Friday, January 16, 2009

Promotional Gifts Always Appreciated At Tradeshows

By Alexander Calvin

Promotional marketing can be very successful if it is approached with proper planning. If it doesn't deliver perceived value to the recipient, then there will likely be a diminished return. It should be understood that instant return in the promotional marketing genre is almost unheard of. Success takes time. Moreover, the value received depends on the value perceived, that is, the product needs to be appropriate for the recipient. A high level business executive is unlikely to find much use for promotional pencils or mouse pads.

Considering that there is such a wide variety of items and products to pick from, it can be confusing when trying to determine the best venue for promoting your campaign. Opinions may vary, but tradeshows are near the top of everyone's list. Tradeshows provide a targeted group of customers that have made a conscious decision to attend because they are genuinely interested. The challenge of filtering prospects is no longer a factor.

When choosing the perfect gift to be distributed at the conference or tradeshow, emphasis should be placed on selecting something of quality that will stand out against what your competitors may choose. If you choose a pen or an umbrella, or a keepsake mug, your gift will cause your image to stay with your recipients, while your competitor's brochure or flyer will likely be tossed by the wayside before getting out of the building.

While there are innumerable choices for promotional ideas for tradeshows, some items traditionally work better than others. Small items like promotional pens or mouse pads are sought after, usable and inexpensive enough that you can distribute them to everyone. Keychains also are an inexpensive gift that everyone likes to receive, but never buys for themselves. If your budget is a little larger, promotional T-shirts or umbrellas will likely garner you the most attention and admiration.

Once you decide to spend to buy promotional gifts, you should make sure you do everything in your power to make responses to your campaign as positive as possible. The amount of time and effort spent planning the event will be directly tied to the success of your promotion. Because you won't have many opportunities to re-sell the brand once people are aware of it, you should give it everything you've got. - 16651

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