Creating A Win-Win Situation: How To Choose Corporate Event Giveaways

Everyone likes freebies, and so do guests of your corporate event. Varying event goals and attendee demographics make it difficult to decide which giveaway to opt for. A few key rules will help you create a win-win situation for your organization and attendees.

Here are my selection criteria for event giveaways: Choose a quality product that is relevant to the attendees, differs from the usual corporate gift, matches the event’s message, and stands out in design.

Now, let’s analyze the selection criteria for corporate event giveaways one by one:

Rule # 1: Quality is Key

The quality of your giveaways will reflect on your event, and thus on your organization. Positively, or negatively, depending on whether or not the product withstands the test of time. Always verify that the quality of your item is up to par. Sampling is vital! To impress for a long time, giveaways need to last. If you cannot dedicate necessary resources, rather opt to do without. When quality is concerned, no impression is better than a bad impression!

Rule # 2: Be Relevant

Not having usefulness in mind may very well be the largest mistake event managers can make, when selecting promo items. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) has in a recent study investigated reasons why people keep promotional products. For 81%, the number one reason is the giveaway’s usefulness. Therefore, do invest resources on analyzing demographics, and professional backgrounds of your guests. Knowing the gender, age group, and fields of interest is a good starting point when determining which items would be of relevance to them. Give people something they value, and you will be remembered for it!

Rule #3: Set Yourself Apart

Pens, bags, calendars, and hats … while among the most common giveaways, they are not necessarily among the most effective. ASI’s study has revealed that some of the most popular items generate the lowest percentage of positive impressions about the sponsor. To get the most bang for your buck, I suggest to steer away from the norm. Rather than selecting your giveaways from a catalog of promotional product suppliers, check out the latest electronic gadgets on the Web, or browse gift stores. Set yourself apart, and opt to take a different route. Individuality and style will turn your giveaway into the talk of town!

Rule #4: Convey a Message

Attaching your event’s message to the giveaway is key. Your event’s purpose may be attendee education, customer appreciation, lead generation, or creating brand awareness. You may also want to position yourself as a longtime expert, an innovator, or opinion leader on a specific topic. Write down the message that is to be conveyed with the event on sticky notes. Research and determine three potential giveaways that will fit rules #1 through #3, and print an overview of your options. Next, initiate a little field study: Have colleagues or friends match-up your sticky notes with the images of the potential giveaways. The winner? The item associated with most of your key messages!

Since you have now selected the giveaway by focusing on quality, relevancy, creativeness, and the event’s message, only the design-decision is left to be made: How will your event and organization be represented on the actual item?

Rule #5: Go Subtle With Design

Marketing experts swear by displaying the corporate logo, name, and contact information as prominently as possible. For event giveaways, I don’t agree with this approach. I have witnessed over and over that nobody likes ‘to be caught’ using freebies. And ASI’s study confirmed that recipients of promotional items clearly remember who it came from. To me, the perfect design of your giveaway will keep these two points in mind: A slogan or inspirational tagline, and the use of corporate colors on the items itself will help people remember you. No logo needed! And once people remember you, they can easily find your contact information on the Web. Opt for subtlety with design, and your giveaway will gladly be used!

*Source: Mona's Event Dos and Don'ts

Top 10 Most Effective Promotional Products

For a first time buyer, choosing promotional products to display your logo is not an easy task. There are more than a few options out there and several promotional product distributors offer hundreds of thousands of imprintable items.

In fact, going the custom route can ensure that almost anything can be turned into a promotional product. But what about the typical buyer with a modest budget? If you've got some (not a lot) of money and don't know what to choose, this list is for you. Here are the top 10 most effective promotional products.

 1. Promotional Apparel
Custom t-shirts and hats are by far the most popular form of promotional products. Custom wearables account for one-third of all promotional product sales, according to a 2007 study done by the Promotional Products Association International. Logo exposure is extremely high, as people tend to wear promotional t-shirts at the gym and on the weekends.

2. Writing Instruments
At some point or another, people are going to need a pen, so why not give them one with your logo? Promotional writing instruments are well-liked because they're functional items that recipients will actually use. Additionally, statistics show that during the lifespan of a promotional pen, it will have at least 8 owners, which equates a high logo exposure.

3. Bags
A study done by the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI), the largest media and marketing organization serving the promotional products industry revealed that promotional bags deliver the most impressions per month (1,038 on average). Promotional bags are welcomed by recipients because they are useful products. The most popular types include promotional tote bags, promotional drawstring backpacks, and promotional computer bags.

4. Drinkware
Promotional mugs, custom water bottles and promotional tumblers are always effective giveaways. A logo imprinted coffee mug will sit on an office desk. A promotional travel mug will keep beverages hot and will showcase your branding for the world to see. Custom sports bottles are available for under $1 per piece making them an extremely popular giveaway for customers with low budgets. Promotional Mugs and Drinkware

5. Desk Accessories
Desk accessories for the office are often purchased by companies to give to employees, but are also purchased for trade shows. Exhibitors know that promotional desk accessories, like paper clip dispensers, promotional desk sets and business card cases will be used by recipients and their logos will be seen by anyone who passes. One of the most popular forms of office accessories are promotional stress balls which come in a variety of shapes and sizes, any one of which will get your logo noticed.

6. Calendars
Promotional calendars are among the most affordable promotional products available because of their extremely low cost per impression. A study done by PPAI indicated that 94% of business calendar recipients could recall the logo imprinted on their calendar and 85% of individuals who received calendars in their homes did business with the advertiser.

7. Magnets
Promotional magnets are often chosen because of their affordability and excellent logo exposure. Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (the most popular being business card magnets), promotional magnets clearly display contact information and keep it readily accessible at all times.

8. Computer/Electronic Accessories
As technology advances further and becomes a bigger part of everyone's lives, the need for computer related accessories increases. Promotional items such as custom USB flash drives, promotional MP3 players, and other promotional electronics are highly in demand as advertisers want to give promotional items that will be used and appreciated.

9. Sporting Goods
Sporting events, both professional and amateur, are an excellent place to advertise and it's because of this well-known fact that promotional sporting good are extremely effective giveaways. Promotional stadium cushions work for football, soccer and baseball games. Gyms can advertise new membership specials by offering promotional duffel bags as gifts with purchase. Promotional flyers, more commonly known as Frisbees are often chosen for company picnics.

10. Automotive Accessories
Promotional automotive accessories are chosen by more than just mechanics because everyone knows that they will be used. Promotional ice scrapers come in handy during the cold winter months, and everyone can appreciate receiving a promotional auto safety kit. Even promotional organizers will promote your logo, as users will value these practical items.

*Source: Written by Sarah Shepherd