Promotional Products in Trade Shows
We’ve all perhaps been to trade shows when we’ve come home with bags of free “stuff;” oven mitts, mouse pads, pens, stickers. Perhaps we can use all of these items, and not think twice about the company logo on the object. Or perhaps, much of what we receive is useless junk among mugs that leak and pens that don’t write and will be thrown out. But perhaps there are also some keepers among those promotional products in trade shows that not only cause us to appreciate the what we are given, but to respect the company whose logo it bears.
It is not so easy to find original items for products in trade shows. Many people are weary of the so-called “tried and true” pens and plastic car keys which may or may not be seen again after they are slipped into the large plastic bags. However, for companies who are attending trade shows, it would be useful to know what works and what doesn’t. Do promotional products in trade shows need to be strikingly original? Or is it enough to have the same mouse pad but with a slightly different touch?
The best companies know which kind of items to use for their trade shows and what products to avoid. First of all, you need to choose promotional products which are going to be seen for a while. A mug is a good example, but a small calendar is even better. A calendar will be seen every day and constantly. Something simple like a kitchen magnet may be seen more often than a pen that may be used only occasionally. Think about which products will get the most use and will be seen by the most people. A simple nylon bag may be used for books or for tennis shoes. This bag may do as well as a billboard in creating new customers. The pioneer of promotional products, Ohio newspaperman Jasper Freemont Meek was on to something when he saw a little girl drop her schoolbooks and told his shoe salesman friend that he should give away a free bag to a child with every purchase. Soon, every kid in the neighborhood was carrying a bag to school that said “buy Compton’s shoes,” and the promotional products industry was born. It is therefore a good idea to find promotional products which will get a lot of use and be seen.
Another aspect to Meek’s idea which was quite effective was the concept of rewarding a customer rather than throwing free stuff at people, as is often done at trade shows. While giving free stuff to potential customers is important, it is perhaps more important to reward customers who are already loyal by giving them something special. If you are also selling items at your trade show, try to give your customers something a bit nicer than the token pen or coaster. If you make them feel valued, they will come back.
No one likes to feel wasteful, but if someone comes home from a trade show with a bag full of low-quality items which will probably just break after a few uses, the first temptation may be to throw the whole bag in the garbage. This is the reason, for your promotional products, it is a good idea to get an upper-scale minor item than a cheap “nice” item like a mug. It is much better to give away really good quality, useful pens than a cheap hat or mug. People will feel like keeping and using your items, and this will improve your visibility as well as the respect you receive from your potential customers.
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