Our Approach to Swag and Event Branding

In the recent Eclipse Encounter Conference, quite a few visitors who came to our booth told us that we have one of the best swags and that they love our branding. This didn’t happen overnight: it has been a work in progress for a few years now.

We give away rhinos and very comfortable t-shirts at events. These are expensive to make, and on top of that, there are logistics to manage. So, every batch and every event is treated with care. 

Usually at trade shows, when it comes to giveaways, different companies have different approaches. Some are generous, giving whatever they have. Some are selective. I even remember times when I wanted to take some giveaways for my kids and stopped by booths. Some declined, saying the items were only for customers or prospects. I was never offended. I just moved on and found what was available elsewhere.

We rebranded in 2017, to include the rhino that so many people recognize us from today. 

When we started giving away cool rhino plushes at our booth, I followed the same cautious strategy to save money. If someone was a customer, we gave them a plush toy or t-shirt. If they were a prospect, we gave them one too. But if they did similar work as us or weren’t a prospect, I used to deny them a gift. This happened at one or two trade shows.

Then Tim Diep, our Director of Strategic Partnerships, advised me:

“Karthik, you have to be generous. Giving away things like this helps our brand. Don’t differentiate between booth visitors. Just give them away.”

His advice really resonated with me. With a little reflection, I immediately understood his point and changed our approach. This has helped us in many ways — not just for branding, but also because it’s simply a good thing to do.

Some of the swag that would greet you, the next time you visit us at an event. 🙂

There’s a story behind these giveaways too. Ramu and Rhine, our two mascots, are real. We adopted them at the Chennai Zoo, and they have been part of the DCKAP Community since World Rhino Day 2021. You can learn more about their story here. 

Thank you for reading.

Karthik Chidambaram.