Topic: The Role of Branded Merchandise in a More Effective Event Marketing Strategy

If you hand someone a lanyard at a trade show, it's probably going to end up in the garbage before the show's even over. But if you hand them a decent-quality water bottle, there's a much bigger chance they'll still be using it months later.

The gap between free gifts that will truly be appreciated and used and those that will be discarded is why you need to take the time to think about branded merchandise rather than just going for the easy, predictable options.

Cost Per Impression of Physical Objects

Modern marketing buys attention that lasts seconds. Buy ads on a social network, and users see them for a moment as they scroll. Merchandise is different: you pay for one item, but if it lands on someone's desk, they see it every day for months. The same goes for personalized backpacks for events, which stay in use long after the show concludes.

The average branded item generates close to 3,300 impressions over its lifetime, or roughly a tenth of a cent per impression. No banner ad or social media guest post gets you that kind of return.

Low-Quality Merchandise

The biggest mistake that most companies make is thinking in terms of quantity. Branded merchandise offers thousands of impressions, so surely getting as many of them out there as possible is the right choice. Well, it's not that simple.

Consider the cheap pens handed out in convention centers. They won't get thousands of impressions, especially if many arrive broken. People throw them away, and you get little return. Industry research on promotional products suggests recipients decide almost immediately whether an item is worth keeping.

There's another problem too. A flimsy logo that fades from a tote bag gives a poor impression of your brand, because it suggests you're spending as little as possible. A well-made, useful object says the opposite: that your company's products and services are high quality as well.

What to Look for Before You Order

Not every branded item is worth ordering in bulk, and merchandise should fit alongside the top digital marketing trends shaping your campaign. Before you commit to a large order, check the item against a few basic questions:

• Will people actually use the item, or will it just sit unused?
• Can the material hold up to several months of regular use?
• Is the item consistent with your brand's overall image?
• Can you add personalization at a reasonable cost?
• Should leads and clients get a higher-quality item than general attendees?
• Have you checked a sample rather than a catalog photo?
• Does the item include a way to track engagement, such as a QR code?

Matching Merchandise to the Audience

When giving out free merchandise at a convention center, you should match the merchandise you're giving to the audience. But that doesn't mean just bringing one specific item to a specific conference. You should also segment your merchandise based on the type of attendee that you're dealing with. For example, the following categories should each have a different gift attached to them:

• General attendees.
• Those who booked a meeting with your company.
• A few handpicked VIPs the sales team is hoping to work with.

The budget should be based on the relationship you have with the recipient rather than on headcount. Instead of spreading spend evenly, you should spend more on the VIP prospects compared to the attendees who are part of the general conference audience. But you should never compromise on quality in such a way that it gives a bad impression of your company.

Quality Over Quantity: Getting More From the Same Budget

In many areas of business, quality matters more than quantity. Advertising through merchandise should deliver an item built to last, one that will sit on someone's desk for months. Remember that poorly made items reflect badly on your company, so don't risk under-investing and damaging your brand.

You don't necessarily have to spend more on merchandising. You just have to carefully consider what you're buying and what kind of prioritization you're going to do.

If you're interested in learning more about similar topics, see the rest of our blog posts for more.