Reporters, by nature, are a grumbly lot. But those attending the Detroit Auto Show in January couldn't help giggling when GM exec Ronald L. Zarrella - normally a three-piece
suit kind of guy - appeared on stage in a red velvet smoking jacket, while a presentation introducing the car maker's new Hummer vehicle superimposed his head into scenes of
fishing in the wilderness and running with the bulls in Pamplona.
As much as the media hate to admit it, trade show theatrics do leave a lasting impression. This is particularly true of the auto industry, says Mike Willins, managing
editor of Aftermarket Business, a B-to-B magazine for retailers of auto accessories. "So much in the industry is 'can you build a better mousetrap' kind of stuff. There's
very little new innovation. New product launches get the play." Particularly those that make a strong statement.
Few who attended the Detroit Auto Show will forget about GM's Avalanche, a Chevy pick-up slated for production next year, which was introduced in a freezing cold room, replete
with a snow blower. "You have to break through the clutter, create a great photo opp and synthesize what the vehicle is all about into a couple words and a strong visual image,"
says Steven Harris, VP communications for GM.
Brevity. Period.
These are the road rules of the trade show business. And they don't just apply to the auto industry. "The key is to figure out early on what your core message is and then
back that up 100 percent in everything you do [at the show]," says Glen Turpin, corporate communications manager for software manufacturer Quark Inc. Simple messages are even
more critical if you're trying to communicate technical concepts in a chaotic environment where attention spans are shorter than usual.
Last week, Quark introduced its new integrated publishing system (known as "eStageT") at the Seybold Seminar in Boston. "XML is critical for today's publishers, but it's a
hard concept to wrap your arms around," Turpin says. (The technology makes it possible to move chunks of content seamlessly from print to Web to multimedia platforms without
having to reformat them for each medium.) To make its point, the Quark team condensed its message into a simple analogy.
"We told people that whether they were working in Microsoft Word or Quark or Dreamweaver, the [old models of transferring content] were like pixie sticks," Turpin explains.
"Great stuff, but messy. And when you want to share your stuff, it gets gross quickly." The new technology, on the other hand, packages content more like M&Ms, he says.
"It's more transportable - and allows content to be customized, whether you want plain, peanut, or just the green ones. It makes things easier to share. Our message was, XML is
the future of publishing and Quark is delivering."
Quark drove its point home by handing out 3,000 bags of M&Ms. "But we weren't just giving away candy for the sake of giving out candy," Turpin says. "We went beyond a
gimmick to really get the idea across."
Budget Busters
Granted, GM and Quark have the weighty pleasure of being dominant brands in their respective industries. It was easy for them to draw foot traffic because they didn't have to
explain who they were. "It's tough for a small company without brand recognition to be seen [at a trade show] even if they have a great product," says Willins. There's too much
going on.
"My advice for small companies [seeking trade show exposure] is they have to spend some money," says John Hanks, senior account supervisor with Ballard Communications, a Las
Vegas-based agency. No two ways around it. "Costs vary, but you're talking anywhere from $50,000 to half a million, depending on what you want to accomplish. If you only have
$50,000 for a trade show, you probably won't get noticed," he says.
It is possible to get noticed if you're nobody - if you pay to associate yourself with somebody. In January, Ballard put an unknown foreign gun manufacturer on
the map at the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades) Show by securing 1970s football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka as a celebrity endorser. "Every male in his 40s and 50s
idolizes this guy, and that was our target audience," Hanks says. The booth was mobbed. But it was an expensive proposition. If you've got one shot, best make it a good one.
(Harris, 313/667-3532, Willins, 440/891-2604; Turpin, 303/669-6201; Hanks, 702/836-3000).
Coming next week...a journalist's report from the floor of the New York Toy Fair, with strategies for capturing media attention - whether you're David or Goliath. Stay
tuned.
Trade Stats
- Annual exhibition industry spending: $100 billion
- Floor space occupied by GM at Detroit Auto Show: 1.6 million sq. ft.
- Frequency of GM execs' press interviews: every 20 minutes
- Number of GM staff working the show: 100+
- Number of GM staff interviewed by reporters: 50
- Number of interviews conducted by Aftermarket Business Magazine reporters at Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week: 120 (20 per person)
- Number of Quark staff attending Seybold in Boston: 60
- Number of Quark staff involved in Seybold keynote presentation by Quark founder Tim Gill: 60
- Cost of trade show booth (10 ft. x 10 ft.): $5,000 - $15,000
- Cost of trade show booth (10 ft. x 15 ft.): $10,000 - $30,000
- Cost of trade show booth (20 ft. x 20 ft.): $20,000 - $60,000