Iâve stood behind a lot of tables at fairs, gatherings, events, and community âoutreach daysâ. Aside from being a weak way people talk themselves into believing theyâre âout in the communityâ while getting a terrible sunburn, these events were often of dubious value.
Weâd hand out pens, stickers, candy, and a number of other things that made us look like stalkers trying to lure children, hopefully with a parent in tow to talk to about some organization.
I remember being at IU and all the residents at the dorm received a squishy foam “house” figure, because, you know, “housing”, I guess. All I can remember thinking was, “With the money you spent on these, maybe we could have a working washing machine?”
Anyway, the idea is if you hang out at these events and pass out stuff to people as they come in or walk around, people will learn all about you and take on a whole new appreciation for your work.
The reality is usually just random people walking by who canât resist taking whatever free thing they can get their hands on.
I once stood behind a table at an event handing out stuff, including printed materials, and no one wanted the printed stuff. One woman literally just walked around a series of tables around and around and at one point asked, âHave I been here yet?â
âI donât know, maâamâŠâ as I went into my pitch. She wasnât interested, she just grabbed more candy and went on her way.
Iâve also been working a table when a woman came by and started to take markers and an iPad that was on the table, as if it was free. Anything that wasnât nailed down was just there for the taking, I guess.
Time to do better with giveaway freebies
You should rethink your welcome kit and promotional materials. Just because you saw one kid once get excited about a sticker doesnât mean much. Especially if your target audience is adults.
First, how much money do you spend on kitschy giveaways? Your nonprofitâs budget can afford that? What could you do with that money if not for that?
Second, do you have a closet full of pens, pencils, erasers, stickers, bags, and candy sitting around?
No one ever got excited about a free ink pen. And I mean âexcitedâ, the kind of thing a person would actually really want.
So ask yourself: if you combined budgets and put all that little stuff toward something really good, what would it be?
Maybe there wouldnât be as much stuff to give away. Or maybe, youâd hand out one really nice, high quality thing â like a bag, umbrella, or other utilitarian thing that would be attractive and strong enough to use for groceries, or would withstand more than six drops of rain.
This is a quality vs. quantity thing. You have to decide which side you want to be on. Would you rather have 100 people getting an ink pen and brochure theyâre likely to throw away or lose, or 25 people getting a bag theyâll use over and over again?
If youâre worried about visibility, recognize that of those ink pens, most people will just toss them or lose them. Or they end up at the Olive Garden in a waiterâs apron. Whenâs the last time you looked at the pen you signed the receipt with?
A really good bag, for instance, that can actually get used and holds some real, noticeable, value, is going to get seen by bored shoppers in the checkout aisle. Or in the parking lot, or along the street to work.
Iâm not saying you have to run out and get Estee Lauder quality stuff, but a little more emphasis on increasing value goes a long way.
What about printed materials?
Alongside all the kitsch you give away, thereâs probably some cards, brochures, or other printed materials.
Depending on what kind of work youâre doing, see where you can add value there.
For example, weâve done some consulting before with local drug rehabilitation centers.
Those drug centers have a printed card, but what about having a magnet instead? Something that can stick on the fridge in plain sight for longer? To someone who is serious about rehab, thatâs a good way of staying connected, like a post-it note on the bathroom mirror.
Weâve also had ideas for a local association to include a perforated ticket in their invites they can use to give away to a friend. The event was free, so this was a good way of spreading the news about their event and letting people feel good about inviting a friend in a quality way by handing a physical ticket.
All of this, of course, is useless if the printed materials donât look good. If youâre hobbling things together in Word in your spare time, youâre overworking and reducing impact. Your local police department wouldnât look so authoritative and professional if the patch on their arm was written in Comic Sans or Times New Roman would it?
Even if people canât describe or quite put the finger on why theyâre not âfeeling itâ with whatâs in their hand, they at least know when something feels cheap, like a knock-off, or just low quality. And if youâre thinking it doesnât matter because your constituents wonât notice or care, youâre not showing them much respect by thinking that.
Step it up, consolidate, save, and focus like a laser on whatâs worth keeping and doing. Your work, clients, donors, and community will appreciate it.