Building brand awareness at tradeshows. (Marketing magic: franchise systems that excel).

Branding is not a sales and marketing gimmick. Instead it refines and defines corporate culture and identity. A brand must have meaning to its consumers, its organization and its employees. Brand is an emotional link between you and your customer. It is what people buy when they buy your product

Integrating Brand Awareness Into Your Exhibit Program

Since exhibiting is a powerful extension of your company's advertising, promotion, public relations and sales function, that automatically means it is an excellent way to enhance brand awareness. Everything your company stands for, no matter how large or small, is being exhibited on the show floor. This means there needs to be total consistency, congruity, clarity and focus in every aspect of your exhibiting program, before, during and after the show.

Here are three important points to consider as you plan to integrate brand awareness into your tradeshow program.

1) Consistency and repetition are vital in creating brand awareness. People buy brands they know and they trust. A brand is a promise that companies make to their customers. Strong branding requires all the levels of communication to agree with one another.

2) Ensure all your marketing and promotions are consistent and that they have your logo, colors, typeface, slogans and characters. Everything you develop should have the same look and feel.

3) Peoples' perceptions about your company, products, and services is a major factor in their choice of brand preferences and their buying behavior. All perception is subjective and based on experience. Individuals tend to interpret information according to existing beliefs, attitudes, needs and mood.

The following is a 10-point checklist to act as a reminder for many of the questions you need to ask and answer as you plan brand integration into your exhibit program:

1. What needs to be done to ensure that your booth conveys total consistency, congruity, clarity and focus of your company image and brand?

Consider:

* booth size

* location

* graphics

* demonstrations

* staff

* handouts and giveaways

* lead management

2. How can your graphics work best for you?

* can be easily seen and read in three seconds

* use a simple and bold typeface

* have striking and grabbing visuals

* are instantly memorable

* use a unique size or shape

* reinforce your message

* make your message a single, strong, provocative idea

* use a "What's in it for me?" message

* use bold colors

3. What are the best promotional activities you can use to enhance brand awareness?

Personal invitations (e.g. with incentive and response form)

Direct mail with incentive

Pre-show advertising

[check] trade and/or local publications

[check] local media

[check] Web sites (e.g. company, show, association)

[check] broadcast faxes

[check] association newsletters

[check] city billboards

[check] transit advertising

At-show advertising

[check] show catalogs

[check] show dailies

[check] airport billboards, banners/ electronic message boards

[check] hotel closed-circuit television

[check] hotel--on door or in room promotion

[check] kiosks and banners at show site

[check] convention television channels

4. What types of public-relations communications could be used?

Pre-show:

[check] press releases for local and trade publications

[check] product/service application articles

[check] personal invitations to trade/local editors

[check] company newsletters

At-show:

[check] press kits for the press office

[check] press reception

[check] video/slide presentation at the booth

[check] reprints of articles as giveaways

[check] seminars/workshops

[check] contests

[check] personalities/spokesperson at booth

5. What sponsorship opportunities exist and would complement your company image?

Some of the most frequent sponsorship opportunities are:

* press room

* international lounge

* speaker or VIP room

* awards reception

* educational programs

* keynote sessions

* coffee breaks

* luncheons/dinners

* banners

* badge holders

* audio visual equipment

* display computers

* tote bags

* shuttle buses

6. What advertising premiums will be consistent with your image and complement the message you want to convey?

Consider:

* budget

* originality

* usefulness and appropriateness for your target audience

* distribution

7. Who are the best ambassadors for your company--the right people to staff the booth?

8. What training should they receive? Consider:

* prospect qualification

* booth etiquette

* product knowledge

* product demonstration

* obtaining commitment

9. What is the best dress code to convey your company image?

10. What is the best way to follow-up after the show that is consistent with your exhibiting program?

Remember that branding is a process, a business system that fuels and sustains all customer and company relationships. Total consistency, congruity, clarity and focus in every aspect of your exhibiting program, before, during and after the show are essential.

Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, is "The Tradeshow Coach." Based in Lake Placid, N.Y., she works with exhibitors and show organizers to improve their tradeshow success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free copy of ExhibitSmart News, e-mail susan@thetradeshowcoach.com; Web site: www.thetradeshowcoach.com.