Comments on: Marketing Swagger

By: Michael Thimmesch

Michael Thimmesch — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:04:23 +0000

As a trade show exhibit company, we’ve given away lots of different promotional items, everything from a watch that cost us $1.80 each, to a trip for two to Hawaii that costs thousands.
What we strive for with each giveaway is not only it something the client would want, but that it ties into our theme or message at the show. So the watches, which were shaped like tubes, were a great tie-in with our Tube System exhibit system we introduced at that year’s show, and the free trip to Hawaii tied into to the theme, “Marooned on an island exhibit?” when dot-bomb exhibitors were trying to get away from their heavy custom island exhibits.
Otherwise, choose giveaways that help clients do their job — like the tape measure example in the earlier post — so you help bring in and reward qualified visitors.
And I have to say, I like swag too. Not only does it bring in attendees, it also helps the booth staffers engage with attendees easier, which makes them worth their weight in gold.

By: Bill Senger

Bill Senger — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:03:17 +0000

I’ve learned from my clients that the first rule of swag is that it should be small enough to fit into an already overpacked suitcase or garment bag. Anything that doesn’t fit risks being left to the housekeeping staff.
Pens are way overdone, but do get used. T-shirts and baseball caps also tend to stick, but only if they are very creatively designed. Swiss Army knives with your company logo have enduring value, but are not likely to be seen very often.
The most useful items I’ve collected were USB flash drives and a mini-mouse for my laptop. Both very useful items and I see the vendors’ logos every time I fire up my laptop in a hotel room.

By: Neil Anuskiewicz

Neil Anuskiewicz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:49:41 +0000

Of course, I meant plugin hybrid car not card. My credit card does not need to be electric…Oh wait, maybe that would be useful if I got a little shock every time I reached for it.

By: Neil Anuskiewicz

Neil Anuskiewicz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:46:09 +0000

My favorite swag is a coffee cup.
My dad went to a plug in hybrid conference and brought me two cool coffee cups from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The design is okay when the cup is cold but when you pour hot coffee in the color of the cup becomes light and a scene is revealed including trees, a blue sky, and a cool looking plugin hybrid card.
Now, here is swag that I drink out of every morning.

By: Alexandra West

Alexandra West — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:27:09 +0000

My clients find these items successful in getting brand recognition and being useful (note: the items are all 3D and Motion Printing, that’s what I market). Not sure if it would make me buy, but this is what the customers tell me…
- Lenticular Cups (people hang onto them because they are long-lasting and really cool. People even sell them on eBay, and they were intended for a b2b audience so that is impressive)
- Lenticular Mousepads also get good response and people hang onto them a long time.
To speak to the ROI question on swag… I don’t understand why people don’t put a special web landing page or unique 800# on the giveaway/freemium so they can accurately gauge their response? If you have web analytics, this is an easy and cheap way to know what’s working. And swag isn’t cheap. And if it IS cheap, chances are your customer will think so too.

By: Boris Mahovac - Email Marketing Coach

Boris Mahovac - Email Marketing Coach — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:46:46 +0000

I’ve had great success with calendars – but not the usual, full-size wall calendars. I went for the mini 4″x4″ 13 month one.
My clients loved them because they were smaller, but still offered a full month’s view per page.
Calendars are great because, if you get the right one, your clients are going to keep them and use them for a full year!
Beats holiday greeting cards which get read and discarded, and can sometimes be even more expensive than a calendar .

By: Scott Monty

Scott Monty — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:51:51 +0000

Earlier this year at SXSW, Zappos.com made itself useful to everyone by giving out Zappos-branded rain ponchos in the hallway of the convention center, just as it started raining.
It had nothing to do with their product – but once again, it had to do with giving someone a useful product at the right time. As if they needed help in that department, they got many more loyal fans that day.
Was it effective? I still remember it today, don’t I?

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:13:29 +0000

We have given away a couple goodies.
1. We made a self promotion DVD that incorporated our office and our portfolio. In the DVD was an animated character that took a journey through our office and into some portfolio pieces.
We sent out the DVD along with a package that included an Old Style Glass Bottled Coke, popcorn, and some candy. Basically, a movie theme that had a personalized ticket for the viewing.
We have received great responses from the package along with a couple new jobs/clients.
2. We send out a postcard every month to let our subscribers know that there is a new newsletter on our website. On the postcard, we ask a question that is relevant to the newsletter and the first 2 correct answers (by email), win a $50 Gas Card.
Purpose is to drive the audience to certain sections of the website.
We have received new contacts from these with a few new jobs.

By: Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:19:30 +0000

@Brett: RoS (Return on Swag)? – that’s going to be a tough metric to produce. Swag is one piece of a multi-pronged approach (which should include advertising, social media in many cases, training, packaging, and lots of other elements) – each of which may be difficult to tie directly to specific sales, but all of which cumulatively contribute to favorably influencing buyers.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:49:04 +0000

Steve -
The real question here is have you done any business to date with the company that gave you the earbuds? I understand the value of brand recognition/awareness, and I don’t underestimate it. But are there hard examples/case studies of anyone who can attribute swag to signing on the dotted line?

By: mmmbop

mmmbop — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:37:32 +0000

Someone brought me an umbrella to a meeting when it was raining…
I think it’s more about timing than “usefullness” – since that part can change. An umbrella is a great bit of swag, but if it’s not close to raining, it’s just taking up space.
Hand sanitizer in the winter, mints during a breakfast conference… timing rocks.

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:55:58 +0000

Rohit Bhargava calls out his favorites from SXSW last spring: http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/weblog/2008/03/sxsw-swag-25-ma.html

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:26:42 +0000

How about carved fruit with your company's logo? http://fruit.digett.com/

By: j.oakhurst

j.oakhurst — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:12:05 +0000

The best swag is helpful. Not like pen or bag helpful. But something with a purpose.
And wether that swag is tangible or not, it should still be helpful.
Stretch this out to how companies function online. What are they giving away?
Is the e-swag helpful, or is all the social media-lizing completely insincere?
The best swag we give away helps our customers understand their communication options better. It makes them smarter. It empowers them.
Our best swag is the gift of knowledge:
http://www.saladr.com/a_saladrpdf/saladr_pdf.pdf

By: Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:51:32 +0000

@Shelley – that is fabulous!

By: Shelley

Shelley — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:57:21 +0000

I don’t have any favorite swaggies, but I have a swag story to share.
My mom is in the insurance industry, and when she goes to tradeshows she hits every booth and hauls home gobs of crap she gleefully brings over to share with us. (She’s like a kid at Halloween.) About four years ago, when my daughter Kinsey was six, the loot included one of those squeezy stress balls… shaped like a TOOTH, of all things. It was given away by a dental insurance company. Kinsey grabbed it.
Later that night after she was asleep, I noticed something sticking out from underneath Kinsey’s pillow. That TOOTH! I carefully retrieved it, wrote a tiny, tiny note, tied it to the tooth with a lavender ribbon, and placed it back underneath the pillow.
The look on Kinsey’s face the next morning was priceless as she ran into the kitchen with her giant squishy molar, waving the little note which said:
“You can’t fool ME! Love, the Tooth Fairy.”

By: Kim Cornwall Malseed

Kim Cornwall Malseed — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:52:59 +0000

For a recent direct mail campaign to B2B marketers, I used a compact mirror with my biz info on 1 side for the ‘bulky item’. It directly correlated with the theme of the campaign, making marketers look great. Received positive responses, men thought it useful as well as women, as one put it “even guys have to check their teeth after lunch.”:)

By: Joann Langlinais

Joann Langlinais — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:18:51 +0000

Can’t agree more with Ann Handley’s comment above…..T-Shirts sized and styled/cut for women. Pretty simple, but it makes a big difference. Women like to wear clothing made for women.
Bandanas for dogs are fun and people actually look at the bandana when the dog sports them!

By: Marc A. Pitman

Marc A. Pitman — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:37:30 +0000

I’ve been looking into red bowtie USB thumb drives. I’d wanted to load my seminar materials on them and give them out at my fundraising seminars.
Unfortunately, the only supplier wants $12 each right now! A bit steep for swagger.

By: Gail Sideman

Gail Sideman — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:36:16 +0000

Hi Steve –
I distribute swag on random occasions, but one I do annually has long been a big hit: pocket-size professional football schedules. There’s a window that may be moved (sliding card) to highlight each week of the season.
For me, not only am I glad it’s a hit, but it’s not terribly expensive and can be popped into any size envelope; as a publicist, I send it with a postcard with fall story ideas.
For longer lasting swag, it’s again, something simple — pop-up calendars that I’ve sent on a few occasions.

By: Chris Selland

Chris Selland — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:33:31 +0000

former employer gave away rubber ducks (which had absolutely NOTHING to do with the company’s business). And no it wasn’t my idea.
Good news is they were incredibly popular – bad news is practically everybody grabbed them ‘for my kids’ so I have my doubts they ever swung a deal our way.
But they definitely brought people to the booth. So perhaps it worked. Hard to say.

By: Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:31:45 +0000

OK, now this is some great stuff! Practical and creative items are the best…MORE!

By: Dave Wirsching

Dave Wirsching — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:31:04 +0000

At our title agency its Javelin Pens. (my other full time job)
Clients are always asking for them. When they are down to 1 or 2 they won’t share! Had a client tell me the other day they didn’t need my fax number for an order – they had my pen!
We always strive for something that will be/stay on their desk – sticky notes, etc. Everything has web, phone and fax on it.

By: Joann Sondy

Joann Sondy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:30:07 +0000

Oh, I’ve got many from my days with an IR agency:
- A gold yo-yo engraved “For the Markets Ups & Downs” / logo on other other side.
- Swiss Army-like knife engraved: All the tools to change thinking.
My hubby was a tradeshow photog and he used to bring home: Reusable grocery canvas bags, stuffed animals for the our daughters, tape measures, lens cleaning cloth.
For a Concours d’Elegance included all sorts of swag in the attendee kit with the logo imprint: Tiffany wine glasses, local wine/beer with custom label, rain slickers, fleece vests, and more.
It’s great to come up with this stuff, call me I’ll give you some ideas.

By: Deb Robison

Deb Robison — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:29:54 +0000

Moleskin notebook with the City’s name on it. It is swag for journalists.

By: Aprille

Aprille — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:28:32 +0000

I too ended up w/ the headphones, which I really like. I also love a set of miniature colored pencils, sharpener, and eraser in a credit-card sized holder from Yahoo. I show lots of people, because they’re so darned cute.

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:28:11 +0000

Received: Tshirts sized for WOMEN. It’s a small gesture that your customers/clients will appreciate. (Well, at least half of them will!)

By: Trisha Lyn Fawver

Trisha Lyn Fawver — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:24:10 +0000

I love swag, not only because I like free stuff (who doesn’t?) but because good swag DOES actually help me to remember a company’s name, and good swag from a company I’m actually interested in using or partnering with is super effective for me in helping me to follow up with them once I get home from the trade show.
The best swag I’ve gotten? Hmm…I don’t think anything specifically stands out as the BEST, but I did win a contest at a conference and totally remember THAT company’s name since the prize money sent me to BlogWorld and bought me a new dishwasher . So winning $1000 is pretty good inadvertent swag.

By: Steven Groves

Steven Groves — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:23:34 +0000

We recently got back form a show and we had the hit of the show – a small cradle for holding your cell / PDA on your desk at a slight angle so you can see the display.
It was a HUGE hit and now, clients & prospects see my logo and name every minute of every day they are at their desk. See it here – http://140.99.16.198/~silentdi/wordpress/?p=8

By: Samer Forzley

Samer Forzley — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:21:42 +0000

Harry London gourmet box of dark chocolate