Snail mail that isn't a bill, a debt consolidation or credit card offer, or a poorly designed direct mailer for a political candidate or telecom provider is rare. Well designed pieces, catalogs from one's favorite brands, and packages stand out as treasures. In today's highly visual world, carefully thought out goodie boxes find themselves in multiple social feeds. Take some tips from Alt's goodie boxes to create a memorable, sharable package.
Most industry events and conferences come with a bag filled with goodies and marketing materials from sponsors. Some events, like Alt Summit, BlogShop, and weddings for out of town guests, have elevated this simple bag into an art form.
Items to Include in a Goodie Box or Out of Town Gift Bag
Amazing gift bags all have a few things in common:
- Color-coordinated items
- Pretty writing utensil and notepad
- Postcard or notecard
- Sweet treats and water
- Where items came from
- (Optional) Jewelry, lip gloss or chapstick, or breath mints
This time last year, I shared Goodie bags from BlogShop SF and from Alt for Everyone. Below I share the Goodie Box from this past weekend's Alt for Everyone.
Select items from a similar color palette.
Make it easy for participants to take good looking snapshots. By choosing items from the same color palette or contrasting one, participants can add depth to their "haul shots." In this goodie box, I found objects that were Green and Yellow, Blue and Black, and Orange, Green, and Tan. You can see more of the grouped items in an Alt for Everyone Flickr gallery. (I played with intentionally cropping some of the items to add more interest and mystery. I'm looking forward to this Saturday's upcoming Alt on Topic: Photography Styling curated by The House of Brinson for more tips about styling products.)
Include a pretty notepad and writing utensil.
Many participants still take notes by hand. If you've organized your event with rows of tables simple, beautiful notebooks will make for a nice backdrop to your engaged participants.
Add a card or two for recipients to send to loved ones or friends.
At my first Alt Summit in 2013, a sponsor, Vivint, and a fellow participant gave postcards for capturing how we were feeling. They made it super easy for us by affixing a stamp so that all we had to do was fill the card out and drop it off at the front desk of the hotel.
Share a sweet treat and/or drink.
Pack a treat or two that can be easily tucked into a purse or a bag. Often at a conference or an event, many participants are rushing to the event venue straight from the airport. A treat and a drink ensure that participants won't be parched or hungry.
Make it easy for recipients to acknowledge brands they like.
How frustrating is it to get an item and not know who made it or where you can go to see the rest of their products? Include a simple card listing popular social media profiles for the enclosed products. For items that are significant to the event (or to the couple if in a out of town guest bag for a wedding), share a brief note about why they're important. If you have a hashtag or hashtags for your event mention those as well.
Celebrating Six Years
In just over a month, The Road to The Good Life, is going to turn eight (June 17th). I can't believe how far this site has come since then: first a photography and Photoshop tip blog with little to no photography, then almost exclusively photography (a simple image with a quote or few sentences), to a mix of prose and photography spanning Home, Food, Family, Fashion, Making, and Work.
Between now and June 17th, we'll be taking a look back, at the good and the ugly. And, there may even be a giveaway or two. In the meantime, tell me, when did you first start reading The Road to The Good Life? What have you liked and disliked?
Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.
