Lessons learned from bringing promotional sweets to a conference(shkspr.mobi)
shkspr.mobi
Lessons learned from bringing promotional sweets to a conference
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/01/lessons-learned-from-bringing-promotional-sweets-to-a-conference/
150 comments
I still wear T-shirts from vendors at tech conferences that I received years ago. They're durable, and they advertise the company not just to me but to others.
But perhaps the swag that has had the most staying power is stuff I could bring home for my kids to play with. I've gotten company-branded balls, puzzles, figurines, and other toys, and not only do they make a good "Guess what I brought home for you" surprise, but they sit around the house for ages, so you get a lot of exposure to their logos.
One thing I've never gotten as swag, but could see being a good ROI, would be a children's picture book, with a "Compliments of [Brand Name]" on it. With my kids, they would request that I read the same book to them 50+ times, so that's 50+ exposures to the brand.
But perhaps the swag that has had the most staying power is stuff I could bring home for my kids to play with. I've gotten company-branded balls, puzzles, figurines, and other toys, and not only do they make a good "Guess what I brought home for you" surprise, but they sit around the house for ages, so you get a lot of exposure to their logos.
One thing I've never gotten as swag, but could see being a good ROI, would be a children's picture book, with a "Compliments of [Brand Name]" on it. With my kids, they would request that I read the same book to them 50+ times, so that's 50+ exposures to the brand.
The trap with shirts is that girls LOVE oversized, soft t-shirts as nightshirts. And since "unisex" shirts are often actually just men's-fit shirts, you have the double-whammy of a) give it to a guy, decent odds his partner steals it, and b) give it to a woman, good odds she doesn't want to wear it as a normal shirt (because "unisex"=men's) but it's a great night-shirt.
I got a Datadog t-shirt in 2016. Amazing quality. I have never worn it; it is my wife's favorite pajama shirt. She says the dog is cute.
...Dang maybe this is actually the master plan, though. I've seen datadog's logo like 50% of nights for the last 8 years.
I got a Datadog t-shirt in 2016. Amazing quality. I have never worn it; it is my wife's favorite pajama shirt. She says the dog is cute.
...Dang maybe this is actually the master plan, though. I've seen datadog's logo like 50% of nights for the last 8 years.
I had too many shirts, so I eventually collected T-shirts for the wife.
I did get some funny looks asking for a (women's) small instead of large, but gotta bring home the goods.
I did get some funny looks asking for a (women's) small instead of large, but gotta bring home the goods.
Conditioning you to love Datadog, brilliant
The catch with t-shirts is they MUST be made of high-quality material. I've been handed so many promotional t-shirts where it's obvious they went with the lowest-cost supplier and they just feel awful on against my skin. Straight to the Goodwill with those.
I agree. The Gildan Heavyweight T-shirts are the kind you pick up at craft stores for $3-$4 a pop. But they tend to be stiff and too warm for my liking.
There are a variety of mid-level T-shirt brands (such as BELLA+CANVAS) that feel so much softer against the skin, no irritating seams, stand up to repeated washings, and are lighter-weight, meaning you can wear them as-is in the summer months, or under something else in the winter months, and it feels comfortable either way.
There are a variety of mid-level T-shirt brands (such as BELLA+CANVAS) that feel so much softer against the skin, no irritating seams, stand up to repeated washings, and are lighter-weight, meaning you can wear them as-is in the summer months, or under something else in the winter months, and it feels comfortable either way.
this is a very SWEng thing to say but I use plain colored t-shirts as a basic item unless there's a reason to dress up. during the fall/winter you can stack a columbia fleece vest on top (which does a great job keeping your body core warm without overheating you or impinging on your arm movement etc). this does a really good job being super comfortable for those with sensory issues etc, and generally looks more presentable than logo tees imo.
I really like the comfort colors heavyweight ones personally - this seems to be the one in my order history. They are plenty soft once you wash them especially if you run a few cycles with some fabric softener. The price isn't amazing right now (my history says $6.50-8 is more typical) but the site ships fast and doesn't care if you're commercial or don't want logos etc.
https://www.jiffyshirts.com/comfortcolors-C1717.html?ac=Whit...
I really like the comfort colors heavyweight ones personally - this seems to be the one in my order history. They are plenty soft once you wash them especially if you run a few cycles with some fabric softener. The price isn't amazing right now (my history says $6.50-8 is more typical) but the site ships fast and doesn't care if you're commercial or don't want logos etc.
https://www.jiffyshirts.com/comfortcolors-C1717.html?ac=Whit...
Bella+Canvas shirts are great. Almost my entire wardrobe consists of Bella+Canvas shirts I picked up at conferences.
I used to get others but most of them are too scratchy or bad in some other way. I used to still get them "because they're free" but what's the point if I never wear them? I do have some extra large but scratchy shirts that are tolerable to wear.
I have a really good Datadog shirt that's not Bella+Canvas.
I used to get others but most of them are too scratchy or bad in some other way. I used to still get them "because they're free" but what's the point if I never wear them? I do have some extra large but scratchy shirts that are tolerable to wear.
I have a really good Datadog shirt that's not Bella+Canvas.
My experience with Bella+Canvas was that the ratio between the sleeves/shoulders and torso felt really disproportionate in a way that I haven't felt with most other shirts, so they don't really work for me. The material itself did feel nice though.
Just want to +1 Bella+Canvas. I look for 100% cotton, made in the US (insofar as possible) shirts and there aren't that many options, especially stylish ones, so BC has been a staple for me.
I have a bunch of running event t-shirts and they are almost all CANVAS; is that the same as BELLA+CANVAS? Because I love those shirts and wear them everywhere (to my wife’s annoyance).
Yes, I believe so. I loved an event t-shirt so much that I followed up with the organizer to track down the printer and their supplier, since the tag inside the t-shirt has no branding.
At the time, I thought BELLA+CANVAS only sold wholesale, but I now see a retail section on their website!
https://shop.bellacanvas.com/
At the time, I thought BELLA+CANVAS only sold wholesale, but I now see a retail section on their website!
https://shop.bellacanvas.com/
There's also sites like https://www.blankapparel.com/ that will sell you individual blanks from quite a variety of brands (including Bella+Canvas).
Michaels carries their shirts as well as Gildan brand.
Thanks a TON! A few dollars a shirt is wonderful since I already know I love these, and I actually prefer unprinted.
Looks like there are individual sellers reselling Bella Canvas shirts and hoodies on Amazon for much cheaper, depending on your risk tolerance for Amazon sellers.
The retail store doesn't have the 3001's that I usually get; those are about twice the price on amazon than the other bulk sites. Probably worth it for one or two, but if you want a bulk amount it's worth buying at one of those sites.
I think this goes for anything. I have dozens of water bottles from conferences. I use the Yeti and some of the other nice ones. All the no-name stuff that feels cheap and smells like chemicals… never used them once.
I have a gift branded Yeti tumbler from a blue chip legal firm that I detest (way overpriced work) but it's also the nicest tumbler I have, so it gets the most use. One of these days I'll strip off the logo.
100% High quality t-shirts are a must, anything else gets used as a wash rag. Bonus points if the design isn't too corporate, and logs are a side affect.
My favorite t-shirt to this day is a Chef t-shirt I got at a conference.
My favorite t-shirt to this day is a Chef t-shirt I got at a conference.
What’s the best quality t shirt money can buy now?
I guess "The Bear" 80€ white t-shirt: https://merzbschwanen.com/blog/blog-good-news-1/merz-b-schwa...
why not straight to the trash. why would you feel that some article of clothing that is so poorly made that you refuse to wear it should be foisted upon someone else? this just feels like you trying to make yourself feel good without actually doing any good.
On the one hand, shoppers at GoodWill aren't there at gunpoint, being forced to empty their wallets. Nothing is being "foisted" on anyone.
On the other hand, in a sense many of them are, except instead of gunpoint it's economics that mean their clothing choices have a hard dollar limit on them - and at the end of the day, it's better to have a subpar t-shirt than no t-shirt at all.
So I don't think anyone is being hurt here. At worst, the person you're replying to could have done better by donating the shirts to a charity that doesn't sell the clothing, but gives it away.
Anyway, I hope you made yourself feel good with your comment, even if you didn't do any good.
On the other hand, in a sense many of them are, except instead of gunpoint it's economics that mean their clothing choices have a hard dollar limit on them - and at the end of the day, it's better to have a subpar t-shirt than no t-shirt at all.
So I don't think anyone is being hurt here. At worst, the person you're replying to could have done better by donating the shirts to a charity that doesn't sell the clothing, but gives it away.
Anyway, I hope you made yourself feel good with your comment, even if you didn't do any good.
Goodwill recycles a bunch of clothes, anyway. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-does-goodwill-do-with-yo...
and they throw away a ton of donations too. they have to, people use goodwill as the substitute for a dumpster, nobody wants your grease-stained metallica shirt with a couple 2" holes in it or the 200th set of hummels either.
Some random suggestions:
1. other people may not feel the same way about the material
2. somebody else one or two sizes smaller might be able to make routine use of it with some other garment underneath
3. somebody else might feel it's fine for emergency use or painting and decorating or whatever
4. could come in handy for use with an animal
1. other people may not feel the same way about the material
2. somebody else one or two sizes smaller might be able to make routine use of it with some other garment underneath
3. somebody else might feel it's fine for emergency use or painting and decorating or whatever
4. could come in handy for use with an animal
Furthermore, in some places (e.g. MA), it's actually illegal to toss textiles in the trash. I'm sure no one cares with a garment here and there but if you have a couple of large trashbags you should probably be donating them.
Don't forget rags for in the shop, I love me some old t-shirts for that.
I've never had a t-shirt "feel bad against my skin". And I wear some pretty cheap t-shirts. I'll take 'em.
(Or "One man's trash is another man's treasure").
(Or "One man's trash is another man's treasure").
Maybe they'll wear it for painting. Or waxing the car.
I actually have gotten a children’s picture book from a brand of cloth diapers that describes a silly and exaggerated story of how they invented their core product (a pivot from the two founders’ masters degrees in aerospace engineering). It is, as you suspected, very effective marketing as it is now seared into my brain from many re-readings.
My son was gifted a toolset by his aunt and uncle for Christmas. Plastic tools, belt etc...and a little voice box which every 3rd press or so extolls the virtues of John Deere tractors.
Those slogans are now going to be stuck in my brain forever, so I've got to hand it to them (no one realised it did this before they got it).
Those slogans are now going to be stuck in my brain forever, so I've got to hand it to them (no one realised it did this before they got it).
A month after I met my now-wife, I went with her to
Thanksgiving at her sister's house. My nephew was two at the time, and he had three magnets: a horse, a frog, and a duck. Each of which made the respective noise when you pushed a button on the magnet.
Naturally, being who I am, I took it upon myself to swap the circuit boards around among the magnets. Apparently this caused some distress a couple days later when my nephew discovered that the frog now made horse noises.
We did not give our wedding guests the opportunity to object to our union.
TL;DR: it sounds like you have an opportunity on your hands!
Naturally, being who I am, I took it upon myself to swap the circuit boards around among the magnets. Apparently this caused some distress a couple days later when my nephew discovered that the frog now made horse noises.
We did not give our wedding guests the opportunity to object to our union.
TL;DR: it sounds like you have an opportunity on your hands!
About 6-7 years ago, I attended a hacker convention and of course I made the rounds to pick up swag.
American Express had brought a limited supply of fidget spinners, and they were in extremely high demand. I was unable to secure one of my own.
PayPal had the best cache of stuff. They had this earphone holder that was designed like a fishbone. You were supposed to wrap the cord around the "ribs". Then I also picked up a shirt that said on the back "report phishing attempts to [email protected]".
I wore the shirt in public and a woman accosted me at a bus stop. She asked me if I worked for PayPal, which I denied. Then she told me anyway about some dispute she had. I decided to stop wearing the shirt and other swag that wasn't directly related to me.
American Express had brought a limited supply of fidget spinners, and they were in extremely high demand. I was unable to secure one of my own.
PayPal had the best cache of stuff. They had this earphone holder that was designed like a fishbone. You were supposed to wrap the cord around the "ribs". Then I also picked up a shirt that said on the back "report phishing attempts to [email protected]".
I wore the shirt in public and a woman accosted me at a bus stop. She asked me if I worked for PayPal, which I denied. Then she told me anyway about some dispute she had. I decided to stop wearing the shirt and other swag that wasn't directly related to me.
This image of kids playing with commercial merch is so dystopian.
All merchandise is commercial. Do your kids wear a Nike swoosh t shirt? Okay on an iPad? Love Lego? What the difference if it's a Microsoft football or new relic slingshot (all things I see from where I'm sitting)?
1) It’s not as bad if the logo or name is at least the manufacturer of the object. There’s an argument to be made that it’s a form of standing behind your product: this is good enough that we don’t think you’ll come to think ill of us.
2) Some of us in fact do avoid wearing logos. Nicer (and not even that nice, necessarily) clothes, bags, shoes, et c. tend not to have them, or at least make them very small. Logos for something other than the company that made the item would be even worse. Large logos and legible clothing more generally signal things I’d prefer not to signal, so… I don’t. Freebies in that category get worn around the house or as a base layer.
2) Some of us in fact do avoid wearing logos. Nicer (and not even that nice, necessarily) clothes, bags, shoes, et c. tend not to have them, or at least make them very small. Logos for something other than the company that made the item would be even worse. Large logos and legible clothing more generally signal things I’d prefer not to signal, so… I don’t. Freebies in that category get worn around the house or as a base layer.
>Some of us in fact do avoid wearing logos.
That's me
That's me
That's one of the reasons I don't buy Nike and I cover up Apple logos with stickers (which is easier ever since they stopped putting a damn backing light on their laptop logos). I'm not going to advertise for you for free.
I have a few Lego minifigures branded with a (since merged away) corporate logo.
Branded Lego is probably the most durable chotchki you’re going to find.
Branded Lego is probably the most durable chotchki you’re going to find.
Yep, LEGO endures. I've done entire branded boxes filled with a custom instruction booklet, such as "build this diorama of our video game studio" or "this is a character from our upcoming game" or "it's a LEGO GameBoy with our game on the screen." And it has to be LEGO. Anything else is considered cheap and reflects on your company.
The top-tier of this, of course, is to have LEGO make a special set and color for you, like the Maersk promotion sets: https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Maersk
(Now it's kind of boring because they sell them online, before those were exceptionally rare as they were basically only sold directly to Maersk.)
(Now it's kind of boring because they sell them online, before those were exceptionally rare as they were basically only sold directly to Maersk.)
All merchandise is commercial, but not all commercial merchandise comes with conspicuous ads printed on.
I used to get all sorts of medically-branded pens and merchandise courtesy of my parents. I had an infinite supply of pens.
Years later, I was working as a nurse on a medical floor. I had a realization that I was filling out an IV med label for Avelox with an Avelox-branded pen.
Years later, I was working as a nurse on a medical floor. I had a realization that I was filling out an IV med label for Avelox with an Avelox-branded pen.
Memories: Being in sixth grade and wondering why the teacher thought it was odd that I was using pencils with "Diazepam HCl" on them.
This dutch web shop selling mostly printer ink includes very nice ballpoint pens with their branding in the packages. End-result: Those pens get used by news readers and youtubers all over the place.
Whats wrong with that? Kids play with anything, wooden stick is a great toy anytime for example. That there are some logos and not some other logos or pictures they couldn't care less about
whats the difference between merch logos and regular toy brand for the kid? they dont care. as a parent i also dont realy care if they having fun.
> whats the difference between merch logos and regular toy brand for the kid?
On top of that, some children's shows are clearly tailored to push toys and all kinds of things, hoping to create a feedback loop of demand for swag-adjacent gear.
On top of that, some children's shows are clearly tailored to push toys and all kinds of things, hoping to create a feedback loop of demand for swag-adjacent gear.
Mom's a nurse, so we grew up with about everything in the house being branded drug merch. The diflucan dolphin beanie toy is probably my favorite. As an adult, I wish she had brought home Viagra swag. They gave out some hilarious stuff.
The only swag I am comfortable with wearing in public are things that look like it might just be a [sweater] with a cool image on it. No way I’m walking around with “Castiron ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪʀᴏɴ ɴᴇᴇᴅs sɪɴᴄᴇ 1887” on my torso.
I would absolutely wear your hypothetical Cast Iron shirt, just as an aside. There's always someone who's interested in niche topics.
I actually love these, to my shame.
Me too! The more obscure, the better. At least in the circles I run in, I can always count on someone asking me about what's on my torso.
I detest branded clothing. why should I be paying a company to advertise for them? LV, Boss, etc. I know for most they want to show off the logos hoping it makee them look like they have taste and/or money. It's crazy to me tho. Some of the designs are atrocious
more on topic though. You know the there are branded children's book right?
Example: https://www.amazon.com/Ms-Brand-Counting-Book/dp/0881068543
more on topic though. You know the there are branded children's book right?
Example: https://www.amazon.com/Ms-Brand-Counting-Book/dp/0881068543
Very age dependent but my toddler son loved the CNCF animal logo plushies. They got tons of use and did not feel wasteful like the direct to landfill stuff I’ve gotten at so many conferences.
I think the best piece of swag I ever got was a high-quality fidget spinner from Pluralsight. Even though fidget spinners were a fad, they're still pretty cool to have around. That one from the conference is still around in our house somewhere, and people still play with it.
I've also brought home so much garbage, that was fun to play with for a couple minutes but either broke or had no lasting interest. If you're in charge of choosing swag, please think about whether it has any lasting value. It does say something about your company's values and follow-through.
I've also brought home so much garbage, that was fun to play with for a couple minutes but either broke or had no lasting interest. If you're in charge of choosing swag, please think about whether it has any lasting value. It does say something about your company's values and follow-through.
I wear t-shirts a lot, but not advertising t-shirts. Just blank ones. Same goes for any other logo clothing.
I get that others like them, it's just not for me.
I get that others like them, it's just not for me.
> a children's picture book
I don't know the story behind this or how many were actually printed, but Microsoft seems to have tried it:
https://archive.org/details/mommybook
I don't know the story behind this or how many were actually printed, but Microsoft seems to have tried it:
https://archive.org/details/mommybook
I would agree with the other comment: commercial merch is dystopian. This month I finally disposed of my simple, black HP (not HPE) T-shirt. It is truly dystopian what the current merch doesn't hold up for.. does a quick 24 - 08 math .. 16 years!
> commercial merch is dystopian
We're all digital serfs anyway, enslaved by subscriptions and work for hire - might as well get something back for it.
We're all digital serfs anyway, enslaved by subscriptions and work for hire - might as well get something back for it.
At my last conference I got a (unfortunately unbranded so I don't even remember who it's from) spinning top, my toddler loves watching it go!
Somewhat related to the children's book idea. I've received a Postgres coloring book from an Azure event.
I never give that shit to my kids because I know it’s made in some uninspected Chinese factory
I learned, quite by accident, that carrying around several boxes of the small Cadbury's Flake chocolate around a conference in Las Vegas was an amazing ice breaker to conversation. From there, the next game developer's conference, I dropped about $400 on custom printed sleeves for small Toblerone chocolate bars that I could give away. I've also always carried a different style of high quality business cards from everyone else, so that also became a conversation starter (about $150). I've also done a glossy magazine for my video game company showing off our achievements and projects for the past year (about $2,000). And a pop-up book of projects ($1,500). And a high-quality custom Rubik's cube (about $4 each). And a colouring book with branded crayons (about $1,200). Custom phone cases. Custom phone chargers. Custom USB cords. Custom tools for network admins. Ribbons for conference badges. High-quality tape measures. Custom branded private blend coffee beans. LEGO in our own custom branded box. Digital single-game "game & watch" style toys. So many different toys that endure. Toys seem to always go over well. All those tiny marketing promotions break the ice and have lead to several successful business deals.
What vendor did you use to make the pop up book? I work in medical research and I could see that being a great learning tool to train our sites on the lab kits.
Here's one you wouldn't think of: Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) wrote about his radical diet that took off 100 pounds, and kept it off. It ends in a regular vegan-type diet, except he's allowed to take days off now and then.
Anyway: for the first two weeks it starts with eating only potatoes. No butter, no sour cream, no fat. Then other foods get added in.
Here's the giveaway part: he would go to show business parties and say to people, "Would you like a potato?" He claims a lot of people would say, "A potato? Sure!"
https://www.amazon.com/Presto-Pounds-Disappear-Other-Magical...
Anyway: for the first two weeks it starts with eating only potatoes. No butter, no sour cream, no fat. Then other foods get added in.
Here's the giveaway part: he would go to show business parties and say to people, "Would you like a potato?" He claims a lot of people would say, "A potato? Sure!"
https://www.amazon.com/Presto-Pounds-Disappear-Other-Magical...
We give away potatoes to trick or treaters on Halloween. They are immensely popular and we’ve become known as the potato house in our city’s Facebook groups. The weird delight on the faces of kids of all ages was hugely unexpected but surprisingly consistent.
When I lived in Santa Cruz back in the early 2000s I lived in a duplex, and my duplex neighbour and I would cook and give away well over three 30lb bags of baked potatoes each Halloween. Bake the potatoes early in the day, cut them open, put in the butter, salt and pepper, then close them up and wrap in tin foil. Kids and teenagers would go out of their way to get a potato from us.
Ah man, you're making me look forward to winter when we can make bonfire potatoes again, by wrapping them in foil with butter and a few flavourings, then putting them into the hot coals for a couple of hours.
I'm in the southern hemisphere and in general I love summer, but those potatoes are a thing of joy.
I'm in the southern hemisphere and in general I love summer, but those potatoes are a thing of joy.
Do you give away cooked or raw taters at halloween?
Slightly different calculus if a celebrity magician is offering a McGuffin. I would assume that was the lead in to a bit.
no, it was a party of other showbiz folks.
This seems like a comment that is equally appropriate for this thread or for the thread on lazy weight loss.
Which one? Searched through the first three pages of HN and I’m deadly curious!
Sounded right up my alley too, so I went digging.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39081133
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39081133
My god is this guy from the 90s. I wish him the best but hope people don’t listen to him too much.
Really? Is there bad advice in there?
1. Exercise is definitely a very important part of any sustainable weight loss program. If you lose a ton of weight merely by dieting you'll look ghastly and lose muscle as well (and likely are not getting all the longevity benefits of weight loss). More importantly I have never seen anyone not on Ozempic lose weight with just diet and no exercise and keep the fat off.
2. Calorie counting is pretty dangerous if you have any binge eating background. It tends to make you go into binge eating episodes more often.
3. Their advice basically boils down to "eat less" - I mean no shit, thats been pretty uncontested by any sane person for a long time now! The question is how! How does one overcome their mental barriers and actually achieve it? There's literally no single good advice - different diets work for different people and for some none work. the only bet is to try as many diets as possible to see what suits your mind and schedule.
4. Justifying yourself into any amount of alcohol is in general a bad idea for dieting, and this dude didnt even give up on beer at that!
If this diet worked for him, good for him. I wish him the best to keep it off. But doesnt mean this works for everyone or even most people.
To reiterate, its almost always your own mind that keeps you from your goal weight, because there's an internal set point weight your body has decided for you and it will always try to move you to this goal weight. This is why most people go back to their original size after a year or so of losing massive amounts of weight (including me).
This is where ozempic and these new class of drugs seem to play some magic. I'm not on it and don't plan on going on it, but thats because I'm only marginally overweight and don't need to complicate with its potential side effects yet. Hopefully I can will myself with my current diet plan and get to my goal (current diet is basically also just try and eat less, but also cut out all sugar; seems to work well for me). But if you're clinically obese, and can afford it, ozempic seems to be a great way to go about this. Our perception of why we gain weight has changed drastically and there's no shame in looking for a pharmaceutical out from this issue.
2. Calorie counting is pretty dangerous if you have any binge eating background. It tends to make you go into binge eating episodes more often.
3. Their advice basically boils down to "eat less" - I mean no shit, thats been pretty uncontested by any sane person for a long time now! The question is how! How does one overcome their mental barriers and actually achieve it? There's literally no single good advice - different diets work for different people and for some none work. the only bet is to try as many diets as possible to see what suits your mind and schedule.
4. Justifying yourself into any amount of alcohol is in general a bad idea for dieting, and this dude didnt even give up on beer at that!
If this diet worked for him, good for him. I wish him the best to keep it off. But doesnt mean this works for everyone or even most people.
To reiterate, its almost always your own mind that keeps you from your goal weight, because there's an internal set point weight your body has decided for you and it will always try to move you to this goal weight. This is why most people go back to their original size after a year or so of losing massive amounts of weight (including me).
This is where ozempic and these new class of drugs seem to play some magic. I'm not on it and don't plan on going on it, but thats because I'm only marginally overweight and don't need to complicate with its potential side effects yet. Hopefully I can will myself with my current diet plan and get to my goal (current diet is basically also just try and eat less, but also cut out all sugar; seems to work well for me). But if you're clinically obese, and can afford it, ozempic seems to be a great way to go about this. Our perception of why we gain weight has changed drastically and there's no shame in looking for a pharmaceutical out from this issue.
> Exercise is definitely a very important part of any sustainable weight loss program...More importantly I have never seen anyone not on Ozempic lose weight with just diet and no exercise and keep the fat off.
This is not my experience, or that of my friends. While exercise is great for many reasons, some people's bodies react to exercise differently. For example, if I go running then I end up eating much more, which negates the calories expended. I have lost weight quite successfully (and not looked ghastly in the least) by IF and reducing caloric intake generally. During that time I did exercise (mostly long walks), but I did not increase my exercise over my prior baseline.
This is not my experience, or that of my friends. While exercise is great for many reasons, some people's bodies react to exercise differently. For example, if I go running then I end up eating much more, which negates the calories expended. I have lost weight quite successfully (and not looked ghastly in the least) by IF and reducing caloric intake generally. During that time I did exercise (mostly long walks), but I did not increase my exercise over my prior baseline.
If you want to stay with sweets, just put them in a metallic box with your logo. The mint box is likely to stay around much longer than the mints.
A good quality well sized tin is always appreciated, no matter the material really.
but you just specified a tin is always appreciated. you didn't say a well sized container is appreciated. so, it seems the material does matter
“A tin” is not specifically tin, so it can be of varying materials.
Indeed, but there's something tactile about a tin box over, say, a plastic box. Mind there are some rather nice plastic boxes, but I think a cheap tin box rates a bit higher than a cheap plastic box.
One early 90s Comdex, some company gave out 4' fiberglass rods with Beatings will continue until morale improves on them. I have no clue what the company did (something with printing, maybe), but everybody in Vegas was carrying one. I kept it for years in the corner of my office.
As someone who’s the owner of a national conference business my tip is branded chargers. Literally everyone needs them and is incentivized to keep it around.
A medieval war horse is too much responsibility for a gift and it isn't ethical to brand one. But a Dodge sports car is acceptable.
Counting down until somebody names a sports car Destrier
I have a SUSE power strip (1-plug-to-3) that I pull out at airports when everyone is contending for outlets - very popular move. I have a little bag with pouches for chargers and adapters.
Really anything that is handy for business travelers is going to land well with a lot of people at conferences.
Really anything that is handy for business travelers is going to land well with a lot of people at conferences.
Definitely a popular item, though in certain markets (like HNers), there may be considerable hesitation to plug a phone/computer with sensitive business info into a charger of unknown provenance.
I used to take these but no longer do, since I don’t want to risk any shenanigans anywhere in the supply chain.
I used to take these but no longer do, since I don’t want to risk any shenanigans anywhere in the supply chain.
Or it can be a classic eavesdropping device.
Malicious charger = Trojan horse?
Where do you source your chargers now where you can track the entire supply chain?
Most of my chargers came with the devices, and I assume Apple checks those pretty carefully. I have a couple bricks from Belkin or other well-known brands that have never had issues with security. I don't think most charger companies are at risk for this, but I think the very cheapest ones might. For example, the cheapest TVs are monetized by telemetry because the purchase price alone doesn't make for a sustainable business model. I would think the same thing might happen with chargers.
Is it still the case though? I am very picky about my chargers nowadays, doesn’t take much savvy to realize a top of the line charger will juice your phone much faster than some freebie. Unless you’re handing out multiport anker GaN chargers in which case tell me where you’re heading next lol.
Anything involving power is a good option - travel adaptor plugs, 1 to 3 adapters, USB cables, etc.
Those little USB-A to C/mini/Lightning adapters are gold, and I'm up to like 6 of them now, all get regular use. They can't be as expensive as a shirt or some of the other knick-knacks.
Otherwise, stress balls and bouncy balls are always a hit to bring home and give to the kids.
Otherwise, stress balls and bouncy balls are always a hit to bring home and give to the kids.
Anything travel related probably, as a good number of people will have traveled to the conference, and will likely travel to other conferences and will take the banded thing with them. Where it's probably even seen by the correct audience.
We had a very interesting and successful run with branded BBQ tongues. They are very cheap, unassuming and large enough that you could see them sticking out of bags here and there.
It was by far the oddest giveaway at that conference. The 13th pen just doesn't yield any reaction at all. The tongues were a bit of a conversation starter.
It was by far the oddest giveaway at that conference. The 13th pen just doesn't yield any reaction at all. The tongues were a bit of a conversation starter.
Do you mean “tongs” or like jerky dried Ox tongue or something?
Ha ha, yeah. I remember years ago getting a cookie at a conference that had been frosted by the equivalent of a "frosting jet printer" -- the cookie was great, but I ate the URL before leaving the show booth. I tucked that lesson away as a mistake to never make myself.
I remember during the console wars and then again during the dotcom craze some sag was pretty damn nice. I remember a PlayStation backpack that lasted far longer then my PSX. During dotcom, I remember getting a laptop bag that was amazing, like a Swiss army knife, from some networking company that I used far longer than that company existed.
Those Sony backpacks are (probably, were) something. I had a Vaio backpack that lasted me from ages 17 to 22 as a "daily driver" laptop and general purpose bag, then 22 to 35 as a grocery and travel bag - though if I'm being honest those last few years were more emotional than rational.
Unfortunately no manufacturer information other than Sony on it. :(
Unfortunately no manufacturer information other than Sony on it. :(
Had a very similar experience hosting e-sports events and buying probably the cheapest sponsor slot ever: the badge lanyards, every single interview had our logo right there around the neck of every single person at the venue, while the TV crews were trying to frame the giant master sponsor logos in the background
The article ends by asking for favorite swag. At Gitex I got a small bottle of hand sanitizer with a clip so I can hang it on my bag. Great idea. Useful item and I’m carrying some company’s logo with me for months after the show.
The most memorable piece of swag I've ever received (not given out) was a small Hydro Flask thermos – I use it all the time.
Thinking about the use of sweets at conferences, I'd assume they are most effective at the end of a conversation.
Eating a sugary sweet might just trigger a small release of dopamine, creating a psychological association that paints the interaction – and by extension, the person involved – in a positive light.
No idea if there is any truth to this, but could be the reason some services leave sweets in a bowl at reception sometimes?
Thinking about the use of sweets at conferences, I'd assume they are most effective at the end of a conversation.
Eating a sugary sweet might just trigger a small release of dopamine, creating a psychological association that paints the interaction – and by extension, the person involved – in a positive light.
No idea if there is any truth to this, but could be the reason some services leave sweets in a bowl at reception sometimes?
My most used merch is from a coffee company that sent my unit an absolute ton of coffee on deployment when I contacted their coordinator. Due to their market they have a specific person who ships those care packages of older coffee out (I promise we don’t give a damn if it’s older on deployment; free decent coffee is amazing). They sent me a hydro flask as a bonus for being the one to reach out and I’ve been using it for years now.
Hydro flasks are great the first time, cool the second time and then are quite meh. I've got like 5 till now and ran out of people to give them to.
If you bring free sweets to a consumer show, you will get a lot of happy smiles on small faces and unmeasurably small business effect. At least you get some smiles, so not a total waste. Some customers will probably be a little less likely to do business with you because they think you are trying too hard, but I don't think it's a big effect.
I've been to trade shows where the jar of small mint candies at the show booth was very welcome to deal with dry mouth or bad-breath-insecurities. My main reaction is to be thankful for the courtesy.
licorice! salty licorice. many people don't like them, but even more people haven't tried them. a sure-fire conversation-starter.
The fizzy saucers aren't also a 08/15 sweet though
At my current company I love trying to come up with fun and creative swag ideas that are actually worthwhile and enjoyable.
Last year our creative pick was hot sauce [1]. We bring hot sauces into there office to share with coworkers and I got the idea into my head to bring that same thing to conferences.
[1] https://stytch.com/blog/developer-conferences/
Last year our creative pick was hot sauce [1]. We bring hot sauces into there office to share with coworkers and I got the idea into my head to bring that same thing to conferences.
[1] https://stytch.com/blog/developer-conferences/
So, lessons learned? Bring bigger sweets, with more eye-catching designs, including a clear call to action, and which are sugar-free and inedible.
Typical tech-guy reaction! xD
I think the obvious lesson is: Just grab any bag of sweets and go for a chat.
You say it yourself:
It can be a bit intimidating to go up to strangers and say "TALK TO ME". But saying "Hello! Would you care for a sweet?" is a socially acceptable ice-breaker.
The printing didn't matter.
Typical tech-guy reaction! xD
I think the obvious lesson is: Just grab any bag of sweets and go for a chat.
You say it yourself:
It can be a bit intimidating to go up to strangers and say "TALK TO ME". But saying "Hello! Would you care for a sweet?" is a socially acceptable ice-breaker.
The printing didn't matter.
Pepperdata gave away bottles of branded hot sauce at a conference I attended. And they thoughtfully selected bottles under 100ml so we could bring them home on our flights! The hot sauce was delicious, and I ended up eating most of it by the spoonful from the bottle.
I kind of still wish I could get more. I searched everything I could find on the bottle to figure out who actually made it. No luck.
I kind of still wish I could get more. I searched everything I could find on the bottle to figure out who actually made it. No luck.
If they have contact info on their website you could ask. If I was on the other end of that inbox I’d definitely tell you, in the absolute best case it could convert into a sale (or maybe you’ll just make someone’s day).
I came across an entire carton of MongoDB coffee mugs at the thrift store a few years ago. Excess merch...
My favorite swag was an Intel spaceman/clean suit guy doll - but he's stuffed in a box in the shed somewhere.
I had a really nice Timbuk2 laptop backpack with some big corp's logo on it. Super functional and well made bag but I never used it because I don't like wearing/displaying logos in general.
My favorite swag was an Intel spaceman/clean suit guy doll - but he's stuffed in a box in the shed somewhere.
I had a really nice Timbuk2 laptop backpack with some big corp's logo on it. Super functional and well made bag but I never used it because I don't like wearing/displaying logos in general.
Oh yeah, the bunny people. Andy Grove was apparently really big on those at one point. Think I have one in my office. I either have another one someplace or I tossed it.
I admit I have so much merchandise from over the years from my company and others. I've dumped a lot but some I really like and use regularly.
I admit I have so much merchandise from over the years from my company and others. I've dumped a lot but some I really like and use regularly.
> I never used it because I don't like wearing/displaying logos in general
I have a roll of gaffer tape - covers the logos. It is unironically almost a brand of its own now
I have a roll of gaffer tape - covers the logos. It is unironically almost a brand of its own now
I like seeing that on TV shows and the like where someone is wearing clothing that isn't one of the sponsors, etc.
I also had a zip-up sweater I really liked, but wasn't in to the brand, so I sewed another embroidered patch over the branding.
I also had a zip-up sweater I really liked, but wasn't in to the brand, so I sewed another embroidered patch over the branding.
The company name and logo are very forgettable imo
3D printed and assembled dozens of these for a conference a few years back, and handed them out instead of business cards: https://forum.formlabs.com/t/babyform2-3d-print-your-3d-prin...
These are stellar. Thank you for the write up!
The coolest conference giveaway I ever got was from NVIDIA: the NVIDIA ruler! They look ultraslick and are very useful. Here's one on eBay: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/114530985211
Back around ...2007 or so I had papabupple make a 'google (heart emoji) open source" hard candy, they were absolutely terrific. People loved those things. Papabubble had a shop in SF in those days. Expensing 600 lbs of candy was a first for google accounting I think.
Do people still do badges as promotional items? My dad had a collection of button badges from long-defunct vendors that I found fascinating as a child. They're intrinsically longer-lasting than stickers, cheaper than t-shirts, and most people won't eat them.
Everyone in Silicon Valley knows the importance of swag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9eIgg0ArDg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9eIgg0ArDg
At a WordCamp I attended, Yoast was handing out stroopwafels. They were delicious and made such a good conversation-starter and introduction to Dutch desserts.
Another problem is you can’t click on a sweet to open a browser.
Conference booths are usually heavy on sweet and light on salty.
If you are organizing a booth, consider salty or savory options (popcorn!).
If you are organizing a booth, consider salty or savory options (popcorn!).
And if you do popcorn, let your guests season their own bag to their own taste. Have regular salt, butter-flavored salt, and... whatever that other weird stuff is that people put on popcorn.
Plus, if you've got a popcorn maker, the smell will draw people to your booth.
Plus, if you've got a popcorn maker, the smell will draw people to your booth.
One of my colleagues had a big movie style popcorn maker on a small table near his desk. Whenever we fired it up, it would inevitably summon people from all corners of the office to stand around eating popcorn out of the small cardboard boxes. It’s pretty great.
...and if you let it burn, it'll summon the fire department!
I will always upvote a good lessons learned post!
> My friend Ken worked for what was then a first-tier Japanese hifi company. At the time -- it was the eighties -- companies exhibiting at CES gave shit away. Shirts, pens, calculators... you know: trade show crap. Rather than have his giveaway get lost in that sea of crap, my friend decided to give out pocket-sized mirrors, each encased in a blue silicon sleeve emblazoned with the company logo. His Japanese masters said "Ken-san, why you give away small mirror. We don't understand." And Ken-san said "trust me, they'll love it." And they did, because a) it was the eighties, and 2) while some preparatory activities are best done on a cardboard record jacket, others require an unyielding surface. I should add that the notion of including a single-edge razor blade in the package crossed his mind, but was rejected as being too on-the-nose.