How Long Will They Keep It?
Tradeshows are filled with freebies at practically every booth I go to.
Before going to a show you have to decide what you feel like bringing with you, and a good criteria for this is to ask yourself how long people are going to keep your free item with them.
The whole point of handing something out is because they’re going to be likely to keep them for longer than they would a normal piece of advertising. I don’t hang onto flyers or other promotional material for very long, but if I’m handed a pen with a companies name on it, I might very well have that pen for the next year or more.
Often these free items can be separated between the practical handouts and the fun handouts. Folder printing, notepads, and other office equipment will be part of the practical handouts. These are things people can actually use, and therefore are more likely to keep.
The fun handouts do have their place, but sometimes they don’t end up doing the exact job that they were supposed to. I recall a number of tradeshows where a company handed out something really interesting like a thing of silly putty with their name pressed into it, or even something like a slinky for people to play around with.
These got more attention then the practical handouts, which was part of the point, but sitting here now I remember the handout more than I do who gave it to people. I don’t really remember what company’s name was pressed into that silly putty, so was the handout really that useful to them?
The reason why companies go for the more playful ones is because they just want to do something different, and as I said, you can get some use out of them. But I prefer to consider how long the person will keep my handout rather than how interested they are when they first get it. Plus, folder printing or printing notepads is going to be cheaper than the more exotic handouts as well. You’re spending less money for longer term and better results.
The flare of a unique handout is often all it takes to attract a company and get them to have interest in trying something new. If you think you can make a big enough splash than obviously you should go for it. I’m not suggesting that only one type of handout is going to be useful.
You should still consider how long term your handout is, and whether you’re going to be paying more for very short term results. If I’m keeping something with me for over a year, that handout has truly done its job. Think about that the next time you go to a tradeshow.
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