Strange can be perfect

Well imagine my very pleasant surprise to see that quite a few of you logged in to the blog today, eager for your next installment. I can only imagine the sheer disappointment you felt when you saw that I hadn't written anything yet.

It must have been hell for you, and I hope you made a point of staying away from any sharp objects or large doses of pills. I myself did resort to reaching for the painkillers today - I had a headache and I took one. Yeah, that's right - ONE, because I'm hard and can handle the pressure!

This week I met with a company who like to try lots of different things when it comes to using giveaways at trade shows. More importantly, they make a point of noting what people remember. I loved them instantly. They understood the true value of promotional merchandise and how important it was to measure its effectiveness.

Their measurement was quite an interesting one. Two years ago, they had given away a bespoke shaped stress toy, moulded in the shape of something very relevant to their industry and branded accordingly. The following year, they didn't bother and yet they were repeatedly asked by visitors what had happened to the stress toy that they picked up last year.

Now in terms of brand recognition, this was good news and bad news. Good news in that people remembered them and wanted to return. Bad news in that people were more interested in their free gift than in actually giving them business.

Now the company did pick up some good leads and they did convert those leads into customers and everyone lived happily ever after, but did they miss a trick?

OF COURSE THEY DID!!!!!!

You see, if they'd have noticed the good reaction that their stress toy was getting in that show two years ago, then they would have made a point of replicating it. Now there's no point in giving away the exact same thing to the exact same people, but if quirky and unusual merchandise worked, then surely you should do it all over again.

Naturally, there is a counter argument to this, in that those very same people who loved their stress toy so much may not have actually been customers. They may well have been amongst the great unwashed who come to shows just to see how much free stuff that they can take home. We can't help these people, and sadly we can't avoid them either, but given that their opinions don't really matter, let's just let them go about their business and move on.

You see, if I meet a good potential customer at a trade show then I will do what I can to convert them into an actual customer. That way, if they do swing by my stand in a year's time, I'll know who they are, how I have helped them and, most importantly, I will be more than happy to give them a gift to thank them for all of the business that they have given me.

If someone comes by and says, 'what happened to those lovely stress toys, I wanted to pick up a new one' then I will simply smile, suppress the urge to kick them firmly in the shins and let them know that our merchandising efforts have gone in a different direction.

Happy stand owner - 1, time wasting blagger - 0.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The right gift, given the right way, will yield the desired result. Anything else and you're just a really nice person who gives away stuff. Fine if you're Santa Claus - not so much if you're in business.