For The Love of Swag (Continued)- Trade Shows

Continuing the theme of the last couple of blogs (which you can read here and here) of favorite and/or most popular swag we love for various topics, today we are focusing on the ever popular trade show swag.

The items you give away at your booth should be well thought out- if there is a general theme to the show the item or the imprint can help carry that theme through.  Items can be selected based on your business or services.  The most important aspect of selecting your trade show swag is that it will be used by the recipient.  You don’t want your marketing pieces to end up in the trash.  Select items that are useful, convey your message and give your company the best ROI, such as the items below.  These will focus more on business to business conventions for exhibitors, but could certainly be appropriate for business to consumer events such as home shows, garden shows and more- but we will cover those topics more thoroughly in upcoming “For The Love of Swag” blog so check back.

Mints. This should really be a no-brainer.  Coffee, lunch, snacks…it all adds up to unpleasant breath, which makes for unpleasant conversations.  It is really difficult to listen to what someone has to say and truly pay attention when all you want to do is get away from that breath.  Pillow packs or individual mints with a logo on the package can fill a bowl at your booth or tins of mints make a nice giveaway.  And each person at your booth can have an opened container to offer attendees a “sample” to make conversations easier.  The tins are also reusable and often stick around to be re-purposed after the mints are gone.

Hand sanitizer. Because fist bumps aren’t the same as a hand shake.  Packets of individual wipes can be attached to literature or handed out easily to people passing by to create an opportunity to start a conversation about your products.  Small bottles of hand sanitizer gel or spray are affordable handouts at your booth and most of the time they allow for a full color imprint on the label.  In addition to simple flip lid bottles or spray tubes, there are carabiner clips, neoprene sleeves, silicone containers, pouches and scent choices.  If you have time (and need a large quantity) we can even produce custom scents or custom containers.

T shirts can be on the higher end of a booth giveaway, but they can also create quite a buzz at your booth.  Combine the T-shirt giveaway with an interactive game, such as a prize wheel, putting contest or a pre-show mailing they must bring to the booth to claim their shirt and you not only generate traffic, but it gives you time to qualify attendees, share information about your product and obtain their information for follow up.  Adding a cool design to the shirt (such as something unique about the city the show is held in) increases the wow factor and makes the shirt even more desirable.  Many clients often want to order shirts in just L or XL thinking everyone can make those sizes work.  Order a variety of sizes, from small up to 2xl (maybe even 3xl).  You want attendees to be able to wear the shirts- not sleep in them or use them to wash their car.  We can help you determine how many of each size to order to make sure you have a variety.

Sling Grips.  I love this product. LOVE.  I allowed someone to put this on my phone last year at a show and we now have them with our logo (email me- I’ll send you one while supplies last).  These come on a card (business card size) you can customize with your message, logo, products, web address, anything you would like.  The sling grip has a 3M adhesive backing to attach to the phone or phone case (mine is on my case).  The slim design makes it unobtrusive but easy to keep a grip on your phone without a fear of it slipping out of your hand.  You must try this out.  These are great for trade show giveaways because you have two ways to imprint them- on the sling grip itself which sticks around (pun intended) and on the card.  Your booth staff can attach these to attendees phones while qualifying the for your products or getting their information or they can be handed out to be attached later.  I like that they offer the opportunity for more interaction if you choose to attach them at the booth. And people will love them.

Who doesn’t love a Sharpie Maker?  It’s not something you use every day, but they are handy to have around and no on is going to throw it away.  The very nature of the sharpie is that the writing is permanent so it gives you the perfect opportunity to play on that theme with your marketing and the permanence of your brand, product or services. With a variety of sizes, colors and tips to choose from, customized Sharpies just might be the perfect items to create some really permanent ROI (see what I did there?)

Other items I like for tradeshow giveaways are lip balm, charging cables, cups or bottles and bottled water.

We are always happy to help you find items that fit your business, brand and client’s personalities to make your trade show experience even better.  Call or email today and we can discuss your goals and come up with ideas selected just for you!

http://www.barefootswag.com

sales@barefootswag.com    866-247-4320

 

 

 

Surprising Things You Might Not Know We Do

After 25 plus years in this business, I feel like I should have seen and done it all- from the tried and true Bic Clic Stic to the ultra trendy fidget spinners (I think we can all agree this fad needs to end quickly).  So when someone asks for something I have never been asked for before, it’s always surprising.  For example, today I had a client wanting branding irons. Yes, we have those.  So it made me think, what other items do our clients not realize we can add their logo to, what items are actually in the swag category that you wouldn’t think of?

Bottled Water–  we get tons of requests for water bottles, but we can also do bottles of water in a variety of sizes, shapes and even colors.  8 oz bottles are small and convenient for using in a showroom, for office visitors or handing out at events.  12 oz and 16 oz are popular sizes for tradeshows and meetings.  We even have recycled and eco friendly bottle styles available and flat or sport caps.  With multiple shipping locations across the US, we can find a shipping point closest to you to help with freight costs as well.

Patio Umbrellas– I love to sit outside on the patio at restaurants as often as possible and always notice the umbrellas (I think it’s a hazard of the job).  Beverage distributors, food distributors and restaurants can add their logo to one or more panels.  Or alternate logos around the umbrella for even more impact.

Mascots & Costumes are in our wheelhouse as well.  There are a variety of stock designs you can choose from such as bears, bunny costume, lion, bulldog and more OR we can custom design one for you.  Starting from your concept or using stock design as a base, our designers can work with you to create mascot costume unique to you.  Need help coming up with a mascot for your company? That’s no problem either.  Just give us a call and we can discuss your needs and work on ideas for you.

 

Giant Inflatables- it is a little bit of a broad category.   All of the larger than life blow up items such as giant inflatable “dancers” (those things seriously freak me out), blimps, giant balloons and other inflatable shapes are all available with or without an imprint.  These are used a lot by auto dealerships, for grand openings, outdoor events and at any business or retail location to attract attention.  We can even have a custom shape made of your mascot (to match the costume above) or logo.

Rugs and floor mats are used by many companies, colleges & universities, banks, restaurants, leasing companies, grocery stores and more for entry way rugs to not only showcase their logo and “welcome” people, but to trap water, mug and dirt from being tracking throughout the building and keep their entry way looking clean and neat. Indoor/Outdoor rugs are durable enough to withstand traffic and look nice for a long time.

These are just a few of the more unusual categories that many people don’t think of when they are looking at branded or logo items and don’t realized that they fall into the realm of promotional products.  My general rule of thumb is, if you can think of it, we can put your logo on it.

Whether you need normal swag items such as pens, shirts and mugs or you want something a little more unusual and unique, our team is here to help you find exactly what works for you.

www.barefootswag.com   866-247-4320

sales@barefootswag.com