The choice of an advertising goodie is rarely decided at the last moment without paying the consequences: an object chosen in a hurry, unrelated to the real objective of the event, often ends up abandoned on a table or thrown away at the exit of the show. Before selecting a model, it is more effective to first define what the company is seeking to obtain from this distribution: notoriety among a large passing public, a more qualitative object reserved for prospects identified as serious, or a loyalty gift for already acquired customers. These three objectives call for very different objects, quantities and budgets per unit, and confusing the registers often leads to a disappointing result despite a correctly spent budget.
Adapt the object to the objective of the stand, not the other way around
For mass distribution at the entrance to the stand, a simple, light and inexpensive object per unit remains preferable, even if it means sacrificing a little perceived quality for the benefit of the volume distributed. For a qualified meeting or a hand-delivery to a decision-maker, a more elaborate object distributed in reduced quantities strengthens the company's image more than a generic gadget. Many companies make the mistake of choosing a single item for the entire event, while a combination of two registers (a mass goodie and a more qualitative gift reserved for priority contacts) often gives a better return on the investment made.
Anticipate the logistics before the event
Personalizing a goodie takes time, and this time must be integrated into the overall preparation schedule for the show, in the same way as the reservation of the stand or printing of signage. A delay in validating the marking visual, often linked to internal approval back and forth, remains the most common cause of last-minute rush. The storage and transport of objects to the event location also deserve to be anticipated, in particular for large volume distributions which take up a significant amount of space in the stand boxes.
Distribute the budget between several highlights of the year
Many companies concentrate their entire goodies budget on a single large annual exhibition, whereas a distribution over several occasions (main exhibition, open days, loyalty operations punctual) maintains a more regular presence with the same contacts. Spreading out orders also makes it possible to test a new object over a small volume before committing it on a large scale for the major event of the year, a useful precaution when the total budget remains limited and does not allow for errors.
Frequent errors in the choice of goodies
- Choosing an object unrelated to the sector of activity or the image of the company, which dilutes the message rather than enhancing it. strengthen.
- Underestimating the quantity needed and finding yourself out of stock before the end of the event, which leaves a negative impression on the last visitors.
- Neglecting the visual coherence between the goodie, the stand signage and the other communication media used on the same day.
These errors can be avoided by treating the goodie as an integral element of the presence strategy at the event, planned in advance rather than added at the last minute to fill a box in the budget. A company that thinks of its distribution of goodies as a project in its own right, with an objective, a budget per contact and anticipated logistics, derives an image benefit that is significantly greater than a last minute order placed without prior thought.
