By: Danielle Holbrook, Account Coordinator
Last month, RBOA packed our bags and drove down to Orlando for FETC, one of the largest conferences in the nation devoted entirely to education technology. Part of our daily coverage involved live tweets from the exhibit hall filled with hundreds of technology- and education-related companies that ranged from heavy hitters like Google, Samsung, Pearson and Scholastic to start-ups and small, highly-specialized companies.
We immediately targeted the booths that conference attendees talked and tweeted about the most. Interestingly, we found these booths weren’t always the largest companies at the Expo, but they all had something in common- great promotional products – a.k.a. swag!
Good swag can increase consumer awareness, web traffic and sales. Good swag gets customers interested in your product. Great swag gets people talking about and mentioning your company to colleagues, clients and friends.
Here are our tips for getting the most out of your promotional items:
1. Think Information!
This seems obvious to us, but we find companies try to save space by using logos instead of their name, website or basic company information. While some companies have logos that are almost universally identifiable (Target, Apple, etc.), most need a written reminder of who they are, especially with new audiences.
Never forget the three key components: company name, website, phone number.
2. Think Quick!
Most customers will only give your product a cursory glance before they drop it into their bag. Use larger fonts and limit text to the essentials!
3. Think QR!
QR codes can make swag magic happen. They can be great for tracking customer responsiveness through dedicated QR codes on materials or providing customers with links to information on small products. Encourage customers to use your QR code by offering QR-specific discounts.
4. Think Creatively!
Skip over generic pens, notepads and highlighters. Stand out with fun products or innovative versions of traditional products. Some of our favorites were creative USB drives and desktop toys like USF’s dancing robot or Hitachi’s sumo wrestler squishy for relieving stress.
Remember, customers who are amused or intrigued by your materials are more likely to talk about them or share with friends. Creativity will turn a casual browser into a promoter who wants to talk about your products!
5. Think Strategically!
One of the best ideas for visible swag we saw were bags. All over the Expo Floor hundreds of people were carrying bright red bags that Scholastic gave out. Good bags are great, because they transport easily and allow customers to do promotional work for you, telling people who stop them to ask about the bag where to find your booth and using the bag throughout their time at an event and beyond. Plus, we think there is something great about being the bag that other boring promotional products get hidden inside.