Elevate Your Event Marketing: The Power of Prizes and Giveaways

brand awareness, engagement, events, experiences, experiential, experiential marketing, marketing, marketing campaign, mobile tour, product roadshow, product sampling, product showcase, tradeshow

Giveaway items at your event are so much more than just branded merchandise. They are a gateway to meaningful engagement. They attract attention, foster interaction and make your event memorable and impactful.

No one can deny the targeting and reporting value that comes with digital advertising, but those interactions with your brand, while brilliantly targeted with a relevant message and optimized to result in the best ROAS are mere seconds if you are lucky. It simply can’t replace the quality of the engagement that comes with face-to-face interactions with your experiential marketing team.

How do you get those interactions?

The right prizes and giveaway items can attract attention at events and draw attendees in. Once you’ve captured their attention, you can increase the quality of the interaction and duration of the engagement with a contest, prize wheel or data collection prior to offering up the giveaway item. This time spent interacting with your brand is far more valuable than a digital ad impression and the giveaway item that the attendee walks away with can keep your brand top of mind in the days, weeks—and even years—to come.

Tips for selecting prizes for your event marketing

When selecting prizes for your event, consider these essential tips to maximize engagement and impact:

  1. Know your audience: It’s important to understand the demographics and preferences of your event attendees so that you can choose prizes that will appeal to each group. Tailor your prizes to appeal to their interests, ensuring relevance and engagement. (It may be necessary to change your prizes from event to event.)
  2. Quality Matters: Opt for prizes of good quality, even if they are small or it means fewer to stay within budget. Well-made items leave a good impression of your brand, and poor-quality items often end up in the trash, contributing to waste. Choosing durable, eco-friendly options not only enhances your brand image, but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability.
  3. Brand Alignment: Strengthen brand association and create a cohesive event experience with prizes that align with your brand or sponsors.
  4. Engagement Potential: Select prizes that encourage continued engagement after the event. Something that might be shared on social media or used daily and seen by others will amplify the brand message.
  5. Prize Accessibility: Make sure prizes are easy to transport and distribute. Avoid bulky, heavy or breakable items.
  6. Feedback from previous events: If available, consider feedback from past events to refine your choices and understand what works best for both the event marketing team and the audience.

 

Use social and digital ads to drive attendance to your event, and even to amply the message post event, but the value of a quality engagement that comes from experiential marketing is second to none. The right prizes can enhance engagement, attract attention and make your event more memorable. Investing in prizes and giveaways isn’t just about distributing promotional items; it’s about creating valuable connections that resonate long after the event concludes. TideSmart builds and executes engaging and innovative event marketing solutions for brands where we’ve helped brands distribute millions of giveaways at thousands of events around the county.