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Public relations professionals invest a significant amount of time and effort in establishing a brand identity. They think about how the brand will be perceived by customers, the image being portrayed and what the business stands for. The resulting brand identity is built upon with every decision made and every product or service launched.
A company’s communications strategy also plays a key role in reinforcing brand identity to customers and prospects. For many, this means logos, brochures, online presence, PR, advertising or packaging. But what about how a brand is portrayed at trade shows? Think about it: How often have you been to a trade show, seen an exhibitor and wondered: What exactly does this company do? What are they trying to communicate to me?
Unfortunately, you’re not alone. After over 20 years working in the trade show industry, I’ve seen that the disconnect often stems from organizations treating trade shows as individual events instead of integrating them into an overarching brand communications strategy. But the sheer power of trade shows to cost-effectively connect with hundreds—even thousands—of customers and prospects makes them an important avenue to showcase your brand.
Simply taking the time to strategize before embarking on any trade show program—and, in particular, exhibit design—is the most effective approach. Here are four tips PR professionals can use to effectively maintain brand consistency at their next trade show:
1. Lead with your brand. Having a professional, engaging exhibit is essential, but even more important is making sure it’s in alignment with your strategy and priorities. Go back to those key attributes that define your brand. Are they eco-conscious? Innovative? Dependable? Make that the primary inspiration for the exhibit design.
Let’s take the eco-conscious attribute as an example. The booth design should reflect that, perhaps by using lightweight, eco-friendly materials such as recyclable aluminum or energy efficient LED lighting, which can reduce energy use by up to 90%. Using Earth-friendly materials like cotton for graphics or video or transfer drives in lieu of printed marketing materials are other easy options.
2. Get all key stakeholders involved early—and communicate clearly. Engage your exhibit partner well in advance of the show to discuss overall strategy, and let them help you formulate the best way to let your brand shine. Be open about the key messages you want to convey and discuss ways they can be brought to life. Strategy meetings should also include advertising and marketing stakeholders to ensure messages remain consistent across all communication vehicles.
3. Identify desired goals. An essential part of any strategy discussion is identifying the ultimate goal for your brand at a trade show. Are you looking to reinforce your image? Launch a new identity or product?
The answer will impact exhibit design, including overall structure, traffic flow, graphics and how your brand is perceived by attendees. For example, if the main goal is to educate attendees about a brand, the exhibit should include demo areas and perhaps a theater for presentations. If the focus is closing sales for a product, include an enclosed conference room for private conversations.
4 . Use effective messaging. There’s a lot of competition at trade shows, and many companies think creating an exhibit that gets passers-by to say “wow!” is the ticket to generating traffic. While you certainly want your exhibit to be impactful visually, it’s critical to make sure the brand doesn’t get diluted in the process. Instead, focus on creating clear, concise messages that support your brand attributes and will resonate with the target audience. Also, don’t just focus on the technical features of a new product. Make it clear how those features resolve a key business issue for the attendee. Here’s the bottom line: When it comes to exhibit design, looks are important, but using the booth to clearly communicate the business value your company and products bring to the table is what will turn prospects into new customers.
The most successful brands are those that maintain a clear identity, offer powerful, compelling experiences and deliver the right message to the right person. Taking steps to strategize and build consistency across all communications channels, including presence at trade shows, will go a long way towards building credibility and awareness. PRN
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This article was written by Rob Murphy, chief marketing officer at MC², an event marketing company. He can be reached at [email protected].