Stand Out in the Crowd with Trade Show Giveaways

Want to get flooded with traffic at your exhibit?  Want to get long-term visibility long after the trade show? The promotional power of giveaways is critical to a show's success and the branding of your company.  Trade show promotional items should both attract prospects to your exhibit and promote your business long-term as attendees bring their item back to their home or office. 

How do you make sure your giveaway gets packed in their suitcase home? One word: useful. Practical items function as a constant, passive source of promotion to your prospects and clients. Traditional giveaway items include pens, calendars, water bottles, flashlights, mugs, magnets, t-shirts, tote bags, sticky notes, or lip balm. Or, show your company is innovative with giveaways like mouse pads, USBs, iPhone accessories, or iPad sleeves.

Consider choosing trade show items that tie in with your industry and your company's products.  Tape measures or small screwdriver sets are good for home improvement trade shows. Healthcare companies could offer first-aid kits, pedometers, hand sanitizer, etc.  

Select products that offer the most advertising value per dollar. Ideally, you should invest in a few different items for general booth visitors, leads and customers.  Offer small, inexpensive items to a casual visitor; but have some high-quality items on hand for your prospects and customers.  

All of your trade show giveaways should be branded with your company name and
logo.  They should also include your marketing message and contact information. Make it as easy as possible for attendees to get in touch with you. Plus, they'll have instant name recognition when your staff follows up after the event.

Bonus Tip:  Be seen as the leading company at the show and grab attendees' attention from the kickoff! Contact the event coordinator and arrange to provide logo imprinted lanyards for the trade show IDs or free logo imprinted bags that attendees can use to carry the information they collect throughout the day.

The 2012 Color of the Year is . . .

Pantone has announced the

2012 Color of the Year!

The winner of the prestigious honor is . . . Tangerine Tango! 

According to Pantone, this color was chosen because of its "sophisticated and dramatic undertones" and will "provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward."

Now it's time to make your promotions sizzle with this spirited reddish orange color!  If orange hues are not part of your logo, there is still plenty of room for this color in your 2012 marketing efforts. Use the hit color as a background to make your logo pop! Or, use subtle additions of Tangerine Tango as a border or for a tag line.