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Promotional and Advertising Opportunities
Exhibition & exhibit promotion
Developing the exhibition message or theme
All too often exhibitors neglect the power of pre and post exhibition promotional activity. When developing our promotional plan, advertising, media relations, sponsorship and special activities, we have kept a consistent theme throughout. This will help reinforce our exhibition partners’ message to relevant business prospects and help better recall of who we are.
What we can do to increase visitors to your stand?
83% of the most successful companies at a range of exhibitions were the ones that mailed their prospective customers before the show. The WDS 2010 exhibition has followed in the footsteps of the proven.
The objectives and target audience established in the planning stage form the basis of our promotional activity. The main promotional activities to attract stand traffic are:
- Personal invitations
- Telemarketing
- Direct Mail
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Internet activity
- Sponsorship
We are telling the world that we have created the Dental Exhibition Concept that will benchmark qualitative standards in dental exhibitions for years to come. Have you told the world that you are exhibiting? Tell your audience what you’ll be doing at the show and why they should attend. Include the benefits and offer some intrigue or at-show offer.
Exhibiting is a powerful way to enhance your brand awareness. Everything your company stands for, whether large or small, is being exhibited on the show floor. Exhibiting is an extension of your advertising, promotion, public relations and sales function and this means there needs to be consistency, clarity and focus in every aspect of your exhibiting programme.
Consider three important factors to integrate brand awareness into your exhibition programme:
- Consistency and repetition is vital in creating brand awareness. People buy brands they know and trust
- Ensure all your marketing and promotions are consistent and that they have your logo, colours, typeface and strap-line. Everything you develop should have the same look and feel
- Peoples’ perception of your company, products and/or services is a major factor in their choice of brand preferences and their buying behaviour.
Promote Exhibition Stand:
The show organiser is responsible for promoting the show to the right target audience and is accountable to exhibitors for delivering quality visitors.
Where the visitors go once they get to the show is the responsibility of you, the exhibitor. You are responsible for informing your target audience about what you’re exhibiting, where you are located in the hall and why they should visit you.
Exhibition research shows that 76% of visitors arrive at an exhibition with a fixed agenda. If they don’t know you are exhibiting, the chances are they won’t find you – particularly in a large show.
The answer? Effective promotion.
Developing a high impact promotional program.
To develop a high impact promotional programme, consider the following:
- How can you create a programme so that people remember your company, your message and your products or services?
- What strategies will produce successful and measurable results?
- How can you best allocate your budget?
How you choose to spend your budget, is critical. Your promotion should accomplish the following three things:
- Attract quality visitors
- Engage visitors and allow interaction
- Get your products / services and message remembered favourably
Part I - Pre-Show Activity:
A number of opportunities are available with us to promote your participation at the WDS.
Direct Mail
You can mail your own databases, buy in a list or mail to the show’s list of pre-registrations.
The most successful companies at a range of exhibitions were the ones that mailed their prospects and customers prior to the show.
Advertising
You may also wish to advertise your participation by including your Booth number and show dates on your existing advertising materials. Branding opportunities for Directional Signages / Wayfinders, Registration Badges, Exhibition Bags, Note Pads, Stationery Items, are available.
Sales and Business Letters
Include the same details on standard sales and marketing letters sent out by your business daily.
Web Site
The WDS now has a dedicated web site for registering visitors and promoting the exhibition. You too could advertise your company and promote your participation on the WDS web site. You can also avail services of having links from the organiser’s site to yours.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Many exhibitions offer sponsorship opportunities providing significant brand exposure. Sponsorship can range from on-site banners placed around the show floor, carpet tiles and carrier bags to the official event programme and sponsorship of hospitality areas.
If you are interested in becoming a Sponsor then please fill in the sponsorship form in the Technique Manual.
PART II - At-Show Activity
At-show promotions can be an effective method of drawing visitor attention to your stand. Promotional giveaways are the most popular device but consider the benefit to you as in achieving your objectives. If you offer a business card prize draw consider what you are going to do with the bundle of business cards you’re left with at the end of the show. Don’t confuse them with leads. This is a contact database activity and shouldn’t be confused with real prospects.
Creating activity and movement on your stand by giving something to passing visitors can often be more productive particularly if you have included on the item your company contact details and what you do. If managed well and enthusiastically this kind of activity can generate real interest and serve as a hook to engage conversation.
PART III - Post-Show Activity
Don’t fall into the trap that many exhibitors do of channelling all your energy and activity into planning and preparing the exhibition, conducting a successful event with well trained staff and pre-exhibition marketing activity to then return to the office, pat yourselves on the back and forget about it until next year.
Keep going with the promotional activity. Not all visitors will have got to your stand. A number of pre-registrations will not have made it to the show at all.
The WDS 2012 organisers will make available to its exhibitors, the visitor list. This list may be offered for a small one-off rental fee. A simple ‘Sorry we missed you but did you know…’ can generate a whole new set of leads.
Using direct mail for exhibition promotion
Our direct mail campaign forms an integral part of our pre-show and post- show promotional activity. A promo campaign needs to have a specific purpose based on your show goals and objectives. We help you decide what action you want the recipient of your exhibition business promo mails to take.
Do you want them to:
- See a demonstration?
- Receive a gift?
- Participate in a competition?
And remember to measure the effectiveness of your campaign. The best method to do this is to have recipients return something in exchange, for example, a reply card or questionnaire. An effective campaign requires three separate mailings at planned intervals – 3 – 4 weeks prior to the show, 10 – 14 days prior and finally one week prior.
Ideas to help differentiate your direct mail campaign
Use a qualified mailing list – you can rent the organiser’s pre-registration list, choose a good quality third party list that meets your goals or use your own client database.
- Use first class postage
- Make sure you address your mailing to an individual and not a job title
- Use a Postage Paid Impression that includes your booth number and show name
- Print up envelopes with a special message or theme
- Keep your message short and sweet
- Consider different mailing pieces for different target audiences
- Use odd-sized promotional pieces
- Use bold colours
- Use a theme to create consistency and clarity
Create a memorable message
The key to successful promotion is targeting those people that you want to get onto your exhibition booth. The key to a successful campaign is having a unique message that helps differentiate you in the market.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide on your unique message:
- What is your company presenting that is so compelling that visitors need to flock to your booth?
- What do you do better than your competition?
- What does your company offer to buyers that’s of real value? – for example, better guarantee, better delivery, lowest price, or best selection?
Understand your target audience available
76% of exhibition visitors come with an agenda. They have taken the time to visit the show and they have a purpose – they need to see if what you are selling is what they want to buy. They are looking for solutions to the challenges they face in their working environment. They want to leave the exhibition with concrete answers and solutions to various issues.
The major reason people visit exhibitions is to see what’s new. They’re eager to find out how they can save time and money using new products, applications and technologies – so tell them! Even without a new product or service, you need to think about a different spin to promote what you have to offer.
Educate the prospect and let your industry knowledge and expertise shine through – it might just steer them towards doing business with you.
If you do your job right, your products or services will be just what the prospect is looking for.
A brand awareness
Since exhibiting is a powerful extension of your company’s advertising, promotion, public relations and sales function, it automatically means that it is an excellent way to enhance brand awareness. Everything your company stands for, no matter how large or small, is being exhibited on the show floor. There should be total consistency, congruity, clarity and focus in every aspect of your exhibiting program, before, during and after the show. Consider three important points to integrate brand awareness into your tradeshow programme:
- Consistency and repetition are vital in creating brand awareness. People buy brands they know and they trust!
- Ensure that all your marketing and promotions are consistent and have your logo, colours, typeface, slogans and characters. Everything you develop should have the same look and feel.
- How your company, products and services is perceived is a major factor in their choice of brand preferences and their buying behaviour.
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