Spalding, Tom.
Indianapolis Star [Indianapolis, Ind] 04 Nov 2008: C.1.
When thousands of blue-jacketed teens entered an exhibit hall during
the FFA convention in Indianapolis last month, a group of
representatives from Dow AgroSciences greeted them with hip handouts:
bracelets in FFA's blue and yellow colors.
Not
far away, the youths lined up to get temporary tattoos, courtesy of the
Indy Racing League. Other Hoosier companies passed out pens.
The trinkets are relatively low-cost promotional items. But in Indiana, the giveaway industry is no gimmick. It consists of a little known yet intricate behind-the-scenes role in the state's tourism economy.
Some Indiana companies make the items. Others help plan the promotions.
And others, like Dow, spend thousands of dollars on booth space at
convention halls, such as the FFA convention Oct. 22-25.
In preparation for the gathering, Dow used Indiana-based offices of
American Identity of Overland Park, Kan., for marketing guidance. That
company then ordered thousands of the colored bracelets from
Indianapolis-based Norwood Promotional Products, which manufactured
them.
Some companies say it's important to have a presence at trade shows, where passing out souvenirs serves as a valuable, hands-on marketing tool.
"You bet there's a reason we (were) so visible at FFA" with the giveaway,
said Kenda Resler-Friend, a spokeswoman for Dow. "We want those kids
who are obviously in our target market to be aware of who we are as they
enter this high-tech business of agriculture. Those kids are going to
turn into our customers, regulators, government officials . . . and we
want the best (to be) our employees."
While
tourism officials love Indy's conventions and events -- which fill hotel
rooms, restaurants and shops -- exhibitors like them for an altogether
different reason. At the trade shows, thousands of attendees go booth to booth, enjoying candy, samples and other giveaways.
Some put their business cards or e-mail addresses in fishbowls, hoping
to win a free iPod or other gift. Exhibitors, who pay thousands to rent
booth space and give away promotional items, then hope those attendees
will become customers.
"It is a self-contained
economy, it really is," said Bob Schultz, spokesman for the Indianapolis
Convention and Visitors Association. "That is a revenue-generating
opportunity, whether it's the Girl Scouts or FFA or the for-profit
corporate events, like Do it Best Corp."
And oftentimes, Indiana companies have been part of the action.
Exhibitors like Christian-themed bookseller Baker Trittin Press of Winona Lake, Ind., were at the Girl Scout show last week at the convention center.
Last summer, the Indianapolis Airport Authority had a presence inside a
national conference of minority airport officials held at the Marriott
Downtown. The airport, to distinguish itself, handed out 1,000
classy-looking keychains engraved with the IND logo. They contracted
with Broad Ripple company Bright Ideas, which provided the keychains.
"It is a bang for the buck, if you get the right things," said James A. Duke, director of diversity programs for the airport.
The airport, he said, normally limits its giveaways to literature, but last summer as a host city of the convention, wanted to make it special.
"We try to find something that is inexpensive, but something people
would be likely to use so they keep your name on their mind," Duke said.
"This is a way to do it."
During Indiana Black Expo, IndyGo gave away items such as small foam buses used to squeeze away stress, and other trinkets.
The items vary in price, but can run more than $1 each. Still, with the
economy slowing, some exhibitors and suppliers say the cost is well
worth it.
"Of course, everyone's budgets are
being cut, but on average people are still advertising," said Tonya
Bullock, owner of Indianapolis-based Promotional Avenues, one of the
local vendors that IndyGo uses.
Other Central
Indiana companies that specialize in promotional items include Main
Event Merchandising Group and JP Frog Promotions.
"They still want to get their name out . . . and trade shows are one of the biggest giveaway locations," Bullock said.
Do they work?
During the FFA convention, at an exhibit put on by John Deere, students
lined up at computers to answer an electronic questionnaire related to
careers in farming and agriculture. They only had to answer 60 percent
of 11 questions right to qualify for one of 5,000 free hats or stuffed
toys.
"What we are doing is brand awareness, to build business in the future," said Cheryl Salley of John Deere.
Allison Hoover, 17, State College, Pa., who waited in line to receive a
temporary tattoo courtesy of the Indy Racing League, also picked up
bags of swag, including free water bottles and T-shirts she received
filling out information forms with the U.S. Army. She said the giveaways
were nice, but she turned down a chance at a free backpack offered at
the booth of West Virginia University, since her college plans are all
about Penn State.
"Some of it can be superfluous," Hoover joked.
Some companies have learned that giveaways
aren't always a perfect fit. Fort Wayne-based Flavoreeds, a company
that manufactures 10 styles of flavored reeds for mouth-based musical
instruments like the saxophone and the clarinet, said it will give
product samples at its trade show, but only to paying customers this time around.
"We tried to give away samples years ago, but people grabbed them even
if they did not play an instrument," wrote Walt Ostermeyer, president of
the company, in an e-mail.
Call Star reporter Tom Spalding at (317) 444-6202.
