It’s no mystery that trade shows are one of the best ways to attract potential customers and business partners. However, preparing for such an event is very complex and involves many moving parts. From coming up with a booth set up to venue fees, companies can spend several months planning their trade show strategy before carrying it out.
Obviously, while there might be more pressing matters, don’t forget about corporate printed items. In fact, giving away promotional products can attract people to your booth, create engagement opportunities and eventually, increase your brand awareness. And while that might sound easy enough, choosing the right promotional product is harder than it seems. Fortunately, we are here to take a deep dive and teach you more about the things you need to consider when selecting trade show giveaways.
How to Choose the Best Promotional Product
When it comes to promotional products, things are not as simple as slapping a logo on a random item. If you want your giveaway to be effective, you need to customise the items for the intended audience. Additionally, you’ll have to think about the value of your product, as nobody likes receiving cheap and low-quality products, even if they are for free. But let’s check each of the tangible and intangible components that can influence your decision.
Size and Weight of Merchandise
Large and heavy promotional items like custom glassware usually cost much more than small, lightweight ones like branded paper items. However, the size and weight of products can also play a big role in your booth traffic and brand awareness. More specifically, while big items can seem more extravagant, they can be difficult for attendees to carry around the event. Therefore, you need to carefully consider the size and weight of any promotional product that you want to give away.
As a rule of thumb, if an item can’t fit into a personalised tote bag, it probably isn’t a great idea to choose it, regardless of what event you plan the giveaway for.
The Location of the Trade Show
There’s no denying that the location of the event can affect the choice of your promotional product. Why? Because shipping fees will most likely inflate the overall cost of the product. But you can solve those issues by partnering with a supplier that doesn’t have additional charges.
Furthermore, the host city can have a major impact on your decision. For example, when attending a trade show in a mountain city, gifting promotional notebooks or customised pens doesn’t really cut it. Instead, you should choose something more appropriate for the location, such as a branded jacket or custom backpack.
It’s important to note that items that are tied not only to your brand but also to the city lifestyle can make your business stand out. Plus, you can select something unique and fun that your target audience can use during their trip back home.
Product Durability
At the end of the day, high-quality products will always make a better impression than those of low quality. Actually, if the item lacks durability and breaks quickly, it will leave a negative impression on potential customers. That’s because they will associate the quality of your promotional product with the quality of your business. What’s even worse is that they may have trouble remembering your brand entirely due to having to throw away the product prematurely.
Keep in mind that although cheap products can benefit your bottom line, they should at least last until your customer gets home from the event.
Product Value
When it comes to product value, it’s important to remember that it’s more about the audience’s perceived value of the product than the amount you’ve actually spent on it. In other words, practical items are more valuable to your target audience like branded health products, so you should prioritize utility when making your selection. However, if you are looking for something more stunning, items with multiple unique features like custom multifunction tools are a better choice.
Brand Alignment
It should come as no surprise that the message on your giveaway will reflect on your trade show strategy results. Simply put, you need to make sure that the message you are sending is what you actually want to convey. And, as previously noted, products that are not linked to your brand are not a great choice for giveaways.
So, you’ll have to think about the industry that you are in, what your products or services do to help customers, and who you’re trying to reach. That will help you narrow down your choices and discover the best promotional product for your brand. Additionally, by doing so, you can improve the effectiveness of your strategy and strengthen your brand awareness.
Target Audience
Before you even start looking for a promotional item, you’ll have to figure out your target audience. Maybe the trade show itself is catering to a specific audience, or maybe you want to get the attention of a certain demographic or group of people. Nevertheless, you need to make sure that your promotional products resonate with your target audience.
Event Theme
Lastly, it’s essential that you base your giveaway on the trade show theme or another already running marketing campaign. In fact, you can do a lot with giveaways that are tied to a theme. You can take this a step further by choosing products that are relevant to both the theme and your brand. But try not to overdo it, as combining multiple items each tied to a specific theme can muddy the waters a bit too much, confusing your target audience regarding your brand’s purpose.
Audience Engagement Is the Key
Like any marketing strategy, you should focus your promotional efforts on engaging the audience. Best giveaways enrich your brand and actually help your customers. That, in turn, can lead to higher conversions.
And don’t forget that active participation at the booth is also a necessary component. You can engage people through interactive content such as videos, quizzes, and contests. By remembering those details, you too can transform your business into an industry leader in no time.
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