#1 Tip for Tradeshow Success
- April 05, 2012, Stephanie Millman
If you are like many manufacturers I know, you are busy preparing for CPP Expo, Drupa, Labelexpo Americas, Pack Expo, ICE Asia and/or others. If so, there is one thing that I would urge you to consider before getting to the show floor…
“What will your visitors experience while visiting your booth?”
Participating in a tradeshow is one of the most expensive marketing and sales investments we incur, and yet it boggles my mind that so many exhibitors have the “build-it-and-they-will-come” mentality.
Give your booth visitors a memorable experience that connects with your company’s products and services. You can do this by engaging your customer with a low-risk, possibly fun activity that creates an opportunity to discuss your featured products and services. Some ideas that have been successful in the past have been…
- Give visitors a T-Shirt/Hat/Tumbler in exchange for watching your new product demonstrations. It takes them 2 minutes to get exposure to what you do and then you collect their information for follow-up (if they are real prospects, they will stop and talk… if not, you need to mark them as “not a prospect” so you don’t waste your time in following-up).
- Hire a ‘personality’ to pull people into your booth. I hired a very talented shoe shiner in Montreal that got the prospects talking about their business while in the chair. It was a slow show and he did a good job of pulling in some business. Professional talent (models) that have the right approach can be a wonderful attraction to your booth; however, make sure you see how they engage with customers before hiring ‘blind’ since they do represent your brand on the show floor.
- Give visitors a game they can win, but tie that game into what you are promoting. For example, Green Bay Packaging used to tie football into their booth and made an excellent environment with a toss and popcorn! I’ve seen darts used to demonstrate how market research targets your investment.
Provide your customers an engaging reason to be in your booth, and make sure your activity or ‘theme’ is easy to understand and ties in with your offering. This one tip will help significantly to maximize your trade show investment… simply by considering your visitor’s experience.
World Record! Now that’s NEWS!
- February 10, 2012, Stephanie Millman
World Record! Now that’s NEWS!
I came across this article on how an industry supplier helped one of their customers increase the speed on their line so much that it broke a record. “Wow,” I thought, “How did they do that?” I’m sure many people scanning the headline had the same curiosity. This example brings up an emotional topic to many marketers and editors and I would like to address the topic, “What is Newsworthy?"
Got Bad News? YOU Tell It!
- January 13, 2012, Stephanie Millman
In the news today Coca-Cola announced that they found fungicides in their products containing orange juice and they were the first to break the news. Instead of denying involvement, waiting for someone else to prove it, or pointing the finger, they came out immediately and broadcasted the possible risk to the press and have been communicating openly with them. What would you do if you found an issue in your product that might either cause harm or erupt on the factory floor at your customer's site?
Legally, you have an obligation to inform your customers of any potential harm your product could cause. A low-risk method of informing your customers is to send them a letter. But there is a H-U-G-E brand opportunity you would be stepping over. What would happen if you informed the press and worked with your association and customers to alleviate any risks and problems? The answer is that most likely, your brand credibility will increase significantly. You will be perceived in the marketplace as accountable, trustworthy, strong and open. Think about the airline industry and how studies have shown that airplane crashes -- despite potentially tragic consequences-- most commonly increase the brand recognition of a company...
Think this through and consider the next time you have some bad news (hopefully nothing catastrophic) to turn it into a branding opportunity.
The Source of Your Mojo, Step Two
- January 03, 2012, Stephanie Millman
In my last post, I described how your brand is the center of your Marketing Mojo--what people think and feel about your brand every time they encounter it. I challenged you to take the first step and hone in on four words that designate what your brand represents. This first step in defining your core market messages is critical to developing a brand strategy. Now let’s look into the second step.
The Source of Your Mojo
- December 08, 2011, Stephanie Millman
At the center of your marketing mojo is the topic of brand. The term, “brand” has evolved significantly over the years; originally defined as a “mark” such as branding cattle to now encompassing the entire identify of your product, service and/or company. Your marketing mojo is strongly wrapped up in what people think and feel about your brand when they encounter it. It is because of this you will be better served to think of your brand as a personality-- one that needs to demonstrate and reinforce the strengths of your brand every time your customers and prospects encounter it.
How do you do it? Let’s tackle the first step right now.
Step one. Define your market messages. What differentiates you in the marketplace? What does your brand stand for? Is it innovation? Leadership? Low-priced leader? Dependability? Excellent customer service? Take some time to roll up four words that best describe your brand. Here’s an example: Budget rental cars. Inexpensive, accessible, dependable, adequate service (not going to wow you). You won’t expect much service or luxury, but Budget differentiates itself with price and delivers its market promise… low price.
Take this first step. I’ll walk you through the next one next time. Get in touch with your Marketing Mojo by starting with these core messages of your brand. And stay tuned. Step two awaits you.
Marketing Mojo
- November 08, 2011, Stephanie Millman
Marketing Mojo is not something static – it requires openness to new ideas, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and to take risks when you believe there’s a reason to deviate from the same tired message.
