Source: Tamar Weinberg (Flickr CC), self-proclaimed Schwag (Swag) Addict.
Note: I categorized this post as product marketing, but this really falls under marketing communications… oh well… Also, to experience the full dry, wannabe-comedic effect of this post, imagine Andy Rooney is reading this post to you.
The quality of a trade show is highly inverse to the number of tschotske hunters trolling for swag. I’ve manned trade shows where I basically spent the day “feeding the bears” (with tschotskes). My former employer wisely chose not to return to that show.
I also recall another tradeshow, held in the same venue for two years in a row, in which a local fellow, making the most of his free exhibit hall pass, showed up both years explaining he collected ball point pens as a hobby and whether my company giving any away. Sorry, no pens here, for either year. I am grateful that the two higher ed technology conferences I just returned from were the polar opposite of those mulligan events and highly worthwhile!
Still, whether you call them tschotskes, trash and trinkets, giveaways or swag, you want to give your visitors something at trade shows. Ideally, you want your tschotske to be something of interest and useful, such that they want to keep it for a long time, and ideally of some direct relevance to your company. Touring the booths at a recent conference, I came across a number of interesting tschotskes:
- Amid the H1N1 wave, personal-size hand sanitizer was given away by a number of vendors. Could be an especially good idea for the security technology vendors of the world…
- Toy giveaways are popular, but to be effective they should reinforce an already-established ”fun” brand. As shown in the above photo, Google gives away Silly Putty among other tschotskes. What could be both more fun and less “not evil” than Silly Putty?
- Pens/sticky notes are so common I doubt very many people make any notice of them…except pen collectors of course.
I recently saw a company give away these useful and permanently cheerful PC/laptop screen sweepers. Theoretically, people will keep and use these for a long time. Not bad.
And the worst tschotske I have ever seen, bar none… A big community bowl of jelly beans. I’ve heard of “viral marketing,” but this is ridiculous…
Definitive Tschotske Link: Check out (a LOT) more an endless all-you-can eat buffet (!) of “schwag” aka swag/tschotskes/etc. on Tamar Weinberg’s Schwag Addict blog.
