How often are you walking a trade show to find booth staff endlessly handing out promotional items? Worse yet-how often do you receive giveaways that go straight to your kids’ toy chest or closet?
If you are going to invest in promotional items, make sure they stay in front of your audience, is something your target audience could really use and also helps market your company branding.
Choose the Right Giveaway for Your Industry. First, think of your industry and your target audience-are they business people, stay at home moms, college kids, men, women, seniors? Find a product that your audience will use! Consider where the product will ultimately end up and the cost of the item. If you choose a cheap product that ends up in the trash, is it really better than paying a little more for a giveaway that will remain in use and keep your name in front of your possible target customer?
Green or Eco Friendly Options. One way to increase your greenness at a trade show is by choosing a promotional product that is either made from recycled materials, that is sustainable for the environment or helps to reduce waste.
•Examples of Recycled Promotional Products:
Biodegradable Plastic
Recycled Notebooks
Recycled rubber magnets
•Giveaways that Reduce Waste:
Reusable drink ware
Travel mugs
Sports bottles
Cloth bags or totes made from new or recycled materials—100 BILLION plastic bags end up in landfills every year!
•Sustainable Giveaways:
Seed Packages
Seedlings
Small Plants
Products made from bamboo
USB Flash Drives – Not only are flash drives great and almost everyone uses them, but they also help your company cut costs and reduce the amount of paper consumed. Simply load your company information onto a flash drive instead of handing out that brochure. This may cost a bit more, but for qualified leads, the conversion rates can be much higher!
Pens- When in doubt, choose a pen. Everyone uses a pen at some point or another. Attendees at trade shows may receive many, but they’ll probably keep them all and they tend to hang around for awhile. Pens also fit all budgets, just be sure to purchase a pen that will last.
Reach- Choose an item that will continue to market to hundreds of people after handing it out to your target audience at a trade show.
Examples:
Bags
Umbrellas
Magnets
Clothing- Shirts, Hats
Calendars
Quality- Always stay within your budget but be sure to purchase high quality items. The last thing you want is to hand out a promotional item that is a dud, what does that say about your company? There are lots of high quality low cost items available.
Multiple Items- If your budget allows, and it would be appropriate for your company, consider multiple giveaway options such as higher end gifts for qualified or hot leads, cost effective items for those attendees who swipe your giveaways.
DJ Heckes, Author & CEO
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com
