Last December I posted a blog entry about the use of interactive technology at events:
“8 weeks. 9 trade shows. 2 conferences. 6 different industries.” I’ve had lots of opportunity this fall to observe face-to-face marketing strategies. One trend I’ve noticed bothers me – the over reliance on technology to attract attention and engage interest.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big believer in interactive technology, rich media, Web 2.0, and all things digital. They engage multiple senses. They create hands-on, immersive experiences. They appeal to varied learning styles. What bothers me is that too many marketers rely on the technology itself to do something only a human being can do. I saw more than a dozen un-used multi-touch tables. I saw hundreds of un-touched touch screens, games and detail stations. I saw thousands of attendees walk right past technology displays, completely unaware of the experiences waiting for them. I was one of them.
Even the most interactive platforms still need the presence of a live human being to initiate engagement. It’s how we’re wired. We’re social animals. People are made to connect with other people. Had those same marketers paired a staffer, product demonstrator or brand ambassador with any one of those activities, they’d have had us at ‘hello.’”
That was December 2009.
It’s now October 2010. What a difference a year – and the introduction of the iPad – makes.
In the past two months I’ve seen face-to-face marketers using the iPad to conduct surveys and to gather market research. I’ve seen it used to deliver product demos and to register attendees for drawings and raffles, replacing lead cards and fishbowls. I’ve seen it used as a mobile detail station, engaging attendees on the aisle and easing their entry into the booth. I was fascinated to see one marketer using the iPad to run a community-building promotion among attendees and to crowd-source thought leadership for the association.
Of course, we’ve had the technology to do a lot of this for awhile. So what’s the big deal?
The difference is that with the iPad, living, breathing, human beings are facilitating the interaction. Booth staffers and sales reps hold the iPad. It grounds them. It puts a tool in their hands that helps them take the first step, initiate conversation and break the ice. It guides them through qualifying procedures. It’s the security blanket that gives them the confidence to connect with other people and open new relationships.
There’s a lot more, of course, to recommend the iPad for tradeshows and events. I’ll leave those discussions to the tech wizards. As a marketer, I’m elated to see people working with technology and not expecting technology to do the work for them.
I’ve heard it said that the iPad will revolutionize the way we communicate. I don’t know if that’s true. I do believe that it is putting the “face-to-face” back into face-to-face marketing.