How Best to Choose Promotional Giveaways for an Event

There's no doubt that promotional gifts work; giving away freebies is always appreciated by the public, and when those gifts are useful and make an impact in your customer's life (no matter how small that impact may be), it can make a big impact on how you conduct business and how much profit you make in the longer term. Promotional giveaways are a great part of promotional or marketing campaigns.

Choosing the right items is not always easy, however – there are a lot of things to consider. It's about bringing value to the customer, about creating the right image for your company, and doing all this within a specific and limited budget. So how do you choose? Here's how best to choose promotional giveaways for an event.

Examining your customer's life

The first step is to define your target demographic – who are your customers, and what do they like? How do they live? Gather as much information as you can. Age will be important (you don't give a 70-year-old a USB), as well as gender, hobbies, activities, social status and income, and so on. The more information you have about your customers (or potential customers), the easier it will become to decide on a gift that's practical and appreciated.

What they like to use

The gift needs to be useful – this is both for their sake, and for yours. The more they use it, the more appreciation they will have for the gift (and hence for you and your brand). Furthermore, the more they use it, the more exposure you are likely to get in advertising.

Your company image

The gift will directly be associated with your company and your brand – so try to make the gift something that represents your company and your brand. For example, if you sell makeup or beauty products, having a little makeup kit that is reusable is a good choice.

Branding

Remember that you don't necessarily need to have your gift shout out your logo – your company colours and a classic design with a modest logo will do. Branding is important but takes away the personal touch.

Your budget

We're all on a budget; consider it with care. Look for discounts when buying in volume.

There are two more things to keep in mind when choosing promotional merchandise for giveaways at an event. First of all, don't compromise on quality – it will reflect on your company and your brand, and you don't want to create a negative image. Secondly, consult the professionals when picking the item; carefully consider the advice the event merchandisers give you. They're constantly up-to-date with the trends, and study this for a living. Choosing the right promotional items shouldn't be complicated. Keep your customer in mind, and have fun.

Image attributed to Pixabay.com