Promotional gifts in the iPad era

There is no doubt that personalized promotional gifts work. But now that customers are managing more and more of their lives from their smart devices, what does this mean for successful promotions campaigns? The simple answer is: go back to the basics.

1. Know your customer: some demographics use smart phones more than others. Everyone still uses pens (one of the most reliable and persistent promotional gifts), but these days Google Maps is more often used than printed city maps. So make sure your promotional gift idea is current and relevant to the customer.

2. Know your objective: why do you want to communicate to the customer and what do you want them to do? If you want to stay in front of your customers then a branded mug or mouse mat still does the job. If your objective is to reward loyal high-value clients then beautifully engraved crystal glasses and a bottle of champagne are hard to beat when saying "thank you". There's no app for that!

3. Know your place! Smart phones and iPhones are highly personal technology. Customers may not want to clog up their phones with marketing spam so be wary about developing apps or covers. There is nothing wrong with doing it if your brand is right for the purpose.

That is not to say that you can't jump on the bandwagon and really connect with your customers through their beloved gadgets. Engaging social media campaigns are de rigeur in the marketing world. There are also more and more options for accessorizing the customer's personal technology. The Touch Pen from BrandHK (pictured) brings together the old and the new: a classic high quality rollerball pen, branded with your logo, and a rubber tip designed for accurate interaction with touch screen devices like iPads and HTC smart phones. And of course you can always give your customers the latest gadgets... if your budget stretches to that!

So promotional gifts in the smart device age will not be fundamentally different. You want something new and you want to get your message across in a way that stays front of mind and matches your brand.

Top tops: get the most from your Hong Kong conference or event

If you have never exhibited at a conference or event before it can be daunting. And if you have, you'll know how much planning and effort it takes (and how sore your feet can be by the end of the day!) So to make life a little easier, we have found 3 great web sites to help you get the most out of your investment. As old hands at conferences we have tried and tested these top tips, so we hope they will serve you well.

• Love Events have a very easy list to work through and the "Survival Kit" will make sure that you are not caught short of anything essential. We would add hot chilli sauce to the list - conference food is too bland!
• This UK-based event has an excellent section on lead management and follow-up. The main reason you are there is to meet people right? So make sure you don't forget them!
• And, of course, make sure you have all the promotional giveaways and namecards that you will need. Namecards go without saying, but so many people forget to check they have enough. BrandHK can have them ready for collection in central Hong Kong in just 3 hours, so add them to your emergency numbers!

Promotional gifts at conferences are of course very popular, but do they work? From working in the industry for over 15 years I can tell you that pens are almost always a winner. A visitor to your stand can just pop the pen into their bag or jacket and- hey presto - next time they need a pen, your name will be right in front of them. But don't take our word for it, this is one of the most famous major published surveys (PDF) I have seen on promotional effectiveness.


So...

1. Plan ahead
2. Get your follow-up strategy in place
3. Get your emergency merchandise and namecards supplier
4. Wear comfortable shoes.

Good luck!