With summer here, outdoor events are in full swing (pardon the golf pun) and branded giveaways are a great way to build brand awareness and support community events. With so many options out there, how do you pick the perfect giveaway?

We have five tips to help pick the best summer giveaway for your next event or promotion.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

We say this time and time again, but it bears repeating, people will judge the quality of your brand by the quality of your PROMO. Spend more on less items or purchase a higher quality version of a smaller item than an inexpensive version of a larger item.

For example, you could give out $10 earbuds but unless they are needed at the event and you’re providing them to people who don’t have them now, you’ll be lucky if they get used at all and it’s highly unlikely that they will be used after the event. Your PROMO item will live on beyond the event, and people will go out of their way to get them if you choose a smaller item but buy a high-quality version. If your budget is $10 and you want a tech item, consider 3-in-1 charging cables, tech organizers or phone stands.

Or purchase 10% of the quantity and get $100 branded earbuds that are used for draws, prizes or have some type of activity or game that needs to be completed for people to receive them rather than just handing out hundreds of inexpensive ones.

Know Your Audience

Think about who will be attending the event – adults, children, families? Are they your customers? Do they have specific interests or things in common? The type of event can generally give you an indication of the demographics and interests of your audience. Is it a dry event or a 19+ type of environment?

If there is a broad demographic expected – multiple ages and interests – consider having more than one item. And if it is a family event, make sure you have an item that appeals to (and is safe for) children.

We talk about this a lot when people are looking for golf giveaways. A competitive, skill-oriented golf tournament has a very different set of golfers than a fun charity scramble tournament. Spending more to appeal to the competitive golfer is going to be wasted on those who dust off the clubs a couple of times a year to spend time with friends at an event that’s all about fun and fundraising. Likewise, competitive golfers will not likely use the basic towel or be as amused by the party cups the fun tournament golfer will enjoy.

Relevant to the Event

Tying into the event can be a great idea, not only can it help you narrow down potential items, but the type of event gives you insight into your audience and can help make sure your item is useful (a little foreshadowing on the next tip).

For a baseball tournament, this can mean an item people might want during a tournament on a hot weekend like sunglasses or a hat, an item specific to baseball like umpire clickers or balls, an item in the shape of a bat or ball or incorporating baseball imagery or phrases in the decoration of your item.

Handing out night lights, lint brushes or pens will either go ignored or end up in the bottom of the ball bag, forgotten about before the tournament is over. Remember, you’re at THEIR event and they are focused on why THEY are there, not why you are.

If the event allows it, cobranding with the event logo, host logo or even just text indicating the event helps connect your brand with the event or cause and can also help serve as a nostalgic piece for people who participated.

Make Sure It’s Useful

Admittedly, the world has seen a lot of bad PROMO; knick-knacks or gimics that had no real use or value. Those days are over (and we’re all better for it).

If you’re going to give something away, there is no value to you (or them or the environment) if the item doesn’t get kept or used.

And useful is in the eye of the beholder so it’s about knowing your audience and being relevant and useful to the event. Toques are a useful item but more useful in the colder months than at a Canada Day event! Likewise, sunglasses are a great giveaway at an outdoor event but will appeal more to children or those that forgot their sunglasses that day but unless you’re giving out brand name sunglasses, will not seem like a useful item for most adults. 

The key to them seeking out the item, using it and keeping it the longest is about it being immediately useful. If you’re giving out water bottles but there is nowhere to fill them up at the event, they will likely end up being left behind or put away somewhere and forgotten.

Make sure your item is ready to use. If it needs batteries, make sure the batteries have been inserted. If it involves assembly, assemble it. If it’s a tech item that needs an app downloaded, have a QR code readily available so people can quickly download it. If it needs water to activate it like temporary tattoos or cooling towels, have water and supplies ready.

If it’s something that needs a demo to be understood, make sure you know how it works and are demonstrating it. Nothing builds hype around your PROMO than seeing people enjoy it! If you’re giving away small footballs, toss them around. If you’re giving away can koozies, make sure you have one on your can.

Remember, the longer it takes for someone to use the item, the less chance you have that they ever will.

Size Matters (And Weight and Packaging)

So, you’ve considered your audience, the event and utility of your item and have selected a good quality item in your budget but now you must get it to the event and hand it out to people at the event. Or maybe you’re having to ship it to another location or once at an event, pack it across a field. You want to consider how practical it will be to get there to give it out.

Also consider that outdoor events can bring additional challenges like wind, rain, or other weather events. Will your items get damaged in inclement weather? Are the participants going to have to carry the item around with them? Will they feel that the item has enough value to pack it around?

Is there packaging that will need to be disposed of? If the item is wrapped in cellophane or bagged, know that the light material will go flying if there is any wind. Consider unwrapping items ahead of time or make sure you also have garbage cans available for people to discard packaging, so your brand isn’t littering the ground when the event is over. Plus, do you really want to pack additional packaging into the event only to pack it back out again?

Consider a QR code that directs them to any instructions or information needed rather than printed materials. Or create a few larger posters for people to refer to instead of handing out the instructions in paper form.

Looking for some inspiration? We’ve gathered 100 items under $10 in a virtual showroom to get you started, check it out here.