Friday, June 6, 2008

Trade Show Promotional Items

Writen by Jason Gluckman

Trade shows are extensively used sales promotion tools. They provide companies with the opportunity to introduce and display their products. This brings the company's products and consumers in direct contact with each other. 'Seeing is believing' is the theme behind large-scale trade shows. Coupons, premiums and free offers have become common and effective trade shows promotional items.

Coupons are certificates that offer price reductions to consumers for specified items. Coupons normally perform two specific functions for the manufacturer. Firstly, they make customers want to take advantage of the bargain. Secondly, they serve as an inducement to the channel for stocking the items. The manufacturer thus succeeds in attracting consumers as well as in prompting the channel to stock the merchandise through introducing coupons. They are useful for introducing a new product as well as for strengthening the sale of an existing product.

Manufacturers worldwide uses premiums and free offers as trade show promotional items. Multi-product firms sometimes use a chain of bargains for promoting a chain of products. They make a free offer of product A along with the purchase of product B, and a free offer of product B along with the purchase of product C.

Free samples are also used as a trade show promotional item. Free samples are offered to persuade consumers to try them out. By offering free samples to a large section of a new market, a company tries to gain entry into that market. Of course, the constraint in utilizing this tool is that the product should be of low unit cost and susceptible to frequent repeat purchases. Soaps, detergents and coffee are examples of products which are normally popularized by providing free samples. Companies also distribute gifts to people-- customers, dealers and influential and key people. These gifts include pens, pencils, calendars, and diaries.

Promotional Items provides detailed information on Promotional Items, Business Promotional Items, Trade Show Promotional Items, Imprinted Promotional Items and more. Promotional Items is affiliated with Corporate Branding.

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