Research on Corporate Gifts, Business and Promotional Giftsresearch on Corporate Gifts, Samples of Corporate Gifts Used as Incentives

Just how effective are promotional products as giveaways at trade shows? A recent study by a major university was conducted at four trade shows representing the gift, jewelry, dry-cleaning and close-out (housewares, toys, clothing, etc.) industries. Data was collected through exit interviews consisting of 18 multi-part questions designed to determine what attendees remembered about the promotional products they received at the shows, their perceptions about the promotional product and its usefulness, and their impression of the companies giving them the product.

F I N D I N G S

62.6% of trade-show attendees stated they had received a promotional product.

71.6% of attendees who received a promotional product remembered the name of the company that gave them the product. 65.5% of the attendees who received a product thought the product was useful.

76.3% of attendees had a favorable attitude toward the company that gave them the product.

Providing promotional gifts to attendees at trade shows increases the likelihood of people remembering the name of the company and creates a positive image in the mind of the recipient.

Promotional Products Increase
Trade Show Booth Traffic

Promotional products can also increase traffic to an exhibitor's trade show booth. A study found that using promotional products can give you an advantage over other exhibitors for buyer attention.

To promote traffic at its booth, one exhibitor sent invitations to 4,900 trade show registrants. These registrants were further broken down into smaller groups, each of which received an offer to pick up at the booth from zero to three gifts (before, during, and/or after the show).

To learn what gift combinations had the best results, researchers measured booth traffic, post-show memory of having received the invitation, and registrant goodwill toward the company after the show.

F I N D I N G S

Invitation response rates - booth traffic - were significantly higher for groups who received an invitation to claim a gift at the show booth than for study groups who did not receive a promotional gift offer.
The response rate was highest for the study group whose members received an offer to pick up a matching 2-piece gift set - a coaster before the show and a matching coffee mug during the show. This response rate was 61% higher than the next highest group, and almost three times higher than the lowest responding groups.
The group with the highest response rate also showed the most goodwill - positive feelings - toward the company.
The gift set increased the memorability of the invitation. Groups receiving invitations to pick up a promotional gift recalled receiving the invitation significantly more than the groups that did not receive a gift offer.

Promotional products are effective and flexible ways to increase customer awareness, goodwill and traffic at trade show exhibits.

Real World Success Story

Objective:
To drive traffic to the company's trade show booth, write orders at the booth, increase awareness of the company and create a positive image in attendee's minds.

Strategy & Execution:
This program was played out in the snack food company's booth at an annual vending machine operators' tradeshow. Recognizing the golfing appeal of the location - Myrtle Beach, SC - the company hosted a lively, attention-getting golf-themed game in the booth. Booth visitors were challenged to drop a logo imprinted golf ball onto an imprinted tee in a glass of water as spectators around the booth loudly counted down from 10 to one. Gamers who were successful in the 10-second time frame won five cases of snacks. Those who didn't still got to keep the promotional golf ball and some tees. Of course, no matter the outcome, the snack food company won every round as more and more show attendees were drawn to the booth to see what all the excitement was about.

Results:
With never less than six and as many as 18 visitors in the booth, this was by far the most active the company's booth had been in 12 years at this particular show. More importantly, the company sold over 4,000 cases and signed 12 new accounts - some at the show and some after the show. The company created an impression at the show resulting in a positive image in client's minds.

(c) 2008 Franklin Awards
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