In my last column I talked about the benefits of having a booth at community events such as the upcoming Cypress Festival. In this column I’ll focus on the giveaway items that can keep your name in front of potential customers long after the event has ended.
Large companies can afford to give away a lot of SWAG (stuff we all get) without much concern about unit pricing. That’s not true for small business owners and non-profits. Since people have a notorious habit of taking anything that is free, whether they want it or not, you need to manage your inventory of promotional items and marketing material so that they go to potential customers. One suggestion is to personally hand out expensive material, such as four-color glossy brochures, rather than stack them on the table for anyone to grab. The less pricey flyers can sit unattended on the table.
Popular promotional items to consider:
Paper Pads. Everyone wants note pads, which is why everyone gives them away. The shelf life lasts as long as the paper supply. Following today’s eco-friendly environment, you can promote that the pads are made with recycled paper.
Paper Cubes. Customization could disappear as the paper supply dwindles. Again, this allows you to be eco-friendly if it’s made with recycled paper.
Mugs. People like them, but they probably won’t look in their kitchen cabinet when trying to remember your business name to contact you. Go with non-breakable to avoid losing inventory due to breakage as you move them from your car to the booth location.
Water Bottles. More useful than mugs, but just like mugs, people will rarely look for them in the knapsack if they want to contact you at a later date.
Pen. Yes, everyone has a zillion pens, but the truth is everyone wants another one. With so much selection, you can select quality without damaging your budget. The downside is the limited area for customizing with contact information.
Key Chain. Like pens, you can find quality at a reasonable price. Unlike pens, there is more room for more customized information.
Bags. Festival goers quickly realize they have a lot to carry and welcome having a bag. If possible, pass them out. Otherwise, if left unattended, the supply will disappear very fast.
Fridge Magnet. Some new refrigerators don’t hold magnets, but for many people the fridge is a place to store food and keep the names of all the businesses they frequently call – or will call.
In my final column on this topic, I’ll share marketing ideas for drawing crowds to your booth.
Important Note
The online and print edition of the Orange County Breeze spotlights people, events, organizations, products, services and businesses in northwest Orange County. This is very important as subscription newspapers use wire services for national and international news and often have their reporters focus on countywide activities rather than local community news. I will spend some of the Cypress Festival day at the Orange County Breeze booth. Whether you’re a Royal Care Pet Sitting client (or want to be) or a Marketing Maven fan and would like to talk marketing, please stop by and say hello.
Featured photo
Courtesy photo of Robin Itzler, the Marketing Maven.
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