If you’ve attended a trade show, you’ve likely witnessed the “Trick or Treat” style for collecting promotional items. Attendees will pick up nearly anything that’s free and have even been known to take items that weren’t intended as giveaways.
So how do you manage your promotional products budget? You really only have two options.
- Select an item that is low cost so you can give one to everyone without breaking the budget.
- Select a higher priced item and keep it hidden in your booth. This way you can selectively give them to only your best customers and prospects.
There is a train of thought that suggests that Option 1 has some serious merit. Perhaps you’re new to the industry or are introducing a new product and you want to create a lot of buzz. The creativity or usefulness of the promotional product could potentially draw more people to your booth. This gives your sales team a larger pool of prospects to choose from, thus offering increased opportunities to engage and convert them to customers.
Option 2 requires that your pre-show mailers, show signage, press releases, booth graphics, displays and sales team work together to drive traffic to your booth. Once attendees arrive and are qualified by your sales team, you can present them with an exclusive gift. The advantage of this option is that the high-quality promotional product will make the customer or prospect feel special. This core feeling will positively impact their brand perception towards your company and will create a stronger relationship.
Different promotional products strategies can be employed to meet your particular goals for each trade show you attend. Regardless of which option you choose, it is strongly recommended that you avoid placing your company name on anything that would be considered junk. Keep in mind that as attendees leave a show, they will purge their goody bags before they go home. So make the most of your promotional budget and don’t let your giveaways end up in the trash.