Is 2011 the year that you plan to take your exhibit marketing program to a whole new level of success? Here are five ideas to help you make a quantum leap in the year ahead:
1. Start by setting objectives. Yes, I know. You’ve heard that suggestion before. Possibly, for some of you, ad nauseum. But hold on. There’s plenty of research and data to show that organizations with clearly defined objectives achieve greater success than those without goals. Many are the well-intentioned. Few are the marketers who actually roll up their sleeves and lay out a plan. When was the last time you set objectives that were specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-planned?
2. Study your audience. Then design an experience to address their particular needs. After all, it’s about them. The days of product-focused, “us-centered” marketing have gone the way of the dinosaur. Re-tool your communications to focus on your prospects and their challenges. Talk to them about their issues, their problems and the influences driving their decisions. You’ll be creating personal connections that will have positive, long-lasting implications.
3. Incorporate interaction. That might mean engaging participants in an activity. It could mean creating experiences that appeal to multiple sense levels. At the very least, it means maximizing human interaction. Effective face-to-face communication is still the most powerful of all marketing tools. Far too often, it’s taken for granted at trade shows and events. Don’t assume that it will happen naturally. Take steps in advance to create an environment that facilitates interaction. Then staff it with professionals who have been trained to elicit meaningful conversations.
4. Embrace the iPad. It’s a survey platform. It’s a mobile detail station. It’s a sales aid. It’s a registration and data collection device. It’s a mobile web browser. It’s all of those things and more. And it’s changing the game for exhibitors in industries of all kinds. It may not be ubiquitous yet, but it will be shortly. Don’t be one of the last to get on board. Be among the first. Then enjoy the boost that it gives to your staff and your performance metrics.
5. Evaluate success. See suggestion number one, above. Did you set objectives? Good. Now evaluate your achievements. Afterward, course correct for the next event. That’s the process known as continuous improvement. Keep it up from show to show and you’ll be well on your way to making that quantum leap by year end.
Congratulations!