Generating leads through Twitter is a difficult act to balance – on one hand Twitter focuses on allowing individuals to choose what they want to follow, which can make them unreceptive to sales trickery, and on the other hand people who have chosen to follow you have already expressed an interest in your product.
The first thing to realize when using Twitter is that a successful application of the tool involves expending some time. It is not hard to start a Twitter account but if you want people to use it and track your business ideas, then you need to make it good. Concise (what else can you be with 140 characters?), witty writing, interesting image links and regular input will all affect the end result.
For a trade show, generating leads through Twitter has its own nuances. For starters, there are specific Twitter channels which follow this medium - #TradeShowName being the most obvious example. If your company is represented in such sources it increases brand awareness and the chances of potential clients coming across your product or booth.
Twitter is a conversational marketing tool, one that if used correctly, can reach a wide audience.
What to do before a show?
Before a show, build up a dialog with your followers and reply to their tweets. It is imperative that you use the medium to draw people to your exhibit. Of course, first you need to organize attractive events at your booth, but you were doing that anyway, right?
Emphasize in a positive language the exciting discoveries they will make if they stop by your exhibit. Give your customers good reasons to visit your booth, such as games, competitions, give-aways – anything to hook them in! Remember, everyone exhibiting is doing the same thing. Be sure to stand out by enticing your audience with your latest product offerings and how your products will make a difference in your prospect's life. Don't oversell and be sure to give your booth location so they can find you more easily on the crowded floor.
What to do when at the show?
At the show itself, make sure you entice visitors to follow you on your social media platforms. Encourage prospects and customers alike to stop by your booth to say Hello. Perhaps offer a prize to one lucky new follower. Update your feeds frequently, always hashtagging the show itself.
The follow-up.
Frequently comment on presentations, discussions, demonstrations and games that took place in the booth to draw people into a conversation and inform them of upcoming product launches, events etc. Don't wait til the show is over. Start following appropriate people who have stopped by your booth. It is a clear message that you respect them and will encourage their future business.
As the global usage of social media increases so does the potential for business networking and increasing your client base. Generating leads through Twitter uses similar skills to other forms of marketing and promotions; it just tweaks them for a new medium. As with any new method of communicating, the key is not to be left behind.
How do you use Twitter for your business?
Retail businesses always bear the brunt of changing economic environments, consumer tastes and the technological advances forcing it to find innovative ways to remain successful. They also need to retain competitive edge over the rival businesses. This has resulted in retail marketing leaders pinning their hopes of success on ingenious marketing ideas.
The popularity of internet based communication is a key driver of innovative marketing in general; but in the arena of retail marketing, latest trends for 2012 suggest that they are to play a crucial role in determining future course. This is seen in the popularity of smartphones and the deep impact of social networking media that have opened up new horizons in retail marketing techniques. Location based apps are the best examples of how technology is being used to attract customers to their premises.
Mobile technology is surely going to play a pivotal role in setting new trends. Many retailers are deploying new apps to enhance the user experience. For example, mobile apps are provided with scanning facility integrated with the retailer's system. Contactless payment is yet another example of how mobiles are offering new conveniences to the customers and adding to their shopping experience. Many reputed chains have already introduced this concept technology and moving to expand it in 2012 in a big way.
Location based apps will bring more customers to the retail branded environments whenever they are near them by sending them targeted messages about their favorite stores or products. Retailers are benefiting from the cost effective reach to customers whenever they have special offers by integrating with Geo-location based apps. Google Shopper is yet another technology that accepts barcodes or product names as input and comes out with reviews and best prices for the product.
Coming to social media based technologies in retail marketing, latest trends show a great deviation from standard marketing tools towards community based "word of mouth" advertisements offering cost benefits, Not only your community knows what you are buying and where, the feedback helps the retailers to get greater exposure to public. Naturally, many retail marketers are actively involved in building advertisement plans in social media platforms.
It is estimated that 97% of people stay connected through their mobiles all the time, retailers have realized the immense value in introducing marketing automation with new tools available for targeted messages which customers perceive as great value addition and build a strong brand loyalty.
Are you looking to revamp your current retail space? Check out a quick seclection of various animations of retail and corporate interiors we have been involved in.
I can still recall that feeling. Deep in the pit of my empty stomach. I was numb. It was February 14, 1970. That cold, dreadful morning when everyone was forced to line up around the neatly organized room which was Mrs. Smith’s 4th Grade class at the Mary D. Stone Elementary School. Single file, eyes straight ahead, we would march through the room depositing small 4x4 cards on the desks of friends, class acquaintances and the ones that “we knew from afar”. White envelopes with crayon names containing the likenesses of Snoopy, Scooby Doo and the baby with the arrow were scattered in piles across each desk. Was my pile big? Or small :( Oh my God. Did the pretty girl with the curly brown hair and the shy smile remember me? Did she even know my name? Yes. It was Valentine’s Day.
V-Day. The day of fear and hope for any 10 year old boy. The day when a tender life could forever be changed through the act of one simple card, a chocolate kiss or small candy heart. The air in the classroom that day was electric. A compilation of raw emotions. Some panic, much embarrassment and maybe that first warm glow of love. I will never forget that day. Never.
So you may ask, how did this glorified and much commercialized ritual of love and life begin? Who can we thank? Thank Esther. Esther Howland.
From Wikipedia we learn that "Esther Howland was an artist and Worcester businesswoman who was responsible for popularizing Valentine’s Day greeting cards in America. After her graduation from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, Howland received an ornate English Valentine from a business associate of her father when she was 19 years old. Intrigued with the idea of making similar Valentines, she began her business importing paper lace and floral decorations from England. Her father operated the largest book and stationery story in Worcester, Massachusetts and ordered supplies for her project. She made a dozen samples which her salesman brother added to his inventory for his next sales trip. Hoping for $200.00 worth of orders, she was elated when he returned with over $5,000 worth of business for her. Howland employed friends and developed a thriving business in Worcester, Massachusetts using an assembly line Her valentines became renowned throughout the United States and she was called "The Mother of the American Valentine." Her business eventually grossed over $100,000 per year, a considerable sum for that time, and she eventually sold the business in 1881 after many successful years."
So on this Valentine's Day, I offer this challenge to you. Yes, you! The world is full of lonely and forgotten people. They are all around us. Say hi to a neighbor. Remember the elderly. Go forward and make someone’s day with card or maybe two. And think of Esther. And what she has done to shape our lives and emotions.
Jack Hally is Executive Vice President and Co-founder of BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. Jack is a frequent lecturer and commentator on brand marketing and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched over 300+ companies during a 30 year career. He loves homemade cards and pink candy hearts. He may be reached at jhally@blue-hive.com
Wondering how social media and trade shows can interact to help your business?
Simply put, social media can enhance your trade show investment and give you more material for post-trade show interaction with potential clients. Here's how it works.
The Build-Up
You can't expect to neglect social media up until the trade show and then get any benefit from it. Develop a social media plan for your business to generate contacts. You can do this through a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, or other social media venues, but you need to build up a substantial following.
To do this, you could produce daily blog posts that elicit interesting comments from followers. When you respond to these comments, you build a genuinely social relationship with potential clients. Once these clients trust you, they'll be interested in receiving more information from you.
One to two months before the trade show, begin posting information about your exhibit at the trade show. Tweet about incentives and promotions, introduce people who will be at the booth, and provide a map so they can find you.
At the Show
You've used social media to attract people to your booth at the trade show. How do you use social media now?
Use Twitter and Facebook to post what's going on at your booth. Post pictures of the event, including interesting people and displays. Ask visitors if they'd mind being interviewed on video, and post these interviews to YouTube. Of course, you'll also post these videos to your blog later on.
It's a good idea to have someone back at the office monitoring all social media and replying to feedback and comments from your followers. You may not be able to keep up with everything from the booth.
After the Show is Over
Use your blog to report on the trade show. Perhaps you made some interesting contacts at the show that your followers would like to "meet." Share photos of the trade show on Facebook and Flickr.
The show itself can be fodder for your blog for weeks afterward if you're smart and mine it well. Tell about the prizes you gave out and the people you gave them to. Solicit feedback from visitors to your booth, asking what worked well and what they would like to see next year.
Remember that social media and trade shows can work hand in hand to better your company's PR.
2012- Welcoming Trade Shows to Boston
I travel a lot. Yes, way too much. And always have. As a Boston-based veteran of the trade show industry, I have spent the majority of my 30 year career flying coast to coast and circling the globe to support client projects of every size, scope and vertical market. Given my amount of travel, I was always amazed that very few trade show projects actually occurred in my own backyard.
For as long as I can remember Boston has been a second tier trade show city, struggling to gain its identity and position within the competitive landscape of stalwart event destinations such as Las Vegas, Chicago and Orlando. Well that perception is about to change.
According to a recent Boston Globe article: “The Boston Convention Center Authority reported last month that 2012 will be its best year since 2007, with booked conventions expected to generate more than 600,000 hotel room stays for the first time in five years.
The banner convention year shows that not only are meeting planners holding more events as the economy improves, but also that the seven-year-old Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is coming into its own, said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
“There’s a pattern in this industry in which these events will wait a few years to book into a city with a new center, just to see how others experience works out,” he said. “It’s almost like restaurant behavior: You kind of wait for someone else to try it. “
Among the events coming to Boston next year is the BIO International Convention, the largest biotechnology conference in the world, which was last held in Boston in 2007. Next year’s conventions are expected to generate $625 million in economic activity, according to the convention authority.”
So we welcome you to Boston. We invite you to visit our historic city. Take in our culture and enjoy the seafood which has made us famous. And yes, we invite you to contact BlueHive regarding any exhibit requirements (check out our amazing custom rental trade show program, on-site support or last minute graphics. As for me, I’m looking forward to putting away my suitcase for a while. Yes, Boston is my home.
Jack Hally is Executive Vice President and Co-founder of BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. Jack is a frequent lecturer and commentator on brand marketing and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched over 300+ companies during a 30 year career. He enjoys walking the Boston Public Garden in spring and an evening game at Fenway. He may be reached at jhally@blue-hive.com.
I went to a show in Florida recently. In walking around, I noticed a lot of silicone.Not necessarily the kind you see on the beaches of Miami. In my case, I was in Ft. Lauderdale for the STS show, and the type of silicone I am referring to was an S.E.G..
A Silicone Edged Graphic (S.E.G.) is a dye sublimation fabric banner, with a silicone gasket sewn to the edge and then fit it into the channel of an extruded frame. An S.E.G. is just one type of an Engineered Fabric product that is produced specifically to fit a truss or extrusion frame system. This type of product shows off your graphics, not the frame around them..
Depending on the look you want, we can also sew a bead into the perimeter of a graphic that allows us to fit it into the channel of extrusion. This process is slightly different in production, but yields very similar results..
And what is that result you may ask? Well, what you get is a great looking graphic, with wonderful saturated colors, stretched tight to fill large spaces with no seams. Not only does it look great on the show floor as the process eliminates any wrinkles, but also in the balance sheets as it’s cost effective to produce (based on a sq. ft. cost) and weighs next to nothing, packs small and sets up quickly. That’s right! A quicker install!! What if you wanted to change the graphic quickly? Well, the easy install makes switching graphics a breeze. So add the benefits in savings from shipping to drayage to labor to the equation. It is a much “greener” process than a paper based print mounted to regular substrates. The tight stretched fabric eliminates possible concerns about damage to corners and, of course, fabric is much easier to clean. And if that wasn’t enough, this product is much friendlier to light as it has no glare..
So in the near future, if you find that you need to….
Save Money, Create Impact, Look Great, Reduce Waste, Build Brand Identity, Increase ROI and Tell a Great Story….you might want to consider an engineered fabric solution!
Chris Dunn is a Sr. Account Executive with BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. He is an 18 year veteran of the trade show industry. Why? Because he's got mad skills in taking a napkin sketch to a completed project...regardless of whether you need an entire booth design, or just a cool graphic. He can be reached at cdunn@blue-hive.com.
To rent or buy…this is the question.
You have faced this question before. When it came to getting a car, you needed to decide whether to lease a car or buy it outright. There are lots of factors that you ran through your mind before making the decision. How about where to live? Buy a place, or rent one? This decision probably had more to do with cash than did the car… but still you ask yourself a number of questions to see what makes sense for you.
So here is a list of questions to ask yourself when you are considering a new custom exhibit:
- How many shows will I go to each year, where this new booth will meet my needs?
- Do I want flexibility to change the look each time it goes out?
- Are there financial benefits to “writing off” the entire show expense rather than dealing with a capital purchase and issues of depreciation?
- Do we have an overlap of shows and need a fill-in property?
- Do we need an international show solution one time a year?
- Do I want to do away with storage costs?
- Is my program primarily made up of smaller events with one large show per year where you really need to make a splash?
- If I rent, do I want a kit that is simple; or a custom solution that looks like it was really built for me?
Depending on your answers, you might benefit from renting a booth. Or, perhaps the right decision is to own property – OR, maybe you need to do both.
Here is a good rule of thumb. Rental exhibits tend to cost about 1/3 the price of a purchased exhibit. If you are doing one show a year in a certain size space, chances are renting makes good sense. That allows you to eliminate a large initial capital outlay, stay flexible from year to year, and eliminate storage costs.
If you have a number of shows per year and you design a flexible program where your inventory can adapt to many size exhibit spaces, then chances are purchasing an exhibit makes sense. Once you get beyond that 3rd show, the rented property would start to cost you more.
And then there is “Both”. If you have a number of shows throughout the year and find yourself short on property due to overlap, or a larger size space, there is the “Hybrid Exhibit” concept. You can add to your inventory with rental materials that allow you to either be in two places at once, or increase your size and presence without looking like your booth is a hodge podge of different items.
At the end of the day, the decision is yours. Using the information above can hopefully help you make the decision that is right for you and your company.
Check out the BlueHive rental movie for inspiration...
... or see some samples of our recent custom exhibit or rental exhibit projects! Call us with any questions and we’ll be happy to be a sounding board to help you make the right decision.
Chris Dunn is a Sr. Account Executive with BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. He is an 18 year veteran of the trade show industry. Why? Because he's got mad skills taking a napkin sketch to a completed project...regardless of whether it is a rental, lease or purchase. He can be reached at cdunn@blue-hive.com
M&M-candy as a brand
M&M was the enemy. Or so I was told during the fall of 1981. I was a senior at the College of the Holy Cross attending my internship orientation with Hershey Foods. I was wide eyed and ambitious. I wanted to be Mr... Chocolate.
I was recruited to introduce Reese’s Pieces, a hot new candy gaining success from the cross-marketing agreement with the recently released box office smash ET-The Extraterrestrial (yes…I am that old), to the supermarkets and corner spas of central New England. It was a daily battle, fought in the retail trenches for strategic inches of precious shelf space. A marketing war for the sweet tooth of consumers young and old. And millions were at stake for the victorious. It was my introduction to brand marketing 101.
I often reflect on the sales and marketing lessons I learned during this new and exciting time. It was my first true glimpse into the power of brand marketing. And now 30 years later, I journey to the den of the competition. Yes, M&M World! The shrine to the little candy I battled with over 3 decades ago.
M&M World occupies four towering floors of sugar packed retail space on the Las Vegas Strip. From the massive exterior sign, complete with neon and a Mr... M&M, a personification of the brand, the location is hard not to miss. The store is an amazing mixture of everything and anything M&M. A strategic brand environment on steroids. Colorful, playful and engaging each floor was a journey into the thematic personality of the candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand. What more can I say, M&M delights the senses. I lay down my sword. There is peace in chocolate land.
Brand is retail.
Brand is consistent.
Brand has personality.
Brand is humorous.
Brand is variety.
Brand promotes brand.
Jack Hally is Executive Vice President and Co-founder of BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. Jack is a frequent lecturer and commentator on brand marketing and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched over 300+ companies during a 30 year career. He is partial to blue M&M’s and loves dark chocolate. He may be reached at jhally@blue-hive.com .
Nike- Just did it.
I confess. I have not purchased, nor considered purchasing a pair of Nike shoes in well over 15 years. Perhaps the last time I had an interest in Nike was during the glory days of Michael Jordan. Now that was NBA basketball worth watching and, yes, I am dating myself. Maybe I’m exaggerating the facts, but I truly can’t remember that last time I felt that the brand was relevant to my life. Ok, maybe I’ve invested in a few cotton athletic shirts with the simplistic swoosh over the years. At $10 each they were a bargain, but I lost interest in the Nike brand. That is until now.
Nike is back. At least that is how I felt after a recent visit to the Las Vegas Nike Store at the Forum Shops. The store is impressive, as an overstated retail position, beaming a brand imagery that is bigger than life. From the highly visible and illuminated “Swoosh”, projected on the Romanesque ceiling to the well executed symbolic global entranceway - the language of the environment defines cool, smart and competitive. Intelligently lit with a compelling graphic scheme, the multi-level product showcase does not disappoint, cleverly distinguishing product offerings and suggesting performance vignettes to the masses. It’s a feel good store. For a brand that continues to “just do it”… even after all these years.
Brand is simple.
Brand is athletic.
Brand is global.
Brand is clean.
Brand is competitive.
Brand is lit.
Brand positions.
Jack Hally is Executive Vice President and Co-founder of BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. Jack is a frequent lecturer and commentator on brand marketing and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched over 300+ companies during a 30 year career. He wears a size 11 and loves to walk great distances. He may be reached at jhally@blue-hive.com .
Apple – a convert seeks the temple to the brand
Ok, I’ve become one of those people. You know, those happy and content people with the cool stuff. Yes. I’ve jettisoned my practical and poor performing Blackberry and turned my allegiance to the greatest communication product ever created. And it is now in my hand. I am an iPhone guy.
Feeling like a newly baptized member of a hip and connected congregation, I depart on this Saturday night to worship this new mobile religion. And like the millions of converts before me, I feel compelled, almost drawn, to make my pilgrimage to the temple of this simplistic and holy brand. I want to taste the sweetness of the fruit. Take me to Apple.
Jack: Siri take me to the apple store.
Siri: The nearest apple store is: Apple Store, The Forum Shop Las Vegas Blvd 1.2 mile.
And soon I am off... armed with my newly activated GPS based handset (yes, I am also now one of those people). Soon I am reduced to a simple blue blinking dot in the endless pursuit of a red pin. I set out for the journey. Head down. Pushing on, I march onward through the crowds of Saturday evening partiers, past the dancing fountains and neon glamour I am in pursuit. A thirsty horse being led to a glistening stream. And soon I arrive. The red pin is before me.
The Apple store at the Forum does not disappoint. Here amidst the fashion heavyweights such as Emporio Armani, Dior and Chanel, the store resides as an oasis of simplicity within the glitz that is Las Vegas. Clean, shiny and white, Apple has developed, promoted and maintained the image of the ultimate retail brand. With an unparalleled global consistency it has become the ultimate destination for the throngs of the faithful who go to experience a tantalizing taste of the latest and greatest in digital lifestyle… It is indeed a homage to Steve Jobs and his obsession with unsurpassed product intelligence and design. Open, inviting and unassuming with a staff of approachable Apple cast members (remember my earlier thoughts on Disney and their employees), the products were easily within reach, and ready to demonstrate. It is an environment for the uninformed to become informed... Belly up to the Genius Bar and taste the power of the fruit. And savor the brand that is Apple.
The red pin.
The brand temple.
Brand is genius.
Jack Hally is Executive Vice President and Co-founder of BlueHive, a full service firm which specializes in the design and production of Strategic Brand Environments. Jack is a frequent lecturer and commentator on brand marketing and entrepreneurship. He has successfully launched over 300+ companies during a 30 year career. He makes art with FACEinHOLE. He may be reached at jhally@blue-hive.com .