With so many trade show promotional products to choose from, it can seem to be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Teaming up with the right promotional products company will alleviate a lot of that stress, and Clever Advantage is point on with their trade show plan.
The first point to consider in any trade show promotional products plan is pre-show traffic builder ideas. What is that, you ask? Simply put it’s the execution of a marketing plan that starts months before the actual trade show. If positioned correctly, your early marketing efforts can get the word out and building a huge momentum that will lead right up to the trade show. Mailing your customers, as well as sending press releases, is a vital part of this pre-trade show marketing plan.
I think you’ve probably heard the expression, ‘just get them in the door and then it’s up to you to sell them,” right?
With trade shows representing a segment of your marketing strategy, you’ll need to design a plan that identifies your objectives and goals. After that’s written out, said and done, or what have you, you’ll need to figure out what campaigns will give you what you want. One of those campaigns might just be trade show promotional products, but whatever they are, always think of them as working together. They do not stand alone. Unify them all, creating a collaborative effort that will lead them to your booth and ultimately your door.
I can’t stress enough about starting your buzz early. Email, snail-mail, and press release campaigns are great ways to start that momentum. To keep it going you need to come up with something that your existing customers can respond to. You want to get them invested in a way that will drive them to the trade show. How about a contest of some sort with the prize being a relevant company product? To get them there though, you’ll have to advise them that in order to win or pick up their prize they need to visit your booth.
People love to win prizes! And, you can write it off as an investment, although you might want to check with your tax person on that one!
Over time business strategies change and corporate gifts to customers cannot be ignored. They are, in fact, one of the best ways to make an impact on new and prospective clients as well as a sign of appreciation to employees.
The intense competition in the current economic and marketing world involves finding creative approaches to tried and true marketing practices. As a result, corporate gifts have become popular. Corporate gifts are given to promote a company, its services, company anniversaries and achievements, and as performance rewards for employees. Keeping the company name on the market, branding the company logo, and bonding with clients is mandatory to insure an increase in business and a future of success.
Imprinted corporate gifts show good business acumen and are a straightforward method of expressing the importance of those in the company’s business world. Therefore, choosing the correct corporate gift is vital, and there are a number of promotional marketing companies specializing in this field.
“Customizing promotional corporate gifts is one of the many things we do well here at Clever Advantage,” says, Casey Poldino, President of San Diego based Clever Advantage. “From customized gift boxes and umbrellas to leather computer bags and polo-shirts, we’ve imprinted almost anything. If it has a surface, we can get the corporate gift out the door.”
Business professionals have become aware over the past number of years at just how important this aspect of the corporate world is, and they’ve steered marketing dollars toward carrying out these services.
Clever Advantage, a Promotional Products Company based in San Diego, recently began promoting their Clever Rewards program, by offering a Client Loyalty Program, Referral Program, and monthly and seasonal prize package drawings.
With the economy working its way through a major adjustment, business both large and small are finding ways to pull their proverbial belts a tad bit tighter. Unfortunately, some businesses cut back on their marketing, which sends the wrong message. By not keeping the name of the company on the minds of customers, both prospective and current, a business can fall to the way side. Promotional Products are the key to businesses because they allow current customers to know the company is still in business, wading through the storm, and moving forward.
The Client Loyalty Program offers one hundred dollars in “Clever Bucks” for every two thousand five hundred dollars spent, and they can use it on promotional products of their choice. Under the Referral Program, Clever Advantage will place one hundred Clever Bucks into the referrer’s account for every qualified referral. Each month Clever Advantage asks it clients to share promotional product success stories, and from those they will pick one to feature on their website along with the client’s company information. The reward is worth over two hundred and fifty dollars.
“Who doesn’t love free stuff?” says Casey Poldino, President of Clever Advantage. “We love our clients. They are dedicated with their business, give us great referrals, which goes both ways of course, and they share their success with us. It makes us feel like we are all part of the same community, and that’s why we offer our Clever Rewards Program.”
Working at Clever Promotional Products has given me a great outlet to be creative. For one, I get to write this blog, which I truly enjoy, and two, new and current clients alike come to me for nifty ideas on how to create a product that will, well, simply, ‘pop.’ We work with all types of businesses here; from construction to finance and small entrepreneurs to much larger corporate companies. And yes, even those small entrepreneurs who need to come off as a larger corporate company.
Coming up with the right corporate gift to either giveaway at tradeshows, hand out as a pop-by to their A+ customers, or use as corporate gift merchandising are a main part of what we do here at Clever Promotional Products. Sometimes the same product can be used at all three events.
Corporate Gift Ideas for a tradeshow aren’t all that tricky. As I’ve mentioned before, the main idea is to come up with something that will NOT be thrown away as soon as the potential client gets back to their office, home, hotel room, or worse yet, the trash can outside the tradeshow. The second part, and this is a little different, is that you need to spend just a bit more on the corporate gift. You need to set the right mood that you’re part of this corporate world. Something with a bit more of a sparkle, gleam, or shine should come to mind.
Corporate Gift ideas as a pop-by for you’re A+ clients are very similar and can be the same, to the tradeshow giveaway. Always remember to make it real, make it difficult to throw out. Again, they are giveaways, not throwaways. Your investment in time and money is on the line, so think!
And finally, because sometimes selling your logo on a polo shirt is a really cool thing to do, we have corporate gift ideas for merchandising. Wearing your logo or having your staff wear your logo is one of the very best ways to advertise your company – small or big. If you’re running a memorable fundraiser, in which customers and attendees will want to take something home to remember the event, think about a polo shirt, or a high quality t-shirt. You don’t need to break the bank and buy a ton of them in fear you might run out, sometimes it’s good to run out. The image you project will be that your item is too hot to keep around.
Oh, and don’t look to make a financial killing on the item either, because you shouldn’t be looking to take a trip to New Zealand on the profits. So price them right! Get your logo and company name out there. No matter how you go about the corporate gift remember to be upscale; you’re working to make the right impression!
The game of golf has grown from being just a game to an actual economy in the United States, and has accounted for more than $70 billion worth of goods in services in 2008. It has grown so quickly over the past 20 years that is has outpaced inflation and is continuing to expand.
In many cases, the social aspect of the game has become synonymous with the business aspect, and now many work days are spent on the golf course. So, working on the course can be, if done right, just as effective as any business transaction in the boardroom. From professional tournaments like the US Masters and the PGA to special fundraisers for stricken firemen and online dating sites specific to golfers, this market has far surpassed what it was in the 1980’s movie Caddyshack starring Bill Murray.
Clever Promotional Products gets that you enjoy doing business on the golf course and that you like to giveaway golf promotional products that represent your business in the best possible way. It’s an effective way to network and fundraise. Golf promotions from awards and custom event tents to goodie bags and branded water, there are many great ways to ensure the name of your entity will continue to stay with your golfers and business associates throughout the year.
We have over twenty-seven hundred golf promo items and one of my favorites is the Golf Distance Scope. Okay, it’s for the hard core folks, to which I am clearly not, but this baby makes it easier for me to accurately read the distance to the green. It comes with a padded carrying case and the customer can put their logo right on the cover. With the price at $56.00 this is one of those golf giveaways you save for you’re A+ clients. You know the ones; the ones who give you a lot of good referrals.
So the game of golf has grown and business has surely intertwined itself with it, or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way though, the lack of fluorescent lighting and ties, makes the golf course a much better place to be overall.
“Four!”
Clever promotional ideas are plentiful if you’ve got a creative mind and the innate desire to have fun and take some marketing risks. Of course there are those of us, and there’s nothing wrong with this of course, who don’t have that creative flair. They’ll sit in front of the computer, whiteboard, note pad, or whatever they use to set up their marketing plan and just draw, pardon the pun, a blank. Don’t be ashamed, it happens. Even the best of us can be caught staring at an empty space trying to formulate something that will be remembered and trigger potential clients to invest or buy our product or services.
Thankfully we at Clever Advantage are fun. We just laugh it off, take a walk around the block, toss a foam brick against the wall, shoot a squishy foam basketball into a hoop on the back of our office door, or even go bug our work neighbors. Whatever it takes we do it, and honestly, after a few laughs or some constructive distractions we are right back on track.
We are a clever lot when it comes to clever promotional ideas.
As always, when I blog, I like to share some creative or even clever promotional ideas we’ve done, or that I’ve gleaned from the internet, or maybe just some idea that’s stopped me in my tracks.
Today is no exception of course!
One idea, which is sort of similar to what I mentioned when attempting to come up with thoughts for clever promotional ideas for existing and new clients, is pretty straight forward. Even with the turn in the economy people are still remodeling and doing work on their homes. As a matter of fact, a certain large retail construction outlet has posted some wonderful stock gains this week already. But, let’s not get off track. We mostly deal with smaller, entrepreneurial businesses, because we can identify with them. One of our clients is a contractor, a good one, whose specialty, although he has many, is laying brick and tile. His business card is a compressed foam board that enlarges to the size of a small brick when wet. He hands them out at trade shows and to customers, and last time we spoke, he said his customers ask for more when he does repeat business. It seems they use them as a sponge as well.
The business-card-brick works well for him. Customers use it and most importantly it doesn’t get misplaced with all the other paperwork.
On my last blog, near about the last paragraph, I mentioned the words, ‘trade shows’ and went so far as to promise that I’d give you the in and out of some great promotional product ideas for the aforementioned. Well, here I am ‘getting back to you.’
Trade shows are a great way to meet up with your clients for some face to face time, generate new leads, establish brand identity, and even promote a new product on the market. The overall impact can be valuable and worthwhile.
For me, the right trade show giveaways are vital to your marketing campaign, keeping you in the physical and mental view of potential customers. Unfortunately, when one tries to cut corners, these trade show promotional giveaways end up in the trash.
I think the main part you need to focus on is how re-usable your product can be. Asking yourself how someone can use your promotional product over and over again is a great way to find the answer. It’s imperative to subtly invade potential clients’ homes, desktops, drawers (desk drawers!), cars, and many other personal and business related spaces to help drive up your investment. The more they see you the more pivotal it is to gaining maximum retention effectiveness.
That’s a mouthful!
I think one of the easiest ways to do this is through pens. They are relatively inexpensive and people, no matter who they are, just have a hard time tossing them in the trash can. Please don’t scrimp on this; you want to be sure the pen works, because if it doesn’t, well, that’s a quick trip to the garbage and a loss on your investment. So, I ask you to think about it. A portable trade show giveaway that can be used at home, office, and even the car. The funny thing about these trade show giveaways is that they can be considered commonplace because everyone else is doing the same thing. That’s a perceived fact by the way, so a lot of marketers overlook them.
Am I hearing a comeback for the pen!?
My goal, when I work with clients on trade show giveaways, is to ensure they receive the biggest bang for their buck, or in layman’s terms, the highest return on their investment.
As I do most days, I think about the market and what I can do to penetrate it – to make it turn in my direction. It seems that I should have this complicated grand master plan. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy – I’m nearly always happy and make the best of all situations. It’s just that I feel I can do more, especially in this highly competitive market. The simple matter of fact is plain and simple though. I need to focus on the little things, a lot of little things.
What I’ve found over time is the more I focus on big grandiose marketing tricks, the more they become just that, tricks. They are nothing concrete or reliable and that’s what I want. I want my brand image to be recognized, to stand out in the pack without being pretentious at the same time. Again, it’s pretty simple, I just forget sometimes. The best way to be subtle, remembered, and recognized is through promotional products.
Promotional products are able to bridge a gap between a business and its customers. They convey messages. Incorporating design, artwork, formats and fonts with your logo, company name, website URL, phone number, and maybe even some tag line or a slogan of some sort is an important part. Don’t rush this part of the process. If you have a really cool logo and tag line you could even have high quality polos, t-shirts, or tanks created, and give them out to your best customers. And who knows, you might even be able to turn them into merchandise for your business. That’s just an idea to make some extra cash-o-la in these times.
The most important thing here is to be sure to have promotional products as part of your overall marketing budget. Don’t break the bank or anything like that. You need to get your name out there to current customers so that they keep coming back to you, but you also need to pick up new customers as well.
Another great way to get your name out there is through trade shows. Promotional products can be freely distributed at these events. They are normally a high energy situation with people looking to find the right match for their business as well. My first word of advice on trade shows is to not print up promotional flyers. They end up in the trash bin.
Alright, I’ve got to run for now.
Next time, I’ll give you the in and out of some great promotional product ideas for trade shows.
On Tuesday of last week, a client of mine stopped by with a promotional product gift for me. It was a box of hot chocolate. You know the ones that come with 12 packets in a box? She said she enjoyed my blogs and felt I needed a thank you. Her business is thanks enough, but who am I to turn down a cup of hot chocolate! So I graciously accepted her promotional product gift and will surely think of her next time I need, or hear about an associate who might need, her services.
There is great potential from the use of promotional products in San Diego, and when they are appropriately used, they’re an awesome cost effective venue to get your company name out there. Anything from pens, note pads, caps, calendars, and even food are worth the time and effort because they are promotional products that both future and current customers will keep.
Promotional products are considered to be a significant advertising effort that a company can distribute during a conference or other event. Where some companies hand out informational flyers and other types of literature, which primarily end up in the trash can, people hold onto promotional product materials for a much longer period of time.
Ask yourself this, when was the last time you tossed out a cool looking pen? And the cool ones we offer at Clever Advantage are considered stellar!
The use of promotional products in San Diego should be considered as some of the first items to include in your marketing budget. Never consider them as extras or when you have a bit more to spend on advertising. They should be on the first line of offense!
So, Google it up as: promotional products San Diego. Clever Advantage should be on the short list!
My hot chocolate is ready, so I’m off to enjoy it on this blustery, rainy day here in San Diego.
Oh, and please remember that I’m never too busy for any type of referral.
Since I’ve started blogging about Pop-Bys and how Clever Advantage can help turn nearly any product into a memorable promotional product, I’ve received some pretty wonderful feedback with great ideas for pop-by gifts and some awesome tag lines too!
You know, staying fit is one of the main things I like to do in my life. Although, I must confess I have from time to time slacked off on my workouts, watched an extra hour of television when I could have gone for that brisk thirty-minute walk after dinner, and I’ve even had a second helping of French Fries when I was already full. As usual though, whenever I get back into going about things with a physically healthy way, I feel some discomfort from the aches and pains of not exercising.
The same can be said for the business end of things. Although I know what works, I sometimes get slack, but then I bounce back. It’s uncomfortable that first time around, but it gets better and easier the more I do it. And the more I do it, the more creative I am, and the more creative I am, the more I can do!
Segueing here! So, business for me has been steadily picking up, yes pop-bys are a great niche within the promotional market, and with the economic times being as they are, surely temporary in my opinion, it has never been more important to continue getting your name out there so that your customers know you’re still around.
Don’t give up the fight!
If you’re new to the whole target Pop-By promotional product phenomenon or a seasoned pro, there’s no time like the present to show those A+ clients of yours how much you respect and admire them. And nothing shows you care more than a thought provoking, scintillating item that generates warmth while simultaneously building your business community.
Just remember, the most important thing to do during a Pop-By is to do just that…Pop-By. Your gift should be sufficient for now, so don’t stay unless they ask you to do so.
I need to head off here.
Please remember, I am never to busy for any type of referral!