Ruth P. Stevens Articles and Columns: EXPO MagazineJuly 2005 Promo Pointers The challenge: To attract a broader audience to the TS2 show, which was recently bought by National Trade Productions, Inc., from the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA). The audience: Exhibit managers at the estimated 1.5 million companies in the U.S. who exhibit at trade shows — per CEIR’s last Exhibition Industry Index. Many of these people do not consider themselves exhibit professionals, but still stand to benefit from the educational offerings of TS2. The solution: A fetching post card promotion with colorful — and edgy — graphics delivered with an unusual "lenticular" plastic coating that gives the art a 3D effect, mailed to 20,000 prospective attendees. The strategy: When TSEA sold its show to its producer, NTP knew they had to make some changes to broaden the show’s appeal. The show’s Executive Director, Steve Greenspan, felt that he could attract a broader segment of exhibiting companies as attendees by pursuing two incremental strategies. First, he expanded the educational product, adding a programming track focused on corporate events. Second, he developed several non-traditional promotion strategies to find new attendees, like cooperative marketing with 86 show organizers to reach their exhibiting clients, and a joint promotion with the District of Columbia chapter of the American Marketing Association. But none of these ideas was going to work unless Greenspan could figure out a way to communicate with these new market segments. His strategy? An edgy, slightly outrageous look and feel to the direct mail announcing the "new TS2. And he doubled the marketing budget. Why it works: The lenticular postcard allows two sets of messages to be delivered at the same time on a single surface. Its corrugated plastic coating helps it stand out in the midst of mailbox clutter. The team selected highly colorful and provocative images — a tattooed bald head, a speeding motorcycle, a muscle-flexing strong man. The main message poses the question with a built-in call to action: "Are you IN?" The results: NTP attributes 30.2% of the show registrations to date to this single postcard. It was the second direct mail touch, following on the heels of a standard self-mailer sent to past attendees and association members. But the postcard pulled 5 orders per thousand, double that of the prior mailing. At $1 per piece in the mail, the postcard proved profitable. Advice to others: Don’t ignore the power of buzz. Says Carrie Jolly, Director of Marketing at NTP, recipients were so wowed by the piece they actually picked up the phone and called in with their compliments. ........................................................................................... © 2008 Ruth
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