Who doesn’t love a freebie? There’s not many people who don’t. And, event goers will certainly appreciate walking away with a bag full of useful freebies as opposed to knickknacks that will spend the rest of eternity at the back of an office drawer.
So, what makes for a good giveaway? What’s the ideal promotional product that will resonate with your audience?
It’s so common for people to provide cakes, sweets, pens and funky highlighters for passers-by to pick up on the fly, but do these items make people want more? Can they understand your service or product offering from a simple piece of “swag”?
It’s important to choose a promotional product that not only looks cool but is also useful and portable. And, if you’ve never done giveaways before, now is the time to try it out! If you’re creative and put both thought and effort into your promotional giveaways, it’ll not only be useful for your intended audience, but will also reinforce your brand.
So, what are the best products? Here in no particular order, we give you our top five…
1. Customised apparel
Most of your competitors will have bypassed this one, but if you want to stand out, design your own unique garment! They’re easy to produce, great for marketing as they carry your logo and messaging long after the event is over and the more you produce, the lower the price per unit will be.
For minimum effort and maximum return, create a topical design that incorporates your logo and brand messaging. T-shirts and tote bags are the ideal items to print your design on. Everyone owns them, they’re easy to wear and use. What’s more, it’s common at events for attendees to struggle juggling the mass of swag they’re given, which means your bags can be put to good use!
2. Chocolate and Sweets
If you’re going to offer chocolate and sweet treats, be sure to personalise them, secondly create them to last. Think tins and bags of treats. This way you can stay at the forefront of your prospects mind every time they need their sweet fix. What’s even better is if you can personalise each individual chocolate or treat with a different message that will keep people guessing and keep them engaged.
3. Stationery
Move away from the standard pens, highlighters and branded rubbers or mobile phone holders. Everyone does that! Instead invest in something a little different, something more valuable.
You could try unusual post it notes, like these apple ones, or luxury Moleskin notebooks embossed with your logo. Make it creative and practical, so they want to use it rather than sticking it into a drawer in the office, never to see the light of day again.
4. Gadgets
If you’re under the illusion that gadgets are unaffordable, think again! You don’t have to blow your budget by providing event attendees with useful gadgets. Plus, these are by far one of the best products to help you showcase your business to potential customers.
Power banks are perfect. They’re mobile and everyone can use them. What’s more, as they are seen as a higher value product, they’re more likely to be put to good use. Alternatively, you could give away personalised USBs. USBMakers.com have an extensive range of styles available in a variety of materials and colours, you can find the right one to suit your branding and budget. They can even create a complete custom shape just for you!
An added benefit to offering an item that can be used time and time again is your ability to preload a USB device with virtual swag! In other words, you can provide apps, games, demos and videos – you can even address the user directly! You can also install useful e-books, guides and templates for them to use. They’ll thank you for it later!
5. Water Bottles
Navigating your way around an event in tiring work, which is why providing reusable water bottles is one of the best products to take to an exhibition. What’s more, they’re fairly cheap to acquire and an eco-friendly alternative to disposable water bottles, which is very topical right now!
If you’ve tried and tested any of the above products, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you think we’ve missed something off our list, comment below.
