It feels like fishing in a river where every fish needs a different bait as you try to find the right giveaway. You can’t just take everything that seems good and hope it will work. Companies give away pens like candy, hoping that people will miraculously take their brand with them. But wait—would you remember a brand more than a free pen? Probably not, unless you don’t have enough pens at home. Click our recommended reading about this page!
Keep your audience in mind. Are they desk jockeys who spend all day at their computers, or are they road warriors who drive long distances between meetings? It makes logical to give free USB drives at a tech gathering; no one wants a frisbee at an accounting conference. But if you’re at a fair in your area, a reusable shopping bag can get more use every day than something high-tech.
Sometimes it’s worth it to travel off the beaten road. I saw a startup give away small desk vacuums once. Weird, huh? But everyone who came took out their phones to take a picture. That company name started to spread quickly on Twitter and Instagram. Not flashy, but definitely sticky.
Budget always comes in. When you need 1,000, a $5 tumbler sounds like a lot. That cup may stay on a desk for years, though, unlike those sticky notes that are going to be used for sandwich wrapping. Think about how much you spend in the short term compared to how much you think it will cost in the long term.
Even with swag, brand consistency is important. Imagine putting thousands of dollars into travel mugs that are painted a bright green color that has nothing to do with your logo. All of a sudden, you’re telling your audience that you care more about being new than being recognized. Stick with your colors, typefaces, and mood; consistency gets more people to look.
Don’t forget about usefulness. No one likes a freebie that they have to throw away. Phone chargers, hand sanitizers, and water bottles are things that people might use every day. And what if your product is related to your business? That’s even better. A brand of sunscreen giving out little SPF tubes? Smart.
Plans for distribution also need a minute. Boxes of unused giveaways in your storage closet are sad little money pits. Make a plan. Use them at events, put them in orders, or hold social contests. Put those things out in the world so your brand can develop.
And sometimes the strangest ideas make the best stories. Corporate yo-yo? A way to start a conversation. Chopsticks that light up? Why not? Try something, see how people react, then change your approach. That’s how marketing works: sometimes you go straight, and sometimes you go sideways. Always learn.
Choosing promotional items carefully will never be a one-time task. You need to try new things, know your audience, and keep your brand front and center without making people want to throw it away.