recognition gifts have real staying power. Here’s why custom lapel pins and challenge coins make a great alternative to standard (read: boring) gifts.

What Makes a Great Employee Recognition Gift?

The best employee recognition gifts tell employees that they matter. It doesn’t take much effort to order a branded notebook or pick up a stack of gift cards at a local restaurant. When you give custom lapel pins or challenge coins, you’re giving team members something unique.

Lapel pins and challenge coins outperform disposable items in every category. They last for years, come packed with meaning and create personal connections.

Are Custom Lapel Pins Good for Employee Appreciation?

Giving out custom lapel pins for employees is a great way to show your appreciation. Think of these items as a tangible reminder of all the “Way to go!” comments you make during meetings and team-building exercises. Custom pins match your branding and make employees feel proud to belong. They’re also wearable, making it easy to identify members of your organization at trade shows, career fairs and other professional events.

Why Challenge Coins Are Meaningful Employee Gifts

If you don’t need something wearable, consider getting challenge coins for employee recognition. The modern tradition of using challenge coins originated in World War I, but it spread quickly. Now organizations all over the world use these coins to recognize employees and their achievements.

One reason challenge coins make such a great recognition gift is because they’re exclusive to your organization. You can’t just buy one at your local big-box store; the only way to get a custom challenge coin is to work for your business or nonprofit. This makes challenge coins more valuable than traditional gifts.

You can also create a challenge coin that’s highly relevant to your workplace. When you add your logo, motto and color scheme, it’s easy for team members to recognize a challenge coin as a piece of your organization’s culture. You can even add symbols that hold special meaning for your employees.

How Custom Products Strengthen Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is simply a shared identity built on values, habits and a common purpose. Custom products strengthen culture by tying employee recognition to your organization’s shared values. For example, if one of your values is honesty, you might create a custom lapel pin to honor employees who engage in ethical behavior.

These unique employee gifts are also ideal for celebrating special milestones. When an employee invests 5, 10 or even 20 years of their life into your organization’s success, they deserve to receive something more than a cheap pen set or a gift card to a chain restaurant.

Gift Cards vs. Custom Recognition: Which Lasts Longer?

The bottom line? Gift cards and promo items have fleeting value. Custom lapel pins and challenge coins are an enduring symbol of appreciation. The emotional value of a pin or a challenge coin is also much higher than the emotional value of a generic promo item.

FAQs About Ordering Custom Employee Recognition Gifts

Before you start planning your design, take a look at answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about ordering these employee recognition gifts from Galaxy Design Squad.

What’s your minimum order size?

We recommend a minimum order of 100 pieces. This allows us to offer price breaks. However, we may be able to accommodate a minimum order of 50 on some items.

Can you help me with design ideas?

Absolutely! We have a team of experienced creatives ready to guide you through the design process.

What is your typical turnaround time?

It typically takes 3 to 4 weeks to complete an order of custom pins or challenge coins. This doesn’t include shipping time.

How much do lapel pins and challenge coins cost?

It depends on the size of the item and the complexity of the design. In some cases, we offer discounts on bulk orders, so it also depends on how many pieces you order.

Recognize Your Team with Galaxy Design Squad

Galaxy Design Squad is more than just a design studio. We’re your partner in creating meaningful employee gifts that boost morale and strengthen workplace culture. Contact us today to start your first order.

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