“The top best and the top worst swag items”

(Our research on how do marketing professionals and event attendees classify promotional gifts)

Every year, numerous different events and conferences attract thousands of guests worldwide. The leading attraction of each of those live events is (or at least should be) the content. However, as we all know, a small well-designed gift may also become the sparkling star at a particular event.

Attendees always remember the special prizes that coordinators hand out, the contests that take place and the workshops and various surprises implemented in the program. They all come along with catchy promotional gifts, usually branded with logos of the sponsors. You know, it’s all about the free swag! On one hand, a really cool branded gift can make an event truly go the extra mile. On the other, the truly boring swag can make the guests grumble and look for the nearest trash can.

My point here is that giving things away just for the sake of giving things away is absolute nonsense. The best swag has a meaning and a purpose.It is closely tied in with the message you are trying to convey.

Most marketing professionals would actually argue that it’s impossible to categorically classify any item as “good” or “bad” swag. The key is always to make sure that the promotional gifts are either useful or have some specific relevance given the purpose of the event. (Read more: tips about choosing good swag)

Well, we came up with the idea of “The top best and the top worst swag items”, a chart which conference coordinators might find useful and exhilarating. Starting from today, we are going to regularly post various examples, representingthe best and worst promotional gifts we have come across. Hopefully, our collection will help inspire you to create an awesome swag bag:

 

Top 3 “BAD” items:

In the “worst swag” category of the week fell caps, paper weights and key chains. Caps branded with corporate logos are outdated and boring way of advertising. They sometimes might even be too costly. If you still decide to use branded caps, they most probably are going to end up hidden in someone’s wardrobe and you as a marketing coordinator won’t be able to convey your message.

child-pink-baseball-cap

image: baseballcapp.wordpress.com

Key chains are among the most commonly gifted items since promotional giveaways emerged. Over the time they became widely overused among event coordinators, thus, accepted as one of the least effective ways to get attendees to remember a brand it became. There is only one exception – people might consider key chains cool, only if they resemble an opener.

key-chains-1

image: http://www.montbleu.eu

If our chart existed as a marketing guide book, a paper weight would be the piece of swag that breaks every rule. They are heavy and sizeable, which is something that traveling conference attendees would most likely try to omit. Moreover, paper weights are dated, which makes them useless over a longer period of time.

CLX030111_056

image: www.countryliving.com

 

Top 3 “GOOD” items:

Here we go with the favorites of the week. Once I received a small tin box of breath mints at a conference. Most people really appreciated this type of swag. Hardly, can someone considerate it as an expensive promotion, so you do not need to invest a lot if your budget is tight. Actually, it often comes in handy at the event, especially when food is served between lecture sessions and attendees do not have time to brush their teeth.

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image: www.epromos.com

 

At the second place this week stand the seasonal items. Usually, most companies don’t give away seasonal products, mainly because the sponsors are looking for gifts that attendees can use year round. However, that fact alone makes these items outstanding!If you’re hosting a summer conference, you may give out items like beach towels or blankets, flip flops, and frisbees.Seasonal giftsand outdoor sport items cater to activities attendees can try during the event. Moreover, people will use them in public places where othes may ask, where you got thator which company is that. That way, your brand exposure will go far beyond you have expected.

beach

image: www.paradiseswimwear.com

 

Lastly, our favorite of the week are the mobile chargers. Speaking of myself and most of the people I know, we all love them! Whether tweeting, texting, checking emails, or stalking someone, most attendees are on their phones at conferences. As we all have experienced, the phone’s battery life is most likely going to be below 50% by lunch time. Fixing that problem will guarantee that every attendee will love you and remember your brand’s name. A mobile charger is a practical and thoughtful swag. Furthermore, that gadget will be used way after the conference is over. And what does that mean? That means your logo will be visible long after your conference ends.

PB016

image: www.power-bank.co.in

 

Hopefully, the guidelines listed above were helpful. Our next “top best and the top worst swag items” suggestions are coming soon! Meanwhile, if you are still wondering what kind of promotional gifts to purchase, pick out swag that is useful and easy to travel with.

 

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