Kayak Keychain
 |
US $8.99
Trade Show Giveaways
This article is adapted from an interview I did regarding trade show promotions and giveaways for the radio and broadcasting industries. It covers product selection, imprinting methods and how to create a successful trade show giveaway by focusing on your business objectives and target audience for your trade show campaign.
What kinds of products are the most popular giveaways for today's trade shows?
Some of the perennial trade show favorites include promotional tote bags, lanyards and pens, but almost anything can be seen at tradeshows nowadays. For example, some businesses are beginning to showcase robots and prize vaults at their booths. There's a lot more interactive items showcased in comparison to the past, such as digital toys and light-up office items that are designed to be fun, which probably come in handy if your booth isn't very busy. USB products, which started with memory sticks, but include a wide variety of items now, and other computer accessories are also very common today.
In order to attract the attention of radio broadcasters, salespeople, and engineers, what kinds of products would you suggest exhibitors use?
I think they should start by thinking about the target audience they are trying to reach and what they want consumers to know about their brand. There's a lot more to a successful trade show giveaway than just good product design. A successful promo is going to convey a message that explains why an item will be useful to the target audience and what product attributes are most valuable. Especially at trade shows and other events, it's part of a greater experience and needs to support that experience because it's the one thing that people will still have with them next week.
Even at the same trade show, smart exhibitors should be using unique products that appeal differently to broadcasters versus salespersons versus engineers. They may or may not have an explicit connection with radio at all. I was just reading about a company that gave out scarves at a search engine conference. As a product, scarves had nothing to do with the company, but folks from California who flew up to Chicago in mid-winter probably appreciated them. The key is using a creative promotional product that clearly portrays your brand image and is useful for all consumers in your target audience.
No one would ask an advertising agency what kind of ad would be best for an insurance company. Funny or serious, print or television, there are always going to be various ways to reach an audience successfully. Promotional products are much more about advertising the company rather than the physical product itself. That's one reason why we try, as much as possible, to understand every customer's goals and what their company or organization does and represents. The pizzeria supply manufacturer doesn't have to get the pizza-shaped stress ball as a giveaway when they exhibit at a trade show. That would be very limiting and predictable. There are probably only two, one that looks like a slice and one that looks like a whole pie. That may be one reason why promotional products were so popular with companies in the dot-com boom. They didn't have a physical product, so it was good to use these products to give bring their brands into people's lives, but they also had to be creative about how they tied it into their brand and product line. They weren't limited by thinking their promos had to be car-related because they were in the automotive industry.
What options do you have for branding these trade show products for your clients?
Most items are screen printed, pad printed or embroidered, and we also do laser engraving, embossing and debossing, along with other imprinting methods. Depending on the item, we can print anywhere from one to five or more colors or do four-color process printing. Many items also feature multiple imprint areas, allowing more options for creative customization of imprinted trade show giveaways. We have our own art department, so our designers will often provide our customers with various design options which include a product mockup if necessary.
What are some of the most imaginative products you offer?
There's been a lot of innovation in the industry lately, which includes a lot of technological development and more digital promotional products. I often see noteworthy new gadgets on blogs like Gizmodo and they're things we've already been offering as promotional products. For example, we have a cooler with a built in radio. Other items may not be technologically groundbreaking, but they fill a particular need, such as a keychain with a built in parking timer and compartment to hold quarters.
What are the most expensive?
Golf products, brand name apparel and luggage, executive pens and some electronics tend to be our most expensive trade show promotions. Most of these items are used as corporate gifts. In the past, we used to have a kayak and a golf cart on our site, although I don't think anyone ever ordered them. Only about one percent of the products we have on our site cost more than $100, and with high-end merchandise like that we are more likely to source items that aren't on our site in response to customers' specifications. Just because a specific model Waterman pen isn't on our site, doesn't mean we can't get it; it would just be less beneficial to our website if we showed every single model.
How quickly can you turn around orders, and at what volume?
We understand that many of our clients order promotional products for trade shows at the last minute, so we have about a thousand items that can be produced in one day, and most of the items on our site we can produce within five days. Some rush orders may have a limit in terms of the number of items that can be shipped, but that number is typically around 5,000 pieces. We're very good at handling rush orders and we handle them on a pretty consistent basis, but normally there's time for the customer to review samples and, for larger orders, see a pre-production proof before the order is run. Of course, that requires planning ahead!
About the Author
Mark Yokoyama joined the company early 2004 and is the Director of Marketing and Merchandising at ePromos. He oversees online and offline marketing and public relations programs, the ePromos online catalog and supplier relations.
|
|
Eat Sleep Kayak - Military Dog Tag Chain Keychain $9.99 This unique product can be used anywhere you want to make a statement! Wear it around your neck, use it as a keychain or even as a cool luggage identifier. The item listed is made of stainless steel with the 3D urethane encased design as shown. The dog tag is 2" x 1.1" in size and can be engraved on the backside (sorry, we do not offer an engraving service). This item also includes a 24 inch chain which can be easily shortened if desired. |
|
|
Kayak $74.88 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles A kayak (sometimes generalised as a canoe) is a small humanpowered boat that traditionally has a covered deck, and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler who strokes a doublebladed paddle. The cockpit is covered by a spraydeck (skirt) that keeps the inside of the boat (and the paddlers lower body) dry. The spraydeck or similar waterproof covering attaches securely to the edges of the cockpit, preventing the entry of water from waves or spray, and making it possible, in some boats, to roll the kayak, capsizing and righting the boat without it filling with water or ejecting the passenger. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 84 Publication Date: 2010/10/12 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.20 inches |
|
|
Commitment: Kayak $14.99 Commitment: Kayak - Art Print |
|
|
Oxford Kayak $24.99 Oxford Kayak - Photographic Print |
|
|
Kayak Morning $29.99 Steve Gadomski Kayak Morning - Photographic Print |
|
|
Kayak Blue $184.99 Deborah Cavenaugh Kayak Blue - Framed Art Print |
|
|
Kayak Paddles $19.99 David Madison Kayak Paddles - Photographic Print |
|
|
Tinglit Kayak $34.99 Inuit School Tinglit Kayak - Giclee Print |
|
|
Kayak Dreams $29.99 Orah Moore Kayak Dreams - Giclee Print |
|
|
Kayak Medium $56 Download the Kayak Medium font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
|
|
Kayak Volume $144 Download the Kayak Volume font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
|
|
Kayak Bold $56 Download the Kayak Bold font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
|
|
Kayak Light $56 Download the Kayak Light font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
|
|
Oregon, Kayak Scene $19.99 Oregon, Kayak Scene - Premium Poster |
|
|
Kayak Rescue Training Organized by a Canoe and Kayak Club $39.99 Bill Hatcher Kayak Rescue Training Organized by a Canoe and Kayak Club - Photographic Print |
|
|
Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 128MB PC800 RDRAM Memory $27.99 Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 128MB PC800 RDRAM Memory |
|
|
Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 256MB PC800 RDRAM Memory $29.99 Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 256MB PC800 RDRAM Memory |
|
|
Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 512MB PC800 RDRAM Memory $79.99 Compaq HP Kayak Kayak XM600 (RDRAM) 512MB PC800 RDRAM Memory |
|
|
340xd Explorer Kayak $849 2 person inflatable kayak, great for camping and whitewater. |
|
|
Kayak on a Forested Lake $29.99 Steve Gadomski Kayak on a Forested Lake - Photographic Print |
|
|
Passing Kayak Island $59.99 John Bortniak Passing Kayak Island - Wall Decal |
|
|
Detail of Red Kayak $24.99 David Wall Detail of Red Kayak - Photographic Print |
|
|
An Eskimo of Alaska in His Kayak $24.99 Hogg An Eskimo of Alaska in His Kayak - Photographic Print |
|
|
New Hampshire - Kayak Scene $19.99 New Hampshire - Kayak Scene - Premium Poster |
