Benefits of promotional products

By Samantha O'Rourke

Each year, an estimated 13,000 trade shows take place across the United States, with about three-quarters (75%) of exhibitors expressing a positive view of them. For many companies, these events provide unmatched, unique opportunities to generate brand awareness and connect with prospective customers.

These trade shows and conferences are highly popular among attendees, as well—a majority of which are there to learn about new companies, products and services and to make positive and productive connections.

One element of conferences and trade shows that you see everywhere—and yet isn’t often discussed in much depth—relates to branded promotional products or swag, as it’s more commonly known. Attendees wander the event floor, browsing booths and talking with business reps while collecting handfuls of branded pens, stickers, notepads and other goodies.

Do attendees really use these things, though? And for the companies that offer them, do promotional items really work? And what are the benefits of promotional products in business growth and development?

We can answer the first question easily, right out of the gate: Yes, today’s customers love promotional giveaways opens in new window—provided that they are well-designed and actually useful.

As it turns out, using promotional products as a marketing strategy at your next trade show or conference is one of the most versatile and cost-effective ways to grow your business and brand. Not all customizable, branded promotional products are the same, of course, so choosing the best promotional items to give away is an important consideration—one that can help you to further increase your chances of making a real and lasting impact with prospects at your next event.

What are promotional products?

Promotional products are branded items that companies freely give away at events like trade shows and conferences in order to connect with prospective customers and generate leads. Companies often use promotional products to generate or increase brand awareness, strengthen the company’s reputation and make a lasting impression. They are often used in coordination with a company’s sales and marketing campaigns and to complement their other strategies (increasing their odds of success).

What are examples of promotional products?

There is a wide range of different promotional products a business might think about customizing with its name and brand, and distributing at a trade show or conference. In reality, a company can turn virtually any item into a piece of branded swag.

Some of the most common examples include relatively inexpensive items like pens and pencils, coffee mugs and stationery—all of which are popular for their usefulness, relatively low cost and positive ROI. Other less common but more creative ways to promote a product, service or brand can include giving away customized promotional food and candy, toys and novelties or tech accessories.

What are the best promotional items for a small business?

For virtually any small business, the best promotional items a company can give away are the ones that not only represent their brand well, but also serve a practical purpose for their recipients. In fact, if there is one characteristic shared by the most effective promotional products, it’s that they are useful. This is especially true at a trade show, conference or similar event where attendees are likely picking up all kinds of free stuff—some that they’ll hold on to, and some they won’t.

By customizing promotional items with your company name and other branding elements, you can increase the likelihood that your conference or trade show giveaway is a success. When thinking about what to offer, consider useful categories like:

• Apparel: Tried-and-true T-shirts are popular and effective! You can also offer customized polo shirts, jackets, workwear, hats or even athletic clothing.
• Drinkware: Whether they use it at the event or in the office, trade show and conference attendees love customized drinkware. Consider offering branded water bottles, mugs & tumblers or beverage holders.
• Bags: What could be more useful than a promotional product that makes it easier for attendees to carry around all of their other free stuff they collect throughout the event? From tote bags and backpacks to coolers and duffel bags, 4imprint offers thousands of different customizable bags.
• Writing utensils and stationery: These categories go hand-in-hand. While quite common as event giveaways, pens and pencils are always useful—not to mention cost-effective to produce and customize—and pair nicely with branded notebooks, folders and sticky notes.

Why use promotional products?

The number one reason why companies offer promotional products at a trade show, conference or other event is to make an impression with attendees that enables them to capture and develop valuable leads. The typical trade show or conference is a buzzing, busy place, so anything companies can do to separate themselves from the competition is something worth pursuing.

Ultimately, you have to assume that other booths belong to your direct competitors, and your ability to make a meaningful impression can be the X-factor in whether the event was a success from the company’s perspective.

Why should I use promotional products at the next trade show or conference?

There are plenty of reasons to use promotional products at your next event, most of which center around building brand awareness and generating leads. But they can do so much more, too (making it no wonder that the promotional products industry has recently eclipsed $25 billion opens in new window in revenue).

The American Marketing Association opens in new window outlines several different reasons why promotional products are worth the modest investment, including the ability to:

• Increase brand awareness and recognition among prospective customers.
• Showcase your brand’s corporate culture or identity.
• Demonstrate customer appreciation.
• Educate prospective customers about specific product or service offerings.
• Generate or nurture leads.

What are the benefits of promotional products

For sales and marketing leaders, offering well-conceived promotional products at a trade show or conference provides many advantages. Some of the key benefits of promotional products include the following:

They get you noticed

While simply offering branded promotional products might help you make some small impact, the best results come from offering products that are especially well-designed and something attendees will actually want and appreciate. Trade shows and conferences are the ideal places for promotional giveaways, since attendees are specifically there to discover new ideas, products, services and companies—meaning you have an audience that is ready and willing to hear your pitch.

They enable you to showcase your brand and make the right impression

If you’ve been to many trade shows or conferences, you know how busy they can be, with countless companies vying for the same attendees’ attention. While you might not be the only brand offering promotional products, with some creativity and vision, you can rise above the rest with a truly standout giveaway.

They start a conversation

Everyone who passes by your booth is a potential opportunity. Offering a unique promotional product can not only attract people to your booth—but also can lay the groundwork for meaningful conversations which can then be nurtured into leads.

They build relationships

Just like in life, every business relationship starts with a single interaction—and requires ongoing nurturing to become something that lasts a long time. Giving away promotional items enables that initial interaction and can develop longer-term relationships. The fact that many attendees will hold on to promotional items for an average of 5 months opens in new window or more increases the chances they’ll remember you when seeking out the products or services your company provides.

They demonstrate appreciation, leading to loyalty

You can offer unique and useful promotional items to show you are a generous organization, and demonstrate to both prospective and current customers that you understand and value them, as well as their business.

They help prospects to remember you

Just because you give away promotional items and don’t immediately receive an overwhelming number of leads doesn’t mean it was unsuccessful. Savvy consumers do their research and like to compare their options, so it’s perfectly natural that deals might not be closed on the trade show floor. You might be able to get them to sign up for an email newsletter, which can help you to further connect with and educate them. That way, when they are ready to make a decision, your company is on their shortlist.

They are cost-effective and deliver a positive ROI

Compared with other marketing channels and initiatives, offering branded promotional products at a trade show or conference is a highly cost-effective option. And while calculating the exact ROI can be tricky, the cost per impression is typically lower than other forms of marketing.

In fact, a recent study performed by the Advertising Specialty Institute opens in new window (ASI) found that promotional products “offer a strong rate of return on investment” with a cost-per-impression “as low as 1/10 of one cent,” which makes it an especially attractive strategy for smaller, growing companies.

How effective are promotional products in building awareness and generating leads?

Thanks to their relatively low cost and their ability to deliver a great ROI, offering promotional products can be a highly effective practice for increasing brand recognition and generating leads. There is plenty of research—both statistical and anecdotal—that illustrates their potential impact.

Consider the following promotional products statistics pulled together by Trade Show Labs opens in new window, for example:

• A vast majority (92%) of people attend trade shows primarily to “explore new and exciting products and services,” meaning there is a large, built-in audience of prospects ready to hear your pitch. It has also been found that around half of attendees are even willing to travel up to 400 miles for an event.
• Trade show attendees are open-minded and looking for valuable opportunities, making conferences and trade shows one of the best ways to attract and engage new prospects. And while some attendees might just be browsing, nearly half are actually deep into their buying process—if not ready to make a purchasing decision. And when you consider that attendees are 72% more likely to buy from a company they engage with at a trade show or conference, it’s really no wonder that companies generate an average of 33% of their new business per year from these events.
• The average trade show or conference brings together a diverse group of attendees, with roughly half being decision-makers in senior management positions (46%) and over half being first-time trade show attendees. This provides a lot of opportunities to not only influence organizational leaders, but also to make an impression with people who may be new to the industry and looking for productive connections.
• Providing promotional products at trade shows is one of the best ways to increase brand recognition—by as much as 76%. This means a company’s ability to develop creative promotional products ideas can become a true advantage. And a majority of attendees (81%) have expressed an ability to recall specific exhibitors by name, so even the most crowded trade show floor provides plenty of meaningful opportunities to capitalize on.
• At least half of the average conference or trade show attendees make it a point to visit booths that are offering worthwhile and interesting promotional giveaways. Engaging with these attendees can influence their purchasing decisions and “increases their likelihood of buying the products/services” being offered.
• Once they’ve been generated, converting leads from a trade show or conference is significantly less expensive than other methods, with a positive return in the form of 5-10% of leads ultimately converting (if appropriately engaged and nurtured once in the pipeline).
• Most companies’ conference and trade show investments see an average ROI of around 4:1, while some Fortune 500 companies reported as high as 5:1 for trade show ROI. It’s worth noting that these figures relate to overall trade show expenditures and not just what companies spend on promotional products.

Design your customized promotional products today—with 4imprint

At 4imprint, we specialize in branded promotional products and provide a wide range of customizable items, including apparel, bags, drinkware, writing utensils, stationery and so much more. If you’re not sure which promotional products might be best for your business, we have plenty of categories to browse. We even have an in-house art team that’s ready to help you develop a vision and bring it to life. Unsure where to start? Don’t hesitate to reach out directly with any questions you may have.