Think of any event you’ve attended. Chances are you have walked away from it carrying a keepsake or two. These are the typical cheap giveaways you’ve seen a million times before. Because you have a dozen of them at home or will just serve to add extra clutter to your home, they find their way into the trash.
As business owners and event planners, this is our worst nightmare. All that effort into the event went down the drain because of the promotional item you chose. This is why strategic use of event merchandise is so important. A well-thought-out promotional item can help add value to your business and serve as lasting brand exposure.
In this guide, we’ll take you through choosing the right promotional items that attendees will use long after the event ends and how you can customise your merch to give your brand the exposure it deserves.
Why Long-Lasting Promotional Items Matter
Promotional items for events are more than just a thing to tick off your checklist. They serve as reminders of the event and help reinforce and associate those good memories with your brand.
63% of consumers pass along a promotional product they no longer want. Make sure this doesn’t happen to your event by selecting items that are built to last and provide functionality for your audience.
Some of the benefits of long-lasting promotional items include:
- Increased Brand Visibility: Functional items are things that your attendees can use on a daily basis. Seeing daily use can mean that your brand visibility is extended long after the event has passed.
- Good Return on Investment: Choosing high-quality items may have a bigger upfront cost, but this will pay off long term. Their extended usability will give your business extra exposure without any extra cost.
- Positive Brand Association: Long-lasting items are seen as more valuable, which can affect your audience’s reception of your brand. This helps build trust and reliability which reflects positively on your brand.
- Environmental Benefits: Compared to cheap items which are easily discarded, premium items contribute less waste. This helps appeal to eco-conscious customers that you are a business that cares for the environment.
- Customer Loyalty: Customers can build a connection with your brand after using your long-lasting promotional items. This creates a better connection with your brand that encourages engagement and loyalty.
Top 5 Promotional Items Attendees Keep
Reusable Water Bottles
Whether you want a quick refreshment on-the-go or to hydrate during workouts, reusable water bottles have proved their usability. This practical and durable item can be made of different materials of your choice, including eco-friendly materials for eco-conscious customers. There’s also plenty of ways to add your unique branding and customisations.
Portable Chargers and Power Banks
Never run out of battery at inconvenient times. Stay connected and powered up at all times with the help of a power bank. Its high capacity lets you charge your smartphone or gadget multiple times and comes in a sleek and compact design that lets you take it with you wherever you go.
Eco-Friendly Tote Bags
Ditch single-use bags and upgrade with an eco-friendly tote. This stylish and durable bag is perfect for carrying all your needs. Personalise it by using the large front area to show off your brand.
Quality Notebooks and Pens
High-quality stationery has an enduring appeal, especially for those who like traditional pen and paper notetaking. With plenty of stylish designs and customisation options available, there’s truly something for everyone. Give your audiences a premium stationery experience that they will remember your company by.
Branded Apparel
Wearable promotional items never go out of style. They are usually designed for comfort, feature timeless or fashion-forward designs, and offer a blank canvas for branding according to your company’s style and theme. Keeping branding design in a minimal and smart way can help make apparel like t-shirts, caps, and jackets more wearable for your audience.
How to Choose the Right Promotional Items
Understand your Audience
Consider your main audience’s demographics—what is their age, gender, occupation, and interests? Think about the things that they would find useful and would appreciate. This would increase the chance of them using your event giveaways so much more.
Align with the Event Theme
Whether your event is a trade show, product launch, or charity event, make sure that your items align with the purpose and goals of the event. This can help them appreciate and value the items more as it would be a reminder of the event.
Set a Budget
Setting a budget would serve as your constraint for what you can and can’t do for your event giveaways. Balance both cost and quality to make sure that you are getting your return on investment (ROI) on your giveaways. Take advantage of bulk orders to get better deals from suppliers.
Consider Functionality and Quality
Think of items that they can use on a daily basis so that it ensures continued brand exposure. These can be things like a reusable bottle, t-shirts, mugs, and the like. Go for high-quality items that are durable so that they can be long-lasting.
Customisation
Once you’ve settled on the items, make sure that your logo and branding are easily visible and recognisable. You can be as creative as you can with the design but also keep your audience in mind—will it be appealing enough to wear or use? Will this be something they will keep with them or just toss away?
Gather Feedback
Collect feedback from the attendees to understand which event giveaway items they used and appreciated. Check the numbers and see how these promotional items helped engagement and stack against your event’s goals.
How You Can Customise Your Promotional Items
Customising your promotional items adds an extra layer of connection with your audiences. It’s your way of showing them you’re going the extra mile to make it memorable for them. There are plenty of ways to customise your promotional items including:
- Branding: Show off your company branding, logo, and tagline creatively on the promotional items. These can come in the form of having your logo engraved, printed, or embroidered, depending on the material of the items.
- Packaging: Incorporate your logo, branding colors, and branding elements into your packaging whether they are wrapping paper, customised boxes, and tote bags.
- Personalisation: Adding the names or initials of the recipient is a tried and tested method of adding a personal touch to any promotional gift. You can also add personal notes or messages to attach to the gift.
- Event Customisation: Add your event logos and branding to your promotional items to serve as a reminder to your event audience. Include details surrounding the event such as the event date and location so you can give your attendees something to look back on.
Explore Customisable Promotional Items Audiences Will Surely Remember
One of the best marketing strategies you can do for your event is to find promotional items that audiences will use for a long time. High-quality and useful promotional items can help give you lasting brand exposure and good return on investment. Choosing the right promotional items and taking the time to customise it can go a long way in making your event memorable.
Get started with making lasting event memories with premium and customisable branded merchandise. Explore Red Tomato’s promotional products today.
