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Integrating Tools - Branding and Trade Shows
Branding is one of the primary ways of solidifying your business with respect to marketing. Engaging in trade shows another. Recognizing the interrelationship of the two ideas is significant.
Here’s why.
Experts are cognizant of the fact that it is necessary to promote a consistent image. Effective branding is essential in creating long lives for products and services. When you reflect on brand names like Kodak, Hershey, Levi’s you are most likely reminded of familiarity and convention. Such well known brands because of their associations also generate preference and loyalty. At the trade show, this is your goal. Promoting a phenomenal brand to buyers-in-waiting should be your agenda.
And it all begins before the show even arrives. Networking with guests should ideally take place in advance, as persons on your mailing list receive personal invitations to visit your area, as well as catalogs, information on special deals and updates, brochures and other relevant marketing media. So their arrival to the trade show allows you the opportunity to stabilize the concept of your brand in the customers’ minds. Specialists in the industry claim that the trade show experience is one of the most influential methods of reaching prospective buyers.
Promotional products are one of the chief instruments connected to this process. You can choose from just about any product these days for customization of your logo, contact information, slogan, or thematic message. You can donate travel mugs, screw drivers, pens, highlighters, mouse pads, apparel, golf balls, or tool sets. You can also imprint the accessories for use during the show itself, including folding chairs for inquirers to sit in and paper plates or cups for appetizers for your visitors. Besides permeating the atmosphere with an air of professionalism and sincerity about your brand, customers are left with gifts to carry the spirit on and share with others after the action. Recipients look forward to what you’ll be sharing at the show, and what they don’t use will end up dispensed somewhere in someone’s hands, all to your brand’s benefit.
Consistency is critical. You should demonstrate this virtue to the public in all of your work, but your image especially. All décor, visual effects, and accessories must relate to the overall message that you want to endorse. And, they should appear connected and cohesive in every instance. This applies to fonts, shading, borders and sizes.
The quality of the design scheme must be taken into consideration. The type face and imaging you use speak volumes about your competitiveness and awareness of marketing. If your banners and flyers look piecemeal and thrown together, what is to be expected of your products? You aren’t just advertising your work, you are advertising you. And, your colors figure into this fact as well. Color denotes feelings and evokes response and should coincide with your strategy. Gauge your own mastering of the concepts by eliciting opinions, starting with yourself. Assume the role of the audience and make an assessment of where your booth could stand to improve. Be honest with yourself. Seek the evaluations of staff, colleagues, and peers. Utilize the services of an image consultant or a designer if need be. If you hire someone with the proper credentials and apparent skill, it will most likely be money well spent.
The notion of consistency should overflow into the bigger picture to include the scope of your general message and theme. Your unique message supports your brand in customers’ minds. If your message is frequently changing or at times seems unclear, this too communicates confusion to the public. This is certainly not an attribute you want assigned to your work. A market analysis can help you to pinpoint why your clients are working with you rather than your competition. Celebrate this. Use this to your advantage. Let the reasons serve as a basis for your brand, and build on that feeling or opinion that they have formed.
While you most likely lack the funding to promote your brand at the level of the Kodak company, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you manage your marketing budget wisely and make the most of it.
With regard to all of your props, set up materials, promotional giveaways, marketing media and decorations, everything should connect back to your brand. Consistency in your appearance will bring forth consistency in your leads and profit. Remember that trade shows are a classic approach to attaining new purchasers, and your performance at the event should remain in alignment with your special brand.
Author: Rick Sheldon has 18 years experience in the Promotional Products Industry and is currently President of Click 4 Promos.com a discount Online Promotional Products Company He can be contacted at 877-238-2421 or go to his site: Promotional Gifts
Phone 1-877-238-2421
Click4promos.com
46881 SE Highway 26
Sandy, Oregon 97055
Fax 503-826-1951