I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few different trade shows, mostly related to technology and consumer electronics. It goes without saying that when you are bombarded with so much information from so many different companies that it can be difficult to keep track of it all. That’s why I always try to grab a press kit from the companies I meet. This way, I can review their products and offerings from the comfort of my hotel room. The press kits are never completely comprehensive, but they can act as good refreshers.
When I go for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I collect a lot of press kits. Some of these are little more than brochures with information, whereas other companies offer digital assets in the form of a CD-ROM. The best companies, however, are the ones that load custom USB flash drives with their press kits. When I get a press kit on a USB drive, I always take it home with me. For the brochures and CDs, I rarely hang on to them after I’ve finished writing the associated articles and news coverage.
If only for this reason, I highly recommend that any company setting up a booth at any trade show or similar kind of event should invest the little bit of extra money in distributing press kits through USB flash drives rather than the regular brochures or CD-ROMs. This adds to an overall sense of professionalism and it serves the secondary purpose of being a promotional product or marketing tool, since the person will take it home, sharing files with friends, family, and colleagues using that drive. This adds even more to the brand presence and helps with brand recognition.
Custom promotional flash drives are very inexpensive these days, giving you the ability to buy branded 1GB USB drives in bulk for only a few dollars each. This is a very small price to pay and a relatively small premium over distributing CD-ROMs or glossy printed documents.
Matt Gray
September 10, 2009 2:06 pm
As a provider of custom imprinted flash drives, I totally concur with the points in your post. Not simply because I provide the product you are touting but because you have defined the perfect promotional idea. Why? Because a USB flash drive used in the manner you describe has great ROI on the marketing spend. How? Because the item WILL be used after the show. It’s also small and easy to ship to the show and store at the show. Most importantly you have creatively packaged your press kit and product info AND given the recipient a fun way to access the information along with in most cases extra storage space for the recipient to easily transport their own data! The wise company giving USB flash drives will be remembered by the recipient LONG after the show has ended!