big corporate

Transcription

big corporate

April / May 2015
by NextPage
CORPORATE
JUNGLE
How to truly make
your brand stand out
INSIDE
Corporate jungle | 6
Brand police | 10
Trending with... | 14
Trade Shows & Direct Mail | 15
e
Se
e
ag
4
p
NextPage goes
BIG
Being Green is More Than Recycled Paper!
Understand the Journey Along The Sustainable Printing Path
SUSTAINABILITY
T
NextPage started automating workflows
and integrating with large databases to
produce more personalized marketing
pieces long before “going green” was
made popular by print companies trying to
increase their productivity and profits.
Earth-friendly Processes VOC emissions, low percentage of
wasted ink and coatings. Press
wash using recycled materials.
FSC CERTIFIED
NextPage is an FSC printer. The Komori
press helps reduce our carbon footprint
even further. We report back the savings for
several of our clients—going beyond the
‘chain of custody’ reporting requirements.
On Demand Printing - eliminates
waste by producing print on demand and
implementing a prepress model whereby
we “distribute first, print later.”
Paperless Job System –
SAVE
A CULTURE
L
STATUS
UPDATES
We follow reduce, reuse,
recycle as part of our culture of
‘doing more with less’.
Variable Printing - Using
resources wisely – means printing
more targeted communications.
our IT department is building a
unique system that collaboratively
connects all departments,
improves productivity and
communications, saves paper
and saves energy.
RECYCLE TRUTH
We use recycled papers, papers
with chlorine-free processing, and
even “tree-free” papers made from
non-wood pulp.
ENERGY SAVINGS
A
NextPage merges technology with
process to reduce inefficiencies in
addition to the traditional measures. We
waste less, we do more with less.
Building Location - an underground
is an Energy Star labeled building profile
business complex that is environmentally
friendly lower *energy costs by 50-70%.*
If being "green" is important to you, NextPage should be your printing partner.
Call 866.938.3607 to schedule a tour and learn more about our "hyper-green" approach to print.
*http://www.huntmidwest.com/subtropolis/
publisher’s letter
Climate change
3
W
hile many people say the recession is over, that doesn’t mean the recovery will be spectacular. In fact, there will be nothing
fair about the recovery ahead. To the contrary, it will heartlessly divide those who are prepared for a transformed world and
those who are not.
While each of us is worried about a host of things, the biggest concerns are normally centered on our ability to increase sales. We
wonder where our next sale will come from and whether or not we will have anything of value in the future.
The gist is that our economy gained strength in 2014 and is likely to keep that momentum in 2015. But even among the greatest
marketers, there is widespread unease that margins for error are wafer-thin. If we take our eye off that key account, even for a moment,
it may be gone. Get a little careless with costs, and profitability could take a hit. Think for a minute that you have it all figured out,
and you may quickly learn otherwise.
In Epicomm’s recent “Printing Business Conditions” survey, marketing services executives say the future of print will be targeted. In other
words, they believe that customized content delivers unique value and allows you to connect more deeply with your clients. And the more you
connect with them, the more resistance there is to drop you as a provider.
So, while the economic climate is in a constant state of change, great marketers understand they must stay remarkably in tune
with their communities. They realize that if the rate of change on the outside is greater than the rate of change on the inside, they are
in trouble.
As we continue to preach about going deeper with clients, we
ask you to spend some time with our latest issue. In our cover story,
“Corporate Jungle,” entrepreneur and author Dr. Colby Jubenville discusses how to truly stand out as a brand.
In our second feature, “Brand Police,” marketing and legal experts
weigh in on the disciplines of protecting your brand and its reputation.
So, while the recession may be over, the recovery will not be a rising
tide that raises all boats. We will need to focus on our clients and remain
open to the changes that inevitably lie ahead.
While the economic climate
is in a constant state of change,
great marketers understand they
must stay remarkably in tune
with their communities.
Respectfully,
Gina M. Danner, CEO
CONTENTS
03
Publisher’s Letter
Did you notice?
The cool effects on the cover of this issue of Connect were produced
using a technique called Reticulating Varnish. This special application is
possible on NextPage’s Komori Lithrone GL-840P 8 Color Press. This is a
cost effective way to add impact and attention to your printed piece.
Be sure to ask for details and let your creative mind soar.
04
NextPage Goes Big
Climate change
10
14
06
Corporate jungle
How to truly make your
brand stand out
15
Brand police
Trending with...
Trade Shows & Direct Mail
Why your brand should be
your first line of defense
Branding expert Rodger Roeser
A Winning
Combination
Publishers
Gina M. Danner
Managing Editors
Rosanne Kirn
Art Direction
Brent Cashman • Creative Director
Jaime Hill • Graphic Designer
Connect is published bimonthly by NextPage®
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 122
Kansas City, Missouri 64161
© 2015. All rights reserved
For more information, contact us at
866.938.3607 or visit goNextPage.com.
To discuss any information contained in Connect by NextPage, please contact NextPage at 866.938.3607.
4
Print Big Solutions
All of us at NextPage are excited
to welcome Print Big Solutions to
our family of companies!!!
goes
BIG
with the
acquisition of
Joe Duffy, President and owner, of Print Big
shares this insight “I am very excited about the
opportunity for the clients and employees of
Print Big. The leadership team at NextPage truly
sees the future of the printing industry and is
delivering on their promise to ‘redefine print in
this region’.”
“Joe and his team have created a great company
in Print Big. One that has provided great
leadership for over 18 years,” shares Gina
Danner, CEO of NextPage. “Print Big is a trusted
brand in the large format printing arena. The
reality that Joe Duffy thought NextPage offered
the best opportunity for clients and employees is
something we take great pride in.”
Duffy shares additional insight, “NextPage is
committed to the acquisition of the newest and
most technologically advanced equipment that
not only supports our current customers, but
provides MORE. With their continued investment
strategy and active leadership, NextPage is
the place to be if you are in the marketing or
printing industry. I’m excited NextPage will be
able to lead Print Big clients to the next evolution
of marketing service in a seamless and wellplanned manner. Plus, the desire of the NextPage
team to create a smooth transition for our clients
AND the intentional growth planning they have
is something that the marketing and advertising
community should support.”
Danner goes on, “Our customers currently
purchase a variety of signage and large format
printing. We see an opportunity to provide one
more valued service to them. Print Big knows
this portion of the industry. It just made sense to
add their talent and expertise to our own. With
the addition of Print Big, we will once again
be expanding our facility in the Hunt Midwest
Subtropolis. I’m extremely proud of our team
and look forward to the future.”
April/May 2015 • Connect by NextPage
5
Posters
Signs
Vehicle Wraps
Banners
Wall Graphics
Floor Graphics
Wallpaper
Custom Decals
Tradeshow Graphics
Event Graphics
Hardware Solutions
6
CORPORATE
JUNGLE
How to truly make your brand stand out
By Michael J. Pallerino
I
t’s Saturday morning in Murfreesboro, Tenn.,
and the drive through at the local fast food
stop already is 40 cars deep. On this particular
Saturday, the rain is pouring down – a very
poorly timed present from Mother Nature. It doesn’t
matter, really. The customers, as if drawn by some
hypnotic force, continue to come in droves. As the
line nudges forward, a traffic cop – another Saturday
morning staple – kindly keeps order among the
masses. On this day, several teenaged employees
take turns walking the customers who dared to
venture inside back to their cars.
Somewhere in the huddled throng of clanging
windshield wipers sit Colby Jubenville and his son.
The accomplished entrepreneur, inventor, speaker,
professor and author marvels at the dedication of
the patrons, himself included, to the experience.
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8
Corporate jungle
That’s right – the experience. Sure, there’s
the sandwich and there’s the experience: The
plotting, planning and eventual trip to where
a host of fast food professionals armed with
hospitality and grace provide you with a family
experience that’s consistent every time.
“You have to know your customers,”
Jubenville says. “And this place knows its customers. All those people in that line are going
for the experience, not the sandwich.
Standing out is the passion that drives
Jubenville. You can read all about how and
why in his book, “Zebras & Cheetahs: Look
Different and Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle,” which he co-wrote with business coach Michael Burt.
“Zebras & Cheetahs” provides an insightful look at surviving in today’s corporate jungle
– a world where the big don’t eat the small,
the fast eat the slow. Carefully crafted and
delivered in a way that all brands – personal
and business – can follow, the book is a user’s
guide to becoming bigger, stronger and faster
than your competition, whatever and whoever
that competition may be.
There are no secrets today,” says Jubenville, who also is principal of Red Herring Innovation and Design. “It starts by knowing who
you are. The truth is that you are what your clients and your market say you are. If you want
to get better at branding, you have to start by
having better conversations with yourself. And
you have to focus on that conversation.”
Finding your ‘collective passion’
The exercise of becoming – and delivering on
the perfect brand drills down to asking yourself two simple questions: What is the promise I am offering and how do I deliver it? It’s
that simple, Jubenville admits. The strategy
that ensues (which involves garnering the buyin from everybody – your organization, your
customers and your employees) is a principle
Corproate Jungle
he calls “collective passion.”
If you’re looking for the simplest explanation of that, the die-hard college football
fan will give you his University of Alabama
example. Deep in the heart of Tuscaloosa,
Ala., Jubenville says that coach Nick Saban
is building one of the greatest examples of his
principles. The Crimson Tide is a brand known
for its rabid, unwavering fan support. “Nick
Saban is building passion on all levels. He is
hard on his players and, oftentimes, deemed
unfair in how much he demands, but there is
a reason behind that. He has created a set of
standards that has defined the buy-in. Those
standards create the buy-in, which builds
chemistry.”
“You really have to
know your purpose –
why do you play the
game? Seems like a
simple question, but
amazing how many
brands don’t have
an answer.”
– Dustin Longstreth, VP of Strategy,
Group Director, CBX
There’s a story Jubenville likes to quote
about an old Navy captain who once told him
that everybody wants to know three things
when it comes to the task at hand: Who’s in
charge? What are the rules? How are you going to hold me accountable?
“Wouldn’t it be great if everybody just
asked themselves those questions? In today’s
corporate jungle, the biggest challenge we
9
the job of purpose.”
have is finding good people to work better.
Linda Popky, strategic marketing expert
We have to find them, and then get them
and author of the upcoming book, “Marketto act alive. Those three questions help.
ing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic AdMost marketers have the strategy they want
vantage with Marketing that Matters,” says
to help them stand out, they just have to
that with all the mediums available today,
implement it.”
brands can and should stand out. You don’t
Dustin Longstreth is a big believer in
do that by adding to the chaos and noise
the tribal mentality concept. The VP of
in the marketplace by attempting to chase
Strategy and group director for branding
every possible new avenue, but by focusing
agency CBX believes that brand building is
on the key fundamentals.”
a team effort that starts with a mindset of
“Marketers need to get above the noise in
living for your people, not off them. “You
their organizations, as well as in the markethave to adopt a tribal mentality. Yet, so
place,” says Popky, who also is president of
many brands today still speak in terms of
Leverage2Market Associmarketing to a ‘target’ that
ates. “Marketers need to
is completely separate
work hand-in-hand with
from the people they interthe rest of their company,
act with every day. That’s
including sales, product
an occupier’s mentality.”
development and, more
As a result, the brand
important, IT. The days
efforts feel like a con game,
of being driven by creand eventually, people reative concepts are over.
volt. It is about being one
We need to be part of the
with your tribe in order to
overall business strategy,
build the trust, empathy
not the execution and deand intuition needed to
ployment team.”
quickly act and react in
At the end of the
ways that add value and
day, the mark of a brand
build loyalty.
comes down to Juben“Follow us, join us,
ville’s two simple quesshare with us (and eventutions: What is the promally buy from us) are the
ise I am offering, and
new calls to action in the
how do I deliver it? “Can
connected age,” Longstreth
you make your customsays. “You really have to
– Linda Popky, President,
ers money [and/or] can
know your purpose – why do
Leverage2Market Associates
you save them money?
you play the game? Seems
“Marketers need
to get above
the noise in their
organizations,
as well as in the
marketplace.
They need to
work handin-hand with
the rest of their
company.”
like a simple question, but
it’s amazing how many
brands don’t have an answer. Positioning
is a helpful framework to remind you what
messages your brand needs to repeat, but it
doesn’t do much to inspire advocacy. That’s
If you can’t do either,
they’re moving on. You
have to know your true value. If you don’t,
you have to figure it out.”
10
11
Why your brand should be your first line of defense
By Charlie Lunan
D
an Antonelli remembers being excited when his New Jersey marketing
agency, Graphic D-Signs Inc., received a call from one of the largest
service companies in the country. He was exploring rebranding options
after learning he could not trademark a logo because it had been created with clip
art. They had grown from one van to several hundred, and wanted to expand to
new markets. But with so many other competitors using the same art, they found
themselves in a quandary. Rebranding would cost more than $1 million.
“Ultimately, they decided to keep what they had, due to the cost,” says Antonelli,
CEO and creative director of Graphic D-Signs. “It’s unfortunate, because they
can’t even own their brand and build a unique corporate identity that delivers a
meaningful brand promise, since the art is so generic and diluted.”
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Brand police
“A lot of companies
think because
they don’t tweet,
no one tweets
about them. It’s kind
of a head-in-thesand approach.”
– Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, CMO,
BrandProtect
Graphic artists and trademark attorneys
say such tales are far from rare and illustrate
how entrepreneurs and marketers can fall
short when it comes to protecting the brands
they work so hard to create. While brand protection is a discipline that should start at the
inception of the creative process, it often is
neglected in the rush of starting a business.
“With so many other things to focus on –
from securing equipment to all the logistics of
starting their business – the brand is often an
afterthought,” Antonelli says.
Knowing the risks
Failure to adequately research trademarks can
cost time and money and, ultimately, can undermine what investors are willing to pay to
buy a business.
“The repeated misery I see is the brand team
goes out and does all this testing on a name and
then goes to legal,” says Andrea Anderson, an
intellectual property rights attorney based in the
Denver offices of Holland & Hart. “Then, you have
to make the tough decision of whether to acquire
the trademark or go forward on your own.”
Marketers also can err by registering a
trademark that is difficult to defend, such as a
name that includes a description of a product or
service. “Sometimes, marketing people may not
appreciate the risks,” Anderson says. “It’s not
whether you win the lawsuit, because less than
1 percent of all trademark cases go to trial. It’s,
‘Am I willing to risk $100,000 in legal fees on
this one brand decision?’”
Anderson routinely urges companies that
source or register relevant trademarks with
the Chinese government. Without registration,
they won’t be able to work with Chinese authorities to fight counterfeiters and risk being
extorted by trademark trolls. Just last summer,
Tesla Motors paid an undisclosed sum to an
entrepreneur who had trademarked its name
in China years before it entered the country.
There have been instances when a company
lowered its bid to acquire a company, after due
diligence revealed it would cost millions to obtain
overseas trademark rights and/or rid an overseas
market of counterfeit goods. “I’ve seen companies
bitten by that more than once,” Anderson says.
“It was going to cost them $3,000 to $4,000
to register their trademark in China, and they’d
rather spend that going to a trade show.”
Death by a thousand cuts
Of course, trademark registration merely is
the foundation of a long-term brand protection
T IPS FOR PROTECTING
YOUR BRAND
A comprehensive brand
protection strategy can and
should be driven by marketers in close coordination
with trademark attorneys.
In the first phase, marketers
work hand-in-hand with legal counsel to select marks
that cannot only be registered, but also defended. In
the second phase, they work
together to monitor for trademark infringements and other
threats, and decide how to respond. After consulting with
several sources, we compiled
the following checklist.
RESEARCH
1
2
Online research – Conduct an online search to
get a sense of what trademarks already are in
use in your target market.
Hire a trademark attorney – At some point, you’ll
need to call a trademark attorney to conduct a U.S.
Patent and Trademark and common law search,
since trademark rights in the United States stem not
only from registration, but also from use of a mark. An attorney
actually may be able to save you a lot of time, money and frustration by dissuading you from registering a trademark that will
be difficult to defend. Tip: Trademark attorneys love made-up
words, which are easier to protect than generic words.
3
Conduct a domain name and social media
search – If someone already is using your trademark in a URL or as a social media handle, it’s
better to know before you choose a mark, since you may
have to budget for the cost of buying them out.
4
Register early – Once you pick a mark you want
to protect, register it with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as soon as possible. Once granted,
trademarks are retroactive to the time the application was filed, so you can file the application two to three
years before you use it – while your product is still in development. It also puts competitors on notice.
5
Consider registering trademarks overseas – This
is particularly important for companies that anticipate sourcing from or selling in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), where nearly 70 percent of
all counterfeit goods seized by U.S. authorities in fiscal 2013
originated. Moreover, PRC trademark law does not recognize
common law usage, which means a trademark troll could
trademark your brand before you even enter the market.
13
strategy. To be effective, a vigilant online monitoring program – regardless of how much online selling and marketing a company does,
must accompany registered trademarks.
“A lot of companies think because they
don’t tweet, no one tweets about them,” says
Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, CMO for BrandProtect.
“It’s kind of a head-in-the-sand approach.”
BrandProtect is one of several subscription-based services that monitor the internet
for mentions of a client’s trademarks. Using its
own proprietary algorithms and human analysts, the services identify potential threats,
such as rogue websites selling counterfeit
products, phishing scams, cyber squatters,
unauthorized social media sites and even resume fraud. Depending on the client, it may
have the authority and the tools to immediately shut down trademark infringers.
“The majority of mentions are legitimate,”
says Mancusi-Ungaro, noting that BrandProtect’s smallest clients spend about $11,000 a
year with the company. “We are throwing away
the wheat to find the chaff, so the yield may
only be .05 to 3 percent of everything we sift
through. But that little pile of threatening activity is, for our customers, extremely relevant,
extremely scary and potentially impactful.”
6
representative, and end up
The more common in“Sometimes,
with illegitimate brokers,”
jury, however, comes from
marketing people
allowing dozens of lessmay not appreciate Mancusi-Ungaro says. “That
is using the brand to steal.”
dramatic threats to go unthe risks. It’s not
Thankfully, most local
answered. Over time, unauwhether you win
businesses don’t have to
thorized use of trademarks
the lawsuit. It’s,
worry about these threats.
in a URL, social media han‘Am
I willing to risk
Criminals tend to gravitate
dle or eBay store can dilute
$100,000 in legal fees toward the most iconic
a brand every bit as much
on this one brand
brands that will earn them
as using clip art in a logo.
decision?’”
the most money. That does
“It’s really more the
not excuse small business
death by a thousand cuts,”
– Attorney Andrea Anderson,
marketers from being vigiMancusi-Ungaro says.
Holland & Hart
lant, whether that’s setting
In the summer of 2013,
up Google alerts for its trademarks or selecting
a major regional bank that was hearing coman artist to design its logo.
plaints on social media about what some of its
Antonelli warns that many websites
mortgage loan officers were doing approached
now offer to connect small businesses with
BrandProtect. After three or four weeks,
offshore graphic designers who regularly enBrandProtect reported back to the bank what
gage in trademark infringement. “Often, the
it had learned from monitoring 1,000 of its
small business owner has no idea their new
loan officers. As it turned out, the bank only
‘original’ logo is simply a ripoff of someone’s
had 477 mortgage loan officers. Most of the
trademark – until he gets a cease and de500-plus others identified by BrandProtect
sist letter, or worse, a suit claiming dammerely had failed to update their online inforages. They then not only need to defend
mation. A handful was intentionally trading on
themselves in a suit, but also deal with the
the credibility of the bank.
expense of rebranding everything that uses
“In a worst-case scenario, people see a
this stolen artwork.”
legitimate advertisement and look for a local
Register for adjacent uses – Consider future brand extensions
into new product categories. For example, if you’re a footwear
brand, consider registering your trademark for apparel and
accessories as well.
MONITOR & ENFORCE
7
8
9
10
Set up alerts – Set up email alerts on your favorite search
engine that will notify you every time your trademark appears
on the internet. This can act as an early warning signal of
trademark infringement.
Work with distributors – If you sell through retailers and wholesalers, encourage them to report suspicious activity.
Appoint a brand cop – Consider assigning someone in marketing to work part-time, monitoring searches and responding to
dealer complaints.
Use the ® and ™ symbols – Use these with all registered trademarks, including logos, in all corporate communications, including
press releases, logos, signage, advertising and labeling. This will
prevent unscrupulous competitors from inadvertently infringing your trademarks, and prove you were actively using and protecting them if you feel
compelled to take your claims to court.
11
Subscribe to a digital brand protection service – Larger companies may want to consider subscribing to a service such as
BrandProtect, ChannelIQ or Corporation Service Co. to set up a
custom monitoring and reporting service. Be sure to shop around
as these services can cost thousands of dollars per month.
12
Conduct regular audits – This is a good practice for grooming
a company for an acquisition or takeover. Look at every mark
you’re using, and consider whether you want to register it. Audits also should check to make sure the company, rather than
the founder or someone in marketing who registered an asset in their own
name, owns all trademarks.
13
Educate and enlist consumers – If you sell highly counterfeited
goods such as handbags, watches, consumer electronics, apparel
or footwear, consider setting up a page where consumers can learn
how to detect and report counterfeit goods.
14
Q&A: Interview with Rodger Roeser
Trending with ...
Branding expert Rodger Roeser
A
wards seem to follow Rodger Roeser wherever he goes. Over the years, he has been an
award-winning TV anchor/reporter, radio host, journalist and editor. On the business front,
the agency he founded, The Eisen Agency, has won a litany of accolades, including a
spot on the “Inc. 5000” list as one of the fastest growing small businesses in the country in 2012.
Today, Roeser’s Cincinnati-based firm works with small and large businesses alike to help align their
communications with their respective audiences. Clients include RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, White
Castle and Roto-Rooter, among others. Here are his insights into why branding is a team game.
What’s the most important aspect of branding today?
The single most important thing is to have a clear understanding of the brand and make certain the
experience is truly felt throughout the whole organization. This should not only be consistent across
the marketing mediums and external expressions, but also permeate throughout the look and feel
of your business and employees and how your customers are treated.
How do you continue to
keep things consistent?
You should have brand “police” that continually
work with your organization at all levels. This
helps them understand the brand and what it
stands for, and how each individual as a part of
that organization fits into the brand discussion.
It’s more about the professional than the service, so it’s critical everyone understand even
the smallest nuance of the brand as a whole.
Why is that important?
It allows everyone at every level to share what’s
interesting or what makes an organization
“tick.” When you have brand ambassadors,
you have a better chance of standing out amid
a cluttered field.
How critical is the
“buy in” at every level?
Branding is a top, down process, permeated throughout the
Branding is a top, down whole of the brand entity. It’s an
ongoing process that involves
process, permeated
practice, drills, questions and
throughout the whole objectivity. There needs to be
a commitment to create, foster
of the brand entity.
and manage that brand for the
good of the whole. Leadership
It’s an ongoing
because if the folks
process that involves isin critical,
the corner offices pay “lip
practice, drills, questions service” to the brand or brand
experience, no one will follow
and objectivity.
along. The leadership must
be the most diligent of brand
ambassadors and continually challenge others to
more succinctly share in that brand conversation.
What’s the main ingredient in
telling your brand’s story?
It’s the customer or the client. Without the clear
ability to truly understand what the client or customer wants and needs, it’s almost impossible to
have an objective brand story to further engage
and actually be part of the customer story. As
with virtually all products or services, it doesn’t
exist if the client isn’t central, which is why saying a business is client-centric is a poor brand
pillar to stand on. Understand why your customers love your brand and how you cannot only
share that story, but also live that conversation
throughout the whole of the operation. Branding
isn’t about marketing; it’s about operations.
Trade Shows & Direct Mail
15
Trade Shows & Direct Mail:
A Winning Combination
by Marlys Arnold
One big mistake many exhibitors make is
neglecting to do anything to promote their
presence at a trade show. They somehow
think people will just magically show up at
their booth, or perhaps that attendees are already aware of — and eager to meet — them.
Unfortunately, these exhibitors are fooling
themselves. According to industry studies, at
least 75 percent of attendees arrive at a show
with a pre-set agenda, and if they aren’t aware
of your company, you won’t be on that list. Promoting the fact you’re exhibiting is key to building traffic in your booth.
Direct mail is one great tool for getting the
word out in advance while standing out from
the crowd. For example, how many e-mails did
you get this week? How many text messages …
LinkedIn messages … Facebook messages …?
Now how many pieces of postal mail did you get
(other than bills)? I bet you can count them on
one hand. So as a trade show marketer, you’ve
got a much greater chance of getting attention
with a physical piece of mail in their mailbox.
Postal mail appeals to not only visual learners,
but also tactile learners. Enhance the recipient’s
experience by using textured paper or a custom
shape for your mailer. With Variable Data Printing, virtually any text can be customized. Use
list demographics to design pre-show invitations
tailored to each attendee’s needs or customized
to the specific type or size of their company.
You’re not limited to text on a page. Mailers can
incorporate all kinds of other objects along with
your invitation. Include a button to wear on the
show floor (with the incentive of winning a prize
if spotted), die-cut magnets, or the first of a twopart gift (they must come to the booth to get
the rest).
The Expo Group wanted to get on the radar
of attendees who hadn’t switched vendors in
years. Using personalization techniques,
they sent 60 targeted
prospects a CD case
with an insert picturing either a vinyl record, cassette tape, or CD
(depending on length of time since last bid) and
asked “Is this how you were listening to music
the last time you went out to bid?” Inside the
case was a $10 iTunes gift card with a note saying “a lot has changed since then.”
These days, most buyers arrive at a booth already
having researched the company, so invite them to
check you out. One strategy my clients and I have
used very successfully is an online scavenger
hunt. In the pre-show mailing, list five questions
attendees can easily answer by visiting your website, then bringing those answers to your booth
to claim a gift (ideally something from your own
product line or a service you provide).
The first time I used this technique, people were
lining up with their answer sheets in my 10x10’
booth, eager to talk with me. Meanwhile, the
household-brand staff in the booth next door
stood and waited for their colorful
branding and reputation to do all
the work for them.
More tips for pre-show mailings:
• Make your message clear at a glance. Don’t
get too wordy.
• Always include the show name and date,
as well as your booth number.(Simple, but
often overlooked.)
• Give a call to action and encourage them to
do something: visit yourwebsite, bring card
to the booth, etc.
•
Offer an incentive or reason to visit the
booth such as a special event or guest appearance, new product debut, or drawing.
• Use graphics consistent with what will be
in your booth so they recognize it when
they arrive.
When it comes to pre-show promotions, creativity scores big points, as does piquing attendees’
curiosity. Send them something they won’t forget and they’ll be anxious to come to your booth
on the show floor.
Marlys Arnold is a Kansas City-based trade show marketing consultant, trainer, and the author of Build a Better Trade Show Image. She’s worked with exhibitors in all kinds of industries, from local consumer expos to some of the largest trade shows in the U.S. For more tips and ideas, check out her Trade Show
Insights blog and podcast at www.tradeshowinsights.com.
connect
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by NextPage
8300 NE Underground Dr., Pillar 122
Kansas City, MO 64161
goNextPage.com | 866.938.3607
... we Deliver More
One of our core beliefs at NextPage is that we must deliver more through continuous innovation.
A few of the ways we innovate every day include:
• Print Automation solutions that allow for direct mail
sends based off of email deliverability rules
• Marketing Automation tools that save countless
working hours every month - You define the business
rules and we build the tools
• Local Store Marketing that allows thousands of
corporate or franchise locations to access approved
marketing content from a central online store front with
support from a dedicated call center
• Social Media campaigns seamlessly integrated and
executed hand in hand with direct marketing campaigns
• Marketing Automation tie ins to third party software
including: ExactTarget, ACT-ON, Marketo, Salesforce.
com, Teradata, PeopleSoft and more
• Specialized coating and gluing applications used on
world wide brands produced for retail sales
• Specialized manufacturing processes that are custom
designed for efficiency.
• Large format printing via PrintBig, a NextPage company.
Each and every day the NextPage team is driven to innovate.
What can we build for you?
800.660.0108
goNextPage.com

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