We hope ordering giveaways is one of your favorite parts of organizing your trade show booth. However, we’re biased, and we know it can also feel like a lot of pressure to find the “right” products – the ones everyone wants to make room for in their free tote.
To help you with that quest, we’ve come up with our three expert tips for ordering giveaway products for trade shows. Time to find promos you’re excited to give away (and also a little bit jealous of.)
Tip 1: Respect the Promo Triangle
Good things come in threes, including our formula for finding the perfect trade show promo.
To help you decide between our many, many promo products, we came up with a formula we’re dubbing the Promo Triangle. All you have to do is look for a product that meets at least two of these criteria. Don’t worry, we’ve put examples at the end – it’s easier than you think.
Practical
What it Means
Promos that fulfill a need most people have at some point in their lives.
Examples
Pens, water bottles, mugs, chargers, power banks, hand sanitizer, tissues
Why it Matters
If a promo serves an obvious and common need, people see it as useful rather than clutter. Everyone needs a pen at some point, so if you’re giving them one for free, hey, they may as well take it.
Multiple-Proof
What it Means
It means items that people don’t mind having multiples of.
Examples
Pens, chapstick, chargers, hand sanitizer, candy, koozies, mugs, gum
Why it Matters
Unless you’re really pushing the boat out, you’re probably going to find at least one other booth at your trade show that’s giving out the same type of item as you. Pick a promo they’ll be happy to take even if they’ve already got 10 of the same type of product.
Cool
What it Means
A special spark that makes your product irresistible. Maybe it has a cool design, it’s fun, or it’s just too darn cute.
Examples
A stuffy, a game, a graphic t-shirt, a branded item
Why it Matters
It’s the wow factor that bypasses the boring, responsible part of their brain that doesn’t want to take home any more promos. It makes them want your particular promo more than anyone else’s.
Promos That Respect the Promo Triangle
Remember, the aim is to buy promos that meet at least two of these criteria. If you can find something that’s all three, even better!
Pens
Practical and Multiple-Proof
Does anyone turn down free pens? They’re small enough that you can carry one (or two or 900) in every bag. And each bag sends its pen to the magical vortex where missing socks and hairclips go, so you always need more pens. Plus the free ones are the same quality as the ones you buy – so you may as well get them for free.
Tote Bags
Practical, Multiple-Proof, and Cool
No one has just one tote bag, because tote bags are useful. That’s two of our criteria checked off. They also have the added benefit of sometimes being cool, if you put a good graphic on them.
Stickers
Multiple-Proof and Cool
Stickers are famously collectible (next time you go to a cafe, look at the nearest laptop) which means having more than one is sort of the point. And if you put the effort in to think of a catchy slogan or a nice-looking design, they pass the cool test too.
Branded Water Bottle
Cool and Practical
Drinking water is one of the very few things all humans have to do to stay alive, which means water bottles are a true essential. So essential that people often already have one – but they might not have one with a cool brand, which can be enough to convince them to snag this swag.
T-Shirts
Practical, Multiple-Proof, and Cool
As with drinking water, everyone needs to get dressed. And as with tote bags, no one has just one promo t-shirt. You can even give them a cool promo t-shirt if you try hard enough with your design.
The Bottom Line
We hope this has demystified the promo-buying process for you. Next time you’re browsing our magnificent website, keep these three characteristics in mind to find promos people will be excited to take home and use.
Tip 2: How to Create Promo Tiers
Promos are not one size fits all levels of interest.
While it would be very helpful if everyone who encountered your booth at a trade show went on to become a customer, you can’t win everyone over. Don’t hold it against them! Build a promo strategy that optimizes for different levels of interest. Guests get a giveaway, and you get the most value from your promos.
Tier One: Mass Dispersion
Target: Literally everyone who walks past.
Method: Put inexpensive promos in an easily accessible spot at the edge of your booth.
Why it Works: You get your brand into people’s hands even if you don’t have a chance to talk to them personally – or if they’re feeling shy but still want free stuff!
Examples: Pens, magnets, lip balm, erasers, stress balls, sticky notes, keychains, candy
Tier Two: Lure Them In
Target: People who are taking their time to check out the booths, not rushing past like they’re late for a flight.
Method: Put one or two covetable products on display near your reps.
Why it Works: A higher status product positioned near your reps gets people who are strolling past to look right in the rep’s direction and slow down, giving your rep a chance to engage them.
Examples: Hat, soft toy, t-shirt, mug, tote bag
Tier Three: Reward Promising Leads
Target: People who ask questions about your company and seem genuinely interested.
Method: Have hidden goody bags you bring out only for the people you think are serious leads.
Why it Works: You’ve already got their attention, enough to have a chance to pitch them on your company. This is about rewarding that interest and making sure they remember you when they get home. Plus receiving a gift in a bag makes it feel more exciting (this also works on friends, relatives, and romantic partners, in case you were wondering!)
Examples: Make a goody bag that contains either a lot of inexpensive stuff, like a pen, keychain, eraser, stress ball, and notebook; or one upscale thing and two less fancy things, like a nice double-walled steel tumbler, a keychain, and a pen.
The Bottom Line
Even though you can’t chat to everyone at a trade show, by using promos strategically, you can still make an impression without blowing your budget. Inexpensive options are for everyone who walks past, slightly nicer ones reel in people who are showing signs of interest, and you bust out the goody bags for the most promising conversations.
3: How to Match Your Promo Product to Your Campaign Message
We put your message on promos, but what if the promos were the message?
Most companies use promo products as tiny billboards, where the imprint is the message and the product is just a way to get that message into people’s hands. However, with a little bit of creativity, you can find a product that also expresses what you’re trying to say – so people remember not just your brand, but your selling point.
How It Works
When you give someone a pen, say, printed with your company name and maybe your website or phone number, they’ll remember your company name. If you give them that information printed on a promo product that ties into your marketing campaign, they’ll remember your company name and what makes you great. As an extra bonus, you might end up choosing a less common product to give away, which will stand out when people unpack their merch.
What This Looks Like
In case that all sounds a bit pretentious, here’s what it could actually look like in practice.
Example One
The company: A software company
The messaging: This technology connects with customers’ existing software.
The promo product: A USB/USB-C adapter.
Example Two
The company: A manufacturing company
The messaging: Precision at every step.
The promo product: Measuring tapes
Example Three
The company: A legal firm
The messaging: We get you out of a tight spot.
The promo product: Jar openers
The Bottom Line
Use some original thinking to find promos that tie into your marketing. It makes your company and your benefits more memorable, even after the trade show booths have been cleared away.
Natasha Lavender
Natasha is an experienced writer and editor who has covered topics including technology, health and safety, business, and pop culture. Her work has been published by Good Housekeeping magazine, Forbes, Success, and more.
