Company giveaways items are those little trinkets found at trade shows, conferences, seminars, fairs and other business-related events. These items can become the perfect promotional branding product that people can use in their everyday lives as it becomes a reminder of the products and services your business offers. The items can also become free advertising. Every time the person shows the item in public, other people are exposed to your company brand name. Yet selecting the right branded item to offer can be a confusing decision.
Popular yet passé branded giveaways
When it comes to branded giveaways, the most popular products should have a purpose so they will be used for a long time. Throughout the years, some items have become so popular that they have turned passé. When you have 30 businesses at a trade show offering the same items at their giveaways, the products can lose their branding purpose. People will actually begin passing by tables because it has the same items that they already have stowed away in purses and backpacks. Some of the popular items making the passé list:
- pens/pencils
- bookmarks
- paperweights
- key chains
Try to select items that are unique while still usable. You want to stand out from your competition in every way, and that includes the items you want to pass out at giveaways.
Popular items still trending
Some items are so popular as giveaway things that you might find people stuffing two to three things into their bags. Here are some items that you may want to select for your giveaway, as you are always sure that the person will find some use for it, or give it to a family member or friend to use.
- umbrellas
- reusable water bottles
- mobile device chargers
- tee shirts
- seasonal items (beach towels, frisbees, sunglasses)
Always keep in mind the size of the item that you want to offer along with the price. Larger items can be too bulky while smaller items can be lost easily. Choose an item that fits into the type of business products and services that you offer, such as unique food items in fancy reusable containers if you are a caterer or small travel toys it you operate a creche.
Popular items on the maybe list
Lastly, we have those popular branded items that can either be a big hit or a big flop for giveaways. So proceed with caution when using them in your company branding campaign.
- phone cases: The reason this item is on the maybe list is that while it is a practical item that a person should use every day, most people already have the cases they want. So the question is, why would a person want your branded phone case instead of the one that they purchased? Some people may take it as a backup case, but otherwise the item will just get stashed in a drawer to never see the light of day again.
- backpacks and totes: While this may seem like a great idea, keep in mind that good quality backpacks and totes cost a lot. If you spring for a cheaper version of poor quality and construction, that item might not last too long. The last impression you want to have on a customer is that you invest in poor quality products as giveaway items.
- portable USB flash drives: This item is definitely on the maybe list. While more people are using the cloud to save documents, music and photos, there are still people who like to have a physical backup of their photos and files. So they may love to get a portable USB flash drive.
Don’t be afraid to offer more than one item as a giveaway. Letting people have choices allows them to get the items they want the most, and guarantees that the item will be used more often. Check your budget and decide on the best giveaway item that captures the essence of your business.
Here at Big Red Cloud we’ve used a range of different giveaways over the years but when we won Sponsor for a Day we used water bottles as our giveaway seeing as it was a sporting event. The water bottle was a complimentary fit. Besides the company brand we also used the water bottle to present our key message for our online accounts software. There is no doubt that giveaways can be effective but take time to research and decide which are most suitable for your business.
