Get Your Swag On! 

You may have noticed that the London Convention Centre is going through some re-branding right now. We have a shiny new website (don’t you love it?), a new logo, a new tag line and more!

 

Our New  Logo:                                            Our New Tag Line:
                                     
 


If any of you have gone through a re-branding process you know that EVERYTHING must change:

Signs on or in your building, advertisements, email signatures, stationary (Letterhead, folders, envelops, business cards), your website, your social media, and all of your marketing materials, including promotional materials, like the ones you give away at Trade Shows.

One of the reasons people love trade shows is always the free swag. As a kid, and honestly still to this day, I love when my Dad goes to a trade show because he always comes home with some really cool stuff (and some not so cool stuff too).

Having some kind of swag to give away at your trade show booth is always a good idea; people like free stuff and you can brand it with your company logo or information. There are a ton of potential items you could give away and there are companies dedicated to selling these items with catalogues hundreds of pages long.

 

So how do you choose the best giveaway item for your business?

There are a couple of questions I ask when choosing promotional items:

Can it be used?

I think the best promotional items are something that can be used. I find that I accumulate enough junk in my daily life, so I want something useful! If it is useful I will keep it and use it regularly; if not, it will likely end up in the trash. 

Does it work?

Quality is often over looked with promotional materials, but I think it is important. Try to check out the quality of the item before you make a costly purchase. I understand that cost is important nowadays, but if the item is poor quality you’ll likely end up replacing it and spending more than you planned.

Think about it this way, if you buy the cheapest item and it doesn’t work people are either going to a) throw it out and pay no attention to the branding or b) equate the poor quality of the promotional item to the quality of your brand or how you value your clients.

Examples of this:

Pens that don’t work end up in the garbage along with the branding you put on it.

Shopping bags that fall apart or electronics that don’t work can possibly spark ideas that your company is too cheap to purchase quality items, or that you don’t care about quality (which is bad for any business).

Does it make sense?

There are a number of items that are functional enough that they seem to make sense no matter the business, but there are some items that do not make sense all. The item might be cool or unique, but if it doesn’t make sense, your brand might not be as memorable.

 

Trade-Show-Advisor.com listed these as other good questions to consider:

  • Does the item complement your company and product image?
  • Do the giveaways you want to purchase match your budget?
  • Are you able to easily imprint your key contact information and message on the trade show promotional item?
  • Will you be able to get your shipment in time for the event?
  • Is your giveaway unique and different from others you’ve seen?
  • Is the item something YOU would like to have?

 

 

During the last week of August I asked people on Facebook and Twitter what their favourite and least favourite swag from tradeshows were and this is what I was told:

 

Good:

Andrew McCLenaghan (Fb) said: “lots of stress balls in various shapes and sizes”

@Deka21 said: “Best small purse-sized measuring tape”

@EvilFlu said: “like: cute, unique items like stationary or little figures”

@VictorHarris said: “Large good quality fabric bags are great promo items. Everyone's information get placed in YOUR bag and they double as grocery bags.”

@StJohn_N said: “like the little breath mint tins - small and reusable / memory stick / cloth bags are good too”

@StJohn_N also said: “Just remembered the carabineer I got once. Love it and use it regularly”

In a previous conversation someone told me that:  “Pens are always a huge hit at our booth” 

 

Bad:

@MissyDeLuca: “Fridge Magnets ...”  “Don’t like the clutter on the fridge – especially an ad for someone else! They end up in the garbage” 

@EvilFlu said: “Hate: pens that don't work (well) and "rim rollers"!” 

 

 

Here are some common items that I, along with many others, love to get at Trade Shows:  

Water bottle: I love getting a GOOD water bottle from a trade show, but I hate getting ones that crack easily, lose their finish (inside or around the mouth) or that aren’t balanced (so they tip). People are increasingly conscious about green efforts, so quality reusable bottles are almost always welcomed.

USBs: These are great because they are functional, but businesses can also put Documents, PowerPoints or videos about their company on them. These might phase out as new technology emerges, but for now they are still a strong choice. 

Games: I am a geek and proud of it, so I am willing to admit that I love getting games or brain teasers from booths at tradeshows. These are great for people to keep on their desk at work and fiddle with when they’re mulling over a difficult project or they are a lot of fun to pull out at home to challenge friends and family.

Carabineer: Like @StJohn_N said carabineers are great; they work for keys, attaching water bottles or running shoes to bags & so many other things! 

Mini LED Flashlight: These flashlights are tiny, but are they ever bright! They are great to keep in a purse, a laptop case or in the glove box of your vehicle. 

Mini Measuring Tape: I think this is still a relatively unique item and but a good one, as suggested by @EvilFlu. These are easy to carry and are great for shopping for household items or even shoes if you need to check heel height.  

 

There are hundreds of other really cool items out there; this is only scratching the surface! Stay tuned for more blogs looking at great and not so great promotional items, as well as Trade Show Tips!

 

 

What do you think, what are the best and worst promotional materials you have ever picked up at a trade show?  

Or what are the most successful promotional items your business has given away?

We want to know!

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I love a little screen cleaner cloth that I received at a tradeshow and it sticks to the back of my blackberry so that it is easy to access when I need it to get rid of my finger prints that somehow show up on my screen constantly. I don't like pens that I receive that don't work. They go immediately into the trash can.