Trade Show Giveaways: What Works
Are you trying to build your company's brand by attending trade shows? The best way to increase awareness is with giveaways. But how do you know what works? This blog post offers tips and tricks from the ground up to help reduce the risk of wasting money while boosting the customer experience at your next event. Have a look!
Trade Show Giveaways: What Works
How do companies give away items at trade shows and make it worth their investment? On average, I’d say they just don’t! If a company invests in giveaways, it should be because they have an effective strategy that has been proven to work. However, this is not always the case. Many companies do giveaways haphazardly, with little impact on their marketing efforts. If a company is going to invest in giveaways, it’s important to utilize these ideas and strategies.
Build the Item Around the Event
The first thing a company should consider when creating a giveaway is why they are attending the event. Why are they investing thousands of dollars in travel, hotel rooms, food and drinks? What do they hope to get out of it other than having fun? At times, companies attend conferences because it’s part of their job; but many attend with the hope that they will make sales or meet others who can refer business. It is important to build your giveaway around the event so that you can properly engage your customers and build a relationship with them.
When people are attending a trade show or convention, they are often on-the-go. The last thing they want to do is stop and think about what it means for their business. They just want to let loose, have fun, and make good memories! However, when companies give away items that are related to the event or even the topic of the event, attendees will think about it in their environment. People will read the information on your item and think about how it may be helpful to them at work or home.
I’ve attended a number of conferences on the west coast where companies have given away items that were completely unrelated to the event. For example, I once received a pencil from someone who was trying to sell software for iPhone/iPad apps. This person was not exhibiting as part of a mobile app company, but he had no idea how these giveaways would work against his brand and his business goals. Another time I received a keychain from one of the conference vendors that was all about increasing sales with lead generation. At this conference, there were numerous vendors who could have given me something more relevant (with their name on it) than the boring keychain I got.
(Image from The Benefits of Giving Away Free Stuff )
Think beyond the event, think about what will help your customers at home or in their business environment. If your brand fits the subject matter of the conference, then your event can help to increase awareness and sales. Most attendees will not remember that you gave them an item at the event. But they might just remember how useful it was in their lives outside of the show.
Do Your Homework on Your Customers so You Don’t Waste Money
When it comes to creating a giveaway, you need to do your homework. Sometimes companies will promote the idea of giving away items at trade shows without considering the purpose of the event. For example, if you are giving away items at an outdoor consumer show in Wisconsin during the winter, maybe hand warmers may be a good choice. However, if you are at a business conference in New York City there is little chance that people will use your hand warmers. It is better to create a giveaway that supports the customer’s goals and environment.
A good way to create a giveaway is to think about the customer and then craft your item around that person’s needs and wants. Take into account where they will be able to use your item. What will have the biggest impact on them? Will people use your item as a gift for someone else or as a reminder for themselves? Will people use it in their work environment, or around their home? If you are selling a pen, consider how often people will write with it at work. If it’s going to be a gift, think about how they will take it to the office or on business trips.
(Image from http://www.theusbundleshop.com/ )
If you are giving away something that is going to be used for free for someone else, a good example of this would be a pen for a parent who is taking their child to college. In this case, the giveaway might make sense because the item will eventually be used by someone else (after all, kids will get older and move out), but not at the moment when you gave it away. You should also think about how much the giveaways will cost you. If you are giving away a $20 item for free and it ends up costing you $10 to give it away, maybe that is not the best business decision. These types of problems can be avoided by simply doing your research ahead of time.
Tips to Create a Great Giveaway
Planning ahead will help reduce the risk of wasting money on giveaway items. For example, people may give you items that they don’t need or are not even going to use according to their needs and wants. They might think they will use it at home, but then forget. Or they might give you something they would use, but it’s not a good fit for their lifestyle.
I have had people give me items they needed to give away because they were disposed of by their company or because the company was downsizing. This has happened on numerous occasions and each time, I thought it was a bit odd. If someone is giving me something that they no longer need, what does that say about the quality of the product? The irony is that even though I need less of an item than ever before, the person has done some research to find out my needs and wants. They may have taken the time to think about how they will use the item or even how much they need it.
Another tip is to not mention anything about the customer’s industry in your flyer. Why? Well, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is mentioning that “everyone needs this” or “everyone needs this because they are in business!” In many cases, customers are dealing with industry-specific items. For example, if you offer a gift for a medical professional, don’t say that you offer these because everyone is in business. This will most likely turn them off and could be detrimental to your sales leads.
Conclusion
The goal for a giveaway is to get customers thinking about your brand. It’s best to give away items that would be helpful for the customers in their own environment, not just based on the event. If you are unsure about what items to give away, ask yourself a few questions. What type of customer will be attending? Will they use the item at home? Where do they work? If you can answer yes to these questions, it may make sense for you to give out a freebie or two. At many events, attendees will remember giving out an item because it was useful and relevant to them.
(Image from http://www.theusbundleshop.