Go to any trade show or exhibition and you will find all types of promotional products being given away. At the end of the day you will likely end up with bag full of pens, cups, caps, USB drives and so on. Even after the rise of digital advertising promotional products provide great marketing value to businesses large and small. One of the reasons for their success is the lasting impression it provides to businesses. The recipient of the products will continue to use it and remember your business even after the event is over. The lasting impression is what markers aim to achieve with any marketing program. Now, before you go out and buy hundreds of pens or USB drives you should take a step back and give careful thought to the goal you aim to achieve with this. The best way to do it is ask the following 4 questions to yourself.
- Who should you give the product to?
You should not give them out to everyone who walks in the door of the trade show. By strategically looking at your target audience and finding the right group of people you will get the most impact without wasting your money on giving it to the people who will end up throwing it in the next trash bin.
- When should you give them out?
If you are able to find the right time and opportunity to give out the right custom promotional products you can expect to get the most value out of it. One of the best examples of this approach I experienced is when a business was giving out umbrellas with their logo to the attendees just when it was pouring rain outside. The whole venue was awash with yellow umbrellas with bright red logo of the company. Imagine the lasting impression it created with this.
- What products should you give out?
Many business owners reach out for the cheapest product to give out. While it may save you money in the short-term it may not be the best approach. Majority of these cheap products end up in the trash bin or collect dust on the shelves. You might as well not spend any money. Instead find the product that is unique and aligns well with the audience. For example, if you are attending an auto trade show giving out USB drive the shape of an antique car will attract lot of attention during and after the event.
- How should you give out the product?
Now I understand everyone is in hurry when attending the trade show to move from booth to booth and collect these products along the way, but if you are able to have a conversation about their company and collect their contact information before giving them the product you will be able to follow up with them after the event.
As you can see giving some careful thought before ordering and giving out the promotional products will help you get the most bang for your buck. Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to share in the comments section below.