Promotional products play an important role in events when it comes to marketing your company. These are tangible things that remind your customers of your brand even after the event has been held. Be it a trade show, conference, or some community gathering, effective distribution of promotional products can help raise brand awareness significantly, create positive associations, and cultivate customer loyalty. Success is not solely about the products themselves; it lies in how they are distributed.
Here are 9 ways to use promotional products effectively in events.
Table of Contents
1. Know Your Audience
Before you go ahead and distribute promotional products at an event, it is important that you know who your audience is. Knowledge of the demographic variables, preferences, and needs of the people that will attend an event shall be important to choosing products they can relate to.
For example, if you're attending a tech conference in support of a tech-related company, technology items like USB drives or portable chargers will be more alluring. On the contrary, at a wellness expo, water bottles or yoga mats might be more appropriate.
Having a clear vision of your audience will help ensure your promotional product is welcomed and put into action for maximum impact.
2. Choose Relevant Products
Your audience's perception greatly depends on the quality and relevance of your promotional products. Low-quality and cheap items reflect badly on your brand and are likely to be trashed in no time. Instead, invest in high-quality products that make sense for the event and the audience.
Items that are useful and durable, and that better reflect your brand's image, will be appreciated and used more by attendees. High-quality products have a longer life, too, which means they will continue to promote your brand long after the event has passed.
3. Incorporate Branding
The promotional products in and of themselves are only half of the equation; you also have the added bonus of being able to reinforce your brand. Make sure your logo, your brand color, and your messaging come through loud and clear with the product. At the same time, branding should not overwhelm the functionality of the product. Think about this:
You want to create something the attendees will use on a regular basis so that they can continue to keep your brand top-of-mind. Where possible, design your products in conjunction with the event theme to create a harmonious and effective brand experience.
4. Leverage Timing and Use Strategic Placement
Where and when your promotional products are given out could make quite a difference in their effectiveness. Distribution should happen at any place in the event that is considered a key touchpoint, such as at registration desks, during keynote sessions, or right after a product demo.
Timing also plays a major role in this; giving away products at the beginning of the event ensures that all the attendees have it all throughout the day for increased visibility. Offering products as part of a contest or in return for contact information contributes to exclusivity and engagement.
5. Create Immemorable Experiences
Promotional products need to be more than free things; they need to be an experience. Consider mixing and matching your products into participatory activities or demonstrations. Think about handing out lanyards, then having a station for attendees to customize with their name or company logo.
This not only personalizes the product but evokes a memorable experience in the minds of attendees, definitely linking such experiences with your brand. The creation of such associations means that your promotional products are sure to continue resonating long after the fact.
6. Create a Distribution Strategy
Plan when and how to distribute promotional products during the event, whether at registration, during key sessions, or as part of a giveaway. Focus on key moments to maximize impact, such as welcoming attendees with branded items at registration or using giveaways to draw crowds to your booth.
Ensure your team is prepared for efficient execution to enhance attendee experience and brand recall.
7. Encourage Engagement
Use promotional products as incentives to encourage attendees to participate in activities, such as visiting your booth, signing up for a newsletter, or attending a presentation. Offer exclusive items or limited-edition products that create a sense of urgency and excitement, motivating attendees to take action.
You can also gamify the experience by offering rewards for completing certain tasks or challenges, turning engagement into a fun and memorable part of the event. This approach not only boosts participation but also deepens connections with your brand.
8. Track Effectiveness
Collect feedback from attendees and track the impact of your promotional products on achieving your event goals, such as increased booth traffic or lead capture. Use surveys, post-event emails, or social media polls to gather insights on how the products were received and whether they influenced attendees' behavior.
Additionally, monitor metrics like the number of new contacts made, social media mentions, and the overall engagement rate to evaluate the success of your promotional efforts. This data will help you understand the ROI of your investment and guide future decisions on product selection and distribution strategies.
9. Follow-up After the Event
Your efficiency in distributing promotional products does not stop at the end of the event. Some follow-up with the audience that received your products is important in order to be able to establish long-term relationships. This may be done via email marketing campaigns, social networking sites, or even by sending personalized thank-you letters.
Follow-up should secure this bond even further by adding value to the relationship, for example, in offering special deals or more information about one's products or services. In this way, a contact transforms from a one time interaction into a consistent relationship that will be beneficial for both your brand and the attendee.
10. Evaluate and Optimize
After the event, assess the success of your promotional product strategy and identify areas for improvement to enhance effectiveness at future events. Review metrics such as attendee engagement, lead generation, and brand recall to determine what worked well and what didn’t. Gather feedback from your team and event participants to gain insights into the overall reception of the products.
Use this information to refine your approach, selecting products that better align with your audience's preferences and optimizing distribution methods for greater impact in future events.
In Conclusion
Successful distribution of promotional products during events calls for critical planning and proper execution. Pay attention to the quality, relevance of the product, and branding aspects with the addition of making some memories, and your promotional products will stand out in people's minds.
Follow-through after the event helps to further cement this relationship and reinforces the message being conveyed through the marketing effort. Promotional products are a highly potent tool when applied properly in building brand recognition and loyalty.