Creating a Successful Promotional
Products Campaign
for your next Trade Show
With a vast array of promotional
products available for trade shows, determining the most appropriate
product requires both internal and external research. Determining
the organization’s goals is just as important as knowing the
consumer’s expectations. A strategic communication plan acts as a
guide for marketers from start to finish. All nine of these steps
are important parts of a campaign, but remember to stay flexible in
order to meet specific organizational needs and allow room for
creativity.
1. Choose the Goal: The goal of a trade show promotional
products campaign can be anything from client acquisition to
customer retention or increasing brand awareness to brand
repositioning. Goals are meant to be general and are used to
guide marketers in the right direction.
2. Specify Objectives: Objectives are the milestones that
must be reached in order to meet the goal. They must be specific,
measurable and attainable. Use action verbs to describe the
objectives to clearly spell out what must be accomplished.
3. Define the Target Audience: Like objectives, the target
audience must also be specific, measurable and attainable. In
addition, the target audience must also be responsive. It is
important to consider whether the business offers a product or
service that is appropriate for this target audience. Is this
product or service something consumers generally need, want or is it
an unsought good?
4. Research When, Where & How to Reach the Target Audience:
Is there a common place where members of the target audience gather?
Perhaps there is an upcoming event that draws a large population of
people or trade show created specifically for the target audience.
Contests with prize giveaways or reward programs are a great way to
draw attention through the use of promotional products. Be sure to
have permissions cleared before implementing the campaign.
5. Choose a Theme: The theme should be centered around the
campaign’s goal. Design logos, fonts and color schemes that are
consistent throughout the campaign.
6. Create a Message: The message is derived from the
campaign’s theme and is used to solidify the business’s product or
service.
7. Select the Product: With thousands and thousands of trade
show giveaways and promotional products available, it helps to
narrow down the product categories that best suit the nature of the
business, the campaign theme or the target audience. Most
promotional products are practical, generating usage by the
recipient which increases exposure to the brand logo and message
during every use. Keep in mind that quality products tend to
generate more buzz and boost the businesses’ overall value, but
simple products, such as pens and coasters, might be all that is
needed to increase brand exposure.
8. Implement the Campaign: Designate who is in charge of
implementing the campaign and how the trade show giveaways will be
transported and distributed. Train employees properly and prepare
them for consumer inquiries to ensure that information is clear and
consistent. It is important to keep track of how many consumers were
reached for later evaluation.
9. Evaluate: Determine the results of the campaign. Were the
objectives met? Pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each
element of the campaign. Perhaps the message might need improving or
a different promotional product would be more suitable. An easy way
to evaluate progress is to ask the simple question, “How did you
hear about us?” A simple survey can help determine if trade show
promotional products, advertisements, word-of-mouth or other
marketing strategies are generating the most business.
Example
Business: First National Bank of Collegetown, USA
Goal: First National Bank wants to increase the number of
savings accounts created by college students.
Objectives:
1) Increase the number of student savings account by 30 percent by
Aug. 31, 2008.
Target Audience: College students between the ages of 18 and
24 within the FNB service area.
Reaching the Target Audience:
1) College Orientation; approximate attendance is 100-200 students
per session; Dates: May 26-July 25, Monday through Friday, 10:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
2) Ice Cream Social; approximate attendance is 800 students; Date:
Friday, Aug. 15, 7:00 p.m.
*Obtain permission from University Special Events office.
Theme: Savings for Your Future.
Message: Start off your future on the right foot. Open a
Savings Account with us today.
Product: 500 Pizza Cutters and 300 Piggy Banks with bank logo
and message imprinted on the products.
Implementation: Sue, our bank manager, is in charge of
ordering the product. Three representatives from different branches
of the bank, Joe, Cindy and Nate, will attend the orientation
sessions and distribute the products at the company booth. The same
representatives will administer a survey and sign-up table at the
Ice Cream Social. Students who fill out a survey receive a FNB piggy
bank. Additional collateral material will also be printed and
distributed at every event.
Evaluation: An average of 120 students visited the FNB booth
at each orientation session. All accepted a promotional product, and
2 out 3 students picked up brochures and asked additional questions.
All 300 surveys were completed at the Ice Cream Social and all
promotional products and collateral material were distributed.
The number of students savings accounts increased by 35 percent by
Aug. 31, exceeding the campaign objectives.
Strength: Students responded well to the promotional
products. Many said the products were useful, fun and appealing.
Weakness: Many students wanted to sign up for an account at
the orientations while their parents were with them. We were unable
to provide that service. Consider setting up computers that allow
account set-up at next year’s orientations.
