We’ve just read an interesting article by Barbara Wells on Business2Community.com! Are you interested in some give-away ideas that will generate BUZZ for your Brand?

Here are 10 tips directly from here article for making your promotional items stand out in the “sea of booths” at your next trade show: (to read the full article click here)

1. Generate buzz with pre-show mailings. Make promotional items a part of your pre-show marketing strategy. Consider using items, such as magnets, in personalized mailings to create excitement prior to a show. These pre-show mailers can also alert attendees of your presence at the show – including where your booth will be, what you’ll be offering and what they will gain by meeting with you.
2. Align promotional items with your brand. Be sure to select promotional items that reflect your brand image and company culture. In addition, because promotional products improve brand recall, it’s important to leave a positive impression with your target audience. One general rule of thumb: Avoid cheap gimmicks – you don’t want recipients to associate a low-cost or broken item with your brand.
3. Prioritize staying power. Selecting items that can be used for several months or throughout the year will give you the most bang for your buck. For example, calendars give your brand 12 months of visibility; magnets and magnetic picture frames are other popular products with staying power.
4. Keep utility top-of-mind. Utility is another important factor to consider when selecting tradeshow giveaways. Items that are useful will have greater longevity. Branded sports bottles, pens and totes are gifts that can be used often, keeping your brand highly visible every day.
5.  Connect with your audience. It doesn’t matter how creative, expensive or useful your promotional items are if they aren’t directed at the right audience. To cater your purchases to the show’s demographic, consider the conference theme and venue, as well as the attendee profile – including age, profession, industry and interests. For example, a tech crowd may appreciate items like branded flash drives, mouse pads and ear buds.
6. Promote wellness. Tradeshows often involve lots of hand shaking and interacting in close quarters. Help make sure attendees take home just your giveaways – and not a cold – by providing health-oriented promotional items, such as branded hand sanitizer, aspirin and lip balm. These items are typically crowd-pleasers.
7. Go green. If sustainability initiatives and other “green” goals are important to your business, consider eco-conscious promotional products, such as tote bags made from recyclable materials. Environmentally preferable giveaways are a great way to increase brand recognition, while supporting and showcasing your commitment to environmental awareness.
8. Make sure items are airline-friendly. Don’t forget that many conferences draw out-of-state attendees. To accommodate travelers who have flown in for the show, avoid oversized/bulky items, as well as glass, ceramic or other delicate gifts that are likely to break in transit.
9. Consider the quantity. Once you’ve selected your creative, useful and memorable tradeshow giveaway(s), consider ordering in bulk to get a better deal. Leftover items can be used at future shows or – when applicable – as part of your company’s internal incentive program.
10. Express appreciation for top business audiences. Consider ordering a smaller quantity of higher-end items for your top clients and partners. Personalizing products, such as high-end pens, portfolios and flash drives, adds an extra touch of thoughtfulness and showcases your appreciation.

Bonus tip: For additional brand presence, consider outfitting your tradeshow team in logoed polo shirts – or other preferred shirt styles. Not only will this keep your team looking sharp, but it will extend your brand beyond the booth and keep your logo front and center throughout the show. 

We have sent out some gifts to our clients to give you some ideas on what you might be able to use for your next promotion! Check your mail and see what you got!

Red Tomato has decided to start their first competition of 2012. One of our products – the Thinking Putty has proved to be a very addictive product for all that we’ve provided them for. It can be used as a stress reliever and can be moulded into almost anything your mind can think of and your hands can craft! 

50 of our clients will be chosen to participate in the competition involving the Thinking Putty, if you are one of the lucky 50 you will soon receive a package which will give you all the competition details. 

Stay tuned for the next update! 

What is Thinking Putty? Click here to find out!

You may be wondering .. “Why should I use promotional products in my marketing plan?” – the answer is simple:

Promotional Products are the most cost-effective form of advertising, no other means of advertising can provide the extensive type of brand recognition that promotional products can provide.  Having your brand and image embedded in your customers minds is vital! When they think about your industry, services or products that your business might be associated with, you want them to be thinking of YOU and not your competition.

Thinking outside the box by promoting your brand creatively will capture your clients and place a good impression of your business in their minds. What’s a better way than to advertise your brand or business with an interesting promo product which can sit on your clients desk each day? It could even be a product which your client can put to good use each day like a custom USB stick, custom made water bottles or promotional umbrellas which draw attention in a crowd of people, the possibilities are endless! With your logo branded on these products you would be giving your clients constant exposure to your brand, furthermore could even create a buzz about your brand.

Red Tomato prides itself in being the one of many promotional product companies which focus on developing creative concepts for our clients. We don’t want to provide you with a simple product which your clients will just throw out after one look, we immerse ourselves in your brand which allow us to define the best path to go down in terms of promotional products.

Have a look around our site and feel free to enquire about any product you might be interesting, or give us a call to chat about your brand and business and we can help create the best strategy for your next Advertising/Marketing campaign!

Red Tomato is currently getting a face lift for 2012! We are in the design stages of our NEW website! Not long til’ it will be up and running for all of our clients and future clients to see and use.

We have a range of things in store for all our loyal clients so keep your eyes peeled and ears open!