Did you know that 40% of merchandise ends up in a landfill? Scary statistics, right?
If you have ever been to a trade show in Las Vegas you would know the size of these Expos. We are talking 40,000+ attendees. Every Trade show comes with a lot of marketing collateral and for sure lots of merch. With fewer numbers of attendees at the Australian Expos the same issue remains.
Another branded water bottle, keying, pen or whatever event organisers decided would be a good idea. Often these decisions were not backed up by research, data or customer input. As a result, almost half of it adds no value and is often left behind.
I was talking to the client last week and she said at the last event she was attending at the end of the day several exhibitors were begging her to take MORE of whatever they were giving out as they didn’t want to drag all these unwanted merch back to the office. She said it had no value to her hence she politely declined the offer. I wonder where all of it goes.
It’s literally crap. Who would want it? Who decided that purchasing it was a good idea in the first place?
More and more companies have sustainability policies and looking at products that are produced in an ethical way and better for the environment. This is great news but what is important to consider is the purpose. What is the purpose of this giveaway? Does it add value to the customer? Where doesn’t it fit in the customer journey? Is it reflective of your brand? There are many questions to be asked before making a purchase decision.
Conference swag has a huge environmental impact as most of it is made from cheap plastic and materials of poor quality hence these products have a short life. Rather than choosing the cheap option consider a better-quality product that lasts longer.
Latest feedback from our conference client: “I really love this bag as it’s great quality. I will use it and keep it and it will memorialise this event”.
We can all be more thoughtful. If you are looking for expert advice and need assistance with the selection of promotional products for your brand let’s talk. Let’s create a range that is good for your brand and the planet.
PS: “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort”. – John Ruskin