Tradeshows
I visited the local farmers market while I was in Ohio recently. Everyone was happy to chat with me about their wares, however, unlike the food tradeshow I visited a few months ago, these folks were a mixed bag when it came to promoting themselves effectively.
One gal, Kelli Hanley of Hanley Homegrown, is brand new (lame pun, fully acknowledged) at farming and completely gets marketing – she’s one of those natural born marketers. Kelli is actively creating a clear personality, a brand, for her company right from the start. (Read more about Hanley Homegrown at LocalDelicous.com.)
Then there was the family run business at the far end of the market who were also doing things right. Lots of well-placed signage, brochures, product descriptions, engaging staff, and samples made the Sirna’s Farm & Market booth a beehive of activity. When I complimented the owner on the good job, she laughingly admitted that it took “12 years and lots of trial and error.” Not innately gifted with the marketing gene, but consistently perfecting the skills.
And finally, the lady next door. Not faring so well. No signage indicating farm, farmer, or available produce. Staff looking lonely/bored behind a pile of miscellaneous, unidentifiable greens. Greens, she admitted, that never sell.
“Do you think maybe people don’t buy because they don’t know what it is? What would happen if you labeled it?” Hmmm, she hadn’t thought of that, conceded it might help.
“What about telling people how to cook it? If they don’t know what it is, seems it’d be hard to find a recipe. Plus, I’m pretty busy – I’d probably only buy if someone made it easy.” Recipe cards, after some consideration, also seemed like a good idea.
Lovely lady, not a natural born marketer. And not someone who’s looking around to figure out why other people are doing better, and what they’re doing better.
Is one bunch of greens that much better than the other? Not likely. But poor marketing means someone is regularly going home with produce she could’ve sold, money that might’ve been in her pocket. Remember Kelli? She was sold out well before the day was done and had a wait list for product next week.
In that one side-by-side comparison, it is tangibly clear: marketing done well, pays.
By liz gaige, June 29, 2009 · Filed under Articles, Marketing - General, Marketing Message, Newsletter, Tradeshows
Q: Does “schwag”, or giving away stuff with your company logo on it, really help to sell your product?
A: When I see some of the stuff people give away, it seems the jury is still out on that.
Trouble is, it depends on what you’re giving away and what you’re selling. If you’re “selling” product awareness, product loyalty, or product differentiation, and the give-away has sticking power (doesn’t get tossed out as soon as the recipient gets home) it just might.
Many such outcomes are hard to track. In some industries and often at tradeshows, “schwag” is considered a requisite evil, even though its real use is as currency to trade for cooler stuff from other booths as the show is wrapping up. Oh, and to get people into your booth so you can pounce on them. Yikes!
“Schwag” can work if it’s truly useful or has value, connects you to the company and/or product, or in some way drives you to purchase. I just got a free sampler CD offered by an independent music company. If I like any of the music, I’ll very likely purchase.
I once got a freebie pen I hung onto even after it dried up because the website it listed was full of great resources; keeping the pen kept the website top of mind. (That was in the olden days, before Google Reader.)
Buying a bunch of bits and pieces isn’t likely to generate huge sales on its own, but it does have value for other purposes. Just ensure you can make a legitimate connection between the goal and the item before you spend the money.
By liz gaige, March 20, 2009 · Filed under Marketing Collateral, Newsletter, Q&A, Tradeshows
Long before I knew what a tradeshow was, I did a grade school science fair project on the human ear. I recreated the fundamentals of an ear using a wide, round section of shipping tube, a pie plate (the outside, visible part of the ear) and assorted bits of miscellany. It was not, sadly, a thing of beauty.
Showing a flair for the visual early on, I used a bright, quilted piece of fabric to jazz up the table top on which my “ear” was placed. It also acted as a bit of a cover for the fact that the actual science part of the project — the cardboard stand showing the steps to the experiment — was a little weak.
As all of the dedicated, mildly bored parents strolled by, not a one inquired about my experiment or noted the care with which I’d assembled my “ear.” Instead, all I got were comments on the décor.
“Did your mother make that?”
“Is that [the ear] a sewing machine?”
“Oh, isn’t that colourful!” (Not directed at the ear, which was dull, cardboard brown.)
I grew weary of advising that my display was in fact an ear and that yes, my mother had sewed the table cover. But I was also a little relieved that no one criticized how lame my experiment was compared to Doyal Garris who had, if I recall correctly, recreated and proved the Big Bang theory using baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and a spot of jet fuel. (That guy was a born scientist and really lucky. His parents let him do all kinds of cool, weird stuff in the basement.)
In contrast to my experiment, whatever Doyal’s actually was, you can be certain it had substance and showcased something genuinely amazing. And the crowds around his booth, as well as the blue ribbon of victory, were the proof.
The point of my little story: Tradeshows and science fairs have a lot in common. If you’re going to do one, having a pretty backdrop doesn’t substitute for having something of substance to show and talk about.
By liz gaige, August 1, 2008 · Filed under Articles, Newsletter, Tradeshows
Q: We are going to our first tradeshow next month and are not sure how to use the space. Can you give me any hints on where to start?
A: Yes, and good for you for (a) thinking ahead and (b) asking.
It pains me – and show attendees – to see ill-designed booths. With a little forethought you can do a bang up job of representing your company and make the show a success.
Absolutely first and foremost, visitors need to “get it” in 10 seconds or less. Simple, right?
Hah! Not so. Many companies clutter their space and their message so people aren’t sure what they offer. Worse yet, visitors are scared to ask lest they be buttonholed by a chatty salesperson who won’t let them leave.
Then, make people feel welcome and not like they are being lured into a trap. Be friendly but not in-your-face aggressive. And no sitting behind tables, which is at the opposite end of the spectrum. This isn’t an interview (almost as scary as the salesperson).
Think Goldilocks and porridge: not too hot, not too cold, but juuust right. Walk around the booth and into the aisles, chat with people about why they’re at the show. Break the ice!
Treat your booth like the living room you’d invite guests into. They’ll have fun, you’ll have fun, and it’ll be a great first tradeshow experience. Good luck and enjoy!
By liz gaige, August 1, 2008 · Filed under Newsletter, Q&A, Tradeshows
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