Ask HN: Do flyers/give-away pens/tchotchkes work?
Part of our marketing involves in person interactions, typically in market-vertical conferences, sometimes in sales calls.
I'm wondering about the efficacy of spending money on printed brochures, branded pens we'd give away, and various other tchotchkes that have been proposed.
Is there any return on these things?
Our audience is primary business finance. Just about everybody else that markets to this group makes a big effort on their print and promotional materials. I'm loathe to spend the money without knowing what my real return will be.
Anyone have experience / words of advice on this?
I once gave away mini gumball machines filled with M&Ms. My booth was pretty packed. The industry was almost entirely comprised of middle aged, middle class people with families, so they took them home for the kids (perhaps half empty).
Personally, I always like a spare pen, but everyone gives them away, and I can't tell you the name of the company whose pen I last picked up.
Generally, not to the person you're giving them to. However, they are pretty effective advertising for things like coffee cups, laptop bags -- items that are likely to be used on a daily or semi-daily basis, and that are large enough for people to see and wonder "Okay, just who exactly IS <your_company_name>?!?"
The big catch with that of course is that most people already have a coffee mug or laptop bag, and aren't likely to switch to yours, so, while they'll gladly take them from you at your booth, they'll probably end up in a closet.