"Building & Protecting Brands Through Entertainment Marketing"

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Is Gifting My Products At Award Shows Effective? by Ian McQueen

Where's my swag?! Attending an award show is not just about being on the red carpet or actually receiving an award. Celebrities have gotten accustomed to receiving bags of goodies worth thousands of dollars. From gadgets to jewelry to exotic vacations, gifted items have become a part of the show. Is it worth it for my company to donate thousands of dollars worth of product (and sometimes pay a fee) that will be gifted to the celebrities and luminaries in attendance? Well, that depends...

To begin with, you need to do your homework. Who's attending? Who's hosting? What network? How are the goodie bags being distributed? Will there be confirmation of delivery to talent? What type of press coverage? How many gift bags? What's the total cost, product and fee if there is one?

There are many factors involved in discerning whether an award show is a good opportunity for product gifting. First and foremost, work with an experienced agency to facilitate your participation. The "minimum retail value" of the product you are gifting is important as well. For instance, if the "minimum retail value" is $250 and they are filling 200 bags, your investment is pretty high to start with. Who will receive my product? If A-List celebrities will not be in attendance, it is hard to justify a large investment-even if you are just donating product. The celebrities (along with the show) are going to drive the press coverage, so you want to make sure that you have top talent, ensuring coverage in the likes of US Weekly, People, etc. Last but not least, make sure you leverage your participation in the show. Work with the show to create your own publicity, utilizing social media as well as key print publications to ensure your consumers are in tune with your promotional efforts.

Gifting your products at an award show should be "win, win" for both your brand and the show. Taking the proper steps to ensure this is not always straight forward but definitely doable!

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