The author is a freelance writer based in Taneytown, Md.

Boosting the brand

Oftentimes, it’s promising to follow a pack of youth through the halls of Expo. They seem to be able to find the best freebies quickly. However, it takes a strong team of marketing personnel to impress a brand on multiple generations of onlookers. Our first stop, Cargill, welcomed visitors with a claw machine decorated with recent advertising phrases. It contained branded giveaways like hats and thermoses.

Mariah Westra, Cargill dairy marketing communications specialist, credits their team with creating such a winning “stop factor” for their booth. “We want to draw people in,” shared Westra. “The Cargill brand itself is familiar and offers consumers tools in all agricultural industries, not just dairy.” Some of the most sought-out items were pink hats and stuffed cows. “We try to be creative and come up with new ideas each year to keep visitors coming back,” Westra said.

Another booth gaining attention was First Defense products by ImmuCell Corporation. Their strategy was to use a smaller space and focus on customer service. Bobbi Jo Brockman, vice president of sales and marketing, explained last year, “We’re unique in that we have a product in high demand, and we are currently troubleshooting back orders. A lot of our presence this year is offering insight. Our product is ‘America’s most wanted,’ and we developed that concept to provide consumers with reassurance.”

First Defense gear such as neon vests, balling guns, milk straws and candy, and tattooed arm sleeves capitalized on the theme and were a huge hit with visitors. Kathy Becher, director of marketing, is the brainstormer behind the giveaways. “We like to execute our brand well. People remember the items that bring them a feeling,” she said. “We’re very generous with the freebies and want to offer a take-home gift for all ages. Our goal is creating an experience for everyone.”

Brockman added, “We also don’t withhold items from the kids. That younger generation is our future consumers. If you are generous now, it eventually comes back to you in the end."

From useful to unique

Plenty of booth space can also have its benefits, though, just as H&S Manufacturing Company Inc., representative Kim Hoffman noted. “Our booth offers a realistic view of products like manure spreaders and other types of machinery,” she said. They also hand out wall calendars, logo bags, footballs, and gift baskets. “The items we are providing to our consumers are items they will most likely use daily. It’s also more likely that people will fill out their information if they are interested in our products,” Hoffman noted.

Another company providing useful giveaways was Zinpro. Rachel Meyer, regional marketing manager for North America said, “Gloves are nice to have on a chilly day when you’re out working. We have a different drawing based on each day of Expo. Student day is the busiest day of all, and we bring out the stickers and branding materials.” They also include informational materials supplied by their partners.

Visitors to the Ag-Bag by RCI booth are welcomed with the usual trade show pens, bags, and candy. However, customers are treated like family by marketing director Wendy Clark, who shares useful items like pizza cutters, measuring tapes, and raffle entries for inoculants and specialty items. “We are thankful for our customers and always appreciate the feedback they provide when filling out their survey,” said Clark. “It’s a nice gesture of appreciation we can offer for their business.”

Tim Bailey and Tom Lohr of Quality Roasting adorned their booth with branded giveaway items of cows, stickers, and key chains. “We’ve had many visitors to the booth. We feel the business benefits from having local interaction at the trade show,” shared Lohr.

Vets Plus Inc. took a unique approach to branding awareness. Many visitors could be seen walking around the Expo grounds with paper “cow heads,” creating a buzz and pushing folks toward the booth. When I arrived, the booth staff was quickly making the paper cows and offering up scavenger hunts for kids young and old. “We go to five trade shows per year,” explained national account director Mary Jane Bone. “The idea is to attract consumers to your booth and then show them what you have to offer.”

Marketing coordinator and designer Rachel Carlsrud agreed. “That initial interaction with visitors generates the start of a relationship to promote other items we offer,” she said. “We have larger prizes like coolers and items that fill a thermos if they provide information to bridge that relationship.”

One thing these companies have in common is they realize that a more interactive freebie often leads to a deeper discussion with a potential customer. These gestures make the experience memorable for visitors and fun for families and friends. The next time you pull that free pen out of the drawer, take a second to think about the planning that went into getting it to you.