Building the brand

Lauren Wilbert of the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal has a great article about companies who have been successful building their brands through trade shows and other avenues.

Building the brand

Companies promote themselves via corporate events, trade shows, Web 

There’s no doubt that marketing, public relations and advertising can make a difference in a company’s success. But the strategies behind a communication method or campaign varies widely depending on the company. For our Fast 50 Diary companies, chosen from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s list of fastest-growing private companies, none of them go with traditional ideas of advertising, such as television or radio spots. Instead, the mix of publicity comes in the form of detailed Web sites for Ergotron Inc.’s resellers and partners, to podcasts from Salo’s two CEOs. The common thread for all these companies: Be patient with results from marketing and be open to trying new things.  TAJ Technologies Inc. As a computer consulting firm, TAJ Technologies Inc. is pretty clear on its target market. The company, based in

Mendota
Heights, spends its advertising bucks on ads in annual publications and for corporate events. “We don’t go for mainstream advertising in newspapers,” said CEO KC Sukumar. But there are exceptions. The company plans to make use of its 20-year anniversary this year to promote itself as a durable, dependable company, Sukumar said. “We survived through the year 2000 and the dot-com bust, and now we’re on a high-growth period,” he said. “We have to weigh the cost [of publicizing the anniversary], but 20 years is something to celebrate.” With two decades of experience, Sukumar knows that results from advertising and marketing take time to show up. Also, don’t discount one of the best marketing tools of any business — old-fashioned cold calling to potential clients and for referrals from current customers. “You always have to stay out front,” he said.  Ergotron Inc. Ergotron Inc., which makes adjustable mounts for computers, relies on robust channel marketing to resellers and computer manufacturers to drive its business.The Eagan-based company does little direct selling to consumers, so it decided to invest in a Web site for those actually selling its products rather than spend money on glossy print and TV ads. Ergotron launched the site (partner.ergotron.com) three years ago after changing its business model to sell through resellers rather than directly to large corporate accounts. “We understood we needed to give our selling tools [to them],” said Jane Payfer, vice president of marketing. The site includes a “quick find” feature for people who want to find a mount for equipment, and also a “partner training” section, which the company rolled out in January. “They see that our Web site is easy to use, and they buy our products and find that those are easy to use, too,” Payfer said. That has made resellers’ experience with the site enjoyable, which makes them more likely to recommend and continue to use Ergotron’s products, she added. Ergotron, which does all of its Web design, marketing and print work in-house, now has the challenge of translating the Web training feature for its overseas offices in Europe and
Asia.

  Venture Bank  It’s difficult to measure which marketing and advertising efforts really work, said Venture Bank CEO Michael Zenk, but such practices do serve a purpose in the big picture of running a business. “I don’t hear from customers that, ‘Oh, I saw your ad,’ but at the same time, it’s just another piece of the overall strategy,” Zenk said. If nothing else, it keeps the bank’s name out there, said Christine Young, commercial loan officer at the
Golden Valley headquarters branch. Young also is on the bank’s marketing committee, which includes several of the bank’s executives. The committee meets on a regular basis to plan how to spend the company’s advertising dollars. So far, a third of the money goes to print advertising in business publications, with the rest going toward event sponsorships, business development and general public-relations work. Sponsorships are a prime opportunity for Venture to tell its story to a captive audience. “[That] is what’s going to bring in the business,” Zenk said. The company also spends time on local marketing to chambers of commerce, community organizations and office complexes, for instance. The company has done all of its marketing work in-house until this year. It hired a customer to help with public relations as it builds its third location.    White House Custom Colour  CEO Michael Hanline said advertising and marketing has cost White House Custom Colour (WHCC) “a small fortune,” but in the end, the company sees it as a bargain. WHCC, a South St. Paul-based digital photography printing and processing company, began print media ads in 2002, keeping the designs simple and clean, Hanline said. But its logo brings the most bang for its advertising buck. The company has invested in keeping its logo front and center in the market, so much that the industry knows exactly what WHCC does as soon as they see the icon, Hanline said. WHCC also spends money on trade-show bags featuring the logo. “Everyone is a small billboard traveling around these shows,” he said. The company has done everything in-house, but just hired an outside firm to help further develop and refine WHCC’s marketing programs now that its services and brands are expanding.
Salo
Salo co-CEOs Amy Langer and John Folkestad know where their strengths are, and they’re not in creative marketing design, they said. That’s why the young company, an executive temp firm, hired public-relations and marketing professionals early on. Awards are an important marketing tool for the Minneapolis-based company, and its PR representative helps the executives decide which contests to enter. Salo doesn’t spend much on advertising since it gains business by word of mouth. Langer and Folkestad also spend a vast majority of their time meeting with clients and potential consultants to add to their roster. So far, that’s the company’s best selling engine, and one reason the pair have decided to embark on a high-tech marketing tool. They soon will launch quarterly podcasts to focus on driving Salo’s message to employees.

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Trade show carpet is most often rented because it isn’t that portable.  We fixed that problem by creating a portable carpetthat comes in three separate strips, Velcro’s together and packs in a rolling case!  Never again do you have to pay $300.00 for an old piece of stained rental carpet!

Bare Minimum Trade Show Displays Lack Visual Interest

Trade show displays that are made up of vinyl hung banners lack visual interest as they look temporary.  This isn’t the feeling you hope to convey when you’re exhibiting for the first time.  This company is probably a startup and may not have the funding available to go all out on a display, however, for a few thousand dollars a Banner Stand Wall would easily work for this type of exhibit and create a very cool backdrop without breaking the bank.

Tip for Exhibitors

I came across a great post today by Kare Anderson of Say It Better.  She lists a plethora of detailed tips, especially in how to communicate to attendees at trade show in order to shorten the sales cycle.  She also encourages exhibitors to focus more on communicating their benefits instead of the brand or features in which we, here at Smash Hit Displays, agree.  Too many exhibit graphics detail brands and features, not there is anything wrong with this, but your brand and features have less to do with why someone makes a purchase than benefits.

Trade Show Exhibit Product Highlight
Custom trade show displays are the ultimate in creating unique spaces and experiences at trade shows.  A custom display can equate to a small modification in size or color or can be a one-off creation used for only one-event.  The reason to go with a custom display can range from a functional purpose or to create a visually unique branded space that cannot be created by conventional display components.  Whatever the purpose or reason let A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays be your custom display exhibit consultant!

What Not To Do at Trade Shows….Revisited

I’ll keep today’s post simple by letting you read a post on the following blog…

 Exhibiting in a bead show…

Come on…drinking beer in your booth space, who would ever think this to be acceptable or even allowed.

Trade Show Display Product Highlight
Hardwood flooring for trade shows is beautiful, but heavy!  Keep this in mind if deciding to use this type of flooring as it muct be shipped via a common carrier / freight company.  A wide varirty of colors and woods are available and all have wire management channels so power and computer cords can be placed under the floor.

Quality, not Quantity Pre Show Marketing at Trade Shows

For many exhibitors a trade show may only contain a small number of potential clients.  This may be a result of limited product or service offerings or because the show attracts a wide audience.  Whichever the situation a highly targeted quality marketing campaign may offer the best ROI for your marketing dollar.  A few such ideas can be found from our friends at Insight Advertising.  Enjoy!

Portable Trade Show Exhibit Product Highlight
Fabric tension banner stands are unlike anything on the market.  Why you might ask?  They are three dimensional instead of just being a static flat graphic.  Various shapes are available including the ability to showcase products with shelving.

Windows Vista Launch – Second Life Trade Show Exhibit

The title of this post is quite the mouthful.  Most of you should be familiar with Windows Vista, Microsoft’s latest operating system.  Second Life is the virtual world where anyone can create a virtul version of themselves (called an avatar), buy land, build buildings and pretty much do any “virtual thing” that is possible.  I happened across the following post on Tom’s Corner showing how a few “Second Lifer’s” broadcast a live video in Second Life regarding Microsoft’s OneCare Launch Concert.  Below is a picture of one of the venue’s that looks just like a trade show booth, including banner stands, custom flooring and the works?

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Backlit podiums are a very attractive and different way to get visitors to your booth.  The use of lighted graphics in a podium is very unique so try something new and use a backlit podium!

Entasi Trade Show Displays Now at Smash Hit Displays

A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays is proud to present the full line of Entasi Fabric Tension Displays.  Check out the video below for more information!

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Trade show lights are very important in making your displays stand out and be A Smash Hit!.  Don’t be left in the dark (I know its an old horible pun) and not highlight your display.  Most exhibitors who do not believe in using lights will say, “the exhibit floor is bright enough so we don’t need lights”.  Trade show lights are not used to make an exhibitr floor bright enough so people can see where they are going, they are there to highlight your products and services.  If you see a trade show booth without lights next to one that does, the booth without lights looks dull and boring so don’t forget to get lights for your displays!

Trade Shows are Doomed…Just an “Ole Wives’ Tale”…

During the Internet boom, trade shows were touted as “old school, has beened, wash ups” that would never survive in the “New Economy”.  I do find it odd that some tradeshows didn’t make it and that’s because of the DotCom bust.  I even worked for one of these companies, eMarketWorld, who produced industry specific tradeshows that focused its content on how technology and the Internet was changing traditional industries.  One of the shows that this company created is still going strong, Ad:Tech – an interactive advertising and technology conference.  Should you be worried if the trade show you exhibit at is struggling?  Of course, however, if the trade show is struggling then your entire industry is struggling.  Trade shows come and go because industries and markets come and go.  A great article about this can be found here, “Here’s one trade show that’s growing.”  Trade shows will be here for as long as humans exist in the current dimension.  Can humans exist in a second dimension, sure…. It’s quite possible that masses of people can walk through a virtual trade show floor that is ultra realistic, just look at what Second Life has already created when it comes to a virtual marketplace.  Will this ultimately replace going to a physical space, I don’t think so, if you are a buyer of furniture, you still want to feel and sit in a chair before you commit to buying thousands of them.  Only time and technology will tell where trade shows are going…

Trade Show Displays Product Highlight
Truss trade show displays offer a high-tech look with LOTS of flexibility and expandability.  Think of a truss display as a huge life size erector set with only your imagination limiting to the types of looks that can be created.  Don’t worry though, we have created quite a few packages centered around the most common sizes of booth spaces.  Follow the links below to view our different truss systems.
10 x 10 Truss Displays
10 x 20 Truss Displays
20 x 20 Truss Displays
Truss Display Accessories

The “Trade Show” for the Trade Show Industry

Like most industries, we too have industry events.  The two major shows during the year are Exhibitor and TS2.  Exhibitor 2007 is right around the corner, March 25-29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.  Our industry can’t even escape the Vortex of Las Vegas, however, in reality it makes sense for this show to be located there as many of theattendees are show production companies and others who do business in Las Vegas for other shows.  Exhibitor 2007, “… is designed for trade show, exhibit and event managers and coordinators, marketing communications managers, directors of marketing and sales managers who want to optimize their face-to-face marketing programs.”  For more information on Exhibitor 2007 or TS2 follow the following two links.

Exhibitor 2007
TS2

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Panel Displays are also known as Folding Trade Show Displays as the panels fold up like an accordion.  These displays offer a wide range of customization options as you can easily choose up to three fabric colors as well as counter-top colors.  There are a total of 54 fabric colors and textures and literally thousands of countertop colors so the possibilities are literally endless.  Panel displays also work well if you need counter space.

Why should you exhibit at a trade show?

Simply stated, “According to every study I have read on the subject, exhibiting at trade shows provides the lowest cost per generated sales lead of any advertising medium, providing you choose shows that are well attended by your target customers.” This is a quote by “The Company Doctor” and is a very accurate. The most important piece of information in the above statement is, “..choose shows that are well attended by your target customers.”. The best way to evaluate this is to ask the show organizer for the previous year’s attendee list. Most show organizers will waffle about giving out this information, however, if you ask them to remove names and contact information they should agree. You want to evaluate the titles, companies who attended and their purchasing power, which is the type of data that the show organizer collects. With this data you should be able to research whether or not to invest in attending the show.

Portable Trade Show Display Product Tip
What makes a trade show display portable, well it must be easily movable between two distant points.  There are different levels of portability and to choose the one that works best for you evaluate your peoplepower and any budgeting you may have shipping, I&D (installation and dismantle), and storage.  A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays offers displays that pack in cases as small as luggage to custom trade show displays that pack in huge crates.  Give us a call and our exhibit consultants can help you make the right choice!